OF THE THOUSAND YEARS

Of the Seventh Trumpet, and of the other Prophecies of wonderful Events contemporary with it.

Here, Reader, I shall in a few words explain what my opinions are, nor will I much extend my observations on a subject, which was for a long time deemed incredible, on account of inveterate prejudices, and because it is one of the most abstruse and most remarkable of all the parts of prophetic Scripture. In so great a mystery, it will be sufficient to maintain the tiling in a general manner, and not to inquire too curiously into the reasons of each particular part; lest while expatiating more freely than perhaps we ought, the saying of Solomon should ring in our ears," In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin."

But with relation to this subject, it relies on the irrefragable chain of apocalyptic order, which, I have demonstrated above; and the agreement of the other Scriptures, especially of the Prophetical ones, wonderfully confirms the same. It was so looked forward to by Christians of the age next after the apostles, that Justin Martyr attests, not only that he himself believed it, but that it was believed with the fullest assent by those, who were at that time Christians of the orthodox persuasion, in all things. Which opinion of the first Christians, whether deformed by certain additions, afterwards, or improperly or erroneously understood, (as I am inclined to believe) their posterity after one or two ages rejected. To such a degree, however, was this carried by a progressive ardour of contention, (which you will justly be surprised at, and lament) before the matter could be proved, that those who, could not otherwise get rid of the force of the opposite opinion, built on the foundation of the Apocalypse, chose rather to call in question that most divine prophecy, signed and sealed by all the disciples of the. Apostles, and their immediate successors, nay, openly and audaciously to undervalue its authority on that subject by, their invented presumptions, than to submit and yield themselves up to the force of conviction. Until at length, having contrived a commodious. Interpretation of that Millennium, (as they then imagined) leaving the authority of the Apocalypse untouched, they desisted from an undertaking; not easily to be, exempted from the crime of impiety, and to be dreaded by their posterity.

But I, Reader, (no longer to detain you in the vestibule) so explain the whole matter, as to show that I depart as little as possible from the received opinion of the day of Christ's advent, immediately to follow the ruin of Antichrist Do thou, then, laying aside all prejudice, weigh the matter in the fear of God, and pardon me, if I fall into any error, with a charitable judgment. Thus, then, understand it.

The seventh trumpet, with the whole thousand days, and the other oracles referring to the same, designate that great day of judgment, 143`1 WN'1 tilt, of the ancient Jewish Church, celebrated by Christ, and his apostles; not some short space of a few hours, (as is commonly believed) but according to the custom of the Hebrews, using a day for time indefinitely, a continued space of many years, and circumscribed by two resurrections, as termini. A day, I say, beginning from that first partial, and as it may be termed, morning judgment of Antichrist, and of the other living enemies of the Church, by the glorious appearance of our Lord in a flame of fire, and finishing at length after the reign of a thousand years, granted to the new Jerusalem, his most holy spouse on this earth, and the total destruction of new enemies hereafter to arise, when the great day is declining, and Satan again loosed, by the universal resurrection and judgment of all the dead. Which things being finished, the impious will be transferred to Gehenna, to be for ever tormented, but the saints to live eternally with Christ in heaven.

This, in truth, is that time of the wrath of God against the nations, and of judging the cause of those who died for Christ's sake; at which, on the sound of the seventh trumpet, the elders rejoice with triumph, because by that God would surely "give reward unto his servants the prophets, and to the saints, and to them that fear his name, both small and great, and would destroy them that destroy the earth."

This is "that day of judgment, and perdition of ungodly men," of which St. Peter having spoken in his second Epistle, c. iii. v. 7. immediately subjoins, "But beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." In which same day, indeed, the apostle with his brethren and fellow countrymen, looks for that new appearance of things to come, of which he afterwards says, "But we, according to his promise, look for new heavens, and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." Mark! "according to his promise." But when and where was this promise to be found of new heavens and a new earth, (before John had yet seen the Apocalypse) unless in Isaiah, ch. lxv. 17, and lxvi. 22 ? Which promise, I should certainly be surprised, if he who had read, could imagine was to be fulfilled any where else than in the present world.

This is that Kingdom also, conjoined with the appearance of Christ to judge the world, to which St. Paul alludes in his second Epistle to Timothy, ch. iv. v. 1, "I adjure thee before God, and our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and kingdom." For after the last, and universal resurrection, from the same authority, 1 Corinthians, c. xv. Christ, after death, the last enemy, has been destroyed, will deliver up the kingdom to the Father, that he may be subject to him who put all things under him.

