These individuals refuse to delve deeply into the vastness of Holy Scripture to uncover the hidden mysteries of the Divine Spirit, and yet, they dare to claim that the holy fathers were untruthful.
Our revered holy fathers and teachers have imparted wisdom on numerous matters that are beyond mere enumeration, and everything they conveyed is in harmony with prophetic, evangelical, and apostolic doctrine. Regarding the subjects we presently examine, their writings are congruent with prophetic and evangelical sentiments. The wise Solomon expressed, “Give the part of seven and even of eight.” All our holy fathers and educators echo this sentiment. For instance, Basil the Great in his divine texts articulated that our bodies originate from the earth, which will return to dust, and that this earth will be resurrected: ultimately, the two tens will cease after the seventh, with the eighth age merging into existence. Gregory the Theologian emphasizes that we should acknowledge both the seven and the eight, as our predecessors extracted this understanding from Solomon. He further elaborates that the divine Solomon instructs us to account for a part of seven concerning this life, along with eight for the age to come, drawing from the current righteous deeds established in this world. The great Chrysostom declared that in the eighth century there shall be a resurrection of the dead, which will be uninterrupted by death, existing forever and indestructibly. St. John Damascene notes that it is stated that the age of this world is comprised of seven, from the creation of heaven and earth until the universal resurrection of humanity, with a distinct end for each individual, yet culminating in a common conclusion at the general resurrection when the eighth age will commence.
Maximus the Confessor spoke of the Lord's return on the eighth day, at His coming, bestowing the righteous with unending bliss and sinners with relentless sorrow. St. Isaac the Syrian remarks that there is no eighth age in the present era; indeed, he posits that while the eighth thousand may approach, the current epoch is defined by its seven-fold nature. The blessed Anastasius, Abbot of Mount Sinai, asserts that Scripture refers to the eighth tribe as that which follows the seventh of this era, intricately connected to the forthcoming life, symbolized by circumcision on the eighth day. The wise Solomon teaches us to consider both the parts of seven and eight, emphasizing care for both this life and the everlasting one. St. John the Ladder-bearer explained that the seven represent the works of the present seventh age, while the eight signifies the age that is to come. Thus, it is evident that all speak in unison, acknowledging seven current ages rather than seven thousand, and they refer to the eighth age of the future, not to the eighth thousand. Interestingly, Maximian termed it the future eighth century, or eighth thousand, brilliantly identifying it as a day devoid of night. If it pleases the Lord, we will further explore, based on the Holy Scriptures, the meanings of a century and a thousand, elucidating why the current century is designated as seven-fold while the future one is recognized as the eighth.
Now, let us reflect upon the prophetic insights of the wise Solomon. He proclaimed, "Let us give a part of seven," which pertains to this seven-numbered age. Since the world's inception, God favored the number seven above all others. This age is deemed the seven-numbered age because God created the world over six days, shaping and beautifying it in various ways, and then rested on the seventh day, known as the Sabbath, which signifies 'rest' in Hebrew. Following the Sabbath, the first day, or Sunday, begins anew, continuing until it culminates in the Sabbath once more, thus cycling through the week. God ordained that the entirety of our world in this current age be structured according to these seven days. God commanded Moses to instruct the Israelites to honor the Sabbath and to regard the seventh year with the same reverence; furthermore, they were instructed to observe seven cycles of seven years: “And thou shalt count to thyself...seven times seven years, that you may have...forty-nine years…and sanctify the fiftieth year" (Leviticus 25:8, 10). The Hebrew term for this is “Jovel,” which signifies emancipation, borne from the sound of the trumpet that heralded the beginning of the Jubilee year, during which the Jewish slaves were freed, and lost ancestral lands were restored. This seventh day was also regarded as a divine day. One day is missing for completeness, and we have derived it from the age to come; this day is both the eighth and the first after the seventh. The current age stands as the seventh, counted in sevens, while the forthcoming age, which transcends enumeration by sevens, days, or nights—wherein the sun does not set nor incline—is designated as the eighth age, as it follows this seven-numbered age.
THEOSIS