important, since the 'Kingdom of Heaven' has so often been confounded with the period
of its triumphant manifestation in 'the days,' or in 'the Kingdom, of the Messiah.' Between
the Advent and the final manifestation of 'the Kingdom,' Jewish expectancy placed a
temporary obscuration of the Messiah. 63 Not His first appearance, but His triumphant
manifestation, was to be preceded by the so-called 'sorrows of the Messiah' (the Chebhley
shel Mashiach), 'the tribulations of the latter days.'64
57. As in the Targum on Ps. xiv. 7, and on Is. liii. 10.
58. As in Targum on 1 Kings iv.
33 (v. 13).
59. The distinction between the Olam habba (the world to come), and the Athid labho
(the age to come), is important. It will be more fully referred to by-and-by. In the
meantime, suffice it, that the Athid labho is the more specific designation of Messianic
times. The two terms are expressly distinguished, for example, in Mechilta (ed. Weiss ), p.
74 a, lines 2, 3.
60. For exa mple, in Ber. R. 88, ed. Warsh. p. 157 a.
61. Targ. PseudoJon. on Ex. xl.
9, 11.
62. Jer. Targ. on Gen. iii. 15; Jer. and PseudoJon. Targ on Numb. xxiv. 14.
63. This will be more fully explained and shown in the sequel. For the present we refer
only to Yalkut, vol. ii. p. 75 d, and the Midr. on Ruth ii. 14.
64. The whole subject is fully treated in Book V. ch. vi.
A review of many passages on the subject shows that, in the Jewish mind the expression
'Kingdom of Heaven' referred, not so much to any particular period, as in general to the
Rule of God - as acknowledged, manifested, and eventually perfected. Very often it is the
equivalent for personal acknowledgment of God: the taking upon oneself of the 'yoke' of
'the Kingdom,' or of the commandments - the former preceding and conditioning the
latter.65 Accordingly, the Mishnah66 gives this as the reason why, in the collection of
Scripture passages which forms the prayer called 'Shema,'67 the confession, Deut. vi. 4
&c., precedes the admonition, Deut. xi. 13 &c., because a man takes upon himself first
the yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven, and afterwards that of the commandments. And in
this sense, the repetition of this Shema, as the personal acknowledgment of the Rule of
Jehovah, is itself often designated as 'taking upon oneself the Kingdom of Heaven.'68
Similarly, the putting on of phylacteries, and the washing of hands, are also described as
taking upon oneself the yoke of the Kingdom of God.69 To give other instances: Israel is
said to have taken up the yoke of the Kingdom of God at Mount Sinai;70 the children of
Jacob at their last interview with their father;71 and Isaiah on his call to the prophetic
office,72 where it is also noted that this must be done willingly and gladly. On the other
hand, the sons of Eli and the sons of Ahab are said to have cast off the Kingdom of
Heaven.73 While thus the acknowledgment of the Rule of God, both in profession and
practice, was considered to constitute the Kingdom of God, its full manifestation was
expected only in the time of the Advent of Messiah. Thus in the Targum on Isaiah xl. 9,
the words 'Behold your God!' are paraphrased: 'The Kingdom of your God is revealed.'
Similarly,74 we read: 'When the time approaches that the Kingdom of Heaven shall be
manifested, then shall be fulfilled that "the Lord shall be King over all the earth."' 75 76 On