Apocalypse. Millennium. Chiliasm and Chillegorism. Valeriy Sterkh

Holy Prophets were stoned, killed, sawn [2 Chron 24:20—21; Mt 23:35; Lk 11:51; Rom 11:3]? they will receive their consolation [Mt 5:5], that is, heavenly crowns and riches. In this kingdom the Lord Himself has promised He will restore for the years in which the locust and the wingless locust and the corruption ate [Joel 2:25]. In this, all of creation will be saved and, by the command of God, will give forth the good things hidden in it. Then the saints will receive for bronze, gold, and for iron, silver [Is 60:17] and precious stones. In this place, He will send to them the riches of the sea and the excellent things of the nations [Is 60:5]. In this kingdom, the priests of the Lord will be called the servants of God [Is 61:6], just as they have been called sacrilegious. In this kingdom, they will drink wine [Is 25:6—7] and be anointed with ointments [Rev 3:18] and they will be given to rejoicing.

      21,6 Of this kingdom, the Lord reminded the Apostles before He suffered, saying: I will not drink of this fruit of the vine any more, until when I will drink with you again in the coming kingdom [Mt 26:29], which is the hundred parts multiplied, ten times, a thousand times, to greater things and better things.

      And what he says of the different stones, that they will be shown by kind and by color, this speaks of men; as also it signifies the most precious variety of the faith of each man. For the gates of pearls he shows to be the Apostles [Rev 21:12—14, 21]. They will not be closed [Rev 21:25], he says: grace is given through them, and the same is never closed. In this place they will see face to face [1 Cor 13:12], and one will not request of another [Is 34:15—16]. And the names of the Fathers and the Apostles are to be both on the foundations and over the gates [Rev 21:12, 14]: we have already treated of the 24 elders, and of those who are to rule in this kingdom, they will judge the world [1 Cor 6:2].

      (Translated by Kevin P. Edgecomb)