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1.1.3 - A History of Christianity in the Apostolic Age
The Origin of Christianity
Judaism - Hope for the Messiah
The anticipation of the coming era of blessedness frequently included the expectation of a Messiah, who should lead God’s chosen people to victory and bear rule in the consummated kingdom.
At the some time, that expectation was not universal and did not constitute a part of the original messianic hope. Some of those that dwell most upon the approaching period of happiness are entirely silent regarding a Messiah.
All agreed that the kingdom was to be God’s kingdom, and that his authority would be supreme; and consequently it was possible to think of it without any other head than Jehovah himself, and of its establishment by his own hand without the agency of another.
And yet during the century, or century and a half, preceding the birth of Christ, there can be no doubt that the conception of a Messiah, and the anticipation of his coming, were growing more and more common.
The earlier Sibylline Oracles, the Psalter of Solomon, the Book of Enoch, all refer to the advent of a messianic king, and many passages in the Gospels and in Josephus indicate the general prevalence of the idea.
By those who looked for the coming of a personal Messiah, it was commonly supposed that he would be, not a divine, but a human being; in constitution a man, but a man endowed by God (of by the Holy Ghost according to the Psalter of Solomon) with extraordinary gifts and powers which should fit him to lead God’s chosen people to victory, and to rule his kingdom in wisdom, holiness, and righteousness.
The idea of the Messiah’s pre-existence was not wholly unknown; and though by most he was regarded as a mere man, born like other men, and passing through the same stages of development with them, he was by some invested with supernatural features which raised him above the level of ordinary humanity. Still its is to be noticed that there was a tendency among the Jews to attribute pre-existence to all things that had religious worth, as for instance to the Torah, to the temple, and to Jerusalem, and therefore, the ascription of preexistence to the Messiah does not necessarily involve the ascription to him of divinity in any sense. The basis of the idea of the Messiah’s preexistence may be found in Micah 5:2, which can easily bear that interpretation, and in Daniel 7: 13-14, where it is necessary only to interpret “Son of Man” as referring to the Messiah, in order to get his preexistence, and thus the Book of Enoch actually does interpret the phrase.
At the opening of the Christian era the belief was widespread that the time was ripe for the establishment of the messianic kingdom, and that the long-expected consummation was near at hand. The troublous times in which the Jews had been lining since the beginning of the second century before Christ seemed to indicate the approach of the great crisis when judgment should be passed upon all the enemies of Israel, and the oppressed children of God be released from their long bondage.
Though there were still some unrighteous Jews that did not fear God and obey his commands, yet on the whole his law was observed with remarkable punctiliousness by the great body of the people, and it was felt that God could not long leave the national virtue unrewarded, could not long withhold the promised peace and blessedness.
The Assumption of Moses, a work written about this time, [probably the book referred to by Jude 9] represents the kingdom as just on the eve of establishment, and calls attention to the numerous signs heralding its coming.
We also learn from Josephus, that many pretended messiahs appeared during this period, and succeeded in leading multitudes away after them. Evidently the hope of the speedy establishment of the kingdom was very widespread, and the people at large were all expectancy.
Used by permission of the publisher.
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