Christian writers: but I choose to select only a few of the most material of each fort; you may find a greater number (8) in Dr. Burnet and other authors who have treated of this subject.

Of the Jewish writers (9) Rabbi Ketina, as cited in the Gemara or gloss of their Talmud, faid that 'the world indures fix thousand years, ' and one thousand it shall be laid waste, (that

is the enemies of God shall be destroyed) ' ' whereof it is said, (II. II. 11.) The Lord clone

shall be exalted in that day. Tradition assents to Rabbi Ketina: As out of seven years every • seventh is the year of remiffion, so out of

the seven thousand years of the world the fe' venth millennary shall be the millennary of ' remiflion, that God alone may be exalted in

that day. It was (1) the tradition of the house of Elias, who lived two hundred

years or thereabouts before Christ, and the tradition might perhaps be derived from Elias the Tilibite, that the world indures fix thousand years,

two thousand before the Law, two thousand under the Law, and two thousand under the

Mefliah.' di feptimus millenarius mille- Sex mille annos durat mundus: narius remiffionis erit, ut Do- bis mille annis inanitas; bis minus folus exaltetur in die illo. mille annis Lex ; denique bis In Gemara Sanhedrim, apud mille annis dies Chrifti. apud Mede. p. 535, et p. 893. Mede. p. 536, et p. 894. Bur

ber's Theory. B. 3. Ch. 5. (1) Traditio domûs Eliæ :

(2) Tradisie

· Messiah.' It was also (2) the tradition of the house of Elias, that the just whom God shall • raise up (meaning in the first resurrection) shall

not be turned again into dust. Now if you

inquire, how it shall be with the just in those " thousand years wherein the holy blessed God • shall renew his world, whereof it is said And " the Lord alone Mall be exalted in that day ; you

must know that the holy blessed God * will give them the wings as it were of eagles,

that they may fly upon the face of the waters; whence it is faid (Pfal. XLVI. 2.) Therefore will

we not fear, when the earth Mhall be changed. • But perhaps you will say, it shall be a pain

and affliction to them. Not at all, for it is " said (II. XL. 31.) They that wait upon the Lord

· hall

xat

(2) Traditio domûs Eliæ: rit illud (Is. XL. 31.) ExspecJufti quos resuscitabit Deus non tantibus Dominum innovabuntur redigentur iterum in pulverem. vires, efferentur alá instar aquie Si quæras autem, Mille annis larum. apud Mede p. 776. iftis quibus Deus fan&tus benedictus renovaturus eft mundum (3) Και εποιησεν ο Θεος εν εξ fuum, de quibus dicitur Et ex- ημεραις τα εργα των χειρων αυτ8, altabitur Dominus folus in die illo, συνετελεσεν εν τη ημερα τη quid juftis futurum fit; scien- iEdouin, xan ZATETAVTEV, Ev avto, za dum, quod Deus sanctus bene- jy doev QUTIU. Προσεχετε, τεκνα, dictus dabitillis alas guafi aqui- τι λεγει, το συνετελεσεν εν εξ ημιlarum, ut volent fuper facie ραις" τετο λεγει, ότι συντελει και aquarum ; υnde dicitur (Pfal. Θεος κυριος εν εξακισχιλιοις ετεσι τα XLVI. 2) Propterea non time

' 'H

γαρ ημερα παρ αυτω bimus, cum mutabitur terra. At χίλια ετη, αυτος δε μαρτυρε., λεγων, forte (inquies) erit ipfis do ιδα σημερον ημερα εσαι ως χιλια lori feu afflictioni. Sed occur. ετη. Ουκών, τεκνα, εν εξ ημερας και

all renew their strength, they fall mount up « with wings as eagles.

Of the Christian writers St. Barnabas in the first century (3) thus comments

upon

those words of Moses, ' And God made in fx days the

works of his hands, and he finished them on-the • seventh day, and be rested in it, and fanctified • it. Consider, children, what that fignifies, he • finished them in six days. This it signifies, that • the Lord God will finish all things in fix · thousand years. For a day with him is a " thousand years; as he himself testifieth saying, "Behold this day shall be as a thousand years. “Therefore, children, in fix days that is in fix * thousand years shall all things beconsummated. · And he rested the seventh day: this signifies,

