66 dent in Deuteronomy", where the law is symbolically styled "a fiery law." In proportion as oral instruction came more into vogue, the Lord's voice" or word" would tend to replace the physical symbol25, yet both continued to be united in common language. Hence the expressions, "The voice of the Lord divideth the flames of fire;' 26 "A flame goeth out of his mouth;"""The word of the Lord is a burning fire;"28"The word of Elias the prophet burned like a lamp.' "29 It naturally followed that when according to Joel's prophecy" the Spirit was to be poured out on all flesh, the form of its appearance "in the latter days" as in the days of old should be that of fire. Fire and water were the established symbols of purification and initiation", as well in Pagan mysteries as in the probationary trial of the Messianic future of the Hebrews 32, and it followed that initiation into the Christian mysteries, or the baptismal ordeal of the Spirit, should like the corresponding forms of the Mosaic dispensation be accompanied by both 33. For as the ancient Hebrews received baptismal influence from the fiery cloud which spoke to them on Sinai, accompanied them through the wilderness, and finally settled in their country as the "Schekinah," so out of a bright cloud" proceeded the divine voice inaugurating and 24 Deut. xxxiii. 2. 34 25 1 Sam. iii. 21. 1 Kings xix. 12. 26 Psal. xxix. 7. 28 Jer. v. 14; xx. 9; xxiii. 29. 27 Job xli. 21. 29 Ecclûs. xlviii. 1. Psal. cxix. 105. According to the Rabbins a superior knowledge of the law was signified by the manifestation of a supernatural fire around the students like that which appeared at the promulgation at Sinai. De Wette to Acts ii. p. 18. The face of the great Rabbi Eliezer shone so brightly that day and night were undistinguishable in his presence. Wettstein to Matt. xvii. 2. 30 Joel ii. 28. Comp. Isa. xliv. 3. 31 See Wettstein to Matt. iii. 11. vi. 6. Dan. iii. 27. Luke iii. 16. 2 Kings xvi. 3. Isa. iv. 4; 32 Zech. xiii. 9. Mal. iii, 2, 3. Dan. xii. 10. 2 Mac. i. 33. Gesenius' Isaiah, 262. 775. Porphyr. Abst. iv. 10. 33 Comp. Psal. lxvi. 10. 12; and 1 Cor. x. 1. 34 Psal. lxxxv. 9. 35 Matt. xvii. 5. confirming the mission of Christ. It was equally necessary, from the above-mentioned data, that the spiritual or baptismal fire should assume the similitude of "tongues." "There appeared to them," says the account in the Acts, "tongues as it were of fire distributed among them;" parting and distribution being the terms habitually used to express the pantheistic diffusion, the diversified gifts of the one Spirit". God so "parted" and "distributed" the divine spirit of Moses among the seventy elders", and hence the phrase "apportionments of the Holy Spirit" in the Epistle to the Hebrews", where the benefits of the new covenant are antithetically compared with the "angel" gifts of the old". Henceforth the power of speaking an unknown tongue was accounted one of the signs indicating possession of the divine Spirit"; but St. Paul justly holds the "gift of tongues," as exemplified in the pretensions of cotemporary enthusiasts, to be of very questionable value"; he describes the exhibition as childish, mystical, and rather resembling the ravings of insanity than an exercise calculated to impress the scoffer or edify the devout. The legend in Acts naturally adopts the opposite view of the matter; admitting, however, incidentally the justice of the observation of St. Paul" as to the practical tendency of such demonstrations to excite the derision of the profane. Those who partook the gift of inspiration were naturally more credulous"; and the apostles are represented as actually speaking under the influence of the fiery tongues so as to be understood by a miscellaneous concourse of "devout" Jews, assembled, as the writer says, from "every nation under heaven." The number of languages presumed to be different is with apparent difficulty made up to 16, many of those enumerated being in reality either identical repetitions or only slightly differing from each other. On the whole it is impossible not to see that the account of the miracle of Pentecost is a legend founded like other legends on a deep notional impression derived from technical data. The first law was a fiery meteor, consequently the second covenant must be so likewise; the first was divided into tongues in order to become intelligible; tongues were therefore the symbol and the evidence of the new gifts of the Spirit. The divine manifestations had taken the symbolism of fire and wind, and hence the effusion of the Spirit was accompanied by the sound of a mighty rushing wind, and the appearance of tongues of fire. With these traditional notions as to the forms of spiritual manifestations were mingled cotemporary impressions as to the inspiration of enthusiasts who were seen to give vent to the vivacity of their feelings in inarticulate tones and wild gesticulations. The implied opinion of St. Paul as to the real character of these demonstrations is