Preterism II
Anna refutes the Preterism Foolishness
Belief: Jesus Christ is coming back again.
Preterist: Jesus Christ already had His second coming. It happened in AD70. When the temple was destroyed, His mission was complete. All prophecy ends there.
Bible: Revelation 1:7, Revelation 19:11-21, Revelation 22:20
My response: They’re so full of BS… First, let me explain what their reasoning is. Remember in Daniel the 70 weeks till the end? And 69 were fulfilled – ending with Christ’s death in AD32? Well, they claim the 70th week directly follows Christ’s death, and takes us to AD69, and that’s when it was determined to start the end. However, this doesn’t hold water with scripture. First, because the next feast is a fall feast, and AD32 was in the spring, and a spring feast. There has to be a gap or scripture will contradict itself, and it never has/never will. Secondly, Daniel 9:26 tells of the death of Christ AND the destruction of the temple, and then verse 27 says that there are 7 weeks after that. Thirdly, Rev 1:7 says every eye shall see Him when He returns. Not every eye saw Him in AD 70. In fact, no eye saw Him – He wasn’t there. Fourth, John wrote Revelation in AD96, or so it’s estimated. His closing words to this book are “come quickly, Lord Jesus”. AD70 was done by then… so even John acknowledges Jesus hasn’t come yet and is still waiting. Further, we’re still here. To say that all prophecy is done is to make this an eternal earth. Or requires a THIRD coming for the fulfillment of Revelation 19. ((All of this, and we haven’t even touched on the transfiguration or ascension aspects of this…)) Not to mention, there’s more than seven years between AD32 and AD70!
Belief: There will be a period of Tribulation in the end times.
Preterist: The Bible specifies no such period of Tribulation, and no mention of a Tribulation period.
Bible: Immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory Matt. 24:29–31 ALSO: Matthew 24:21, Revelation 7:14
My response: Well, I don’t have to say much here, do I? Actually, Matthew 24:9 speaks of a tribulation, and lists the characteristics of it, and then in verse 21 splits it off and tacks on a ‘great tribulation’ after that. Which is why many people say the first half is 3.5 years, and the second half is 3.5 years, making the seven years of Tribulation. I’m still pretty set on the 10 years between the rapture and the second coming… meaning that if there is a 7 year trib, there’s three years preceding it.
Belief: There will be a peace treaty with Israel.
Preterist: The “covenant” is not specified to be a peace treaty. “Many” are not specified as the Jews.
Bible: Daniel 9:27a – And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week…
My response: It doesn’t say it’s a peace treaty, nor does it say it’s with Israel. I’ve had to change my stance on that in light of scripture. I was taught ‘peace treaty’ and Israel. But it could be anything with anyone.
Belief: The Anti-Christ makes the covenant with Isreal.
Preterist: “He” is not specified as the AntiChrist. “He” is the Messiah, who makes a seven-year covenant with Isreal, and halfway thru puts an end to the sacrifice and oblations.
Bible: Daniel 9:27 – And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week; and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abomination he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
My response: First, if “he” is not specified as the Anti-Christ, “he” is also not specified as the Christ. They are supposing as much as they claim the dispensationalists are. Pot-kettle-Black. Second, the destruction of the temple wasn’t until AD70. From AD32 to AD70 is more than three and a half years by A LOT. So the theory that “he” is Jesus doesn’t hold water. Third, Jesus’ new covenant was given for a LOT longer than just seven years. If not, then we’re not under the ‘new’ covenant… we’re not saved by grace. That contradicts the whole core of Christianity. Further, Christ in Matthew 24:15-27 tells the disciples that the abomination would be seen in the temple, and then will come the Great Tribulation, in which people will say ‘here is Christ, there is Christ!’ This tells me that Christ did not make it desolate, nor is he the “he” in the Daniel prophecy.
Belief: The mark of the beast is the six hundred sixty six – the number of the Anti-Christ.
Bible: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six. Revelation 13:17-18
Preterist: The ‘beast’ referred to here was Nero, whose name in hebrew numerics is 666. Nero ruled AD54 – AD68, and was referred to by the Jews he persecuted as ‘the beast’. The ‘buying and selling’ refers to admission to the temple.
My response: Can’t be Nero. He was already out of power by the time Revelations was written. He’s about as much the number of 666 as Ronald Reagan (which was once thought, too). Besides, this contradicts Revelation 19 again… the ‘beast’ comes against Christ with all the armies of the earth at the second coming (on a horse, in the clouds, every eye sees Him, etc.). Nero never took an army against the Christ at His second appearing… because He hasn’t reappeared yet.
NoTe: In Daniel’s visions, ‘beasts’ are always empires or nations. If precedence has been set, then the “Anti-Christ” is not a person, but a nation or the like. Vicarius Filii Deo (pope’s title) isn’t tied to any one man, but is associated with an organization, so I still hold to the whole Catholic church as false prophet (or Pope, should the case be). Especially in light of the prophecies of St. Malachy (if he’s right about two more popes). In which case I would say that if we’re talking a person, the next pope is the false prophet, who hands over the authority of his church to the AntiChrist… Peter the Roman… who takes the title Vicarius Filii Deo and the number of the beast. Ironically, though – Nero was a Roman ruler – it fits with the whole Rome thang.
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So… you say… if these people don’t believe there’s any more prophesy, that it’s all been fulfilled, then what’s ahead according to them? I haven’t a clue. It’s not a blessed hope of the glorious appearing that we read about in 2 Timothy… that’s for sure. I would guess we die, and either go to heaven or hell. Or would it be the New heaven and the lake of fire? Who the heck knows. It’s just not right. None of it.
I’m tired. Shall we call it a night? This is a start… are you seeing why I didn’t like this book I just read? It made me uneasy and now that I’ve done the lookin’ up of it all, I know why. I’m NOT a preterist… but it did spur me to do some interesting studying…
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