Posted on 03/30/2015 7:11:21 PM PDT by grumpa
A DOZEN REASONS WHY I BECAME A PRETERIST
by Charles S. Meek
Kicking and screaming, gnarling and scratching, I became convinced that the preterist view of eschatology is the correct one. Here’s why.
1. I could no longer ignore, in good conscience, the over 100 time-statements in the New Testament that demand fulfillment of the prophesied events within the lifetimes of the New Testament writers.
2. I became convinced that the culmination of all eleven specific mentions of the “last days” or “end times” in the New Testament could not be placed beyond the first century.
3. I realized that I was ignorant about what happened in Jerusalem in AD 70 and the theological significance of these events.
4. I was shocked to discover that Jesus, as well as his disciples, stated that all OLD TESTAMENT prophecy would be competed in their literal generation—that is, the first century.
5. I realized that if Jesus and his disciples were wrong about the timing of fulfillment of the prophetic events, the charges against Christianity about Jesus being a false prophet would be true. The preterist view is the only one that answers the critics’ charges. So I am now convinced that Jesus kept his word. (No need to make excuses for Him.)
6. I had heard Christians argue that language such as “moon turning to blood,” “coming on clouds,” “make the heavens tremble,” etc. should be understood literally. I was always skeptical about literalizing these phrases, and my closer investigation revealed that my skepticism was warranted. Such phrases are typical non-literal Hebraic apocalyptic language to describe God’s intervention (usually judgment) on groups of people in history.
7. I recognized that the Bible teachers I had been listening to could not answer my serious questions about prophecy.
8. I realized that, in spite of what may appear obvious, the Bible never speaks about the end of the physical universe or planet earth. (Really, it doesn’t.)
9. I noticed that Christians tend to interpret the Bible through the lens of the daily news events—and have accordingly been making false and embarrassing predictions about the end of the world for 2,000 years. If they would be reading through the lens of the original audience instead, they would get a different picture.
10. I learned that over 60 competent scholars have been identified as teaching that Revelation was written prior to AD 70.
11. I discovered that there are over 30 passages in Revelation that (a) demand fulfillment soon after being written down, and (b) Revelation does not introduce new concepts but connect the events of Revelation with the same ones mentioned elsewhere in the Bible.
12. I noticed that objections to preterism are shallow, disjointed, biased, arbitrary, and inconsistent. Objectors are willfully blind about key passages and mostly regurgitate things they have heard from people who have not really studied the issue either.
If you were like me, you have an initial knee jerk reaction to the above. Please don’t take my word for it. Do the homework this important topic deserves. I back up everything from Scripture at my websites and my book CHRISTIAN HOPE THROUGH FULFILLED PROPHECY (available at Amazon). For more info, see my websites:
https://prophecyquestions.wordpress.com
http://www.faithfacts.org/world-religions-and-theology/the-biblical-last-days
https://www.facebook.com/EvangelicalPreterism
It’s pretty clear that after 22:6, the part of the vision given to John of the new heaven and new earth has ended, and that the angel/Jesus is giving him some final words of encouragement, instruction and exhortation (verses 6-21).
I think my pastor is a preterist. I one of his sermons he seem to down play Israel’s need for a homeland or America as being a Christian nation.
Its possible, but just those two items don't guarantee he is a preterist. Many on these forums would hold the same view of the future of Israel, etc. but would shun preterism.
Ask him about it so you know ...
Yes, but that means Christ's words "coming quickly" after that should apply to the new heaven and new earth also.
That's my point.
Yes, if this is the kingdom ... I'm pretty disappointed.
After the visions are over Jesus says, "And behold, I am coming soon." (verse 7) and "Surely I am coming soon." (verse 20). He doesn't say the new heavens and earth are coming soon. In the preterist view, he did come soon after these visions to John-- he came in God's wrath visited upon Jerusalem and the temple in AD 70. In Matthew 16:28, 40 years (a generation) before this occurred, Jesus said to those around him, "Amen, I say to you, that there are men who are standing here who will not taste death until they will see The Son of Man who comes with his Kingdom.” This is exactly what happened. The Lord's coming against the Holy City ended the kingdom as it was manifested in the Old Covenant, and inaugurated the new kingdom of God.
In what book of the Bible would one find Josephus' account ? ...
so much for the facade of Sola Scriptura among Evangelical and Reformed Preterists ...
**so much for the facade of Sola Scriptura among Evangelical and Reformed Preterists ...**
So much for Papists understanding what Sola Scriptura really means!
I suppose it can be understood as authorizing a professor to use slurs to argue for the superiority of his Preterist tradition.
From the above link: Papist is a (usually disparaging) term..(emphasis mine)
Usually? But not always I guess. Besides, some of your faith group here on FR self-identify as Papists on their FR profiles. And then there is the Roman Catholic who identifies himself as the American Papist.
You are remind me of aspiring rappers who freely toss around a certain term, but will shoot a white person for doing the same.
Playing the victim card is hardly appropriate behavior on a conservative website.
So now you write that I remind you of a (black) rapper ...
Is this evangelism by slur ?
In your playing the victim, yes.
++Is this evangelism by slur ?++
No. I am not evangelizing you. We are discussing your slur against a certain group of Evangelical and Reformed Christians, remember?
But just in case that hurts your feelings, I will be happy to evangelize you: Have you accepted Jesus as portraying in Scripture alone as your savior, disavowing all of your miserable deeds?
False, you have used a religious slur word as well as a racial stereotype slur, against me, personally.
But just in case that hurts your feelings, I will be happy to evangelize you: Have you accepted Jesus as portraying in Scripture alone as your savior, disavowing all of your miserable deeds?
It seems to me you are mocking God in an attempt to mock me.
**False, you have used a religious slur word as well as a racial stereotype slur, against me, personally.**
Which was your interpretation, remember? I went on to show you how many Papists embrace the term Papist, remember? And I certainly did not use a racial stereotype slur. I just pointed out that some of your behavior tends to make you look like you are perpetually offended.
**It seems to me you are mocking God in an attempt to mock me.**
OK, I tried. you won’t answer. I will shake the dusty off my sandals.
BKMK
False; I posted a linked definition and you agreed with my post that the term is usually disparaging. You linked to one man's website who uses the term and posted his personal definition to try to justify using it against any other Catholic despite the warning in the dictionaries.
False, you did use a racial stereotype against me personally; it is right in your posts 50 and 53. Note the reference to a black rapper using the N word in 50, and your admission of it in 53.
"You are remind me of aspiring rappers who freely toss around a certain term, but will shoot a white person for doing the same."
++So now you write that I remind you of a (black) rapper ...++ "In your playing the victim, yes."
**It seems to me you are mocking God in an attempt to mock me.** OK, I tried. you won’t answer. I will shake the dusty off my sandals.
Will you now try to curse me like Baalam ?
Wow, we missed the Second Coming ...
The only difference between the preterist position, the JW position, the Seventh Day Adventist position is the year of Jesus supposed return.
Please describe this new Kingdom of Jesus’ that was inaugurated in 70AD. Where is it? What does it look like? What changed in 70AD that reflects the Kingdom of Jesus, the Lord of lords the King of kings?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.