At last, when these distresses have reached their final height, when signs are in the sky, ruin upon earth, and the unburied bodies that cover the ground are devoured by birds and wild beasts, or else swallowed up by the earth, [5438] would God send the King,' Who would put an end to unrighteousness. Then would follow the last war against Jerusalem, in which God would fight from heaven with the nations, when they would submit to, and own Him. [5439] But while in the Book of Enoch and in another work of the same class [5440] the judgment is ascribed to God, and the Messiah represented as appearing only afterwards, [5441] [5442] in the majority of these works the judgment or its execution is assigned to the Messiah. [5443]
In the land thus restored to Israel, and under the rule of King Messiah, the new Jerusalem would be the capital, purified from the heathen, [5444] enlarged, nay, quite transformed. This Jerusalem had been shown to Adam before his Fall, [5445] but after that both it and Paradise had been withdrawn from him. It had again been shown to Abraham, [5446] to Moses, and to Ezra. [5447] The splendour of this new Jerusalem is described in most glowing language. [5448] [5449] Of the glorious Kingdom thus instituted, the Messiah would be King, [5450] [5451] although under the supremacy of God. His reign would extend over the heathen nations. The character of their submission was differently viewed, according to the more or less Judaic standpoint of the writers. Thus, in the Book of Jubilees [5452] the seed of Jacob are promised possession of the whole earth; they would rule over all nations according to their pleasure; and after that draw the whole earth unto themselves, and inherit it for ever.' In the Assumption of Moses' [5453] this ascendency of Israel seems to be conjoined with the idea of vengeance upon Rome, [5454] although the language employed is highly figurative. [5455] On the other hand, in the Sibylline Books [5456] the nations are represented as, in view of the blessings enjoyed by Israel, themselves turning to acknowledge God, when perfect mental enlightenment and absolute righteousness, as well as physical well-being, would prevail under the rule and judgeship (whether literal or figurative) of the Prophets. [5457] The most Grecian' view of the Kingdom, is, of course, that expressed by Philo. He anticipates, that the happy moral condition of man would ultimately affect the wild beasts, which, relinquishing their solitary habits, would first become gregarious; then, imitating the domestic animals, gradually come to respect man as their master, nay, become as affectionate and cheerful as Maltese dogs.' Among men, the pious and virtuous would bear rule, their dignity inspiring respect, their terror fear, and their beneficence good will. [5458] Probably intermediate between this extreme Grecian and the Judaic conception of the Millennium, are such utterances as ascribe the universal acknowledgment of the Messiah to the recognition, that God had invested Him with glory and power, and that His Reign was that of blessing. [5459]
It must have been remarked, that the differences between the Apocalyptic teaching of the Pseudepigrapha and that of the New Testament are as marked as those between the latter and that of the Rabbis. Another point of divergence is, that the Pseudepigrapha uniformly represent the Messianic reign as eternal, not broken up by any further apostasy or rebellion. [5460] Then would the earth be renewed, [5461] [5462] and this would be followed, lastly, by the Resurrection. In the Apocalypse of Baruch, [5463] as by the Rabbis, it is set forth that men would rise in exactly the same condition which they had borne in life, so that, by being recognised, the reality of the Resurrection would be attested, while in the re-union of body and soul each would receive its due meed for the sins committed in their state of combination while upon earth. [5464] But after that a transformation would take place: of the just into the Angelic splendour of their glory, while, on view of this, the wicked would correspondingly fade away. [5465] Josephus states that the Pharisees taught only a Resurrection of the Just. [5466] As we know that such was not the case, we must regard this as one of the many assertions made by that writer for purposes of his own - probably to present to outsiders the Pharisaic doctrine in the most attractive and rational light of which it was capable. Similarly, the modern contention, that some of the Pseudepigraphic Writings propound the same view of only a Resurrection of the Just, [5467] is contrary to evidence. [5468] There can be no question that, according to the Pseudepigrapha, in the general Judgment, which was to follow the universal Resurrection, the reward and punishment assigned are represented as of eternal duration, although it may be open to question, as in regard to Rabbinic teaching, which of those who had been sinners would suffer final and endless torment.