WHY STUDY BIBLE PROPHECY?

As we study Biblical Prophecy we should be motivated to get up and out and evangelize the Lost. If our dear Lord Jesus could come for us, His Bride, at any moment we should be using every moment as if it is our last! Prophecy teaches us of our “Blessed Hope.”

Prophecy is a “comfort” to those who are in Christ (Believers).

Prophecy is a stimulus to a Godly Lifestyle!

WHY NOT PRETERISM?

Dr. Jobe Martinwww.biblicaldiscipleship.org

www.evolutionofacreationist.comwww.creationproclaims.info

THREE BOOKS FOR FURTHER STUDY

The End Times Controversy: The Second Coming Under Attack by Tim LaHaye and Thomas Ice

Breaking the Apocalypse Code: Mark Hitchcock and Thomas Ice

The Tribulation: Past or Future: Kenneth Gentry and Thomas Ice

“Many Bible-believing Christians find it astounding that anyone would teach that our Lord Jesus Christ has already returned to this earth and that we are now living in the kingdom age predicted throughout the Bible. Yet that is what preterists believe and teach. And surprisingly, their numbers are growing….”

Tim LaHaye and Thomas Ice, eds., The End Times Controversy: The Second Coming Under Attack (Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 2003), p. 7.

“[T]he preterist notion that Christ returned physically in A.D. 70 would have come as a surprise to the early church fathers, … for they never mentioned that Christ’s second coming was past. They invariably referred to it as a future event.”

Tim LaHaye

• The vast majority of the early church fathers wrote of a late date (A.D. 95) for the writing of the book of Revelation. Therefore the vast majority of early church fathers believed in a future Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and not that the marching of the Roman armies into Jerusalem in 70 A.D. was the 2nd Coming.

Hitchcock, The End Times Conspiracy, p. 138

Late Date for Rev.[AD95]Hegesuppus (A.D. 150)Irenaeus (A.D. 180)Clement of Alex. (155-220)Victorinus (C. 300)Eusebius (C. 300)Jerome (C. 400)Sulpicius Severus (400)Primasius (C. 540)Orosius (C. 600)The Acts of John (C.650) etc..

Early date for Rev.[AD65]Only 3

Syriac v. of N.T. (C.550)

Arethas (C. 900) Theophylact (C. 1107)

Preterism: Definition

“The term ‘preterism’ is based on the Latin preter, which means “past.” Preterism refers to that understanding of certain eschatological passages which holds that they have already come to fulfillment….”

Kenneth Gentry, Jr. He Shall Have Dominion: A Postmillennial Eschatology (Tyler, TX: Institute for Christian Economics, 1992), p.159. As quoted by Thomas Ice, The End Times Controversy (Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 2003), p.17.

Preterism: Definition

• “The preterist approach teaches, for instance, that many of the prophecies of Revelation and the first portion of the Olivet Discourse have already been fulfilled. Matthew 24:1-34 (and parallels) in the Olivet Discourse was fulfilled in the events surrounding the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. In Revelation, most of the prophecies before Revelation 20 find fulfillment in the fall of Jerusalem (A.D. 70).” Gentry via Ice, p. 18

Preterism: Definition

“The Olivet Discourse is not about the second coming of Christ. It is a prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70.”

David Chilton, Paradise Restored: An Eschatology of Dominion (Tyler, TX: Reconstruction Press, 1985), p. 224. As quoted by Thomas Ice, The End Times Controversy (Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 2003), p.17.

The Two Major Arguments of Preterism

• The book of Revelation was written by the apostle John in 65 A.D.

• The word “Generation” in Matthew 24 means the generation of people that Jesus was talking to directly.

Did our Lord Jesus return to earth in A.D. 70? Are the prophecies of the book of Revelation

past history? Are we living in the promised Messianic

Kingdom? Were all the prophecies of the Bible fulfilled

at the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 as the “Full Preterist” contends?

• The Partial Preterists believe that most of the prophecies of Matthew 24 and Revelation have already been fulfilled.

• Some prophecies remain to be fulfilled such as a literal 2nd coming of our Lord Jesus (not the Rapture), the resurrection of the dead, the judgment seat of Christ and heaven. These are still future to some, but not to all, who hold to the partial preterist position.

A few questions:

What is the main difference between a partial preterist and a full preterist?

Full preterists teach that all prophecies were fulfilled in A.D. 70.

[Revelation was written in A.D. 65]

Partial preterists teach that a few prophecies remain to be fulfilled.

Literal 2nd Coming to a Christianized earthResurrection to Great White Throne

Eternal Heaven[Revelation was written in A.D. 65]

• Partial preterists predict that Jesus will come to and be welcomed to a Christianized earth.

• The welcoming to a Christianized earth is in direct opposition to the words of Scripture: Revelation 19:19 in the context of the events surrounding the 2nd Coming says:

Revelation 19:19• And I saw the beast, and the

kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to

make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his

army.

Both partial and full preterists believe that John wrote Revelation around A.D. 65.

