Mar 28, 2010

Extra-Biblical Evidence for a Millennial Kingdom


"The idea of a millennial kingdom is attested in at least three Jewish apocalyptic works basically contemporaneous with the New Testament:
1 Enoch 93:3-17 (ca. 167 B.C.); 7:26-44/12:31-34 (ca. A.D. 90); and 4 Ezra2 Baruch 29:3-30:1/40:1-4/72:2-74:3 (ca. A.D. 100). Each of these writings envisions the following scenario: this age-temporary messianic kingdom-eternal age to come/kingdom of God. In each instance, the Messiah will come and form a transitional kingdom between this age and the age to come. Some ancient rabbis held to the same belief (Akiba, ca. A.D. 135; Eliezer b. Hyrcanus, ca. A.D. 90; Jehoshua, ca. A.D. 90)."

J. Daniel Hays, J. Scott Duvall, C. Marvin Pate, Dictionary of Biblical Prophecy and End Times (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2007), 287.

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