Why Christians should reject Partial Preterism

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sovereigngrace

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First of all, I am a Postrib Amillennialist. I am also an Idealist – meaning I believe Revelation consist of 7 recaps culminating in a climactic return of Christ.

Like Partial Preterists and Historicists, and other Idealists, I believe Daniel 9 has been fulfilled in and through the earthly Messianic ministry of Christ. Idealists also hold that a lot (but not all) of Matthew 24 Mark 13 and Luke 21 was fulfilled in AD70. For example, I believe the great tribulation mentioned in Matthew 24:15-22, Mark 13:14-20 and Luke 21:20-24 relates to the wrath of God being poured out on Jerusalem in 70 AD.

Saying all that, having debated with Partial Preterists over the years, and most recently on this site, I have many real deep biblical concerns about Partial Preterist teaching which I believe are dangerous, and which lead many into the heresy of Full Preterism. Much of what is advocated on this board by Partial Preterists is only a thin paper wall away from Full Preterism. Partial Preterists even freely quote their writers.

An unhealthy fixation with 70AD

There seems to be very little in Scripture that is literal or real in Partial Preterist thinking. Words that are clear in their meaning and context, and which every unindoctrinated objective Bible student would quickly understand are spiritualized away to carry no literal or physical meaning. Passages that are expressly referring to the glorious climactic coming of the Lord Jesus Christ are lightly treated, swiftly dismissed and conveniently reapplied to the coming of Titus and relocated to 70 AD. No text seems safe from their extreme form of spiritualization of Scripture.

In Partial Preterist theology the First Advent and the Second Advent take back stage to their obsession with the coming of Titus and 70 AD. It is all about Titus! It is all about 70 AD! It is all they want to talk about. In their mind, it is the focal event in history. It is the pivotal moment of the divine plan. Of course, this alone should be grounds to question the theory. But there are many other reasons.

Where Partial Preterists miss the mark is that they are captivated with the wrong event. They are fixated with the coming of Titus and 70 AD. In that, they stand alone in their fixation. The Old Testament is not so. The New Testament is not so. Genesis to Revelation is focused on Jesus Christ, His new covenant, His messianic rule, His climatic return and the introduction of His perfect eternal kingdom. The sacred pages point to our Savior and Lord. The Holy Spirit points to Jesus Christ. The Father’s blessing is upon Jesus Christ.

My biggest red flag is Partial Preterist's obsession with the coming of Titus and 70 AD. This fixation is alarming, unhealthy and plainly unscriptural. To them, it is the focal point of history. Little do they realize, in their preoccupation with this by-gone year, that they are overlooking and undermining the two focal events in Scripture and history – the First Advent and the Second Advent.

When you look in the Old and New Testament, the central emphasis of both is the earthly ministry of Christ and His glorious and majestic second coming. Christ’s sinless life, His atoning death and victorious resurrection were long-anticipated by Moses and the Old Testament prophets. It is also the focus of the New Testament. The glorious final majestic return of Jesus Christ is the final anticipated event in history that every believer has longer for since the fall of man. It is then that corruption will finally be banished and everlasting perfection will be introduced forever.

In the Old Testament, the saints of old yearned for the coming Messiah who would deliver His people and redeem them from their sin. His Messianic ministry ushered in “the last days” period.

Just like Premils are fixated with their supposed future 1000 years after the coming of Christ, and dump multiple unrelated Scriptures into Revelation 20, Preterists are similarly obsessed with AD 70, and dump every and any text they find into the Roman destruction of the Jewish Temple and the city of Jerusalem in AD 70, as if it was the pivotal moment in time and eternity. No Scripture is safe. It is as if the Holy Spirit in the New Testament has nothing else to speak about but this passing fleeting event that was perpetrated by the Roman soldiers.

· Passages that clearly pertain to the cross (and the introduction of the new covenant) are stolen, reinterpreted and reapplied to AD 70.
· Passages that clearly pertain to the intra-Advent period are stolen, reinterpreted and reapplied to AD 70.
· Passages that clearly pertain to the glorious climactic coming of Christ are stolen, reinterpreted and reapplied to AD 70.
· Passages that clearly pertain to eternity are stolen, reinterpreted and reapplied to AD 70.

What they apply to AD 70 is totally unbiblical and insane. They are indeed fixated with that date, whereas Scripture is fixated with the cross and the Lord's final return.
  • They have the old covenant ending at the coming of Titus in AD 70.
  • They have the new covenant commencing at the coming of Titus in AD 70.
  • They have “this age” ending at the coming of Titus in AD 70.
  • They have the age to come” starting at the coming of Titus in AD 70.
  • They have “the last days” finishing at the coming of Titus in AD 70.
  • They have “the last day” of “the last days” occurring at the coming of Titus in AD 70.
  • They have “the day of redemption” happening at the coming of Titus in AD 70.
  • They have “the coming of the Lord” arriving at the coming of Titus in AD 70.
  • They have “the resurrection” of the just and the unjust happening at the coming of Titus in AD70.
  • They have “the judgment” of the just and the unjust happening at the coming of Titus in AD 70.
  • They have the old corrupt heavens and earth being replaced at the coming of Titus in AD 70.
  • They have “the new heavens and new earth” appearing at the coming of Titus in AD 70.
This is absolutely ridiculous! Such is their obsession with this much vaunted year (AD 70), that their advocates and websites can do nothing else but speak on its virtues.

Partial Preterists neutralize every possible future coming of the Lord passage in order to sustain their position. No text is safe. The only event they seem to see in the New Testament is AD 70. When you engage with them you quickly find that they are totally fixated with this innocuous date. There is such a delusion and duplicity here.

Their teachers

When challenged, Partial Preterists habitually hide behind the statements of their teachers, and are quick to advancing weblinks to their Preterist mentors. This tactic is normally found among the cults. This shows a distinct weakness in their position and an unhealthy reliance upon man. Like Pretribbers, it is a doctrine that must be taught to be fully gasped. This also shows how absurd many of their claims are, and how uncertain they even are with their own doctrine. A normal unbiased straightforward reading of Scripture reveals many clear second coming passages that show a literal climatic return of Jesus Christ at the end of the world. Partial Preterist teaching does not abide the scrutiny of Scripture.

Partial Preterism does not hold up to normal sensible hermeneutical scrutiny. They shamelessly force mystical meanings on literal texts to support their forced doctrine, rather than letting the Scriptures speak for themselves. They seem to have no regards for either the detail of the texts or the context of the setting. They refuse to acknowledge the countless repeated Scriptures that depict a literal physical future climactic coming of Christ in all His final majesty and glory.

The truth!

Repeated Scripture locates the replacement of the current heavens and earth with the new heavens and earth and incorruption at the second coming. Job 14:12-14, Isaiah 13:9-11, Isaiah 34:1-4, 8, Isaiah 65:17-21, Isaiah 66:22-24, Joel 2:3, Joel 2:10-11, Malachi 4:1-3, Matthew 24:29-30, Matthew 24:35-44, Mark 13:24-26, Luke 21:25-27, Romans 8:18-23, 1 Corinthians 15:23-24, 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10, 2 Peter 3:10-13, Hebrews 1:10-12, Revelation 6:13-17, Revelation 16:15-20, Revelation 19:11-16 and Revelation 20:11-15 shows us that this occurs at the second coming. This is indeed the end of time, the end of corruption, the end of the wicked, the end of sin, the end of death, the end for the devil. It is the beginning of eternity. It is the beginning of perfection. It is the beginning of incorruption. It is the beginning of a new arrangement.