But it is not said that any new kingdom is to commence at that time. The kingdom, then, which is to come, which is neither before the appearance of our Lord nor after the last resurrection, must necessarily be included between both. This is that kingdom which Daniel saw, of the Son of man, when the times of the antichristian horn being completed, or "the times of the Gentiles being fulfilled," (Luke, ch. xxi. 24) he should appear in the clouds of heaven, when there shall be given to him power, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and tongues, should serve him, or when (as the angel soon after, explains it) "The kingdom, power, and greatness of the kingdom, under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High." Dan. ch. vii. 13, 14, also 18, 22, 26, 27. For, as I have just now observed, this kingdom is not to be after the last resurrection, since at that time the kingdom is not to be entered upon by the Son of Man, but, as St. Paul testifies, to be laid down, and delivered up to the rather.

Now as that, the same kingdom, is treated of in both places, as well by John as by Daniel, may be proved from these two arguments. That both begin from the same terminus, namely, from the extermination of the fourth, or Roman beast. That of Daniel, when the beast who acts under the last government of "the horn with eyes," was given to be slain, and "his body delivered to the burning flame," Dan. ch. Vii v. 11, 12. 26. That of the Apocalypse, when the beast and false prophet, (that wicked horn of Daniel, having a mouth and eyes like a man) "were taken, and both cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone." Secondly, it may be proved from the same session of judgment preceding both.

For that the one is borrowed from the other, and that both, altogether, refer to the same event, will appear from the collation of the words in the description of each.

*So it is rendered by the Septuagint in common with the Vulgate.

**That is, judges, as in the great sanhedrim of the Jews, to the pattern of which the whole description is conformed.

#That is, the power of judging. Hence that saying of St Paul, "the saints shall judge the world."

&That is, with the Son of man, who came in the clouds of heaven.

Moreover, I wish to. give the reader this admonition: Whatever sound doctrine, generally speaking, is delivered by the Jews, whatever by our Lord in the Gospel, or in any part of the New Testament by the apostles, relative to the day of the great judgment, is drawn from this vision of Daniel, namely, the judgment to be perfected by fire, Christ's coming in the clouds of heaven, coming in the glory of the Father, with a multitude of angels, the saints, who are to judge the world, with him Antichrist to be destroyed at the brightness of his appearance, &c. So that they who endeavour to throw down the column of evangelical faith, concerning the glorious advent of Christ, neglecting the ancient tradition of the Church, must labour to transfer that prophecy to some other event.

Lastly, that I may come to a conclusion: This is that most ample kingdom, which, according to Daniel's interpretation, was foreshown to Nebuchadnezzar in the statue, predictive of four kingdoms. Not that of the stone cut out of the mountain, while the series of the monarchies was still subsisting; (for that is the present state of Christ's kingdom;) but of the stone when the same monarchies were utterly broken in pieces and destroyed, which became a great mountain, and filled the whole world.

On these subjects, Reader, I have treated, but not asserted any thing rashly. I humbly refer the whole matter to be judged of by the Church, from the word of God, to whose judgment, as it is fit, I willingly submit my opinion concerning this mystery.

DIALOGUE BETWEEN JUSTIN MARTYR

A REMARKABLE PASSAGE

From a Dialogue between Justin Martyr, and Trypho, a Jew, respecting the Millennium, or the Thousand Years of the kingdont of Christ, corrected and illustrated by Notes.

TRYPHO

Now tell me the truth. Do you expect and confess, that this place, Jerusalem, is at length to be reestablished, and your people to be collected together, and brought out with joy, together with Christ, and the patriarchs, and the prophets, and with these who are of our race, or even some of those who were proselytes before the coming of Christ? Or do you go to such a length, as to confess these things, that you may appear to exceed us in doubtful questions?

JUSTIN.

I am not reduced to such straits, O Trypho, as to speak differently from what I think. I have already confessed to you, and before also, that I, and indeed many others with me, beheve that it will come to pass, as you fully know. But on the contrary, I have signified to thee, that many who are [not*] of the pure and pious sentiment of Christians do not acknowledge this; for I pointed out to thee those who are called Christians, but are atheists, and impious heretics, because they teach all manner of blasphemous, impious, and foolish doctrines. But that you may know that I say this not only among you, I shall compose a work, as soon as I can, of these our disputations; wherein I shall insert, that I profess this very doctrine, which I acknowledge in your presence. For I am determined to follow, not men ntid human doctrines, but God, and the instruction delivered by him. For although you have had a verbal communication with some who are called Christians, and do not confess this, but dare to speak evil of the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and who say that there is no resurrection of the dead, but that as soon as they die, their souls are received into heaven, do not suppose that these are Christians; since, if any one think rightly, he would not say that the Sadducees were Jews, nor similar heretics of the Genistae, and Meristae, and Galileans, and Hellenists, and baptised Pharisees (not to tire you with hearing all I think); but those who were indeed called Jews, and sons of Abraham, and who confessed God with their lips, but their hearts (as God himself exclaims) were far from him.

