Epistle Of Barnabas 15:1–4

The Epistle of Barnabas was written shortly after the New Testament, within 1-2 generations of the original apostles. The Epistle of Barnabas is of interest to us today as it provides insight into the thoughts of the early church, or at least a section of the early church.

We will begin with a modern English translation of Chapter 15, followed by notes on the text.

1 Ἔτι οὖν καὶ περὶ τοῦ σαββάτου γέγραπται ἐν τοῖς δέκα λόγοις, ἐν οἷς ἐλάλησεν ἐν τῷ ὄρει Σινᾶ πρὸς Μωϋσῆν κατὰ πρόσωπον· Καὶ ἁγιάσατε τὸ σάββατον κυρίου χερσὶν καθαραῖς καὶ καρδίᾳ καθαρᾷ.

Still, therefore, concerning the Sabbath it is written in the ten words, that were spoken on Mount Sinai to Moses face-to-face: "Keep the Sabbath of the Lord holy, by keeping clean hands and a clean heart."​

2 καὶ ἐν ἑτέρῳ λέγει· Ἐὰν φυλάξωσιν οἱ υἱοί μου τὸ σάββατον, τότε ἐπιθήσω τὸ ἔλεός μου ἐπ᾿ αὐτούς.

And in another place, it is written: "If my sons keep my Sabbath, then I will place my mercy upon them."​

3 τὸ σάββατον λέγει ἐν ἀρχῇ τῆς κτίσεως· Καὶ ἐποίησεν ὁ θεὸς ἐν ἓξ ἡμέραις τὰ ἔργα τῶν χειρῶν αὐτοῦ, καὶ συνετέλεσεν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ ἑβδόμῃ καὶ κατέπαυσεν ἐν αὐτῇ, καὶ ἡγίασεν αὐτήν.

He speaks of the sabbath at the beginning of creation: "God made in six days, the works of his hands, completing [his work] on the seventh day—God rested in it, and sanctified it"

4 προσέχετε, τέκνα, τί λέγει τὸ συνετέλεσεν ἐν ἓξ ἡμέραις. τοῦτο λέγει· ὅτι ἐν ἑξακισχιλίοις ἔτεσιν συντελέσει κύριος τὰ σύμπαντα, ἡ γὰρ ἡμέρα παρ᾿ αὐτῷ ⸀σημαίνει χίλια ἔτη. αὐτὸς δέ μοι μαρτυρεῖ λέγων· Ἰδού, ἡμέρα κυρίου ἔσται ὡς χίλια ἔτη. οὐκοῦν, τέκνα, ἐν ἓξ ἡμέραις, ἐν τοῖς ἑξακισχιλίοις ἔτεσιν, συντελεσθήσεται τὰ σύμπαντα.

Pay attention, children, to why it says "he finished in six days", it means that in 6,000 years the Lord will complete everything.
Barnabas draws a parallel between the 6 days of creation, predicts 6,000 years on earth before God will "complete" everything that is on earth. Where I have translated "in 6,000 years the Lord will complete everything." Lightfoot alternatively translates it as "in six thousand years—everything will be brought to an end." While this is completely justifiable it is subtle different to the traditional glosses used for this word: συντελέω · Dictionary · Biblical Text

Either way, the difference is subtle, and distracts from the main point, there is a perception in at least part of the church that there would be approximately 1,000 years until the return of Christ, which is roughly about the time we are living in now. What do you think? Could the early church have had a prophecy that suggested somewhat concretely that Jesus' return would be expected around a specific time period? Or is this reading too much into it, could Barnabas simply have been speaking allegorically when he speaks of 6,000 years before everything is completed or brought to an end?

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