It seems like whatever angle you examine the second coming it appears to be climactic, final and glorious.

· All creation is judged at the one final future coming of Christ.
· It is a perfect glorified age, which allows only perfect glorified inhabitants.
· Another proof that there will be no thousand years after the second coming is that time terminates with Christ’s coming. The age to come is eternal.
· It is an age that belongs exclusively to the glorified saints (the meek).
· Many Scriptures speak of the inter-Advent period as “the last days” (plural) and describe the second coming as “the last day” (singular). It is described as “the end.”

The detail that accompanies the second coming depictions give no opportunity for survivors. All the wicked are destroyed. The detail is climactic. The second coming is final and all-consummating. This current earth is completely regenerated.

Nobody seems to have any difficulty understanding the phrase “the beginning.” Every Christian knows that it is talking about the beginning of creation. It should be the same with “the last day” and “the end” – that is unless someone has a theological agenda to push, which requires that they dismiss or redefine the meaning of these simple unambiguous straight-forward conclusive statements in order to sustain their preconceived doctrine. In fact, I struggle to see how any Christian would have a difficulty with the whole concept of “the end.” It is talking about the end of this current corrupt arrangement and the beginning of the new perfect eternal state.

In order to get their theology to fit, Partial Preterists butcher the meaning and significance of these popular words in the New Testament. They explain them away to mean something they do not, in order to justify their prejudiced theology.

Partial Preterists take common linguistic terms that are easily understood by the unindoctrinated observer in any language to mean the opposite to what they actually say. For example, they do not believe that “last” means last. The English word “last” is taken from the Greek word eschatos and is widely accepted by all unbiased theologians to denote exactly what it says. The word eschatos means end, last, farthest and final.

All sensible and objective Amillennialists should recognize that “the last days” were introduced by the Lord Jesus Christ, and relate to this current Messianic period, which will end at “the last day” of “the last days” when the Lord comes again. Many Scriptures speak of the inter-Advent period as “the last days” (plural) and describe the second coming as “the last day” (singular). It is also described as “the end of the age” or simply “the end” – when Jesus returns to introduce eternity.

Partial Preterists do not believe “the end” refers to the end. The New Testament word from which we get our phrase “the end” is the Greek word telos which refers to the point aimed at as a limit, i.e. the conclusion of an act or state. It is the termination point of a thing. When Scripture talks about “the beginning” without any other additional words or contextual reason to identify it with a specific event, then most sane theologians agree it is talking about “the beginning” of creation. Whilst all sound theologians agree on this many are inconsistent when it comes to “the end.” The reason I believe is because it cuts across a lot of their end-time theology they have been taught. But I believe we should treat both sayings similarly. Unless Scripture specifically identifies “the end” with a particular event or matter like “the end of barley harvest” (Ruth 2:23) “the end of the sabbath” (Matt 28:1), “the end of the year” (2 Chron 24:23), “the end of the rod” (1 Sam 14:27), or “the end of the commandment” (1 Tim 1:5), etc, etc, then we should understand it as the end of the world (which is the end of the age).

When it comes to time, Scripture shows us that it has a definite beginning and a definite end. Before and after time we are looking at eternity. The beginning of time occurred when God created a means of measuring time – namely night and day. This revolves around His creation of the sun and the moon to provide distinct and calculable days, weeks, months and years. This takes us right back to creation. Time will end when Jesus comes in all His final majesty and glory. Time takes us from the commencement of “this age” to “the end of this age.” The term “this age” therefore applies to the whole period that covers time. Time finishes when Christ usher in eternity at His return.

This is seen by comparing the vivid and repeated biblical detail pertaining to “this age” and “the age to come.” This age is depicted as evil, carnal, corrupt and temporal, whereas, the age to come is depicted as perfect, renewed, glorified and eternal. This age involves mortal believers and unbelievers. The age to come belongs exclusively to the glorified elect. One must be worthy to inherit it (namely being redeemed). One must be fittingly prepared to enter it (namely through glorification). Sin, sinners, death and decay, rebellion and war, attend the whole duration of “this age,” whereas, the age to come is described as a perfected unending arrangement where perfected believers possess a perfected earth. All the ugly result of the fall is finally removed. Satan has been stripped of his power and banished to the lake of fire. Sin and sickness, corruption and the curse are now destroyed, never to race anymore.

Conclusion

Partial Preterism in my opinion is largely unbiblical. It gives Amillennialism a bad name. But what ultimately exposes it is the inspired Word of God. It seems like modern-day Partial Preterism is an extreme overreaction to the error of Pretrib. Its advocates should take a major step back and ascertain what the real focus of Scripture is, not what their teachers have taught them.
 
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Aussie Pete

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First of all, I am a Postrib Amillennialist. I am also an Idealist – meaning I believe Revelation consist of 7 recaps culminating in a climactic return of Christ.

Like Partial Preterists and Historicists, and other Idealists, I believe Daniel 9 has been fulfilled in and through the earthly Messianic ministry of Christ. Idealists also hold that a lot (but not all) of Matthew 24 Mark 13 and Luke 21 was fulfilled in AD70.

Saying all that, having debated with Partial Preterists over the years, and most recently on this site, I have many real deep biblical concerns with Partial Preterism which I believe are dangerous, and which lead many into the heresy of Full Preterism. Much of what is advocated on this board by Partial Preterists is only a thin paper wall away from Full Preterism. Partial Preterists even freely quote their writers.

An unhealthy fixation with 70AD

There seems to be very little in Scripture that is literal or real in Partial Preterist thinking. Words that are clear in their meaning and context, and which every unindoctrinated objective Bible student would quickly understand are spiritualized away to carry no literal or physical meaning. Passages that are expressly referring to the glorious climactic coming of the Lord Jesus Christ are lightly treated and swiftly dismissed and conveniently relocated to 70AD. No text seems safe from their extreme form of spiritualization of Scripture.

In Partial Preterist theology the First Advent and the Second Advent take back stage to their obsession with 70AD. It is all about 70AD! It is all they want to talk about. In their mind, it is the focal event in history. It is the pivotal moment of the divine plan. Of course, this alone should be grounds to question the theory. But there are many other reasons.

Where Partial Preterists miss the mark is that they are captivated with the wrong event. They are fixated with AD70. In that, they stand alone in their fixation. The Old Testament is not so. The New Testament is not so. Genesis to Revelation is focused on Jesus Christ, His new covenant, His messianic rule, His climatic return and the introduction of His perfect eternal kingdom. The sacred pages point to our Savior and Lord. The Holy Spirit points to Jesus Christ. The Father’s blessing is upon Jesus Christ.

My biggest red flag is Partial Preterist's obsession with AD70. This fixation is alarming, unhealthy and plainly unscriptural. To them, it is the focal point of history. Little do they realize, in their preoccupation with this by-gone year, that they are overlooking and undermining the two focal events in Scripture and history – the First Advent and the Second Advent.

When you look in the Old and New Testament, the central emphasis of both is the earthly ministry of Christ and His glorious and majestic second coming. Christ’s sinless life, His atoning death and victorious resurrection were long-anticipated by Moses and the Old Testament prophets. It is also the focus of the New Testament. The glorious final majestic return of Jesus Christ is the final anticipated event in history that every believer has longer for since the fall of man. It is then that corruption will finally be banished and everlasting perfection will be introduced forever.