*Mede has a note to show that the negative ought here to be introduced.

"But I and all Christians, who are of the orthodox opinion," both acknowledge that there will be a resurrection of the flesh, and a thousand years (reign) in Jerusalem, reiiewed, and adorned, and enlarged, as the prophets Ezekiel and Isaiah and others declare*

*Note by Mede. If you except the principal articles of faith, I know not whether a similar testimony can be found to any Christian dogma. It is a great previous argument in its favour, that all the orthodox thought the same in the age next to the apostles. Justin became a Christian about thirty years after the death of St. John, in which time it is very probable many were alive who had heard the apostles teach.

For thus Esaias speaks of the time of those thousand years, (Isa. c. lxv. v. 17, &c) " For there shall be a new heaven, and a new earth, and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. They shall find joy and exultation in that which I create. For, behold, I make [for] Jerusalem an exultation, and [for] my people -tjoy' " &c. to the end of the chapter.

But, as to that expression, "For according to the days of the tree of life *, are the days of my people," he subjoins, " In these words we understand the thousand years to be mysteriously signified." For as it was said to Adam, in the day in which he should eat of the tree, he should die, we know that he did not complete a thousand years. We know likewise (he proceeds) that saying, that "the day of the Lord is as a thousand years," relates to this subject.

*In the Hebrew it is simply Yv*, but the Septuagint has . ro'v tvXov rns owns, to which the Chaldee paraphrast assents. Justin seems to have thought that the life resulting from the tree of life, or of man in the state of Paradise, would have been a thousand years, then to have been translated into a happier state and condition. But in consequence of Adam's sin, neither he nor any of his posterity attained that number years, but died within that great day.-MEDE.

And a certain man among us, whose name is John, one of the twelve apostles of Christ, in that Revelation which was exhibited to him, prophesied that those of us who were faithful followers of Christ, should pass a thousand years in Jerusalem, and afterwards should be the universal, and (to say it at once) the eternal resurrection of all together, and the judgment, in which our Lord also said, that "they should neither marry nor be given in marriage, but be equal to the angels, being the children of God, as of the resurrection." For we have prophetic gifts still existing among us up to the present time, &c.

Another Passage referring to the same subject.

After a Discourse on the great Day of Judgment, when the Jews should have mourned for Christ, whom they pierced, and when Christ himself, inaugurated after the order of Melchisedec, should have become the judge of quick and dead, he immediately subjoins, "At whose second coming, do not imagine that Esaias, or the other prophets inform us, that sacrifices of blood or of libations were to be offered upon the altar, but true and spiritual praises and thanksgivings.

THE OPINIONS

Of the Hebrew Doctors on the great Day of Judgment, and of the Reign of the Messiah then to come.

Carpentarius, in his Commentary on the Alcinous of Plato, p. 322, asserts, that "the seventh millenary was called, by the whole school of the Cabalists, the great day of judgment, because then they think that God will judge the souls of all."

He means, by the name of Cabalists, (if I am not mistaken) the Talmudic doctors, according to whom, in more than one author, that tradition is found to be recorded. For thus it is read in the Gemara Sanhedrim, Perek Chelek R. Ketina has said, "The world subsists for six thousand years, and will be destroyed in one, of which it is said, And the Lord alone will be exalted in that day."' But he understands the destruction which is to come, will be by fire, by which the world being refined, will be purified like gold, and will be delivered from subjection to the curse under which it now groans on account of man, into the glorious liberty of the sons of God, Rom. ch. viii. It follows a little after; in conformity with the tradition of R. Ketina, " As out of seven years, every seventh year is the year of remission, so out of the seven thousand years of the world, the seventh millenary will be the millenary of remission, as it is said, " And the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day: It is said also in the 92d Psalm, a Psalm or Song for the Sabbath day, that is, of the clay of perfect rest. It is also said, Psalm xc. ` For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday: "

Here the reader may remark two things: First, that the ancient Jews understood that prophecy of Isaiah, ch. ii. where these words, "And the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day," occur twice, of the day of the great judgment, and of the reign of Christ, from whose footsteps the succeeding Rabbins do not depart.

