“Augustine, who himself had formerly entertained chiliastic [”chiliaism” is another term for the literal 1000 year view] hopes, framed the new theory which reflected the social change, and was generally accepted. The apocalyptic millennium he understood to be the present reign of Christ in the Catholic church, and the first resurrection, the translation of the martyrs and saints to heaven, where they participate in Christ’s reign. It was consistent with this theory that towards the close of the first millennium of the Christian era there was a wide-spread expectation in Western Europe that the final judgment was at hand. From the time of Constantine and Augustine chiliasm took its place among the heresies, and was rejected subsequently even by the Protestant reformers as a Jewish dream.”

Thanks for your lengthy comments. I found the church father quotes from Dr. Vlach’s website (the link provided in the above article) which contains all of the bibliographic data for those quotes. In many cases, it also provides additional quotes and explanations.

A couple quick thoughts in reply.

1) The purpose of the quotes above was to demonstrate a common belief that, at the end of the age, there would be a mass conversion of Jews. Whether or not one believes this can be supported from Tertullian and Origen, I believe it is explicit in the writings of Justin, Augustine, Chrysostom, Cyril, Theodoret, Aquinas, and those who followed. This is not always dependent on (or even necessarily consistent with) their specific interpretation of Romans 11:26. Augustine and Theodoret, for example, do express a belief that Elijah is still coming (in keeping with Matt. 17:11), and that when he comes there will be a widespread conversion of the Jewish people (their interpretation of “all Israel” in Romans 11 notwithstanding).

2) The Catholic Apologetics information you provided is helpful (though arguably a bit biased, since Rome tends to emphasize those parts of church history that agree with their present-day positions). Nonetheless, even they recognize that there existed, within some of the fathers, the expectation of a future spiritual salvation for national Israel. That is all that this article was attempting to establish … that there is evidence throughout church history that anticipated a future mass conversion of Jews at the end of the age.

3) I would be happy to provide you with bibliographic information for any of the later quotes (since the information for the earlier quotes is found on Dr. Vlach’s website).

Thanks again for your comment. It is always a pleasure to dialogue about these things.

- NB

For example, I had to hunt for the Tertullian quote, but did find it, and see that it is a parenthetical within a discourse on the Prodigal Son story. Here’s a larger clip from the online text of “De Pudicitia”–

“For when has the Jew not been a transgressor of the law; hearing with the ear, and not hearing; holding in hatred him who reproveth in the gates, and in scorn holy speech? So, too, it will be no speech of the Father to the Jew: “Thou art always with Me, and all Mine are thine.” For the Jews are pronounced “apostate sons, begotten indeed and raised on high, but who have not understood the Lord, and who have quite forsaken the Lord, and have provoked unto anger the Holy One of Israel.” That all things, plainly, were conceded to the Jew, we shall admit; but he has likewise had every more savoury morsel torn from his throat, not to say the very land of paternal promise. And accordingly the Jew at the present day, no less than the younger son, having squandered God’s substance, is a beggar in alien territory, serving even until now its princes, that is, the princes of this world. Seek, therefore, the Christians some other as their brother; for the Jew the parable does not admit. Much more aptly would they have matched the Christian with the elder, and the Jew with the younger son, “according to the analogy of faith,” if the order of each people as intimated from Rebecca’s womb permitted the inversion: only that (in that case) the concluding paragraph would oppose them; for it will be fitting for the Christian to rejoice, and not to grieve, at the restoration of Israel, if it be true, (as it is), that the whole of our hope is intimately united with the remaining expectation of Israel [citing Ro. 11 here]. Thus, even if some (features in the parable) are favourable, yet by others of a contrary significance the thorough carrying out of this comparison is destroyed; although (albeit all points be capable of corresponding with mirror-like accuracy) there he one cardinal danger in interpretations—-the danger lest the felicity of our comparisons be tempered with a different aim from that which the subject-matter of each particular parable has bidden us (temper it).”

So within that framework, I don’t know if Tertullian is truly arguing for the particular eschatological version espoused in this space. The “restoration of Israel” and what it means is still not entirely clear (as is often the case with parenthetical remarks, like this one.) That is, it could be consistent with view #2, the “remnant view.”