In the Old Testament, the saints of old yearned for the coming Messiah who would deliver His people and redeem them from their sin. His Messianic ministry ushered in “the last days” period.

Just like Premils are fixated with their supposed future 1000 years after the coming of Christ, and dump multiple unrelated Scriptures into Revelation 20, Preterists are similarly obsessed with AD70, and dump every and any text they find into the Roman destruction of the Jewish Temple and the city of Jerusalem in AD70, as if it was the pivotal moment in time and eternity. No Scripture is safe. It is as if the Holy Spirit in the New Testament has nothing else to speak about but this passing fleeting event that was perpetrated by the Roman soldiers.

· Passages that clearly pertain to the cross (and the introduction of the new covenant) are stolen, reinterpreted and reapplied to AD70.
· Passages that clearly pertain to the intra-Advent period are stolen, reinterpreted and reapplied to AD70.
· Passages that clearly pertain to the glorious climactic coming of Christ are stolen, reinterpreted and reapplied to AD70.
· Passages that clearly pertain to eternity are stolen, reinterpreted and reapplied to AD70.

What they apply to AD70 is totally unbiblical and insane. They are indeed fixated with that date, whereas Scripture is fixated with the cross and the Lord's final return.
  • They have the old covenant ending in AD70.
  • They have the new covenant commencing in AD70.
  • They have “this age” ending in AD70.
  • They have the age to come” starting in AD70.
  • They have “the last days” finishing in AD70.
  • They have “the last day” of “the last days” occurring in AD70.
  • They have “the day of redemption” happening in AD70.
  • They have “the coming of the Lord” arriving in AD70.
  • They have “the resurrection” of the just and the unjust happening in AD70.
  • They have “the judgment” of the just and the unjust happening in AD70.
  • They have the old corrupt heavens and earth being replaced in AD70.
  • They have “the new heavens and new earth” appearing in AD70.
This is absolutely ridiculous! Such is your obsession with this much vaunted year (AD70), that their advocates and websites can do nothing else but speak on its virtues.

Partial Preterists neutralize every possible future coming of the Lord passage in order to sustain their position. No text is safe. The only event they seem to see in the New Testament is 70AD. When you engage with them you quickly find that they are totally fixated with this innocuous date. There is such a delusion and duplicity here.

Their teachers

When challenged, Partial Preterists habitually hide behind the statements of their teachers, and are quick to advancing weblinks to their Preterist mentors. This tactic is normally found among the cults. This shows a distinct weakness in their position and a healthy reliance upon man. Like Pretribbers, it is a doctrine that must be taught to be fully gasped. This also shows how absurd many of their claims are, and how uncertain they even are with their own doctrine. A normal unbiased straightforward reading of Scripture reveals many clear second coming passages that show a literal climatic return of Jesus Christ at the end of the world. Partial Preterist teaching does not abide the scrutiny of Scripture.

Partial Preterism does not hold up to normal sensible hermeneutical scrutiny. They shamelessly force mystical meanings on literal texts to support their forced doctrine, rather than letting the Scriptures speak for themselves. They seem to have no regards for either the detail of the texts or the context of the setting. They refused to acknowledge the countless repeated Scriptures that depict a literal physical future climactic coming of Christ and all His final majesty and glory.

The truth!

Repeated Scripture locates the replacement of the current heavens and earth with the new heavens and earth and incorruption at the second coming. Job 14:12-14, Isaiah 13:9-11, Isaiah 34:1-4, 8, Isaiah 65:17-21, Isaiah 66:22-24, Joel 2:3, Joel 2:10-11, Malachi 4:1-3, Matthew 24:29-30, Matthew 24:35-44, Mark 13:24-26, Luke 21:25-27, Romans 8:18-23, 1 Corinthians 15:23-24, 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10, 2 Peter 3:10-13, Hebrews 1:10-12, Revelation 6:13-17, Revelation 16:15-20, Revelation 19:11-16 and Revelation 20:11-15 shows us that this occurs at the second coming. This is indeed the end of time, the end of corruption, the end of the wicked, the end of sin, the end of death, the end for the devil. It is the beginning of eternity. It is the beginning of perfection. It is the beginning of incorruption. It is the beginning of a new arrangement.

It seems like whatever angle you examine the second coming it appears to be climactic, final and glorious.

· All creation is judged at the one final future Coming of Christ.
· It is a perfect glorified age, which allows only perfect glorified inhabitants.
· Another proof that there will be no thousand years after the Second Coming is that time terminates with Christ’s Coming. The age to come is eternal.
· It is an age that belongs exclusively to the glorified saints (the meek).
· Many Scriptures speak of the inter-Advent period as “the last days” (plural) and describe the second coming as “the last day” (singular). It is described as “the end.”

The detail that accompanies the Second Coming depictions give no opportunity for survivors. All the wicked are destroyed. The detail is climactic. The Second Coming is final and all-consummating. This current earth is completely regenerated.

Nobody seems to have any difficulty understanding the phrase “the beginning.” Every Christian knows that it is talking about the beginning of creation. It should be the same with “the last day” and “the end” – that is unless someone has a theological agenda to push, which requires that they dismiss or redefine the meaning of these simple unambiguous straight-forward conclusive statements in order to sustain their preconceived doctrine. In fact, I struggle to see how any Christian would have a difficulty with the whole concept of “the end.” It is talking about the end of this current corrupt arrangement and the beginning of the new perfect eternal state.

In order to get their theology to fit, Partial Preterists butcher the meaning and significance of these popular words in the New Testament. They explain them away to mean something they do not, in order to justify their prejudiced theology.

Partial Preterists take common linguistic terms that are easily understood by the unindoctrinated observer in any language to mean the opposite to what they actually say. For example, they do not believe that “last” means last. The English word “last” is taken from the Greek word eschatos and is widely accepted by all unbiased theologians to denote exactly what it says. The word eschatos means end, last, farthest and final.

All sensible and objective Amillennialists should recognize that “the last days” were introduced by the Lord Jesus Christ, and relate to this current Messianic period, which will end at “the last day” of “the last days” when the Lord comes again. Many Scriptures speak of the inter-Advent period as “the last days” (plural) and describe the Second Coming as “the last day” (singular). It is also described as “the end of the age” or simply “the end” – when Jesus returns to introduce eternity.

Partial Preterists do not believe “the end” refers to the end. The New Testament word from which we get our phrase “the end” is the Greek word telos which refers to the point aimed at as a limit, i.e. the conclusion of an act or state. It is the termination point of a thing. When Scripture talks about “the beginning” without any other additional words or contextual reason to identify it with a specific event, then most sane theologians agree it is talking about “the beginning” of creation. Whilst all sound theologians agree on this many are inconsistent when it comes to “the end.” The reason I believe is because it cuts across a lot of their end-time theology they have been taught. But I believe we should treat both sayings similarly. Unless Scripture specifically identifies “the end” with a particular event or matter like “the end of barley harvest” (Ruth 2:23) “the end of the sabbath” (Matt 28:1), “the end of the year” (2 Chron 24:23), “the end of the rod” (1 Sam 14:27), or “the end of the commandment” (1 Tim 1:5), etc, etc, then we should understand it as the end of the world (which is the end of the age).

