TIP OF THE DAY 131: Church fathers' time eras

MJ. Smith

I am adding these posts to the previous tip list L/V 10 Tip of the Day (when it doesn't time out)

POST ISSUE: Historical eras as seen by Church Fathers

Early church fathers divided history in a variety of ways – covenants, parallel to days of creation, dispensations … In other words, many of the modern classifications have their roots in early classifications. This post introduces some of the interpretations that you may wish to research further to understand the available classifications.

QUESTION: What Biblical historical eras were promoted by early church fathers?

SOFTWARE: I got poor results from the smart all search. Perplexity when asked Besides Augustine, did any church fathers divide Biblical history into eras?

ANSWER: Summary Table

Church Father	Framework/Division	Key Features
Irenaeus	Four Covenants: Adam, Noah, Moses, Christ	Focused on covenants as stages of salvation history
Clement of Alexandria	Six Periods: Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Prophets, Christ	History as divine pedagogy
Eusebius	Epochs: Creation-Flood, Flood-Abraham, Abraham-Moses, Moses-David, etc.	Aligned biblical events with secular history
Cyprian	Seven Dispensations: Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Prophets, Christ	Similar to Augustine but includes a distinct prophetic period
Hippolytus	Six Millennia: Based on genealogies and creation days	Viewed history as progressing toward eternal rest
Lactantius	Six Ages/Millennia: Corresponding to creation days	Culminates in the seventh millennium as eternal rest

QUESTION: Describe Augustine’s six eras corresponding to the six days of creation.

ANSWER: from Perplexity:

Augustine's Six Ages of the World

Days	Description	Approximate Dates	Theological Significance
First Age	From Adam to Noah (Antediluvian period)	Creation – 2458 BC	Humanity's creation, fall into sin, and God's judgment through the flood.
Second Age	From Noah to Abraham	2458 BC – 2091 BC	The reestablishment of humanity after the flood and God's covenant with Noah.
Third Age	From Abraham to David	2091 BC – 1010 BC	The establishment of God's covenant with Abraham and the beginning of Israel as God's chosen people.
Fourth Age	From David to the Babylonian Captivity	1010 BC – 586 BC	The Davidic Covenant, establishing God's promise of an eternal kingdom, and Israel's eventual exile for sin.
Fifth Age	From the Babylonian Captivity to Jesus Christ	586 BC – 4 BC	The anticipation of the Messiah, with prophecy and hope for redemption during a time of foreign domination.
Sixth Age	From Jesus Christ to the Second Coming	4 BC – Present	The fulfillment of God's promises through Christ, the spread of the Gospel, and humanity's preparation for eternity.

Notes:

1. Augustine's framework parallels the six days of creation, with each age representing a "day" in salvation history.
2. The Seventh Age (not included in this table) represents eternal rest after the Final Judgment, corresponding to the Sabbath.
3. Theological significance emphasizes God's progressive revelation and redemptive plan throughout history.

Famille Thevoz

Very interesting, many thanks!