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The Kingdom of Israel
John Shepard
April 8, 2002
Barnabas
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The Kingdom of Israel
The purpose of this article is to show the end-time viewpoint in the writing of Barnabas who wrote around 130 A.D.
Barnabas, styled an Apostle in Holy Scripture, and, like St. Paul, ranked by the Church with the Twelve, though not one of them.
There is no compelling reason to assume that Barnabas had the idea that there would be a 1,000 year millennium.
Barnabas
Epistle of Barnabas
Chapter XV — The False and the True Sabbath
Further, also, it is written concerning the Sabbath in the Decalogue [10 commandments] which [the Lord] spoke, face to face, to Moses on Mount Sinai, "And sanctify ye the Sabbath of the Lord with clean hands and a pure heart." And He says in another place, "If my sons keep the Sabbath, then will I cause my mercy to rest upon them."
The Sabbath is mentioned at the beginning of the creation [thus]: "And God made in six days the works of His hands, and made an end on the seventh day, and rested on it, and sanctified it."
Attend, my children, to the meaning of this expression, "He finished in six days." This implieth that the Lord will finish all things in six thousand years, for a day is with Him a thousand years. And He Himself testifieth, saying, "Behold, to-day will be as a thousand years."
Therefore, my children, in six days, that is, in six thousand years, all things will be finished.
"And He rested on the seventh day." This meaneth: when His Son, coming [again], shall destroy the time of the wicked man, and judge the ungodly, and change the sun, and the moon, and the stars, then shall He truly rest on the seventh day.
Moreover, He says, "Thou shalt sanctify it with pure hands and a pure heart." If, therefore, any one can now sanctify the day which God hath sanctified, except he is pure in heart in all things, we are deceived.
Behold, therefore: certainly then one properly resting sanctifies it, when we ourselves, having received the promise, wickedness no longer existing, and all things having been made new by the Lord, shall be able to work righteousness. Then we shall be able to sanctify it, having been first sanctified ourselves.
Further, He says to them, "Your new moons and your Sabbath I cannot endure." Ye perceive how He speaks: Your present Sabbaths are not acceptable to Me, but that is which I have made, [namely this,] when, giving rest to all things, I shall make a beginning of the eighth day, that is, a beginning of another world.
Wherefore, also, we keep the eighth day with joyfulness, the day also on which Jesus rose again from the dead. And when He had manifested Himself, He ascended into the heavens.
- Implies 1,000 year millennium (but maybe not)
- Conditions in millennium:
(1) Judges the ungodly
(2) Changes sun, moon, stars
(3) All things made new - New heavens and new earth is the eighth day (but not a literal 1,000 years)
- There are some things to observe which weaken the case that Barnabas is teaching about a 1,000 year millennium:
(1) On the 7th day (the so-called millennium) wickedness no longer exists. Yet in the premillennial viewpoint there is still wickedness — but Satan is bound and can't deceive so the effects of sin are lessened. Yet at the end of the millennium there is a global rebellion against Christ.
(2) He throws in the idea of the 8th day at the end but clearly does not intend to mean another 1,000 year period of time.
(3) The reference to the 7th day does not include any reference to 1,000 years. Yet the reference to the first six days mentioned 1,000 years many times. It seems he abandons the "day = 1,000 year" formula after the discussion about the six days.
(4) There is a hint that God skips the 7th day (because "your present Sabbaths are not acceptable to Me") and goes on instead directly to the eighth day. This eighth day is not 1,000 years but all eternity. - This passage assumes that human history will last exactly 6,000 years. This is false for two reasons:
(1) 6,000 years from 4,004 B.C. (Bishop Ussher's date and the earliest date anyone has ever proposed for the creation of Adam) plus 6,000 years results in the date 1997 A.D (using the solar year) or the early 1900's (using the lunar year of 360 days which is the year usually used for prophetic analysis). Most young-earth proponents usually allow for a date of 10,000 to 15,000 B.C. for the creation of Adam which makes the problem even worse.
(2) The scientific evidence testifies that the earth and the universe are very old. In this case Adam was created somewhere between 30,000 and 60,000 B.C. - It seems unlikely that Barnabas believed in a 1,000 year millennium (but it is possible that he did). However, if he did, it is based on the false Jewish idea that human history from the time of Adam would be 6,000 years.
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Chapter XVI — The Spiritual Temple of God.
Moreover, I will also tell you concerning the temple, how the wretched [Jews], wandering in error, trusted not in God Himself, but in the temple, as being the house of God. For almost after the manner of the Gentiles they worshipped Him in the temple.
But learn how the Lord speaks, when abolishing it: "Who hath meted out heaven with a span, and the earth with his palm? Have not I?" "Thus saith the Lord, Heaven is My throne, and the earth My footstool: what kind of house will ye build to Me, or what is the place of My rest?" Ye perceive that their hope is vain.
Moreover, He again says, "Behold, they who have cast down this temple, even they shall build it up again." It has so happened. For through their going to war, it was destroyed by their enemies; and now: they, as the servants of their enemies, shall rebuild it. Again, it was revealed that the city and the temple and the people of Israel were to be given up.
For the Scripture saith, "And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the Lord will deliver up the sheep of His pasture, and their sheep-fold and tower, to destruction." And it so happened as the Lord had spoken.
Let us inquire, then, if there still is a temple of God. There is—where He himself declared He would make and finish it. For it is written, "And it shall come to pass, when the week is completed, the temple of God shall be built in glory in the name of the Lord." I find, therefore, that a temple does exist.
Learn, then, how it shall be built in the name of the Lord. Before we believed in God, the habitation of our heart was corrupt and weak, as being indeed like a temple made with hands. For it was full of idolatry, and was a habitation of demons, through our doing such things as were opposed to [the will of] God. But it shall be built, observe ye, in the name of the Lord, in order that the temple of the Lord may be built in glory.
How? Learn [as follows]. Having received the forgiveness of sins, and placed our trust in the name of the Lord, we have become new creatures, formed again from the beginning. Wherefore in our habitation God truly dwells in us. How? His word of faith; His calling of promise; the wisdom of the statutes; the commands of the doctrine; He himself prophesying in us; He himself dwelling in us; opening to us who were enslaved by death the doors of the temple, that is, the mouth; and by giving us repentance introduced us into the incorruptible temple.
He then, who wishes to be saved, looks not to man, but to Him who dwelleth in him, and speaketh in him, amazed at never having either heard him utter such words with his mouth, nor himself having ever desired to hear them. This is the spiritual temple built for the Lord.
- Strongly implies that Israel has been destroyed and that the church is the true Israel. This is not a premillennial theme but rather an amillennial one.
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© Copyright 2007 by John Shepard
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