When it comes to time, Scripture shows us that it has a definite beginning and a definite end. Before and after time we are looking at eternity. The beginning of time occurred when God created a means of measuring time – namely night and day. This revolves around His creation of the sun and the moon to provide distinct and calculable days, weeks, months and years. This takes us right back to creation. Time will end when Jesus comes in all His final majesty and glory. Time takes us from the commencement of “this age” to “the end of this age.” The term “this age” therefore applies to the whole period that covers time. Time finishes when Christ usher in eternity at His return.

This is seen by comparing the vivid and repeated biblical detail pertaining to “this age” and “the age to come.” This age is depicted as evil, carnal, corrupt and temporal, whereas, the age to come is depicted as perfect, renewed, glorified and eternal. This age involves mortal believers and unbelievers. The age to come belongs exclusively to the glorified elect. One must be worthy to inherit it (namely being redeemed). One must be fittingly prepared to enter it (namely through glorification). Sin, sinners, death and decay, rebellion and war, attend the whole duration of “this age,” whereas, the age to come is described as a perfected unending arrangement where perfected believers possess a perfected earth. All the ugly result of the fall is finally removed. Satan has been stripped of his power and banished to the lake of fire. Sin and sickness, corruption and the curse are now destroyed, never to race anymore.

Conclusion

Partial Preterism in my opinion is largely unbiblical. It gives Amillennialism a bad name. But what ultimately exposes it is the inspired Word of God. It seems like modern-day Partial Preterism is an extreme overreaction to the error of Pretrib. Its advocates should take a major step back and ascertain what the real focus of Scripture is, not what their teachers have taught them.
Gee, why do people waste so much time and effort on this stuff? I like Corrie ten Boom's take. "The whole thing is a-pre-post-erous situation. How many Christians have been encouraged and edified by these debates? A hint. None. The reality is that many fine theologians, who know Greek and Hebrew well, disagree with many other fine, equally qualified theologians. I started studying this stuff 40 years ago and I came to the conclusion that no one really knows except God. I cheated and read the end of the book. We win. Amen.
 
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HTacianas

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First of all, I am a Postrib Amillennialist. I am also an Idealist – meaning I believe Revelation consist of 7 recaps culminating in a climactic return of Christ.

Like Partial Preterists and Historicists, and other Idealists, I believe Daniel 9 has been fulfilled in and through the earthly Messianic ministry of Christ. Idealists also hold that a lot (but not all) of Matthew 24 Mark 13 and Luke 21 was fulfilled in AD70.

Saying all that, having debated with Partial Preterists over the years, and most recently on this site, I have many real deep biblical concerns with Partial Preterism which I believe are dangerous, and which lead many into the heresy of Full Preterism. Much of what is advocated on this board by Partial Preterists is only a thin paper wall away from Full Preterism. Partial Preterists even freely quote their writers.

An unhealthy fixation with 70AD

There seems to be very little in Scripture that is literal or real in Partial Preterist thinking. Words that are clear in their meaning and context, and which every unindoctrinated objective Bible student would quickly understand are spiritualized away to carry no literal or physical meaning. Passages that are expressly referring to the glorious climactic coming of the Lord Jesus Christ are lightly treated and swiftly dismissed and conveniently relocated to 70AD. No text seems safe from their extreme form of spiritualization of Scripture.

In Partial Preterist theology the First Advent and the Second Advent take back stage to their obsession with 70AD. It is all about 70AD! It is all they want to talk about. In their mind, it is the focal event in history. It is the pivotal moment of the divine plan. Of course, this alone should be grounds to question the theory. But there are many other reasons.

Where Partial Preterists miss the mark is that they are captivated with the wrong event. They are fixated with AD70. In that, they stand alone in their fixation. The Old Testament is not so. The New Testament is not so. Genesis to Revelation is focused on Jesus Christ, His new covenant, His messianic rule, His climatic return and the introduction of His perfect eternal kingdom. The sacred pages point to our Savior and Lord. The Holy Spirit points to Jesus Christ. The Father’s blessing is upon Jesus Christ.

My biggest red flag is Partial Preterist's obsession with AD70. This fixation is alarming, unhealthy and plainly unscriptural. To them, it is the focal point of history. Little do they realize, in their preoccupation with this by-gone year, that they are overlooking and undermining the two focal events in Scripture and history – the First Advent and the Second Advent.

When you look in the Old and New Testament, the central emphasis of both is the earthly ministry of Christ and His glorious and majestic second coming. Christ’s sinless life, His atoning death and victorious resurrection were long-anticipated by Moses and the Old Testament prophets. It is also the focus of the New Testament. The glorious final majestic return of Jesus Christ is the final anticipated event in history that every believer has longer for since the fall of man. It is then that corruption will finally be banished and everlasting perfection will be introduced forever.

In the Old Testament, the saints of old yearned for the coming Messiah who would deliver His people and redeem them from their sin. His Messianic ministry ushered in “the last days” period.

Just like Premils are fixated with their supposed future 1000 years after the coming of Christ, and dump multiple unrelated Scriptures into Revelation 20, Preterists are similarly obsessed with AD70, and dump every and any text they find into the Roman destruction of the Jewish Temple and the city of Jerusalem in AD70, as if it was the pivotal moment in time and eternity. No Scripture is safe. It is as if the Holy Spirit in the New Testament has nothing else to speak about but this passing fleeting event that was perpetrated by the Roman soldiers.

· Passages that clearly pertain to the cross (and the introduction of the new covenant) are stolen, reinterpreted and reapplied to AD70.
· Passages that clearly pertain to the intra-Advent period are stolen, reinterpreted and reapplied to AD70.
· Passages that clearly pertain to the glorious climactic coming of Christ are stolen, reinterpreted and reapplied to AD70.
· Passages that clearly pertain to eternity are stolen, reinterpreted and reapplied to AD70.

What they apply to AD70 is totally unbiblical and insane. They are indeed fixated with that date, whereas Scripture is fixated with the cross and the Lord's final return.
  • They have the old covenant ending in AD70.
  • They have the new covenant commencing in AD70.
  • They have “this age” ending in AD70.
  • They have the age to come” starting in AD70.
  • They have “the last days” finishing in AD70.
  • They have “the last day” of “the last days” occurring in AD70.
  • They have “the day of redemption” happening in AD70.
  • They have “the coming of the Lord” arriving in AD70.
  • They have “the resurrection” of the just and the unjust happening in AD70.
  • They have “the judgment” of the just and the unjust happening in AD70.
  • They have the old corrupt heavens and earth being replaced in AD70.
  • They have “the new heavens and new earth” appearing in AD70.
This is absolutely ridiculous! Such is your obsession with this much vaunted year (AD70), that their advocates and websites can do nothing else but speak on its virtues.

Partial Preterists neutralize every possible future coming of the Lord passage in order to sustain their position. No text is safe. The only event they seem to see in the New Testament is 70AD. When you engage with them you quickly find that they are totally fixated with this innocuous date. There is such a delusion and duplicity here.

Their teachers

When challenged, Partial Preterists habitually hide behind the statements of their teachers, and are quick to advancing weblinks to their Preterist mentors. This tactic is normally found among the cults. This shows a distinct weakness in their position and a healthy reliance upon man. Like Pretribbers, it is a doctrine that must be taught to be fully gasped. This also shows how absurd many of their claims are, and how uncertain they even are with their own doctrine. A normal unbiased straightforward reading of Scripture reveals many clear second coming passages that show a literal climatic return of Jesus Christ at the end of the world. Partial Preterist teaching does not abide the scrutiny of Scripture.

