Posted on 01/20/2014 7:30:29 PM PST by grumpa
There is astounding disagreement among Christians on Bible prophecy. About a dozen years ago I decided that I could no longer blindly listen to my pastoral staff on this subject, and I became determined to get to the bottom of this subject. There were too many questions I had that the church just could not answer adequately.
I became a preterist. Preterism is the view that most if not all prophetic events happened with the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. It appears to be the fastest growing view of eschatology as other systems are being discredited. I see a dramatic upheaval coming in the church on eschatology.
Over one-fourth of the New Testament is concerned with eschatology. If you are willing to consider a different viewpoint from the one you may now hold, below are some of the questions I could not honestly answer as a futurist:
If time means nothing to God, why does God constantly use time-restricted statements about the fulfillment of prophecy—such as: shortly, at hand, near, quickly, soon, last times, last hour, last days, this generation, etc.?
Why did Jesus frequently insist that his PAROUSIA (Second Coming) and indeed the fulfillment of all prophecy would be fulfilled while some of his disciples were still alive (Matthew 10:23; Matthew 16:27-28; Mathew 26:64; Luke 21:22, 28, 32; Revelation 1:1-3; Revelation 22:20)? Was Jesus simply wrong? If so, can we trust Him on other things He said?
If the teaching 1 day=1000 yrs and a 1000 yrs = 1 day to the Lord...DOES THAT MEAN?—1000 yrs in Revelation is a single 24 hr day?
If any of the New Testament was written after AD 70, why is there no mention anywhere in the New Testament IN THE PAST TENSE about the incredible events surrounding the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem in that year?
If the Great Tribulation is still future to us, why did Jesus tell the first century Christians that they could avoid it by fleeing to the mountains (Luke 21:21; ref. Matthew 24:21)? And why did the Apostle John tell his readers a few years later that THEY were in the tribulation (Revelation 1:9)?
If the book of Revelation is for us today, why would John write to the 7 churches if it had nothing to do with them? Why would John torture these first-century Christians with impossible and intricate symbolic labyrinths that applied only to people 2,000 years later? Why does Revelation say some 30 times that the events MUST be fulfilled SOON?
Why does Hebrews 10:37 say that in a VERY VERY (it’s there twice in the Greek) LITTLE WHILE Jesus would return and not delay? Were the writer of Hebrews and the other biblical writers that expressed the same thing FALSE PROPHETS?
If the biblical “last days” are in the 21st century, why does Peter and Paul both say the last days were in their time (Acts 2:16-17; Hebrews 1:1-2)?
John said it was the “last hour” (1 John 2:18). Does that mean that its fulfillment is now 17 million hours late?
If the GREAT COMMISSION is not yet fulfilled, why did Paul say it had been fulfilled when he was writing (Roman 1:8; 10:18; Colossians 1:5-6)?
If “heaven and earth” have not yet passed away, does that mean that not one jot or tittle has passed from the law and Jesus has not fulfilled it yet (Matthew 5:17-18)?
If the NEW JERUSALEM is a future physical location, how is it possible that the Hebrews in the first century were already there (Hebrews 12:22)?
If Jesus was going to return literally and physically (Acts 1:11), why do we read that his ascension was hidden from view by a cloud? If Jesus is going to return LITERALLY “in like manner” (Acts 1:11), does that also mean that He will return riding a white horse (Revelation 19:11)?
If Jesus was to be returning in a physical visible appearance to the whole world, why did He tell his first-century disciples (John 14:19) that the world would never see him again?
If the King James Version of the Bible really speaks of an end to the physical universe, why is “end of the world” found there consistently translated as “end of the AGE” in modern translations?
If the prophetic passages were fulfilled once in the first century, and then again thousands of years later, why is there no hint of this by Jesus and the biblical writers?
Mr. Meek is the author of a new book CHRISTIAN HOPE THROUGH FULFILLED PROPHECY: IS YOUR CHURCH TEACHING ERROR ABOUT THE LAST DAYS AND SECOND COMING?
Lots of questions like history channel trying to prove bigfoot and UFOs.
The problem with preterism is that so many events clearly described in Revelation just did not happen in 70 AD.
WHEATON — A broad coalition of evangelical theologians has cracked the code of the Book of Revelation, solving its mysteries, metaphors and messages in what is being called a watershed moment in Christian history."To get this kind of across-the-board agreement is phenomenal," said a spokesman. "Moments like this come along once in a millenium."
The key to understanding the book's puzzling enigmas and fundamental message was "hidden in plain sight," say the scholars. The book's purpose and message can be summed up for lay readers as
(Excerpt - read more at Evangelical scholars solve Book of Revelation's mysteries
I think he’d better just stay a Preterist. He is obviously clueless as to what scripture prophesy really says. I sure hope he doesn’t try to teach that crap to anyone who truly has studied prophesies.
So, when Meek can exegete Zechariah 8: 20-23, Luke 21:24, Ezekiel 37, Romans 11, I’m all ears. Nothing he spews makes sense in light of plain reading of the Word.
Links appear to lead to a ( humorous) dead end?
I became a preterist.
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Yeah. That’s the ticket. Localize the Second Coming.... the same way that the Libs try to localize the worldwide flood of Noah’s day.
Okay, so R.C. Sproule is also a preterist. He is as wrong as this guy (about eschatology, though he is outstanding in virtually every other area of theology).
I still love my preterist brethren, however! Eschatology divides believers into several different camps, due to our imperfect understanding of he prophetic Scriptures.
The biggest separator, however, is this: Is the LORD going to give the Jews a literal (earthly-based) Millennial Kingdom with Christ ruling from Jerusalem — or not?
If not, then the Amils, preterists, and/or Post-Mils are probably on the right track.
I tend to disagree with them on this point, however, and anticipate a literal (post-Rapture/pre-Second Coming) Jerusalem-centered Millennium! So call me a wooden-headed literalist. (I have been called worse!)
correction: I should rather say that I believe the Millennium will be ushered in by the LORD at His Second Coming (but after the Rapture and after the Tribulation).
Apologies... open to comments, criticisms.
Bttt.
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Eschatology is often worthless, a vanity, and a distraction. Beyond the idea that a Christian ought to live as if Christ is coming in the next hour, every hour of their lives, none of the eschatalogical doctrines affect my Christian testimony or walk.
I laugh in this guys face. Hopefully with enough spittle to ruin his day. I wonder how many people he’s deflated and caused to leave the faith?
So many straw men, so little time!
I thought the preterism book was closed in 1948, and then nailed shut in 1967.
Exactly! I could probably argue or show his misguidedness in every instance he sites, but who has the time to waste in proving him wrong when I already know he is wrong.
What is interesting is that there are millions upon millions of Christians who believe scripture HAS answered these questions but the author acts as tho they have never been answered by anyone...Apparently the author just doesn't care for the biblical answers given...
None from me...
AMEN! The truth summed up in one sentence! Have said this for years......
A lot of prophecy cannot be determined until after it has passed and looking back it can be recognized.
Looking forward, it often doesn’t make much sense.
It happened with Jesus when He came.
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