unanswerable. He evidently considered the gift of tongues as contrasted not with speaking vernacularly but with speaking intelligibly. Though in accordance with usage allowing it to be called a "gift," he clearly perceives it to be inferior in practical value to prophecy, and to be akin to some of the most exceptionable aberrations of the seers of old. In spite of habitual prepossession he was disposed to consider "the tongues" as an unmeaning jargon which however in an imperfect knowledge of the languages of the world and of the possible combinations of significant sounds, it would be difficult to deny to have in some unknown land a real meaning". Paul himself professed to speak with tongues; but with him it was a private spiritual exercise", not the indecorous public exhibition which was the scandal of the 45 Thus "dwellers in Judea" are mentioned as well as "Jews," also "Proselytes," and "Galilæans." The Aramaic was common to the dwellers in Mesopotamia and Judæa, the Greek was the usual language of the cities of Lesser Asia, of Egypt, Cyrene, and Crete. 46 1 Cor. xiv. 14. 48 1 Cor. xiv. 18. Corinthian church. Yet even Paul, notwithstanding his more abundant possession of the gift, was unable to speak Lycaonian, and the greatest of the apostles appears to have employed an interpreter 50, as not wishing to astound so much as to edify and to be understood. In the case of "the tongues," no interpretation except by the voluntary liberality of the utterer was possible", and this for the plain reasons that in themselves they were wholly unintelligible, or, what amounts to the same thing, a language of the feelings intelligible only to God. § 7. THE MYSTIC OR PREADAMITE MESSIAH. One element of the Messianic idea as conceived by the prophets was the restoration of Paradisiacal innocence and happiness, or of the golden age. This phase of theory, which became one of the most fertile sources of Jewish mysticism, exercised an important influence over Christian theology, especially that of St. Paul. The great revolution, supposed to have been predicted from the beginning', was called the regeneration or restoration of all things". It was said in reference to the six letters of the word Toldot (so spelled only in Ruth iv. 18), that in the days of Messiah, "son of Pherez," the six lost Paradisiacal privileges would be restored; the glory or halo of the countenance, the primeval length of life, the original stature, the abundant fruits of the earth, the fruits of trees every day renewed, and the brilliancy of the lights of heaven. At the fall the heavenly bodies were obscured in sympathy with the moral disaster; when Adam fell, earth fell also, becoming 49 Acts xiv. 11. 14. 51 1 Cor. xiv. 5. 15. 27. 24 50 Euseb. Eccles. Hist. iii. 39. 52 Ib. verses 2. 9. Acts iii. 21. Comp. Gen. iii. 15, and the concluding chapters of Isaiah. accursed on his account, and its produce stinted or withdrawn3. But the eclipse would cease, the obstruction would be removed, and in a renewal of heaven and earth consequent on a regeneration of its inhabitants, would be gratified the protracted and intense longing of irrational nature for the "manifestation of the sons of God." There would be a complete moral and physical revolution. God would "do a new thing," he would purify the world by fire, flood, pestilence, and war. Hence the importance which the Essenes, who sent no offerings to the temple', attached to their baptismal purifications; hence too the baptismal ceremonies of the Christians, which in the aim of effecting the spiritual regeneration of man were imagined to have been instituted by the Holy Spirit at the creation. Sin being abolished, the reign of death and of Satan would be at an end. The latter would either be cast into hell or killed, the wicked serpent "from the sea" would be destroyed, and the holy serpent reign in his place1o. Messiah would then reopen the gate of Paradise, stop the brandishing of the threatening sword of flame, and give to the holy to eat of the tree of life". God had promised the Israelites that he would "walk in the midst of them." This would occur in the new Eden. "For to what," said the Jews13, can we compare this represen "12 13 3 Gfrörer, Urchrist. vol. ii. 130. 413 sq. Rom. viii. 19. 22. Irenæ. Hær. v. 33. In the book called Jalkut Simeoni it is related how Satan, or Sammael, was seized with consternation on descrying the glory of Messias gleaming from underneath the throne of God. 5 Isa. xliii. 19. Rev. xxi. 5. 6 Hermes in Lactant. Instit. vii. 18. Joseph. Ant. xviii. 1. 5. War, ii. 8. 5 and 9. * Clem. Αlex. Eclog. xvii. p. 991, Pott. “ Δι' ύδατος και πνευματος ή αναγεννησις, naburig xai n xara yeveris," quoting Gen. i. 2. Opp. ed. Sirmond. i. p. 13. Recognitiones, vi. 7. Theodoret, 8th Quest. on Gen. tina, xi. 24. "Water makes all things—water arises from the moving of the Spirit, the Spirit from God." 9Gfrörer, ib. p. 436. Rev. xx. 10. 10 Gfrörer, ii. 430. "Testament of the twelve Patriarchs in Fabricius' Cod. V. T. i. p. 586. |