Partial Preterism does not hold up to normal sensible hermeneutical scrutiny. They shamelessly force mystical meanings on literal texts to support their forced doctrine, rather than letting the Scriptures speak for themselves. They seem to have no regards for either the detail of the texts or the context of the setting. They refused to acknowledge the countless repeated Scriptures that depict a literal physical future climactic coming of Christ and all His final majesty and glory.

The truth!

Repeated Scripture locates the replacement of the current heavens and earth with the new heavens and earth and incorruption at the second coming. Job 14:12-14, Isaiah 13:9-11, Isaiah 34:1-4, 8, Isaiah 65:17-21, Isaiah 66:22-24, Joel 2:3, Joel 2:10-11, Malachi 4:1-3, Matthew 24:29-30, Matthew 24:35-44, Mark 13:24-26, Luke 21:25-27, Romans 8:18-23, 1 Corinthians 15:23-24, 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10, 2 Peter 3:10-13, Hebrews 1:10-12, Revelation 6:13-17, Revelation 16:15-20, Revelation 19:11-16 and Revelation 20:11-15 shows us that this occurs at the second coming. This is indeed the end of time, the end of corruption, the end of the wicked, the end of sin, the end of death, the end for the devil. It is the beginning of eternity. It is the beginning of perfection. It is the beginning of incorruption. It is the beginning of a new arrangement.

It seems like whatever angle you examine the second coming it appears to be climactic, final and glorious.

· All creation is judged at the one final future Coming of Christ.
· It is a perfect glorified age, which allows only perfect glorified inhabitants.
· Another proof that there will be no thousand years after the Second Coming is that time terminates with Christ’s Coming. The age to come is eternal.
· It is an age that belongs exclusively to the glorified saints (the meek).
· Many Scriptures speak of the inter-Advent period as “the last days” (plural) and describe the second coming as “the last day” (singular). It is described as “the end.”

The detail that accompanies the Second Coming depictions give no opportunity for survivors. All the wicked are destroyed. The detail is climactic. The Second Coming is final and all-consummating. This current earth is completely regenerated.

Nobody seems to have any difficulty understanding the phrase “the beginning.” Every Christian knows that it is talking about the beginning of creation. It should be the same with “the last day” and “the end” – that is unless someone has a theological agenda to push, which requires that they dismiss or redefine the meaning of these simple unambiguous straight-forward conclusive statements in order to sustain their preconceived doctrine. In fact, I struggle to see how any Christian would have a difficulty with the whole concept of “the end.” It is talking about the end of this current corrupt arrangement and the beginning of the new perfect eternal state.

In order to get their theology to fit, Partial Preterists butcher the meaning and significance of these popular words in the New Testament. They explain them away to mean something they do not, in order to justify their prejudiced theology.

Partial Preterists take common linguistic terms that are easily understood by the unindoctrinated observer in any language to mean the opposite to what they actually say. For example, they do not believe that “last” means last. The English word “last” is taken from the Greek word eschatos and is widely accepted by all unbiased theologians to denote exactly what it says. The word eschatos means end, last, farthest and final.

All sensible and objective Amillennialists should recognize that “the last days” were introduced by the Lord Jesus Christ, and relate to this current Messianic period, which will end at “the last day” of “the last days” when the Lord comes again. Many Scriptures speak of the inter-Advent period as “the last days” (plural) and describe the Second Coming as “the last day” (singular). It is also described as “the end of the age” or simply “the end” – when Jesus returns to introduce eternity.

Partial Preterists do not believe “the end” refers to the end. The New Testament word from which we get our phrase “the end” is the Greek word telos which refers to the point aimed at as a limit, i.e. the conclusion of an act or state. It is the termination point of a thing. When Scripture talks about “the beginning” without any other additional words or contextual reason to identify it with a specific event, then most sane theologians agree it is talking about “the beginning” of creation. Whilst all sound theologians agree on this many are inconsistent when it comes to “the end.” The reason I believe is because it cuts across a lot of their end-time theology they have been taught. But I believe we should treat both sayings similarly. Unless Scripture specifically identifies “the end” with a particular event or matter like “the end of barley harvest” (Ruth 2:23) “the end of the sabbath” (Matt 28:1), “the end of the year” (2 Chron 24:23), “the end of the rod” (1 Sam 14:27), or “the end of the commandment” (1 Tim 1:5), etc, etc, then we should understand it as the end of the world (which is the end of the age).

When it comes to time, Scripture shows us that it has a definite beginning and a definite end. Before and after time we are looking at eternity. The beginning of time occurred when God created a means of measuring time – namely night and day. This revolves around His creation of the sun and the moon to provide distinct and calculable days, weeks, months and years. This takes us right back to creation. Time will end when Jesus comes in all His final majesty and glory. Time takes us from the commencement of “this age” to “the end of this age.” The term “this age” therefore applies to the whole period that covers time. Time finishes when Christ usher in eternity at His return.

This is seen by comparing the vivid and repeated biblical detail pertaining to “this age” and “the age to come.” This age is depicted as evil, carnal, corrupt and temporal, whereas, the age to come is depicted as perfect, renewed, glorified and eternal. This age involves mortal believers and unbelievers. The age to come belongs exclusively to the glorified elect. One must be worthy to inherit it (namely being redeemed). One must be fittingly prepared to enter it (namely through glorification). Sin, sinners, death and decay, rebellion and war, attend the whole duration of “this age,” whereas, the age to come is described as a perfected unending arrangement where perfected believers possess a perfected earth. All the ugly result of the fall is finally removed. Satan has been stripped of his power and banished to the lake of fire. Sin and sickness, corruption and the curse are now destroyed, never to race anymore.

Conclusion

Partial Preterism in my opinion is largely unbiblical. It gives Amillennialism a bad name. But what ultimately exposes it is the inspired Word of God. It seems like modern-day Partial Preterism is an extreme overreaction to the error of Pretrib. Its advocates should take a major step back and ascertain what the real focus of Scripture is, not what their teachers have taught them.

I am having trouble understanding what your definition of partial preterism is.
 
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sovereigngrace

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I am having trouble understanding what your definition of partial preterism is.

I took it for granted that most people on this forum would be familiar with Partial Preterism. Anyway, I explained a lot of it in the Op. Partial Preterism basically relegates the majority of biblical prophecy to 70AD. It also attributes the majority of the book of Revelation to AD66-AD70. The title “Preterism” comes from the Latin word praeter, which literally means “past.”
 
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HTacianas

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I took it for granted that most people on this forum would be familiar with Partial Preterism. Anyway, I explained a lot of it in the Op. Partial Preterism basically relegates the majority of biblical prophecy to 70AD. It also attributes the majority of the book of Revelation to AD66-AD70. The title “Preterism” comes from the Latin word praeter, which literally means “past.”

I understand what preterism is. But you describe yourself as an Idealist and say, " Idealists also hold that a lot (but not all) of Matthew 24 Mark 13 and Luke 21 was fulfilled in AD70. I believe the great tribulation mentioned in Matthew 24:15-22, Mark 13:14-20 and Luke 21:20-24 related to the wrath of God been poured out on Jerusalem in 70 AD."