If Revelation was written around A.D. 95, then Preterism falls apart.

Hitchcock, The End Times Conspiracy, p. 138

Late Date for Rev.[AD95]Hegesuppus (A.D. 150)Irenaeus (A.D. 180)Clement of Alex. (155-220)Victorinus (C. 300)Eusebius (C. 300)Jerome (C. 400)Sulpicius Severus (400)Primasius (C. 540)Orosius (C. 600)The Acts of John (C.650) etc..

Early date for Rev.[AD65]Only 3

Syriac v. of N.T. (C.550)

Arethas (C. 900) Theophylact (C. 1107)

Do there remain any biblical prophecies that are as yet

unfulfilled?

There is a prophecy in 1 Corinthians 11:24-26

24 “And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. 25After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. 26For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.”

1 Corinthians 11:24-26

• The Lord Jesus is coming again! And while we wait we are to partake of the Lord’s Supper in remembrance of His atoning death “until He come.”

• If a preterist partakes of the cup and the bread he witnesses against his belief that Lord Jesus has already come in A.D. 70! A preterist is not looking for the Lord to come, he believes that the Lord has already come!

• A preterist believes that the 1000 year kingdom age of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is an indefinite period of time that began in A.D. 70. The term “1000” (known to us as the Millennium) is used 6 times in Revelation 20:1-10.

2And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 3And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. Revelation 20:2-3

“1000” in Revelation 20:2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, is the Greek term “chilioi” which means one thousand and should be taken literally as 1000 years, not as a long, indefinite period of time as the Preterists teach.

Other Greek terms are more specifically used to denote an indefinite, but very large number, such as “murias” in Revelation 5:11, 9:16

Revelation 5:11-12 “murias”

And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; 12Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

Revelation 9:16 And the number of the army of the

horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the

number of them.“murias”

An example of chilioi inRevelation 14:20

And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.

Another example of chilioi in Revelation 11:3

And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.

Another example of chilioi in Revelation 11:13

And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven

Another example of chilioi in Revelation 12:6

And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

Revelation 5:11-12 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many

angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; 12Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

Preterists (partial and full) believe that we are living in the Millennium (an indefinite, long period of time—not a literal 1000 years).

Most Preterists take that idea one step farther and teach that we are already living in the New Heavens and New Earth.

In fact, even partial preterist Kenneth Gentry says of Revelation 21-22 that “the new creation begins in the first century,” and that “my understanding

of this antithesis is that the New Jerusalem is replacing the old Jerusalem. The coming of the

New Jerusalem down from heaven (chapters 21-22) logically should follow soon upon the

destruction of the old Jerusalem on the earth (Revelation 6-11, 14-19), rather than waiting

thousands of years.” Kenneth L. Gentry, “A Preterist View of Revelation” in C. Marvin Pate, gen. ed., Four Views on the Book of Revelation

(Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1998), p. 87.

Thomas Ice (The End Times Controversy, p. 420), states:

“…Gentry actually believes we are in some way in the new heavens and new earth of Revelation 21-22. If this is true, then we all must be living in the ghetto side of the New Jerusalem. But there is no ghetto in the New Jerusalem….The logic of the preterist position leads one to delusional views of present reality.”

Ice goes on to say (p.421), “Not only does Gentry believe that the Tribulation is a past event, he actually believes that current history is identified as the new heavens and new earth of Revelation 21-22 and 2 Peter 3:10-13….

If we are currently living in any way in the new heavens and new earth, then this means the following:

The 1000 years and the new heavens and earth must be equated (cf. Rev. 20:1-9 with 21-22)

• Satan has been removed from any more influence in history (20:10)

• There is no longer any sea (21:1)• There is no longer any death, crying, or pain (21:4)• All things have been made new (21:1)• There is no longer any need for the sun or the moon

(21:23)• There is no longer any night (21:25)• There is no longer anything unclean, nor anyone

practicing abomination and lying (21:27)• There is no longer any curse (22:3)• Believers are now able to see the Father’s face (22:4

Let us take another look at Revelation 20:2:

2And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 3And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. Revelation 20:2-3

Satan is to be bound for the 1000 year Millennium and

shut up and sealed in the Pit!

If we are living in the Millennium as all of the Preterists teach, is Satan bound and sealed in the

Bottomless Pit?

• If Satan is “bound”, “shut up”, and “sealed” for the millennium (the literal 1000 years of our Lord Jesus’ rule on planet earth of Revelation 20), then why does our Bible say in 1:Peter 5:8-11:

8Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about,

seeking whom he may devour: 9Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same

afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

10But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after

that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. 11To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 5:8-11

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11Put on the

whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12For we

wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against

the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

13Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Ephesians 6:10-13

• How do preterists get around this fact that Satan schemes against us and prowls about like a roaring lion?• Preterists claim that Satan is bound with a

“long chain.”• Since preterists do not take the Revelation 20

verses literally they are forced to impose a creative, but very wrong interpretation of other Scriptures!

