attributes according to man's power of apprehending them, all His goodness (Ex. 33:19 ff.). This glory was the subject of His crowning revelation as contemplated by the prophets (Is. 40:5 the glory of the Lord shall be revealed; 46:13 in Zion salvation, unto Israel my glory; 60:1 f.) and made known in Christ (2 Cor. 4:4, 6: comp. Rom. 9:23; 1 Tim. 1:11; John 11:40; 1:14); compare Introduction to the Gospel of St John xlvii. ff. It is the final light (Apoc. 21:23) for which we look (Tit. 2:13; Rom. 5:2).
Under the Old Dispensation the Shekinah was the symbol of it: Ex. 24:16; Ps. 85:9. Comp. Rom. 9:4; (2 Pet. 1:17).
For illustrations see Rom. 6:4; 9:4; Col. 1:11; Eph. 3:16; compare 2 Thess. 1:9; 1 Cor. 11:7; Rom. 3:23.
Clement (1
Cor.
c. xxxvi.) writes
o}" w]n ajpauvgasma th'" megalwsuvnh" aujtou'
, taking the word
megalwsuvnh
from the later clause and greatly obscuring the fulness of the thought.
carakth;r th'" uJpostavsew"
]
the expression of His essence
, Vulg.
figura
(O. L. imago , v. character ) substantiae. Syr. image of His essence ( htwtyd
amlx ).
The word carakthvr is used from the time of Herodotus (1.116) of the distinguishing features, material or spiritual, borne by any object or person; of the traits by which we recognise it as being what it is.
It is specially used for the mark upon a coin (Eurip.
El.
558f.; Arist.
Pol.
1.9) which determines the nature and value of the piece. Comp. Ign.
ad Magn.
5
w{sper gavr ejstin nomivsmata duvo, o} me;n qeou' o} de; kovsmou, kai; e{kaston aujtw'n i[dion carakth'ra ejpikeivmenon e[cei, oiJ a[pistoi tou' kovsmou touvtou, oiJ de; pistoi; ejn ajgavph/ carakth'ra qeou' patro;" dia; jIhsou' Cristou'
. In this connexion
carakthvr
is applied to the impression of the engraving on a die or seal which is conveyed to other substances. Philo,
de Mund. opif.
§ 4 (1:4 M.)
w{sper ejn khrw'/ tini th'/ eJautou' yuch'/
...
tou;" carakth'ra" ejnsfragivzesqai
.
id.
§ 53 (1:36 M.)
th'" eJkatevra" fuvsew" ajpemavtteto th'/ yuch'/ tou;" carakth'ra"
;
de mundo
§ 4 (2.606 M.).
De plant. Noae § 5 (1.332 M.) oJ Mwu>sh'" [ th;n logikh;n yuch;n ] wjnovmasen ... tou' qeivou kai; ajoravtou eijkovna, dovkimon ei\nai nomivsa" oujsiwqei'san kai; tupwqei'san sfragi'di qeou', h|" oJ carakthvr ejstin oJ aji?dio" lovgo" .
By a natural transition from this use, carakthvr is applied to that in which the distinguishing traits of the object to which it is referred are found. So Philo describes the spirit, the essence of the rational part of man, as a figure and impress of divine power: hJ me;n ou\n koinh; pro;" ta; a[loga duvnami" oujsivan e[lacen ai|ma, hJ de; ejk th'" logikh'" ajporruei'sa phgh'", to; pneu'ma, oujk ajevra kinouvmenon ajlla; tuvpon tina; kai; carakth'ra qeiva" dunavmew", h}n ojnovmati kurivw/ Mwu>sh'" eijkovna kalei', dhlw'n o{ti ajrcevtupon me;n fuvsew" logikh'" oJ qeov" ejsti, mivmhma de; kai; ajpeikovnisma a[nqrwpo" ( quod det. pot. insid. § 23; 1.207 M.). And Clement of Rome speaks of man as an impress of the image of God: ejpi; pa'sin to; ejxocwvtaton ... a[nqrwpon ... e[plasen [ oJ dhmiourgo;" kai; despovth" tw'n aJpavntwn ] th'" eJautou' eijkovno" carakth'ra (Gen. 1:26 f.) ( ad Cor. 1.33).
Generally carakthvr may be said to be that by which anything is directly recognised through corresponding signs under a particular aspect,