That makes you a partial preterist. But understand that I am also a partial preterist and I hold that the Revelation does describe the seven year war from 66 to 73 AD.
 
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SkyWriting

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First of all, I am a Postrib Amillennialist. I am also an Idealist – meaning I believe Revelation consist of 7 recaps culminating in a climactic return of Christ.

Like Partial Preterists and Historicists, and other Idealists, I believe Daniel 9 has been fulfilled in and through the earthly Messianic ministry of Christ. Idealists also hold that a lot (but not all) of Matthew 24 Mark 13 and Luke 21 was fulfilled in AD70. I believe the great tribulation mentioned in Matthew 24:15-22, Mark 13:14-20 and Luke 21:20-24 related to the wrath of God been poured out on Jerusalem in 70 AD.

Saying all that, having debated with Partial Preterists over the years, and most recently on this site, I have many real deep biblical concerns with Partial Preterism which I believe are dangerous, and which lead many into the heresy of Full Preterism. Much of what is advocated on this board by Partial Preterists is only a thin paper wall away from Full Preterism. Partial Preterists even freely quote their writers.

An unhealthy fixation with 70AD

There seems to be very little in Scripture that is literal or real in Partial Preterist thinking. Words that are clear in their meaning and context, and which every unindoctrinated objective Bible student would quickly understand are spiritualized away to carry no literal or physical meaning. Passages that are expressly referring to the glorious climactic coming of the Lord Jesus Christ are lightly treated and swiftly dismissed and conveniently relocated to 70AD. No text seems safe from their extreme form of spiritualization of Scripture.

In Partial Preterist theology the First Advent and the Second Advent take back stage to their obsession with 70AD. It is all about 70AD! It is all they want to talk about. In their mind, it is the focal event in history. It is the pivotal moment of the divine plan. Of course, this alone should be grounds to question the theory. But there are many other reasons.

Where Partial Preterists miss the mark is that they are captivated with the wrong event. They are fixated with AD70. In that, they stand alone in their fixation. The Old Testament is not so. The New Testament is not so. Genesis to Revelation is focused on Jesus Christ, His new covenant, His messianic rule, His climatic return and the introduction of His perfect eternal kingdom. The sacred pages point to our Savior and Lord. The Holy Spirit points to Jesus Christ. The Father’s blessing is upon Jesus Christ.

My biggest red flag is Partial Preterist's obsession with AD70. This fixation is alarming, unhealthy and plainly unscriptural. To them, it is the focal point of history. Little do they realize, in their preoccupation with this by-gone year, that they are overlooking and undermining the two focal events in Scripture and history – the First Advent and the Second Advent.

When you look in the Old and New Testament, the central emphasis of both is the earthly ministry of Christ and His glorious and majestic second coming. Christ’s sinless life, His atoning death and victorious resurrection were long-anticipated by Moses and the Old Testament prophets. It is also the focus of the New Testament. The glorious final majestic return of Jesus Christ is the final anticipated event in history that every believer has longer for since the fall of man. It is then that corruption will finally be banished and everlasting perfection will be introduced forever.

In the Old Testament, the saints of old yearned for the coming Messiah who would deliver His people and redeem them from their sin. His Messianic ministry ushered in “the last days” period.

Just like Premils are fixated with their supposed future 1000 years after the coming of Christ, and dump multiple unrelated Scriptures into Revelation 20, Preterists are similarly obsessed with AD70, and dump every and any text they find into the Roman destruction of the Jewish Temple and the city of Jerusalem in AD70, as if it was the pivotal moment in time and eternity. No Scripture is safe. It is as if the Holy Spirit in the New Testament has nothing else to speak about but this passing fleeting event that was perpetrated by the Roman soldiers.

· Passages that clearly pertain to the cross (and the introduction of the new covenant) are stolen, reinterpreted and reapplied to AD70.
· Passages that clearly pertain to the intra-Advent period are stolen, reinterpreted and reapplied to AD70.
· Passages that clearly pertain to the glorious climactic coming of Christ are stolen, reinterpreted and reapplied to AD70.
· Passages that clearly pertain to eternity are stolen, reinterpreted and reapplied to AD70.

What they apply to AD70 is totally unbiblical and insane. They are indeed fixated with that date, whereas Scripture is fixated with the cross and the Lord's final return.
  • They have the old covenant ending in AD70.
  • They have the new covenant commencing in AD70.
  • They have “this age” ending in AD70.
  • They have the age to come” starting in AD70.
  • They have “the last days” finishing in AD70.
  • They have “the last day” of “the last days” occurring in AD70.
  • They have “the day of redemption” happening in AD70.
  • They have “the coming of the Lord” arriving in AD70.
  • They have “the resurrection” of the just and the unjust happening in AD70.
  • They have “the judgment” of the just and the unjust happening in AD70.
  • They have the old corrupt heavens and earth being replaced in AD70.
  • They have “the new heavens and new earth” appearing in AD70.
This is absolutely ridiculous! Such is your obsession with this much vaunted year (AD70), that their advocates and websites can do nothing else but speak on its virtues.

Partial Preterists neutralize every possible future coming of the Lord passage in order to sustain their position. No text is safe. The only event they seem to see in the New Testament is 70AD. When you engage with them you quickly find that they are totally fixated with this innocuous date. There is such a delusion and duplicity here.

Their teachers

When challenged, Partial Preterists habitually hide behind the statements of their teachers, and are quick to advancing weblinks to their Preterist mentors. This tactic is normally found among the cults. This shows a distinct weakness in their position and a healthy reliance upon man. Like Pretribbers, it is a doctrine that must be taught to be fully gasped. This also shows how absurd many of their claims are, and how uncertain they even are with their own doctrine. A normal unbiased straightforward reading of Scripture reveals many clear second coming passages that show a literal climatic return of Jesus Christ at the end of the world. Partial Preterist teaching does not abide the scrutiny of Scripture.

Partial Preterism does not hold up to normal sensible hermeneutical scrutiny. They shamelessly force mystical meanings on literal texts to support their forced doctrine, rather than letting the Scriptures speak for themselves. They seem to have no regards for either the detail of the texts or the context of the setting. They refused to acknowledge the countless repeated Scriptures that depict a literal physical future climactic coming of Christ and all His final majesty and glory.

The truth!

Repeated Scripture locates the replacement of the current heavens and earth with the new heavens and earth and incorruption at the second coming. Job 14:12-14, Isaiah 13:9-11, Isaiah 34:1-4, 8, Isaiah 65:17-21, Isaiah 66:22-24, Joel 2:3, Joel 2:10-11, Malachi 4:1-3, Matthew 24:29-30, Matthew 24:35-44, Mark 13:24-26, Luke 21:25-27, Romans 8:18-23, 1 Corinthians 15:23-24, 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10, 2 Peter 3:10-13, Hebrews 1:10-12, Revelation 6:13-17, Revelation 16:15-20, Revelation 19:11-16 and Revelation 20:11-15 shows us that this occurs at the second coming. This is indeed the end of time, the end of corruption, the end of the wicked, the end of sin, the end of death, the end for the devil. It is the beginning of eternity. It is the beginning of perfection. It is the beginning of incorruption. It is the beginning of a new arrangement.

It seems like whatever angle you examine the second coming it appears to be climactic, final and glorious.

