Scholarly Reflections
Daniélou, Jean, S.J. "Chapter Sixteen: The Eighth Day." The Bible and the Liturgy." Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 1956, pp. 262-286.
The imagery of the Lord's Day and its relationship to the first day of creation and the image of the eighth day became so prominent in early Christian observances that Daniélou devotes an entire chapter to it. Among the Fathers, he considers the Cappadocians, and particularly Basil the Great to be the pre-eminent commentators. Essential to their argument is the identity of the coming age as a day, rather than a long period of time in which something develops (Daniélou 1956, 263). In fact, Basil observed that periods of time, such as days, t ended to be referred to as static and singular events.
The ages, as Basil refers to them, are not closely tied to chronology. They differ in their character, but not necessarily in their time. In Daniélou's view, "history could not be more completely emptied of all significance: we are here in the midst of Hellenistic thought" (Daniélou 1956, 265). Basil ties the concept to the liturgy through association with the Lord's Day, i.e., the day of resurrection, and the Day of the Lord, i.e., the ushering in of eternity. The commemoration including the Eucharist looks to the eschatological age to come (Daniélou 1956, 266). This concept easily overcomes any attraction of the Hellenistic views hinted at by Origen. Daniélou continues by detailing the implications of the chronological symbiosis of the different ages and their emphases. Of great importance to these analyses is the distinction between a temporal and an eternal realm (Daniélou 1956, 273). In effect, the eighth day ushers us out of a world bound by time and chronology, into a world which is timeless (Daniélou 1956, 274).
In contrast to the East, Daniélou notes that the Western church "sought to find in the week a key to the succession of the ages (Daniélou 1956, 275). The seven day week then became a key to understanding seven millennia of earthly experience. This point of view is particularly found in Justin, Hippolytus, and Irenaeus. Augustine thus found it natural to consider a seventh millennium as a time of rest (Daniélou 1956, 276). Daniélou particularly illustrates the concept through analysis of sermons from Augustine. Augustine not only clearly understood the end of the world to be ushered in by around the year 1000, but he also saw patterns of seven or eight in the Scripture to be indicative of the complete work of God.
Augustine eventually rejected the literal form of millenarianism which looked for a visible thousand year reign of Chrsit on earth (Daniélou 1956, 282). He did, however, consider that he was in the sixth millennium, which would serve to usher in the endless day of rest of all God's people (Daniélou 1956, 283).