Page:The Apocryphal New Testament (1924).djvu/75

 another, subject unto men with all obedience. These things Papias also, a hearer of John, and an associate of Polycarp, an ancient man, testifies in writing in the fourth of his books—for he wrote five. And he adds, saying: But these things are credible unto believers. And, he says, when Judas the traitor believed not, and asked: How then shall these growths be accomplished by the Lord? the Lord said: They shall see who shall come thereto.

on Daniel, 4. 60. So when the Lord was telling the disciples about the future kingdom of the saints, how glorious and wonderful it should be, Judas was struck by his words, and said: Who then shall see these things? And the Lord said: These things shall they see who are worthy.

In the Jewish Apocalypse of Baruch (xxix. 5) is a passage describing. the Messianic kingdom in similar terms: and other Rabbinic parallels are not uncommon. The words in Baruch are:

The earth also will yield its fruit ten thousand fold, and on one vine there will be a thousand branches, and each branch will produce a thousand clusters, and each cluster will produce a thousand grapes, and each grape will produce a cor of wine.

The Papias text is somewhat fuller.

One more parallel may be quoted, from one of the writings which I have omitted from the collection. In an Encomium on John the Baptist attributed—absurdly—to Chrysostom (Budge, Coptic Apocrypha, 1918, p. 348), an Apocalypse by James the Lord’s brother is quoted (pretended to have been found in a library at Jerusalem).

(The Saviour tells the apostles of the glories of John Baptist, who lives in the third heaven and ferries those who honour him on earth in a golden boat over the river of fire. He then takes the apostles to Paradise, and Thomas asks him how much fruit the trees bear.)

The Saviour said: I will hide nothing from you about the things concerning which ye have questioned me. As regardeth the vine, concerning the fruit of which ye have asked, there are ten thousand bunches of grapes upon it, and each bunch will produce six metrites (the same word as in Irenaeus) of wine. As regards the palm-trees in Paradise, each cluster yieldeth ten thousand dates, and each cluster is as long as a man is high. So likewise is it in the matter of the fig-trees: each shoot produceth ten thousand figs, and if three men were to partake of one fig, each of them would be satisfied. On each ear of the wheat which is in Paradise there are ten thousand grains, and each grain produceth six measures of flour. And the cedars also are on the same scale: each tree produceth ten thousand cones and is of a very great height. And the apple-tree and the thourakion-tree are of the same height; there are ten thousand apples on each shoot, and if three men were to partake of one apple, each of them would be satisfied.