Perilous Times

*Last Days Scoffers*

The Second Coming of Christ is one of the fundamental doctrines of
Scripture. Jesus emphatically said, “I will come again” (John 14:3). The
questions raised by believers over the centuries have always been
“When?” and “How?” The answers to these questions divide Christians into
various views of eschatology (“last things”). Some believe He will come
before the Tribulation. Some during it and some after it. Some believe
He will come at the end of the Church Age and some think He will come
after the millennium.

One of the most bizarre interpretations of eschatology is the view that
He has already come back! No, I’m not talking about the Jehovah’s
Witnesses who think Jesus returned in 1914. I’m talking about a
viewpoint called preterism, which teaches that Jesus returned in AD 70
when the Roman army destroyed Jerusalem.

You may be thinking that no sensible person really believes that Jesus
already came back. Well, it may surprise you to know that preterism is
experiencing a new wave of interest these days thanks to the
encouragement of popular radio personalities like R.C. Sproul and Hank
Hanegraaff. Sproul openly admits he is a “partial preterist” and
Hanegraaff claims he is seriously considering it.

I have watched various eschatologies come and go over the past 40 years.
Some last a few weeks (like 88 Reasons the Rapture will be in 1988) and
some a few years (like the fast-fading so-called Pre-Wrath view). But
none have had more insidious implications than preterism — the idea that
Jesus already came back and we missed it! In fact, the Bible warns us:
“there shall come scoffers in the last days…saying, where is the promise
of his coming” (2 Peter 3:3-4).

WHAT IS PRETERISM?

The term preterist is Latin for “past.” Thus, preterists believe that
Bible prophecy was fulfilled in the past. Therefore, they view the major
prophetic passages of Scripture, such as the Olivet Discourse and the
book of Revelation as already fulfilled. Preterism is the exact opposite
of Futurism, which views these major biblical prophecies as being
fulfilled in the future.

Extreme preterists, who prefer to call themselves “consistent
preterists,” hold that all Bible prophecy was fulfilled in AD 70 with
the destruction of Jerusalem. They view this event as the Second Coming
of Christ and reject any belief in a future return of Christ.

Thus, they deny a future bodily resurrection of believers and a literal
return of Christ to earth. Extreme preterists believe we are already in
the “new heavens!” Their view is not only ludicrous, but it is also
heretical and places them outside the parameters of biblical orthodoxy.

Moderate preterists, like R.C. Sproul, claim they still believe in a
future Second Coming, but still insist on interpreting the Olivet
Discourse and the book of Revelation as basically already fulfilled in
the past. As a result, they reject such basic concepts as the Rapture of
the Church; a literal seven-year Tribulation Period; a literal
Antichrist; Israel’s conversion; the Battle of Armageddon; the
1,000-year Millennium; and the future binding of Satan.

In contrast to the basic beliefs of premillennialism, moderate
preterists believe that God is finished with biblical Israel. They see
no prophetic future for national Israel. The fact that the State of
Israel exists today is blamed on an “accident of history” perpetrated by
“ignorant premillennialists” who supported the Balfour Declaration that
eventually led to the formation of the modern State of Israel in 1948.
While most preterists would insist they are not anti-Semitic, their
theology certainly leans in that direction. One of the symbols of the
current preterist movement is an artist’s rendering of the smoldering
ashes of Jerusalem in AD 70, as though they are rejoicing in the
destruction of the Holy City.

PRETERIST BELIEFS

As a rule moderate preterists tie their belief system to a
postmillennial vision in which the Church becomes the new “Israel” and
must bring in the Kingdom on earth in order to prepare the world for the
return of Christ. Most preterists believe the following:

1. Nero was the Antichrist. There will be no future individual
Antichrist.

2. The Tribulation Period is already over. It occurred when the Roman
army besieged Jerusalem in AD 66-70.

3. Christ “returned” in the clouds in AD 70 to witness the destruction
of Jerusalem by the Roman army.

4. God replaced Old Testament Israel with the Church. Therefore, all the
biblical promises to Israel belong to the Church. God is finished with
national Israel. Whatever is happening in Israel today has nothing to do
with prophecy.

5. Armageddon already happened in AD 70. The fall of “Babylon” refers to
the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans.

6. Satan is already bound in the abyss and cannot hinder the spread of
the Gospel. Revelation 20 has already been fulfilled.

7. We are already in the Millennium, but it is not literal. Some
preterists equate the entire Church Age as the Millennium. The 1,000
years are not literal but figurative, even though they are mentioned six
times in Revelation 19-20.