· All creation is judged at the one final future Coming of Christ.
· It is a perfect glorified age, which allows only perfect glorified inhabitants.
· Another proof that there will be no thousand years after the Second Coming is that time terminates with Christ’s Coming. The age to come is eternal.
· It is an age that belongs exclusively to the glorified saints (the meek).
· Many Scriptures speak of the inter-Advent period as “the last days” (plural) and describe the second coming as “the last day” (singular). It is described as “the end.”

The detail that accompanies the Second Coming depictions give no opportunity for survivors. All the wicked are destroyed. The detail is climactic. The Second Coming is final and all-consummating. This current earth is completely regenerated.

Nobody seems to have any difficulty understanding the phrase “the beginning.” Every Christian knows that it is talking about the beginning of creation. It should be the same with “the last day” and “the end” – that is unless someone has a theological agenda to push, which requires that they dismiss or redefine the meaning of these simple unambiguous straight-forward conclusive statements in order to sustain their preconceived doctrine. In fact, I struggle to see how any Christian would have a difficulty with the whole concept of “the end.” It is talking about the end of this current corrupt arrangement and the beginning of the new perfect eternal state.

In order to get their theology to fit, Partial Preterists butcher the meaning and significance of these popular words in the New Testament. They explain them away to mean something they do not, in order to justify their prejudiced theology.

Partial Preterists take common linguistic terms that are easily understood by the unindoctrinated observer in any language to mean the opposite to what they actually say. For example, they do not believe that “last” means last. The English word “last” is taken from the Greek word eschatos and is widely accepted by all unbiased theologians to denote exactly what it says. The word eschatos means end, last, farthest and final.

All sensible and objective Amillennialists should recognize that “the last days” were introduced by the Lord Jesus Christ, and relate to this current Messianic period, which will end at “the last day” of “the last days” when the Lord comes again. Many Scriptures speak of the inter-Advent period as “the last days” (plural) and describe the Second Coming as “the last day” (singular). It is also described as “the end of the age” or simply “the end” – when Jesus returns to introduce eternity.

Partial Preterists do not believe “the end” refers to the end. The New Testament word from which we get our phrase “the end” is the Greek word telos which refers to the point aimed at as a limit, i.e. the conclusion of an act or state. It is the termination point of a thing. When Scripture talks about “the beginning” without any other additional words or contextual reason to identify it with a specific event, then most sane theologians agree it is talking about “the beginning” of creation. Whilst all sound theologians agree on this many are inconsistent when it comes to “the end.” The reason I believe is because it cuts across a lot of their end-time theology they have been taught. But I believe we should treat both sayings similarly. Unless Scripture specifically identifies “the end” with a particular event or matter like “the end of barley harvest” (Ruth 2:23) “the end of the sabbath” (Matt 28:1), “the end of the year” (2 Chron 24:23), “the end of the rod” (1 Sam 14:27), or “the end of the commandment” (1 Tim 1:5), etc, etc, then we should understand it as the end of the world (which is the end of the age).

When it comes to time, Scripture shows us that it has a definite beginning and a definite end. Before and after time we are looking at eternity. The beginning of time occurred when God created a means of measuring time – namely night and day. This revolves around His creation of the sun and the moon to provide distinct and calculable days, weeks, months and years. This takes us right back to creation. Time will end when Jesus comes in all His final majesty and glory. Time takes us from the commencement of “this age” to “the end of this age.” The term “this age” therefore applies to the whole period that covers time. Time finishes when Christ usher in eternity at His return.

This is seen by comparing the vivid and repeated biblical detail pertaining to “this age” and “the age to come.” This age is depicted as evil, carnal, corrupt and temporal, whereas, the age to come is depicted as perfect, renewed, glorified and eternal. This age involves mortal believers and unbelievers. The age to come belongs exclusively to the glorified elect. One must be worthy to inherit it (namely being redeemed). One must be fittingly prepared to enter it (namely through glorification). Sin, sinners, death and decay, rebellion and war, attend the whole duration of “this age,” whereas, the age to come is described as a perfected unending arrangement where perfected believers possess a perfected earth. All the ugly result of the fall is finally removed. Satan has been stripped of his power and banished to the lake of fire. Sin and sickness, corruption and the curse are now destroyed, never to race anymore.

Conclusion

Partial Preterism in my opinion is largely unbiblical. It gives Amillennialism a bad name. But what ultimately exposes it is the inspired Word of God. It seems like modern-day Partial Preterism is an extreme overreaction to the error of Pretrib. Its advocates should take a major step back and ascertain what the real focus of Scripture is, not what their teachers have taught them.

This reinforces my view that prophesy is warm Jello water.
Even after it sets you can't nail it to anything.
 
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Douggg

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First of all, I am a Postrib Amillennialist. I am also an Idealist – meaning I believe Revelation consist of 7 recaps culminating in a climactic return of Christ.
What you can do is add that information to you screen-name, in similitude to what I did.

I wish all posters here would do similar.
 
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sovereigngrace

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I understand what preterism is. But you describe yourself as an Idealist and say, " Idealists also hold that a lot (but not all) of Matthew 24 Mark 13 and Luke 21 was fulfilled in AD70. I believe the great tribulation mentioned in Matthew 24:15-22, Mark 13:14-20 and Luke 21:20-24 related to the wrath of God been poured out on Jerusalem in 70 AD."

That makes you a partial preterist. But understand that I am also a partial preterist and I hold that the Revelation does describe the seven year war from 66 to 73 AD.

Idealists believe in past fulfilment and future fulfilment of prophecy. This to me is the balanced biblical position! They do not assume the "Preterist" title as it would associate them with error at best (as outlined in the excesses of Partial Preterism above), and grievous heresy at worst (as we find in Full Preterism). So, they don't feel the need to go there.
 
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ewq1938

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Partial Preterism in my opinion is largely unbiblical.

Very true. Both the OD's great trib and Rev's great trib both end with the second coming. Naturally that eliminates any aspect of AD70 as being part of either.
 
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sovereigngrace

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Very true. Both the OD's great trib and Rev's great trib both end with the second coming. Naturally that eliminates any aspect of AD70 as being part of either.

I cannot agree with you! I wrote this on another thread. The evidence to the contrary, IMHO, is overwhelming. Please compare the 3 accounts below.

In His discourse in Matthew 23:37-24:2 the Lord warns, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord (the second coming). Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? Verily I say unto you, there shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”

The religious Jews of Jerusalem were about to witness the destruction of their temple. Moreover, that ruination would remain in place from its demolition right up until the second coming of the Lord. The desolation of the temple significantly occurred on the wing of 40 years of idolatrous temple sacrifices (exactly a generation)? The statement “there shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down” was plainly referring to, and correlating with, the warning He had just made to the religious Jews about the impending destruction of the temple in Jerusalem. It was also a direct reference to Daniel 9.

Matthew 24:1-2 records, “And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down."

Christ was specifically speaking here of “the buildings of the temple” not the city. You cannot anywhere find that Israel is described as this. This is literal precise detail!

Mark 13:1-2 records, “And as he went out of the temple, one of his disciples saith unto him, Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here. And Jesus answering said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”

In this parallel account, Mark corroborates the thought of Matthew.

Luke 21:5-6 records, “And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, he said, As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”

The disciples then asked two questions in Matthew 24 in response tom our Lord’s words.

