John: "Ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists: whereby we know that it is the last time" (1 John ii, 18). Paul: "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air" (1 Thessalonians iv, 16, 17). Renan, ever ready to palliate or overlook the errors of his hero, frankly admits that the predictions concerning his second advent and the end of the world were a dismal failure. "It is evident, indeed," he says, "that such a doctrine, taken by itself in a literal manner, had no future. The world, in continuing to exist, caused it to crumble. One generation of man at the most was the limit of its endurance. The faith of the first Christian generation is intelligible, but the faith of the second generation is no longer so. After the death of John, or of the last survivor, whoever he might be, of the group which had seen the master, the word of Jesus was convicted of falsehood" (Life of Jesus, pp. 203, 204). 498 To what extent was the gospel to be preached before his second coming? "Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come" (Matthew x, 23). "The gospel must first be published among all nations" (Mark xiii, 10). 499 Did Jesus claim to be the Christ or Messiah from the first? John: He did. Early in his ministry "The woman [of Samaria] saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he" (iv, 25, 26). Synoptics: He did not announce his Messiahship until late in his ministry. 500 Who where the first to recognize his divinity? Synoptics: Devils and unclean spirits (Matthew viii, 28, 29; Mark iii, 11, 12; Luke iv, 41). 501 What is said of Jesus in Hebrews? "Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels" (ii, 9). "Being made so much better than the angels" (i, 4). 502 What did he say respecting his identity with God? "My Father and I are one" (John x, 30). "My Father is greater than I" (xiv, 28). 503 How did he attempt to establish his claims? "It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true. I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me" (John viii, 17, 18). But if "I and my Father are one," how does that fulfill the law? 504 What did he say regarding the truthfulness of his testimony concerning himself? "Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true" (John viii, 14). "If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true" (v. 31). 505 Did Jesus' neighbors believe in his divinity? Matthew: "When he was come into his own country," and to his own home, "He did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief" (xiii, 54, 58).