"In that day,that is, the day of judgement," says R. Schelomo. Also, "When he shall have risen to consume the earth, that is," says he, "in the day of judgment, in which the Lord shall consume the wicked of the earth: R. David Kimschi says, "In that day, that is, in the days of the Messiah, when God shall execute judgment on the wicked: And again, "And the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day, is the same as if he had said, The Lord shall be King over all the earth." Another thing to be remarked is, that the title of the 92nd Psalm was thought by those Hebrew masters to have respect to the subject of the Psalm, and that it ought to be understood of the Sabbatism of a thousand Years.

Now, from these premises I am decidedly of opinion, that the ancient Jews explained the day which they denominated the day of judgment as the MILLENNIUM; which is more fully confirmed from Misdrachtchillim, upon that passage of the 90th Psalm, "Comfort us now, for the days for which thou least afflicted us," viz. says he, "in Babylon, in Greece, and under the Romans, and that in the days of the Messiah." And how many are the days of the Messiah? R.Jehosuah said that they are two thousand years, as it is written according to the days ; that is, according to, or during, two days; for one clay of the llely and blessed God is a thousand years, according to that saying, For a thousand years are is thy sight nut as yesterday."' The masters also say, that the age to come will be one day of the Messiah. For the holy and blessed God, in the age to come, will make for himself one day, of which it is said in Zechariah, ch. xiv. "And there shall be one day which shall be known to the Lord, not day nor night *. And it shall come to pass that at even time it shall be light:" This day is the age to come, and the revival of the dead. But in what millenary that was to come, they did 'not agree among themselves, and neither did that opinion of the seventh satisfy all. There were some, and not of inferior authority, who understood it of the sixth, as the house of Elias, whose tradition respecting the millennium of the great judgment is extant in these words: " The just, whom God will raise again, (namely, at the first resurrection **) will not again be reduced to dust. But if you inquire of those thousand years in which the blessed God will renew the world, of which it is said, ' And the Lord alone will he exalted in that day,' what will become of the just? Be it known, that the holy and blessed God will give them wings like eagles, that they may fly upon the face of the waters; whence it is said, Psalm xlvi. 3, 1 Therefore will we not fear when the earth shall be changed.' Perhaps you will say, it must be an affliction to them. But then occurs that passage in Isaiah, ch. xl. 31, 'They that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles." The same tradition, however, asserts, that the world shall not last more than six thousand years. For thus runs the tradition: "The world endures six thousand years; two thousand emptiness, two thousand years the Law; and lastly, two thousand years the day of Christ." One of which millenaries, therefore, according to this opinion, would be that great day of which it is said, "And the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day." The same was the opinion of Rabbi Asche, the son of R. Abbas, as it is there expressly said, namely, from the opinion of R. Chanan, son of Thalialiphas, that the holy and blessed God would not renew his world till the seventh millenary. But It. Asche had said, that it would be after the filth millenary.

* Query ? Not a common day, composed of day and night.

** Which all the Rabbis generally acknowledge, and also the author of the Book of Wisdom, ch. iii. 7, 8.

What, moreover, in addition, the Jewish masters thought concerning the reign of the Messiah in that great day to come, may be known in some measure from what I now subjoin. In the summaries of the great Rabbi Eleazar, (who lived a little after the second temple) it is said, "As I live, saith the Lord, I will raise you up in time to come, in the resurrection of the dead, and I will gather you together with all Israel in the land of Israel." Petrus Galat. lib. xii. c. 1.

So likewise the paraphrast Jonathan, (who lived before Christ) on the xivth of Hosea, 4 to 9, " They shall be gathered out of the midst of their captivity; they shall dwell under the shadow of their Christ ; and the dead shall live, and good things shall grow up out of the earth, and there shall be a memorial of their goodness bearing fruit, and never failing, just as the remembrance of the sound of trumpets over the old wine, which used to be poured out in libation on the sanctuary."

Targum on Ps. 1. v. 3. The just shall say in the day of the great judgment, " Our God shall come and shall not keep silence, to execute vengeance for his people."

