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The Kingdom of Israel
John Shepard
April 8, 2002
Jewish Millennial Concepts
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The purpose of this article is to demonstrate that the basis of chiliasm (premillennialism) as understood by the early church fathers is based on a Jewish model of human history which is not supported by the Bible.
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The Kingdom of Israel
Summary
The Jews at the time of Christ and the writing of the New Testament believed that human history would last 6,000 years — 1,000 years for each day of creation. This thinking influenced the Early Church Fathers and is the basis of chiliasm in the first 4 centuries A.D.
From our perspective in 2002 A.D., this model of human history can be demonstrated to be false as follows: The earliest date for creation proposed by Christian writers is 4004 B.C. as determined by Bishop Ussher (1581-1656). When we add 6,000 years to this, we come to the year 1997 A.D. for the beginning of the millennium. Clearly the world did not end in 1997, so this viewpoint is, therefore, proven to be false.
As a result, the entire basis of chiliasm as expressed by the Early Church Fathers collapses. It is interesting to note that even though the Early Church Fathers consistently based their end-time views on the 6,000 year model, there is not hint of this thinking in the New Testament writings.
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Jewish Millennial Concepts
There is an ancient writing called the Seder Olam Rabbah, a Jewish instrument written in the year 240 C.E. (about 1,760 years ago) that records historical events from the start of Creation according to a pre-determined 6,000-year plan. This countdown operates on the assumption that mankind is allotted 6 (six) one-thousand year days and then comes the Day of Hashem, which also lasts a thousand years.
Yose b. Halafta, the presumed author of Seder Olam Rabbah, probably had access to old traditions that also underlay the chronological computations of the Jewish Hellenistic chronographer Demetrius (third century B.C.E.).
The Hebrew rabbis have taught for thousands of years: "In that God created the heavens and the earth in six days and on the 7th day he rested...man will have his time of reign on earth for 6,000 years and the Messiah will reign in the 7th millennium." When speaking of the last days before the Messiah's return, Peter wrote, "Do not be ignorant of this one thing: a day with the LORD is as a millennium, and a millennium is as a day."
Early Church Fathers and Jewish rabbis both agree that human history was to last for 6,000 years, or six millennia, before the ushering in of the seventh millennium — the 1000 year long Messianic Age. The epistle of Barnabas, and the Jewish Talmud, both refer to this concept of world history. But, even before the time of Christ, the Jews also understood that the Messiah would come after 6000 years of human history!
The Jewish Encyclopedia declares:
The Perso-Babylonian world-year of twelve millenniums, however, was transformed in Jewish eschatology into a world-week of seven millenniums corresponding with the week of Creation. The verse, "A thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday" (Ps 90:4) having suggested the idea that the present world of toil is to be followed by a Sabbatical millennium, "the world to come." Of these the six millenniums were again divided, as in Parsism, into three periods: the first 2000 years devoid of the law; the next 2000 years under the rule of the law; and the last 2000 years preparing amid struggles and through catastrophes for the rule of the Messiah ("Eschatology," The Jewish Encyclopedia, V, p.211).
The Encyclopedia Judaica quotes a source written about 200 A.D. which declares that the world will exist for "6000 years, of which the first 2000 will be a period of desolation, 2000 of Torah, and the last 2000 the messianic era" ("Eschatology," Encyclopedia Judaica, VI).
In the Jewish New Testament Commentary, by Dr. David H. Stern, in a commentary on II Peter, chapter 3, dealing with the "day" for a "thousand years" equation, Dr. Stern writes that this idea "has deep roots in Judaism, specifically in connection with dating the Messianic Era." He then quotes the Talmud, in tractate Sanhedrin, as follows:
It has been taught in accordance with Rav Kattina, Just as every seventh year is a year of sh'mittah [letting the land lie fallow], so it is with the world: one thousand years out of seven are to be fallow — as proved by the following three texts taken together [in which the key word is day]: The Lord alone will be exalted in that day (Isaiah 2:11); A psalm and song for the day of Shabbat (Psalm 92:1), meaning the day that is entirely Shabbat; and, For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past (Psalm 90:4). The school of Eliyahu teaches: the world exists for six thousand years — two thousand of them tohu ["void"]; two thousand, Torah; and two thousand, the era of the Messiah. But because of our numerous iniquities many of these years have been lost (Sanhedrin 97a-97b).
The Gemara in Sanhedrin 97 a-b and Avodah Zara 9a teaches in the name of Dvei Eliyahu: 6,000 years is the world. 2,000 years of "tohu" (chaos), 2,000 years of Torah (begun when Avraham Avinu was 52 years old, which according to one Midrash is the time that he recognized G-d; see Rashi on both Gemarot), and 2,000 years of "yemot Hamshiach" (Messianic age).
In rabbinic literature, it is also taught that each day in creation represents 1,000 years of time. In the Talmud in Sanhedrin 97 it is written:
"It has been taught in accordance with R. Kattina: Just as the seventh year is one year of release in seven, so is the world: one thousand years out of seven shall be fallow, as it is written. And the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day; [Isaiah 2:11] and it is further said, A Psalm and song for the sabbath day; (Psalm 92) meaning the day that is altogether Sabbath [i.e. the period of complete desolation] and it is also said, For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past. (Psalm 90:4: thus 'day' in the preceding verses means a thousand years)."
It is traditional Jewish (house of Judah) understanding that the Jewish Messiah (Mashiach) would come 4,000 years after the creation of Adam and Eve. In the Talmud in Sanhedrin 97 it is written:
"The Tanna debe Eliyyahu teaches: The world is to exist six thousand years. In the first two thousand there was desolation; (i.e. no Torah. It is a tradition that Abraham was fifty-two years old when he began to convert men to the worship of the true God; from Adam until then, two thousand years elapsed) two thousand years the Torah flourished; and the next two thousand years is the Messianic era, (i.e. Messiah will come within that period) but through our many iniquities all these years have been lost. (He should have come at the beginning of the last two thousand years; the delay is due to our sins.)"
Therefore, as recorded in the Talmud in Sanhedrin 97, there was an expectation that the Jewish Messiah (Mashiach) would come after 4,000 years of time. In an article in the Jewish Press newspaper (Brooklyn, New York) by Rabbi Sholom Klass entitled, The Coming of the Messiah, he explains that there was a high expectation among the Jewish people for a Jewish Messiah (Mashiach) during the first century. In his article, Rabbi Sholom Klass writes:
"The belief in a personal Messiah reached its highest tension during that period of the first century when Rome sent her despotic procurators to rule over Judea. The yoke was most oppressive and the Jews awaited a leader whom G-d would send to articulate their latent spirit of rebellion and free them from the Roman tyranny."
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© Copyright 2007 by John Shepard
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