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How wrong is the preterist view? Answers to a completely wrong eschatology “This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled .” This could not have been referring to the generation alive at that time of Christ since all the things mentioned did not take place. It becomes a portion to prophecy, a pattern that is used until the complete fulfillment take place. Bible prophecy is not about similarities, or ‘close enough’ events in history. It is fulfilled to the letter or it is not fulfilled Bible prophecy! Unfortunately many do not understand this truth principle from the Scripture. You would think that this principle of statements that are from God is understood by teachers of the word, ‘prophecy teachers.’ Preterist’s argue everything (or the majority) was fulfilled at the time of the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. They camp on 70 ad but what actually happened then? Scripture tells us that the antichrist does not just go into the temple and leave but he erects an image of himself inside that lasts for 3 ˝ years Because the antichrist goes into the temple that the Jews flee Jerusalem (which takes place halfway through the tribulation period). This is not what happened nor is it why they fled in 70 AD. The events need to take place the exact way it is written and for the right reason to fulfill Scripture. 2 Thessalonians 2:4 says that this coming world leader will take “his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.” That never happened. Nero never stepped foot in the temple in Jerusalem. People did not flee Jerusalem because of him going into the temple- he did not walk into the temple after 3 ˝ years of the covenant was signed (there was no covenant signed) and declare himself to be God or have everyone worship his image or to make it speak Did the Antichrist appear? Was he operating in the temple in the middle of the tribulation declaring himself to be God? When did He begin to reign over the world from Jerusalem?Was the mark of the Beast and his system implemented. The fact is it was the opposite, the temple was destroyed, not built. Were there wars, rumors of wars, nation rise against nation, earthquakes, pestilences, all over the world as described in the Scripture. No. Most usually keep this prophetic fulfillment to Rome and the immediate surrounding areas. Was all flesh was in danger of being wiped out then? No. That means it did not happen as the Scripture describes. The two witnesses in Rev.11, did they come? Who are they? They are supposed to preach in Jerusalem for 3 ˝ years, this did not happen either. Matthew 24 says: “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, the moon won’t give us light, and they will see the sign of the Son of man coming with power and glory and clouds with his angels.” Did this take place as the Scripture states? Once again, No. We know this takes place in the beginning of the Tribulation (and several times throughout) because of the same description is mentioned in Rev.6. And this is connected to his second coming, which did not take place. Why is Israel back in her land today if it was all or mostly fulfilled in 70 AD. I suppose they can make the argument that these are not his people returning as Muslims do. They say Modern day Israel is no more the “chosen” people of God than any other nation? There is no more promise to be fulfilled to Israel! It has all been transferred to the church, which is a lie. The nation Israel must FIRST return to the land for the promises of the last days to be fulfilled. Preterist’s have the Tribulation applied to the fall of Israel in the first century, the great apostasy to the First Century Church, and the last days as the time period between Jesus' ascension and the destruction of Jerusalem. The Beast is viewed as a symbol of Nero, relating to the Roman Empire in general. The False Prophet (a single person) is equated with the leadership of apostate Israel. What we find is that many of the spokesmen for this viewpoint are anti-Semitic. Was Israel established in 70 AD or scattered? The point is clear Israel, the Jews had to be scattered first (which took place after 70 AD) for them to be brought back into the land as dozens of Scriptures describe at the end of the age. Are they not to build a third temple which the antichrist will rule from as a false Christ? Is this not what is being postponed today? Rom.11:25 “Blindness in part has happened unto Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in, and then all Israel shall be saved.” Was all of Israel a nation saved in 70 AD? If the church is Israel what does this mean? The church is not Israel, a nation with a land, the same land they were given with Abraham and through Moses. If so then the land should be given to the Church. The church is made up individual Jews and Gentiles who believe in Jesus the messiah, so the church can never be Israel no matter how much is said about this.. Zechariah 12 begins to talk about the gathering of all nations together against Jerusalem to destroy them, and Yet the Lord “He will pour upon the house of Israel the spirit of supplication and mourning, and so forth, and “they will look upon me whom they have pierced.” That’s when they look upon Him whom they rejected and call out to be saved as a nation (Rom.11). Did Armageddon occur? Was the last days prophecy fulfilled in AD 70 at the destruction of the Temple? We must ask, when was Jerusalem surrounded by the armies of all nations? Why are the same countries mentioned in Ez.38 there today that are Israel’s enemies? When did the Lord in his return destroys the armies of the world gathered in Megiddo, it not just a roman army coming against Jerusalem. The preterist view is so flawed it amazing they get away with these type of statements. Scripture explains that when Jesus returns He will set his feet on the Mount of Olives, it splits in two. Zechariah 14:4 explains: On that day his feetwill stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south.” When did Christ's feet literally touch the Mount of Olives and this take place? Paul explains that He shall come and kill the wicked one (or lawless one) who sat in the Temple of God claiming to be God as the first one in the battle in Megiddo. 2 Thess. 2:4 he sits as God in the temple of God, (called the abomination that makes desolate (Mt.24:15) Thess. 2:8 whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. Mt. 25 speaks of the separating of sheep and goats on earth before the millennium begins,. Exactly where can one point to as happening? Where are all those resurrected, for those who are the church still die? If the resurrection happened, where those who died that were raised? Should they not be with us today? 1 Corinthians 15 teaches a future, bodily resurrection from the dead along with the transformation of those still living found in1 Thess.4:16. If the Tribulation took place in AD 70, then the resurrection is past already. Scripture addressed this, that '...The resurrection is past already' and how these people were '...Overthrow(ing) the faith of some'(See 2 Timothy 2:18). Where are the apostles or any ancient person raised up from the dead? And should we not be changed with them, because it says that We shall be changed we who are alive and those who are dead. Matt 24:30-31" 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. "And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” ALL will see him. Even in the first centuries after 70 AD no one said that Christ came back. ‘Coming on the clouds’ does not mean judgment, because he left on a cloud, a cloud was over Israel during the day to keep the sun off them in their wilderness journey to the Promised Land, this was not judgment, but mercy. Revelation 14:14 “ Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man” The Book of Revelation writes us of judgments from God upon the earth… 7 seal judgments; 7 trumpet judgments 7 bowl judgments. These judgments devastate the earth and mankind that is in rebellion and in express detail it tells us how devastating these are. Scripture never means what it says literally, for example Revelation 9:18 “By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed.” God who is sealing the 12,000 Jews from the12 tribes all over the world, and He alone does know who they are even though we do not. Most Preterists hold to a non-literal, non-physical Second Coming of Christ pointing to the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD. When you stop taking the bible literally (except for those small portions in symbolism that have literal meanings) by necessity you arrive at the wrong conclusions. And last of all, Is Satan Bound Today?When did this take place? This is a very critical question because the Bible says that Satan will be bound at the beginning of the Millennium when Jesus returns (Revelation 19; 20:1-3). The preterist's who teach this of the last days are not much different than the false prophets of the NAR. They introduce confusion of whom the church is and who is Israel. When you have this mixture your conclusions of reading the scripture will be skewed. The NAR states the nations are given to the church (Ps.2), this is a Preterist interpretation at its worst All of this would be silly if it wasn’t dangerous, for it deceives people into complacency, not understanding what the future actually holds. |
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