Chapter 81. He endeavours to prove this opinion from Isaiah and the Apocalypse
Now we have understood that the expression used among these words, 'According to the days of the tree [of life ] shall be the days of my people; the works of their toil shall abound' obscurely predicts a thousand years. For as Adam was told that in the day he ate of the tree he would die, we know that he did not complete a thousand years. We have perceived, moreover, that the expression, 'The day of the Lord is as a thousand years,' is connected with this subject. And further, there was a certain man with us, whose name was John, one of the apostles of Christ, who prophesied, by a revelation that was made to him, that those who believed in our Christ would dwell a thousand years in Jerusalem; and that thereafter the general, and, in short, the eternal resurrection and judgment of all men would likewise take place. Just as our Lord also said, 'They shall neither marry nor be given in marriage, but shall be equal to the angels, the children of the God of the resurrection.' Luke 20:35f.
CHURCH FATHERS: Dialogue with Trypho, Chapters 69-88 (Justin Martyr)
No one could possibly read this and conclude that Justin was equating a thousand years with eternity, could they???? This part for one proves it, that Justin didn't equate the thousand years with that of eternity---For as Adam was told that in the day he ate of the tree he would die, we know that he did not complete a thousand years. We have perceived, moreover, that the expression, 'The day of the Lord is as a thousand years,' is connected with this subject.
Let's go to Genesis 5 for a moment.
Genesis 5:5 And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.
70 years shy of a thousand years. Clearly Justin took this thousand years in the literal sense then, and this for one proves it.
For as Adam was told that in the day he ate of the tree he would die,
we know that he did not complete a thousand years-----And all
the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.
Why would Justin be taking the thousand years in a literal sense when it came to the days of Adam, while at the same time taking this same thousand years as meaning eternity?
Justin went on to say----that those who believed in our Christ would dwell a thousand years in Jerusalem; and that thereafter the general, and, in short, the eternal resurrection and judgment of all men would likewise take place.
If a thousand years and eternity are one and the same, then this part----the general, and, in short, the eternal resurrection and judgment of all men would likewise take place---could never take place. In order for the latter to take place, it requires the former ends first. Ummm...eternity has no end, but a thousand years would. But that doesn't mean the thousand years can't take place in the eternal realm. But that's not the same as the thousand years and the eternal realm being one and the same.