Posted on 04/07/2024 5:28:40 PM PDT by grumpa
After years of skeptical study, I became persuaded that Jesus was telling the truth when He said that prophesied “last-things” events would be fulfilled in his generation (Luke 21:22, 32; etc.). This is the preterist view of eschatology. Preterism teaches that most, if not all prophetic events happened with the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. Books by modern authors such as Francis Gumerlock and Kenneth Gentry affirm that this view has been part of the discussion since the earliest days of Christianity. Indeed, preterists argue that the writers of the New Testament were preterists. It is re-emerging in popularity.
Truth matters. If you are willing to be a Berean Christian (Acts 17:11) and 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, but make perfect sense from the preterist perspective. It’s not just any one of these questions, but rather the cumulative power of the totality of the evidence:
1. Why have many Christians made failed predictions about the end of the world for 2000 years? History
2. If time means nothing to God, why does God constantly use time-restricted statements about the fulfillment of prophecy—such as: must shortly take place, at hand, near, quickly, soon, last times, last hour, last days, about to happen, this generation will not pass?
3. If “no one knows the day or the hour,” why did Jesus frequently insist that his PAROUSIA (Second Coming)—and indeed the fulfillment of all prophecy—would be fulfilled while those living in the first century were still alive (Matthew 10:23; Matthew 16:27-28; Mathew 26:64; Luke 21:22, 28, 32; Hebrews 10:37; Revelation 1:1-3; Revelation 22:6, 12, 20)? Were Jesus and the New Testament writers simply wrong? If they were false prophets, can we trust them on other things?
4. If “soon” (Revelation 1:1-3; 22:6-2-) means thousands of years later, does that mean it was going to take Timothy thousands of years to be sent to the Philippians by Paul (Philippians 2:19)? If “soon” means thousands of years later, why do we see it qualified with “must shortly take place” in the same passages?
5. If one day is a 1000 years, and a 1000 years is as a day to the Lord (2 Peter 3), DOES THAT MEAN?—1000 years in Revelation are a single 24-hour day (Revelation 20)? DOES THAT MEAN―that Jesus was in the grave 3000 years?
6. 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 Revelation was written after AD 70, why is the temple mentioned in Revelation 11:1 as still standing? If Revelation was written after AD 70, why does Revelation 17:10 say it was being written during the reign of the sixth king, who was Nero (who reigned from AD 54 to 68)?
7. 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 (Matthew 24:16; 21)? And why did the Apostle John tell his readers a few years later that THEY were in the tribulation (Revelation 1:9)?
8. If the book of Revelation is for us today, why would John write to the seven 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 or “about to happen” or “shortly take place?” (Examples: Revelation 1:1-3; 22:6, 12, 20)
9. Why does Hebrews 10:37 say that in a VERY VERY (“very” is 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?
10. If the biblical “last days” are in the 21st century, why does Peter and the writer of Hebrews both say the last days were in their time (Acts 2:16-17; Hebrews 1:1-2; 1 Peter 1:20)?
11. If the last-days events are still future to us, why does every writer of the 19 mentions of the last days/end times declare that THEY were living in the last days/end times?
12. If the biblical “last days” started in the first century, but continue to this day, why did Peter say the end of all things was at hand, and the judgment was about to begin when he was writing (1 Peter 4:7, 17)? Given Jesus’ condemnation of the Jews of his day, which He said would be in their generation (Matthew 23:29-24:2), isn’t it logical that this is the Great Judgment of which the New Testament speaks?
13. John said it was the “last hour” (1 John 2:18) when he was writing. Does that mean that its fulfillment is now 17 million hours late?
14. 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, 23)?
15. If “heaven and earth” have not yet passed away, does that mean that every jot and tittle of the law is still in effect (Matthew 5:17-18)?
16. 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)?
17. 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)?
18. If Jesus was to return in a physical, visible appearance to the whole world, why did He tell his first-century disciples that the world would never see him again (John 14:19)?
19. If the King James Version of the Bible really speaks of an end to the physical universe, why is “end of the world” found in the King James Version consistently translated as “end of the AGE” in modern translations and literal translations (like Young’s Literal Translation)?
20. 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?
You are invited to explore more questions here:
Questions for Dispensationalists
The “Why” questions in Christian theology, especially those pertaining to time, are mostly unanswerable. This presents a problem for the western mind, because we are trained to expect answers to all questions. But on these questions, we should adopt an attitude of unknowability. Some things are not meant to be known. A concept alien to westerners.
Still pimping your blog?? Why not just post your answers here for all to read.
My answer is it all happened in AD 70, just as God’s Word promised!
If the Millennial Kingdom is here, why are Christians still persecuted and why is sin rampant?
Thanks for wrestling with this - Revelation is the one book with a promise (Rev. 1 vs. 3): Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.
The enemy knows this, thus he has confused the church so that many do not want to deal with Rev. in any meaningful way - certainly not as “truth”. I believe that it all happened as presented - and “soon” as predicted. Even the 1000 has been fulfilled - look it up. 1000 years after the destruction of Jerusalem (that would be 1070 AD) Jerusalem was overrun by Muslims from Turkey (Gog). Until then they had had remarkable freedom and Christianity dominated the world.
Stick with it - you are on the right path.
Pease and Blessings
These are not questions. They are statements.
Statements you will answer for.
18. If Jesus was to return in a physical, visible appearance to the whole world, why did He tell his first-century disciples that the world would never see him again (John 14:19)?
Now...the passage in context.
16“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; 17that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.
18“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19“After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also.
20“In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. 21“He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.” 22Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us and not to the world?” 23Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. 24“He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me.
16“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; 17that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.
There is also this:
After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep;
1 Corinthians 15:6 NASB 95
And this....
After that, we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord. 1 Thess 4:17
*****
You, sir...are accused of the very thing you attempt to accuse others of...being a false prophet.
Nope...post YOUR answers to the questions you posted.
If it’s all a mystery and unknowable, it’s probably bs and should be ignored.
An omnipresent being should be able to communicate more efficiently.
And where is Jesus in Jerusalem reigning?
You’ll get crickets from this imposter who thinks who knows anything about Prophecy.
I’m still waiting (over 3 years now) for him to answer how NERO (who is his A/C) marked Chinese, Mayans, and San people in Sub-Saharan Africa with the Mark of the Beast as stated in Revelation 13 - the verse says “ALL”.
Garbage theories....
What’s inefficient about “Some standing here will not taste death till you see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom “?
Doesn’t fit in a fortune cookie.
Revelation 11:7-12
When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them.
8 And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.
9 Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves.
10 And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.
11 Now after the three-and-a-half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them.
12 And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they ascended to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them.
Who were the 2 witnesses and how did EVERYONE see them in 70AD at the same time?
I expect you to ghost me on this one because we all know your theory is nonsense.
Was Jesus’ statement that “some who are standing here will not taste death” in Luke 9:27 (also Matthew 16:28; Mark 9:1) incorrect?
https://www.gotquestions.org/not-taste-death.html
Quote
20. 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?
.....
Oh, but there are hints of this...
Discrepancies between the gospels, even discrepancies in the Old Testament.
But those hints are for eyes that see and ears that hear.
Just like His Parables
So you’re saying Jesus already returned?
Now, here's the pot talking....
Nope, because i don’t believe in partial fulfillment. When God fulfills a prophecy he does it big time. But before that, he does it in shadows and types.
70 AD was one such type.
Except for the Bible, God is done warning about the future of mankind? No heads up when you see this…or that.happening? No mark of the beast or signs of the end?
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