Matthew 24:3 records:

1. When shall these things be?”
2. What shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?”

Mark 13:4 records:

1. When shall these things be?”
2. What shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled (finished or ended)?

Luke 21:7 records:

1. When shall these things be?”
2. What sign will there be when these things shall come to pass?”

Christ addressed both questions and both eras in chapter 24. However, because of the intermingling of His response, many Bible students suffer great confusion in identifying what aspect of the teaching relates to AD 70 and what relates to the second coming.

In His response to the first question in Matthew 24:15-22, He spoke of the end of the 40 year probationary period (AD 70), saying, When ye (the disciples) therefore shall see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, whoso readeth, let him understand: Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: For then shall be great tribulation (thlipsis), such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.”

Mark 13:14-20 says, when ye (the disciples) shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains: And let him that is on the housetop not go down into the house, neither enter therein, to take any thing out of his house: And let him that is in the field not turn back again for to take up his garment. But woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! And pray ye that your flight be not in the winter. For in those days shall be tribulation (thlipsis), such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be. And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.”

This can only refer to the wrath of God being poured out on Jerusalem that destroyed the existing socio-political/cultural/religious system of Judaism, which was an offence to God. This people were decimated. Their religious system was effectively brought to nought. Nothing before AD 70, or after it, could compare in regard to the extent of its demise. Luke 21:20-24 reinforces that we are looking at AD 70.

Luke’s parallel passage, in Luke 21:20-24, records, when ye (the disciples) shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! For there shall be great distress (anagke) in the land, and wrath upon this people. And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.”

A comparison of these three accounts will see the correlation in teaching. Plainly: the abomination of desolation … standing where it ought not” or standingin the holy place relates to the Roman soldiers that would destroy the city of Jerusalem. Luke adds meat to the bones, saying: “when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.” Here is the warning sign to run! There is also the limitation of that judgment so that the Gospel would spread to the nations. The Gospel spread as Jewish families were spread throughout the world.

The Lord tells us that unless this judgment upon Jerusalem was shortened “there should no flesh be saved” (Matthew 24:22). In essence, what He was saying was, there would have been no possibility of Jewish Christians surviving it and consequently no hope of a lost Gentile world receiving this great Gospel if God’s wrath would not have been limited to a short time-period in relative terms. If the wrath of God would have continued to be poured out on wicked man as it was on Jerusalem then mankind would have been finished. But it was restricted to Christ-rejecting Jerusalem.

How can futurists seriously relate these parallel accounts of the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, which resulted in the unbelieving Jews being dispersed to “all nations,” to a supposed seven-year end-time persecution of the Church of Jesus Christ? Remember, it was this awful approaching judgment upon the Jews that caused Christ to weep over Jerusalem, crying, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.”
 
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ewq1938

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I cannot agree with you!

It's still true though:

Mat 24:29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
Mat 24:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
Mat 24:31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Rev 11:14 The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.
Rev 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.


The GT ends with the second coming in the OD and in Rev. It is this that proves PP wrong. It's odd that you say PP is largely unbiblical yet disagree with the strongest evidence of that.
 
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sovereigngrace

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It's still true though:

Mat 24:29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
Mat 24:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
Mat 24:31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Rev 11:14 The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.
Rev 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.


The GT ends with the second coming in the OD and in Rev. It is this that proves PP wrong. It's odd that you say PP is largely unbiblical yet disagree with the strongest evidence of that.

I believe there are two tribulations in Matthew 24, one relating to AD70 and one preceding the Coming of Christ. Premils seem to miss that. They are different in the nature, origin and their focus. There is the great tribulation of God upon Israel in AD70, and the tribulation of Satan upon the righteous at the end.
 
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sovereigngrace

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It's still true though:

Mat 24:29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
Mat 24:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
Mat 24:31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Rev 11:14 The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.
Rev 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.


The GT ends with the second coming in the OD and in Rev. It is this that proves PP wrong. It's odd that you say PP is largely unbiblical yet disagree with the strongest evidence of that.

That is the weakest argument against PP, because it carries no biblical weight. Your failure to directly address my rebuttal and refute it is clear enough proof of that.
 
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mkgal1

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BABerean2 said:
Idealists believe in past fulfilment and future fulfilment of prophecy. This to me is the balanced biblical position! They do not assume the "Preterist" title as it would associate them with error at best (as outlined in the excesses of Partial Preterism above), and grievous heresy at worst (as we find in Full Preterism). So, they don't feel the need to go there.
Ah, so in other words, it's a way to say: "we're not like THOSE people over there....they have it WRONG" and to assume a position of superiority. Or, as you typically post:

BABerean2 said:
Dispensational Futurism is the ditch on one side of the road of Bible prophecy, and 70AD/Full-Preterism is the ditch on the opposite side of the road.

The truth lies somewhere in the middle.
 
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Ah, so in other words, it's a way to say: "we're not like THOSE people over there....they have it WRONG" and to assume a position of superiority. Or, as you typically post:


Your form of Partial Preterism is only a thin paper wall away from Full Preterism. It is far from balanced. To say the following is balanced is erroneous and absurd, and a misrepresentation of scriptural truth.
  • They have the old covenant ending in AD70.
  • They have the new covenant commencing in AD70.
  • They have “this age” ending in AD70.
  • They have the age to come” starting in AD70.
  • They have “the last days” finishing in AD70.
  • They have “the last day” of “the last days” occurring in AD70.
  • They have “the day of redemption” happening in AD70.
  • They have “the coming of the Lord” arriving in AD70.
  • They have “the resurrection” of the just and the unjust happening in AD70.
  • They have “the judgment” of the just and the unjust happening in AD70.
  • They have the old corrupt heavens and earth being replaced in AD70.
  • They have “the new heavens and new earth” appearing in AD70.
 
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mkgal1

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My biggest red flag is Partial Preterist's obsession with AD70. This fixation is alarming, unhealthy and plainly unscriptural. To them, it is the focal point of history.
In your endeavor to prove me WRONG, you've missed the opportunity to discover that we agree more than we disagree.

What they apply to AD70 is totally unbiblical and insane. They are indeed fixated with that date
Not true.
When challenged, Partial Preterists habitually hide behind the statements of their teachers, and are quick to advancing weblinks to their Preterist mentors. This tactic is normally found among the cults.
That's a stretch (and seems to be an attempt to associate others to a cult).
Your form of Partial Preterism is only a thin paper wall away from Full Preterism. It is far from balanced. To say the following is balanced is erroneous and absurd, and a misrepresentation of scriptural truth.
"My form" isn't too far off from yours. Full preterism is the belief that ALL is fulfilled. I don't believe that and I resent my beliefs
being misrepresented.
 
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mkgal1

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Please feel free to list what you think we agree on.
I'm not going to presume that you agree with me on this, but I'm just saying my beliefs, in general, are further from Full Preterism than you assume they are (and closer to yours).

I believe the "Exodus" pattern out of the bondage of sin and that death and resurrection are both repeating patterns that will continue until all is restored. We are to be "dying to ourselves" daily (a kind of resurrection), for instance, in order to become "new" and more like Christ. I believe humanity participates with God in His plan of restoration (as we are the Body of Christ when His love is demonstrated through us). So, not ALL is behind us - and definitely not ALL occurred in 70 AD.
 
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There are nearly as many eschatological views as there are denominations in the church. The reality is, all of them cannot be right. So take your stand wherever you like and don't worry about the next person's. IMHO there are no two people who believe it exactly the same way.
 
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