Appendix A

“Is Barnabas A Chiliast?”

     When analyzing the eschatology of the Epistle of Barnabas, there are two main passages which must be exegeted very carefully (15.1-9; 4.1-3).  At first glance, the first passage appears to unfold quite naturally, whereas the second one involves an obvious need for a detailed study of the possible historical settings.  The question which is asked of Barnabas 15 is, “Is Barnabas a Chiliast?”  This appendix will offer the strengths and weaknesses of the two main positions.

I.                   The Chiliastic Interpretation

     The chiliastic interpretation is based on the following five points:  1) The days of creation adumbrate world history (15.3-4), (list at bottom the acceptance of this view),  2) World history will last 6,000 years (15.4),  3)  Rest will occur at the Parousia when Jesus judges the wicked, destroys the Devil and causes changes in the heavens[1] (15.5),  4) The Sanctification of the seventh day will happen in the future when the believers are justified, receive the promise[2], the lawless one no longer exists, all things are made new, the believers are sanctified and God sets everything at rest (15.6-8).  This rest will last for 1,000 years and will be the seventh millennium[3], and  5) At this point the beginning of the eighth day[4] will be inaugurated which is the beginning of a new world and is understood to be the eternal realm (15.8).[5] 

     There have been a number of theologians throughout the history of the Church who made use of the idea that the duration of the world would be 6,000 years based on the creation week and Ps 90:4/2 Peter 3:8.  The equation of one day for a thousand years has been used by several eminent theologians of the past to draw their conclusions about eschatology.  Justin Martyr stated that Adam did not live 1,000 years because he died in the “day” in which he sinned against the Lord.[6] Irenaeus concludes that the duration of the world will be 6,000 years based on the six days of creation and Ps 90:4/2 Peter 3:8,[7] and that the true Sabbath is the millennial kingdom which will follow this 6,000 years.[8]  Tertullian clearly speaks of a millennial kingdom[9] and seems to indicate that the millennium will the 7,000th year and the heaven will be the 8,000th  (Cf. On the Soul 37).  Hippolytus, based on the LXX, in his commentary on D********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************me 72; Divine Institutes 7.22; 24; 26.

----

     [1] See 4 Ezra 7.39  “For thus shall the Day of Judgment be, whereon is neither sun, nor moon, nor stars.”  The concept of judgment followed by rest is also seen in 2 Enoch 33.2; 4 Ezra 7.30.  I Enoch 91.15-17 records that after the judgment, “the powers of the heavens shall be given seven-fold light.”  Jubilees 1.29 “all the luminaries shall be renewed.”

     [2] The word promise is associated with the resurrection in 5.7 and the point the believers will rule over the earth in 6.17. O’Hagan views the term promise (15.7) to apply to the Abrahamic promise of a land for Israel.  See Angelo P. O’Hagan, Material Re-Creation in the Apostolic Fathers, (Berlin: Akademie Verlag, 1968), 50-60.  The inherent weakness of this view is that Barnabas already interpreted the Promised Land to belong to the Church (6.8-17). 

     [3] In 4.2 the new creation has already begun in one sense, the good land has already come, but the future resurrection is clear and tied to the death and resurrection of Christ rather than to the Second Coming as in 5.6-7.   O’Hagan states that Barnabas combined two traditions here.  See Material Re-Creation in the Apostolic Fathers, p. 135. Dewart suggests that Barnabas “clearly envisaged a thousand year interval after the six thousand years of this world (corresponding to the six days in which everything is to be completed).” Joanne Dewart, Message of the Fathers of the Church: Death and Resurrection, vol. 22 (Delaware: Michael Glazier, 1986), 54.  She continues commenting about 15.5-9, “the seventh day will be the day for judging the godless and so will be preceded by the resurrection,” (she then quotes Barn 21.1,3) and states, “Christ will raise the dead, just and unjust, to judgment on the seventh day, that there will be a re-creation (which is to some degree already present) and that the eight day will see it fully realized and as well Christ’s manifestation and ascension.  It would seem that, if the re-creation is to include a thousand year reign of Christ, it will occupy the seventh ‘day’ of a thousand years after the judgment and before Christ’s glorification” Dewart, p. 55.

     [4] The eighth day as a symbol for the new world is also seen in 2 Enoch 33.1-2, “And I appointed the eighth day also, that the eighth day should be the first created after my work, and that the first seven revolve in the form of the seventh thousand, and that at the beginning of the eighth thousand there should be a time of not-counting, endless, with neither years nor months nor weeks nor days nor hours.”  See also 2 Enoch 15.8; Clement Str. 6:16.141; Sib. Orac. 7.140.

     [5] Three factors led the author to this conclusion: 1) The allegorical method of interpretation, which is nothing new to the epistle.  2) The transposing of the Aorist to the Future tense in the phrase, “the Lord will bring everything to an end” (15.4).  He also changes the Aorist of Gen 2:2 into a Future tense, from God finished to will finish (katepausen).  This quotation is based on the Hebrew text rather than on the LXX  (suntetelesen, suntelesei).  3) A faulty exegesis of Ps 90:4.  See William Shea, “The Sabbath in the Epistle of Barnabas,” Andrews University Seminary Studies 4 (1966): 169-170.

     [6] Dialogue 81.3- Adam lived to be 830 years old as stated in Gen 5:5, thus he did not live to be 1,000 since he died that day he ate the fruit in Gen 2:17.  Chapters 80-81 clearly state the belief that there will be a literal 1,000-year reign in Jerusalem which will be followed by a general resurrection and general judgment.

     [7] Against Heresies 5.28.3.

     [8] Against Heresies 5.23.2; 28.3; 33.2.  Cf. Didascalia 6.18.

     [9] Against Marcion 3.24.