Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible (1898)
IV . He is the object of religious worship. Phil 2:10-11; Heb 1:6; Rev 5:11-13. We insert here, as a help in studying the harmony of the four Gospels, the chronological table of the life of Christ, from Schaff's Popular Commentary on the New Testament (New York, 1879), vol. i. p. 18. Outline of the Gospel History. The life of Christ has been of late studied with an eagerness, a keenness, and a wealth of illustration that argue well for the future. " is asked to-day with peculiar emphasis.
This new-born interest in the earthly life of the Founder of the Christian religion will bear fruit in the increased reverence of believers and the increased respect of his foes. Christs, False. Matt 24:24. Our Lord warned his disciples that false Christs should arise. Not less than 24 different persons of such pretensions have appeared, and the defence of their claims to the Messiahship has cost the Jews a great expense of life and treasure. One of them, Coziba, or Barchocheba, lived early in the second century.
He put himself at the head of the Jewish nation as their Messiah; they adhered to him. The Romans made war upon him, and the Jews themselves allow that in their defence of this false Messiah they lost between 500,000 and 600,000 souls! In the twelfth century not less than 8 or 10 impostors appeared under the same name, and were followed by great numbers of the Jews. Most of them were punished for their imposture with death, and usually involved a multitude of their deluded followers in persecution and death.
The last that gained any considerable number of converts was Mordecai, a Jew of Germany, who lived in 1682. He fled for his life, and his end is not known.
Schaff's Bible Dictionary
IV. , steps, ascension): Ps. 120-134. V. Historical Psalms, recording God's merciful and righteous dealing with his people in time past: Ps. 78, 105. 106.