The basic assumptions of preterism rest on passages that refer to Christ
coming “quickly” (Revelation 1:1), or “this generation will not pass”
(Matthew 24:34). They insist these must be related to and limited to
the first century. By contrast, premillennialists believe that Christ’s
coming is imminent and; therefore, could occur at any moment. Darrell
Bock of Dallas’ Theological Seminary counters the preterist view
observing: “What Jesus is saying is that the generation that sees the
beginning of the end [The Budding of The Fig Tree] [Israel], also lives
to see its end. When the signs come, they will proceed quickly; they
will not drag on for many generations. It will happen within a
generation.” The Final Generation

http://www3.telus.net/thegoodnews/finalgeneration.htm

FALLACIOUS REASONING

Preterists insist they are defending the Bible by making its prophecies
fulfilled in the past. That way, they can’t be accused of making false
assumptions about the future. In other words, their interpretive
methodology might be called: “back up and punt!” By confining predictive
prophecy to a past fulfillment they eliminate any real need for
eschatology. However, their fallacious reasoning and flimsy logic leaves
them supporting a series of ridiculous conclusions that fly in the face
of the entire history of biblical interpretation.

For example, the idea that Satan is already “bound” is clearly
contradicted by Peter’s statement: “the devil, as a roaring lion,
wanders about seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). The Apostle
Paul refers to Satan as the “prince of the power of the air, the spirit
that now works in the children of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:2). One
would have a difficult time convincing Peter and Paul that Satan was
already bound by the power of the cross. If Satan is bound today, why
are the nations still deceived?

If we are already in the Millennium, why is there still war in the
world? When did the lion lay down with the lamb? And when did the
nations beat their weapons into plowshares? If the 1,000 years are only
symbolic, then is the reign of Christ only symbolic? If God broke His
everlasting covenant with Israel, how do we know He will not break His
covenant of everlasting life with us?

If God is finished with ethnic Israel, why did Paul ask: “Has God cast
away his people?” And why did he respond so emphatically, “God forbid!”
(Romans 11:1)? Why did Paul ask of Israel, “Have they stumbled that they
should fall?” And why did he respond again: “God forbid!” (Romans
11:11)? Why did Paul state that “blindness in part has happened to
Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles comes” (Romans 11:25)? Why
did he believe, “all Israel shall be saved” (Romans 11:26) if God is
already finished with Israel? If the Church replaces Israel and becomes
the Kingdom of God on earth, why did the disciples ask Jesus at the
ascension: “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”
(Acts 1:6). That was the perfect opportunity for Jesus to tell the
disciples that He was finished with Israel and that they were the new
“Israel.” But He did not! He simply told them it was not for them to
know that time which the Father has predetermined for Israel to have the
kingdom (Acts 1:7).

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

teachers need to be prepared to defend orthodox eschatology from this
attack.” Those who believe that Christ already came back in AD 70 can
hardly obey our Lord’s command to “keep watching” until He comes
(Matthew 24:42).

Preterism rests on a faulty hermeneutic and raises serious concerns for
sincere students of Scripture. Consider the following:

1. Destroys the Literal Meaning of the Bible.

Once you start arguing that the language of prophecy cannot be taken
literally, you are not that far removed from not taking the rest of the
Bible literally either. Preterists are following the dangerous path of
Liberalism, which began denying predictive prophecy and soon rejected
the literal interpretation of creation, the flood, biblical history, the
virgin birth of Christ, His vicarious death and bodily resurrection.

2. Distorts the Promise of the Second Coming.

Placing the return of Christ in the past robs the Church of a confident
expectation about the future. We are left on earth trying to “make the
best of it” without any real hope of divine intervention. It leaves the
Church desperately trying to “bring in the Kingdom” without the King.

3. Diminishes the Hope of the Believer.

Preterism negates the biblical commands to “watch” and “be ready” for
the coming of Christ. It limits those injunctions to the first century
believers prior to AD 70. In fact, it limits every biblical command
related to the return of Christ. The phrase “until He comes” would have
to be limited to AD 70. How can we “build the church” (Matthew 16:18) or
“occupy until he comes.” In fact, how do we celebrate the communion
service to “show forth the Lord’s death until he comes” (1 Corinthians
11:26)? Should we stop celebrating the Lord’s Supper because He already
came in AD 70?

4. Deprives Israel of Her Future.

Preterists insist that God is finished with Israel. Many of them teach
that it is actually Jesus who breaks the covenant with Israel in Daniel
9:26-27. In essence, preterism pits Jesus against Israel and therefore
smacks of anti-Semitism. Preterists actually teach that the “Babylon” of
Revelation 17-18 is Jerusalem! Therefore, the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70
represents Christ’s ultimate triumph over unbelief.

5. Denies the Power of Christ.

While most preterists would insist they are defending the power of
Christ, they are actually denying it. They are trying to “bring in the
Kingdom” without the King. And might I add, they are fighting a losing
battle! Christianity is under attack like never before. We are not
winning the battle for world dominion and we never will. Yes, the Church
will continue to grow (Matthew 16:18), but so will the resistance of
Satan (1 Timothy 4:1). God will continue to do marvelous things in this
world. But the Church will never bring the Kingdom of heaven to earth
until the King of heaven returns in person.