e faith of
the Pharisees, and of the fervent adherents of the Messianic
beliefs.[2] Jesus accepted it unreservedly, but always in the most
idealistic sense. Many imagined that in the resuscitated world they
would eat, drink, and marry. Jesus, indeed, admits into his kingdom a
new passover, a table, and a new wine;[3] but he expressly excludes
marriage from it. The Sadducees had on this subject an apparently
coarse argument, but one which was really in conformity with the old
theology. It will be remembered that according to the ancient sages,
man survived only in his children. The Mosaic code had consecrated
this patriarchal theory by a strange institution, the levirate law.
The Sadducees drew from thence subtle deductions against the
resurrection. Jesus escaped them by formally declaring that in the
life eternal there would no longer exist differences of sex, and that
men would be like the angels.[4] Sometimes he seems to promise
resurrection only to the righteous,[5] the punishment of the wicked
consisting in complete annihilation.[6] Oftener, however, Jesus
declares that the resurrection shall bring eternal confusion to the
wicked.[7]

[Footnote 1: Mark ix. 9; Luke xx. 27, and following.]

[Footnote 2: Dan. xii. 2, and following; 2 Macc. vii. entirely, xii.
45, 46, xiv. 46; _Acts_ xxiii. 6, 8; Jos., _Ant._, XVIII. i. 3;
_B.J._, II. viii. 14, III. viii. 5.]

[Footnote 3: Matt. xxvi. 29; Luke xxii. 30.]

[Footnote 4: Matt. xxii. 24, and following; Luke xx. 34-38; Ebionite
Gospel, entitled, "Of the Egyptians," in Clem. of Alex., _Strom._ ii.
9, 13; Clem. Rom., Epist. ii. 12.]

[Footnote 5: Luke xiv. 14, xx. 35, 36. This is also the opinion of St.
Paul: 1 _Cor._ xv. 23, and following; 1 Thess. iv. 12, and following.]

[Footnote 6: Comp. 4th book of Esdras, ix. 22.]

[Footnote 7: Matt. xxv. 32, and following.]

It will be seen that nothing in all these theories was absolutely new.
The Gospels and the writings of the apostles scarcely contain anything
as regards apocalyptic doctrines but what might be found already in
"Daniel,"[1] "Enoch,"[2] and the "Sibylline Oracles,"[3] of Jewish
origin. Jesus accepted the ideas, which were generally received among
his contemporaries. He made them his basis of action, or rather one of
his bases; for he had too profound an idea of his true work to
establish it solely upon such fragile principles--principles so liable
to be decisively refuted by facts.

[Footnote 1: See espec