• How does the A.D. 70 siege of Jerusalem fulfill the biblical

description of the details of the Great Tribulation?

To Sum up:

• The Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ is a future event (Matthew 24:29-31, Rev. 19:11-21).

• After Jesus returns He will be physically present to rule this earth as King of kings and Lord of lords for 1000 literal years (Rev. 19:16).

• Al Gore is wrong—this earth will be here and be populated for at least 1007 more years if the Rapture would happen today; [1000 year Millennium plus 7 year Tribulation].

During King Jesus 1000 year reign on earth “…He will enforce a cultural standard of righteousness. No kingdom of righteousness will permit crime, pornography in print or on the internet, teach godless socialism in our public schools, or denigrate God the Father, our Lord Jesus Christ, or the Holy Spirit.

You can be sure of this: Jesus Christ will come to this earth in power and great glory to set up His kingdom as the Bible predicts, and His coming will be personal and physical!” Tim LaHaye, p. 10.

Some Questions for Preterists:

• Can you prove that Lord Jesus came back in A.D.70?• What evidence can you provide to prove that Jesus

has been ruling the world from Jerusalem since 70?• Can you prove that Satan has been bound for 1000

years while drugs, murder, rape, lying, etc. remain?• If Christ has ruled for the last 1900 years how do

you explain the millions of Christians who have been martyred for their faith?

• How do you prove that of the cataclysmic events of the last days have already happened? There is no historical record in any culture on earth detailing these events in A.D. 70 (Matt. 24:15-31)

• Isaiah 65:17-20 records that in the future a person 100 years old will be as a child. Is this true today?

Isaiah 65:25

“The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent’s meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.”

If we are presently living in the Millennium (indefinite long period of time) as the preterists believe, are the wolf and the lamb feeding together? Lions eating straw?

Isaiah 11:6-7

The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. 7And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

Isaiah 11:8-9 8And the sucking child shall play on the hole of

the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den. 9They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.

• If Nero was the Antichrist, as most of you preterists believe, what is your evidence? Did Nero ever go to Jerusalem, desecrate the temple in Jerusalem by setting up an image of himself and demanding that people worship his image in the Jerusalem temple?

• Did King Jesus destroy Nero with the breath of His mouth (2 Thessalonians 2:8)?

• Did Nero make a 7 year covenant with Israel and break it 3.5 years later (Daniel 9:26-27)?

Can you (preterists) prove with historical facts that the 21 Tribulation judgments were completed in the 7 years prior to the A.D. 70 destruction of Jerusalem: water turns to blood, the largest earthquake in world history, world war destroying 25% of the world’s people (Rev. 6:8), global plagues killing another 33% of the people (Rev. 9:18), global mark to buy and sell or be guillotined, required global worship of an image of a man in a temple in Jerusalem, etc…..

• When the King Jesus returns all the nations of the will be gathered together to make war against Jerusalem (Zechariah 12:3). In A.D.70 only Rome came against Jerusalem.

• Jerusalem was destroyed, not delivered (Zech. 12:8) at the 2nd Coming (preterest position) when Rome invaded in A.D.70. How do you reconcile that with preterist doctrine?

• At the return of King Jesus all the nations that came against Jerusalem will be destroyed (Zech. 12:9) but Rome alone won the war!

• Zechariah 12:10 prophesys that the Jewish people as a nation will believe that Jesus is their Messiah. Did this happen in A.D.70?

• Is there any evidence that 2/3 of the Jews were killed and 1/3 were saved in A.D.70 as Zechariah 13:8 foretells?

• Did the Mount of Olives split in two as the Roman armies (2nd Coming) marched into Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:1-4)?

• If the second coming of Christ was in A.D.70 when were the “sheep” taken into the kingdom and the “goats” cast into everlasting fire (Matthew 25)?

• When did the rapture of the church occur?• When Jesus returns He said that He would

take the believers with Him back to our Heavenly Father’s house to be with Him. Where is the evidence that this has happened?

• When was Babylon destroyed in one day?• When did the kings of the earth mourn over

the destruction of Babylon?• If Christ returned in 70 A.D. what day did He

return?

Tim LaHaye says: “When all the facts are considered, we are

forced to conclude that the evidence for a fulfillment of the prophetic Scriptures in A.D.70 is untenable and that too many unanswered questions still exist to make the rapture of the church, the Tribulation period, the second coming of Christ, and the establishing of His kingdom on this earth and other significant events to be anything but future, just as the Bible teaches.”

• John did indeed write the book of Revelation in A.D. 95 while on the Isle of Patmos for the testimony of Jesus Christ (Revelation 1:2). A literal and the most sensible reading of the Scriptures renders the events of Revelation as being yet future, a perspective the evangelical church almost universally agrees upon.

• Even so come quickly, Lord Jesus.!

Why are Christians turning to pretersim?

• In my opinion it is academic, intellectual and spiritual pride—they love the praises of men more than the praises of God.

• John 5:44 and John 12:43