and wild beasts, or else swallowed up by the earth,89 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.90 But while in the Book of Enoch and in another work of the same class91 the
judgment is ascribed to God, and the Messiah represented as appearing only
afterwards,92 93 in the majority of these works the judgment or its execution is assigned
to the Messiah.94
89. Orac. Sibyll. iii. 633-652.
90. u. s. 653-697; comp. the figurative acc't in the Book of Enoch xc. 16, and following.
91. Assumpt. Mos. x. 2-10.
92. Book of Enoch xc. 37.
93. In the Assumptio Mosis there is no reference at all to the Messiah.
94. Or. Sibyll. iii. 652-656; Book of Enoch, u. s.: comp. ch. xlv. 3-6; xlvi.; lv. 4; lxi. 8, 9, 11,
12; lxii.; lxix. 27-29; Apoc. of Bar. xxxix. 7, 8; xl.; lxx. 9; lxxii. 2, end; IV. (II.) Esdras xii. 32-
34; xiii. 25-30, 34-38.
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,95 enlarged, nay, quite
transformed. This Jerusalem had been shown to Adam before his Fall,96 but after that
both it and Paradise had been withdrawn from him. It had again been shown to
Abraham,97 to Moses, and to Ezra.98 The splendour of this new Jerusalem is described
in most glowing lang uage.99 100 Of the glorious Kingdom thus instituted, the Messiah
would be King,101 102 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
Jubilees103 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'104 this ascendency
of Israel seems to be conjoined with the idea of vengeance upon Rome,105 although the
language employed is highly figurative.106 On the other hand, in the Sibylline Books107
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 o r figurative) of the Prophets.108 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.109 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.110