R. Saadas (one of those doctors whom they call eminent) on that passage of Daniel, c. vii. v. 10, "And the judgment was set, and the books were opened," says, "That is the day of judgment, as it is written, Mal. c. iv. 1, Behold, the day cometh burning as a furnace. And the Lord of hosts shall be exalted in judgement, Isa. c. v. ver. 16. and also, Wherefore wait ye for me, saith the Lord: That is the great day when the Lord shall arise to judgment." And a little after he says, "Know that with relation to what I quoted, The judgment sat, and the books were opened, I expounded it above of the day of judgment, and the day of visitation; (Wisdom c. vii. v. 7 and 13) that is, the day to come, when inquiry shall be made into every work of the sons of men, as well the living as the dead." The same observes on v. 18, "And the saints of the most high God shall take the kingdom." Because the Israelites rebelled against the Lord, their kingdom shall be taken from them, and shall be given to those four monarchies, which shall possess. the kingdom in that age, and shall lead them captive, and shall subdue Israel to themselves, until the age to come, when the Messiah shall reign.

" Behold, the days come, when they shall no longer say, The Lord liveth, who caused the children of Israel to come up out of the land of Egypt," &c. The wise men leave said, not that the name of Egypt should be extirpated from its place, but that the wonderful things which shall come to pass in the days of those kingdoms, that is, when the Messiali shall destroy the kingdoms of the world, will be the chief in their estimation, and Egypt will be but secondary. From these and similar sayings, the reader may learn why Jerome so often reproaches Judaism for its millenaries; Which indeed he does so studiously, that this may appear to leave been the triumphant argument by which he would prove the error of that dogma. But however it may be with the dogma, and whether these fathers judged advisedly or not, to think with the Jews is not always to be imputed as a fault. Otherwise, why do we not likewise explode the age to come, Gehenna, Paradise? For do not we Christians hold these in common with the Jews? Why should we not then receive those expressions of the kingdom of the heavens, and the day of judgment, delivered down from the Jewish masters? For where can they find those in the canon of the Old Testament, which However are very common among the doctors of the Jews? Besides, who now, after having heard the opinion of the ancient Hebrews concerning the thousand years of the day of judgment, would not immediately find himself induced to beheve that the apostle Peter in his dissertation about the clay of judgement, with the same people, (for both his Epistles were addressed to the Jews) and immediately subjoining to it, "Be not ignorant of this, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years," meant to confirm the tradition of the rabbis upon this very point ? Especially since those words seem not to be borrowed from the Psalms; (as is generally supposed) but from the coninion formula of the Jews, when speaking of that clay. Nay, he will moreover reflect, that unless Christ our Lord and his apostles had made such frequent use of the expression of the day of judgment, derived from the Jewish masters, in the swine sense as themselves, why do they never point it out by a single word? For is it not a very dangerous thing, nay, a mode liable to deceive, to apply the words and phrases of those who are in error in the course of doctrine, with out any caution or remark that they are used in a different sense.

Such being the case, I leave to those who are able to judge of mysteries of this kind in theology, to consider whether this would be the best and easiest method of acting with the Jews ; not that those very clear prophecies of events in the second and glorious advent of Christ, should be wrested by application to the first, but that they should be persuaded that no other Messiah is to be expected by them, who will fulfill all those things; mutatis mutandis however, (for the Christian is not here to be precisely of the salve opinion with the Jews, but to be guided by the measure of Christian faith) no other than Jesus of Nazareth, whom their ancestors crucified, as the Apocalypse every where so earnestly inculcates. "Behold," says its author, just after its commencement, "Jesus Christ, the first born. from the dead, who loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, behold, he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him, even they who pierced him, and all the kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. I am Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come." Also he attributes that august kingdom every where to the Lamb, that is, to Jesus Christ who was slain; as ch. vii. of the multitude bearing palms, " The Lamb shall feed them," &c. ; c. xvii. v. 1.4, " The Lamb shall subdue them, because he is King of kings, and Lord of lords;" c. xix. v. 7. " The marriage of the Lamb is come ;" c. xxi. v. 9. of the New Jerusalem, " I will show you the spouse of the Lamb;" and v . 23. "The Lamb is the light thereof," &c. For while we wrest those very clear prophecies of events relative to the second coming of Christ, and apply them to the first, the Jews hold us in derision, and are more confirmed in their infidelity. This method of converting the Jews, unless I am much deceived, the apostle Peter pursued, Acts c. iii. v. 19. " Repent ye." says he, "and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, and that the times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; and that he may send Jesus Christ, who was before preached unto you, whom the heavens must receive till the time of the restitution of all things, which God has spoken. by the mouths of all his holy prophets, since the world began."

" Prove all things. Hold fast that which is good." 1 Thess. c. v. ver. 21.

" To our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, be glory both now and to the day of the age. Amen." 2 Peter c. iii. last verse.

THE END.

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