Christ Jesus As Judge Of The Dead

According to Christian dogma, "God the Father" is not to be the judge at

the last day, but this very important office is to be held by "God the

Son." This is taught by the writer of "The Gospel according to St.

John"--whoever he may have been--when he says:



"For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all

judgment unto the Son."[244:1]



Paul also, in his "Epistle to the Romans (or some other person who has

interpolated the passage), tells us that:



"In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men," this

judgment shall be done "by Jesus Christ," his son.[244:2]



Again, in his "Epistle to Timothy,"[244:3] he says:



"The Lord Jesus Christ shall judge the quick and the dead,

at his appearing and his kingdom."[244:4]



The writer of the "Gospel according to St. Matthew," also describes

Christ Jesus as judge at the last day.[244:5]



Now, the question arises, is this doctrine original with Christianity?

To this we must answer no. It was taught, for ages before the time of

Christ Jesus or Christianity, that the Supreme Being--whether "Brahma,"

"Zeruane Akerene," "Jupiter," or "Yahweh,"[244:6]--was not to be the

judge at the last day, but that their sons were to hold this position.



The sectarians of Buddha taught that he (who was the Son of God

(Brahma) and the Holy Virgin Maya), is to be the judge of the

dead.[244:7]



According to the religion of the Hindoos, Crishna (who was the Son

of God, and the Holy Virgin Devaki), is to be the judge at the last

day.[245:1] And Yama is the god of the departed spirits, and the judge

of the dead, according to the Vedas.[245:2]



Osiris, the Egyptian "Saviour" and son of the "Immaculate Virgin"

Neith or Nout, was believed by the ancient Egyptians to be the judge of

the dead.[245:3] He is represented on Egyptian monuments, seated on his

throne of judgment, bearing a staff, and carrying the crux ansata, or

cross with a handle.[245:4] St. Andrew's cross is upon his breast. His

throne is in checkers, to denote the good and evil over which he

presides, or to indicate the good and evil who appear before him as the

judge.[245:5]



Among the many hieroglyphic titles which accompany his figure in these

sculptures, and in many other places on the walls of temples and tombs,

are "Lord of Life," "The Eternal Ruler," "Manifester of Good," "Revealer

of Truth," "Full of Goodness and Truth," &c.[245:6]



Mr. Bonwick, speaking of the Egyptian belief in the last judgment, says:



"A perusal of the twenty-fifth chapter of Matthew will prepare

the reader for the investigation of the Egyptian notion of the

last judgment."[245:7]



Prof. Carpenter, referring to the Egyptian Bible--which is by far the

most ancient of all holy books[245:8]--says:



"In the 'Book of the Dead,' there are used the very phrases we

find in the New Testament, in connection with the day of

judgment."[245:9]



According to the religion of the Persians, it is Ormuzd, "The First

Born of the Eternal One," who is judge of the dead. He had the title of

"The All-Seeing," and "The Just Judge."[245:10]



Zeruane Akerene is the name of him who corresponds to "God the Father"

among other nations. He was the "One Supreme essence," the "Invisible

and Incomprehensible."[245:11]



Among the ancient Greeks, it was Aeacus--Son of the Most High

God--who was to be judge of the dead.[245:12]



The Christian Emperor Constantine, in his oration to the clergy,

speaking of the ancient poets of Greece, says:



"They affirm that men who are the sons of the gods, do

judge departed souls."[246:1]



Strange as it may seem, "there are no examples of Christ Jesus

conceived as judge, or the last judgment, in the early art of

Christianity."[246:2]



The author from whom we quote the above, says, "It would be difficult to

define the cause of this, though many may be conjectured."[246:3]



Would it be unreasonable to "conjecture" that the early Christians did

not teach this doctrine, but that it was imbibed, in after years, with

many other heathen ideas?





FOOTNOTES:



[244:1] John, v. 22.



[244:2] Romans, ii. 16.



[244:3] Not authentic. (See The Bible of To-Day, p. 212.)



[244:4] II. Timothy, iv. 1.



[244:5] Matt. xxv. 31-46.



[244:6] Through an error we pronounce this name Jehovah.



[244:7] See Dupuis: Origin of Religious Belief, p. 366.



[245:1] See Samuel Johnson's Oriental Religions, p. 504.



[245:2] See Williams' Hinduism, p. 25.



[245:3] See Bonwick's Egyptian Belief, p. 120. Renouf: Religions of the

Ancient Egyptians, p. 110, and Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 152.



[245:4] See Bonwick's Egyptian Belief, p. 151, and Prog. Relig. Ideas,

vol. i. p. 152.



[245:5] See Bonwick's Egyptian Belief, p. 151.



[245:6] See Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 154.



[245:7] Egyptian Belief, p. 419.



[245:8] See Ibid. p. 185.



[245:9] Quoted in Ibid. p. 419.



[245:10] Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 259.



[245:11] Ibid. p. 258.



[245:12] See Bell's Pantheon, vol. ii. p. 16.



[246:1] Constantine's Oration to the Clergy, ch. x.



[246:2] Jameson: History of Our Lord in Art, vol. ii. p. 392.



[246:3] Ibid.