" that

τους εξακισχιλoις ετεσι συντελεσθη- Nam apud illum dies equiparaσεται τα παντα. . Kai XTETQUOE . tur mille annis, utipfemet teftaτη ημέρα της εβδομη τετο λεγει, tur dicens, Ecce hodiernus dies ötuven Dwr o úvog avis, rau xatap- erit tanquam mille anni. Itaque, godet TOY xaigou avoue, rau xgovet filii, in sex diebus, hoc eft, in τες ασεβεις, και αλλαξει τον ήλιον, fex annorum millibus confumκαι την σεληνην, και τες αμερας, mabuntur univerfa. Et requievit τοτε καλως κατεπαυσεται EV TM die septima : hoc ait; quando megge tn edouan. Fecitque Deus in veniens ejus filius tempus Iniqui Sex diebus opera manuum fuarum, abolebit, ac judicabit impios, et consummavit in die feptima, et in et mutabit folem ac lunam, ea requievit, et fanctificavit eam. ftellasque, tunc pulcre requiAdvertite, filii, quid dicat; con- escet in die feptima. S. Barnabæ Summavit in sex diebus : id ait; Epift. Cap. 15. Edit. Cotelerii, omnia consummabit Dominus et Clerici. Deus in fex millibus annorum.

VOL. III.

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• that when his son shall come, and shall abolith:

the season of the wicked one, and shall judge “the ungodly, and hall change the fun, and the..

moon, and the stars, then he shall reft glori

ously in that seventh day.' Justin Martyr in the « fecond century (4)declares themillennium to be “thecatholic doctrinof his time. “I, and as many ' as are orthodox Christians in all respects, do

acknowlege that there shall be a resurrection • of the flesh, (meaning the first resurrection) and a thousand years in Jerusalem rebuilt, “ and adorned, and inlarged, (that is in the

new Jerusalem) as the prophets Ezekiel, and Ifaiah, and others unanimoufly atteft. Afterwards he fubjoins, “A certain man among us, * whole name was John, one of the apoftles « of Chrift, in a revelation made to him did

prophesy that the faithful believers in Christ « should live a thousand years in the new Jeru

falem, , (4) εγω δε, και ει τινες εισιν exornata, et dilatata, sicut proορθογνωμονες κατα σαντα χρισι- phett, Ezechiel, et Elaias, et ανον, και σαρκος αναςασιν γενήσεσ- alii pronmulgant. Και επειδη θαι επιφαμεθα, και χιλια ετη και παρ' ημιν ανης της, ο ονομα Εν Ιερεσαλήμ, οικοδομηθειση, και κόσμηθειση, πλατυνθευση, Χρισέ, εν αποκαλυψει γενομενη [ως] οι προφηται Ιεζεκιήλ, και αντα χίλια έτη ποιησειν εν Ιερό-. Ησαϊας, και οι αλλοι ομολογεσιν. σαλημ τες τω ημετερα Χρισω τις Ego autem, et si qui reétæ per Σευσαντας προεφητευσε, και μετα omnia sententiæ Christianisunt, την καθολικην και, συνεet carnis refurrectionem futu- λoντι φαναι, αιωνιαν ομοθυμαδόν ram novimus, et mille annos αμα σαντων ανασασιν γενήσεσθαι, in Hierufalem instaurata, et

2Xv segociv. Et vir apud nos

Ιωαννης,

αποσολων , τ8

ταυτα

upon earth,

falem, and after these should be the general

resurrection and judgment:' which is an early attestation to the genuinness and authenticity of the book of the Revelation ; for. Justin was converted to Christianity about thirty years after the death of St. John, at which time probably many were alive, who had known and remembered the apostle. Tertullian at the beginning of the third century (5) professeth his belief of the kingdom promised to the saints of their resurrection for a thousand years, of their living in the new Jerusalem, and therein enjoying all spiritual delights, and of the destruction of the world and the general judgment after the thousand years: and his books of Paradise and of the hope of the faithful, if they had not been loft or suppressed, might have afforded ampler proofs of all these particulars. Lactantius at the beginning of the fourth century (6) is very

copious quidam, cui nomen erat Joan- Thirlbii. nes,eduodecim apoftolis Chrifti (5) Nam et confitemur in unus, in ea quæ illi exhibita terra nobis regnum repromifeft revelatione Chrifti fideles fum ; &c. Tertull. adverf. noftri annos mille Hierofolymis Marcion. Lib. 3. Cap. 24. pera&uros effe prælocutus eft, Edit. Rigaltii. Paris 1675. et pofteå universalem et (ut (6 Quoniam sex diebus cuncta semel dicam) sempiternam om- Dei opera perfecta funt; per fænium unanimiter fimul resur- cula sex, id eft annorum fex millia, rectionem et judicium futurum. manere hoc ftatu mundum neJuft. Mart. Dial. cum Trypho- ceffeeft.----Etrurfus, quoniam ne Pars Secunda. p. 307 & 308. perfectis operibus requievit die Edit. Paris.p: 313 et 315. Edit. feptimo, eumque benedixit ;

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necelle