Indeed, this idea seems clearer in another Tertullian quote [note the “remnant” language] –

“Being questioned by His disciples when those things were to come to pass which He had just been uttering about the destruction of the temple, He discourses to them first of the order of Jewish events until the overthrow of Jerusalem, and then of such as concerned all nations up to the very end of the world. For after He had declared that “Jerusalem was to be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles should be fulfilled,” —meaning, of course, those which were to be chosen of God, and gathered in with the remnant of Israel—He then goes on to proclaim, against this world and dispensation (even as Joel had done, and Daniel, and all the prophets with one consent), that “there should be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars, distress of nations with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring, men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth.” “For,” says He, “the powers of heaven shall be shaken; and then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds, with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh.” [On the Resurrection of the Flesh, XXII]

One further caution with regard to the church fathers on this issue: they sometimes relied on non-canonical writings, such as the Book of Enoch, the Apocalypse of Baruch, 4th Esdras, the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, and the Sibylline Books.

Further still, quoting Catholic writers like Cassiodorus means you’ll have to consider the abundance of Catholic thought contrary to the “eschatalogical position”, which may overwhelm your quotes. (I found this at Catholic Apologists International online):

“Along with Scripture, the consensus among the early Fathers is that there is no divinely mandated future glory for national Israel. Divine promises made to Israel are said to have been already fulfilled in the Old Testament. Remaining prophecies concerning “Israel” are said to be fulfilled in the New Testament Church, or in the eternity of the New Heaven and New Earth. There are only a few personalities who even address the issue of Israel in the future. Some give commentaries on Romans 11:25-27, e.g., Origen, Theodoret, Chrysostom, Jerome, Cyril, Augustine, Pelagius (not the heretic of the same name, of course).

Of those, Origen admits that he does not know what “all Israel” means. He writes: “What all Israel means or what the fullness of the Gentiles will be only God knows …”

Chrysostom refers only to a spiritual restoration: “God’s covenant will be fulfilled not when they are circumcised … but when they obtain the forgiveness of sins… it will certainly come to pass.

Augustine states that Romans 11:26 applies only to the remnant of Israel, and spiritually to the Church: “Not all the Jews were blind; some of them recognized Christ. But the fullness of the Gentiles comes in among those who have been called according to the plan, and there arises a truer Israel of God … the elect from both the Jews and the Gentiles.”

Theodoret takes the same track as Augustine: “All Israel means all those who believe, whether they are Jews, who have a natural relationship to Israel, or Gentiles, who are related to Israel by faith” (Interpretation of the Letter to the Romans, Migne p. 82, col. 180).

Pelagius challenges those who interpret Romans 11:25-27 as applying to the future, stating that if it does, what does that leave for those Jews in the present: “Some interpreters regard all these events as future. To them one must reply … what will become of those who are now perishing as unbelievers?”

Only two Fathers hold out for any future large restoration of faith in Israel. Jerome states: “… because when the Jews receive the faith at the end of the world, they will find themselves in dazzling light, as if Our Lord were returning to them from Egypt.” (Commentary on St. Matthew, Ch. 2) Cyril of Alexandria says: “Yes, one day, after the conversion of the Gentiles, Israel will be converted, and the Jews will be astonished at the treasure they will find in Christ.” (Commentary on Genesis, Bk. 5) But although Jerome and Cyril look for a spiritual movement in the future, neither of them specify or imply that such movement includes a national and physical restoration of Israel to the land of Palestine, and neither did any other Fathers.

Indeed, the earlier Fathers do not even envision a large conversion of Jews.”

Again, thanks for this discussion and for taking comments.

Having the Lord Jesus rejected by His own people and the Jewish people still believing that Messiah is yet to come for His FIRST coming due to their “blindness”, IS NOT THE END OF THE STORY. God must complete the story! Messiah will come again but not as a humble servant, no this time He will come as KING and the Jewish people will finally acknowledge it and God in the Heavens WIll be glorified!

No, God is not done yet with His covenant with Israel………..

I would think all who love Christ would love to behold such a sight. To see Israel worshipping the Father in Spirit and truth in the name of Christ Jesus would truly be a great day of joy. I pray that I would see it.

But today, this nation is a nation which despises Christ, and knows only Baal.
But there is a remnant. There’s always a remnant. Israel is not cut off completely, for my partner in business was born and raised in Israel, and he loves the Savior with a fervant love. And it’s a bold love. He reminds me of what Peter would have been like.
If anyone would want to prayer for my partner, Meir, I’d appreciate it, for he is headed back to Israel for three weeks, and I’m certain he will be preaching the Gospel to his brethern, according to the flesh, in their own language Hebrew.
Thanks.