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This thread is not for those who espouse Full Preterist views denying a literal future physical second coming of Christ and denying a literal physical future resurrection of the elect when He comes.
Intro
One of the most important hermeneutical principles is interpreting Scripture with Scripture. But this is where I feel both Preterism and Futurism falls short. They tend to subjectively dump everything either into the past or into the future, respectively. They fail to see that passage after passage in Holy Writ contain allusions to both the past and the future. This is no better demonstrated than the approach of both groups to Matthew 24. Preterism attributes everything to the coming of Titus in AD70, Futurism attributes everything to the end of this age. But both are wrong! It speaks of both events.
Many Bible students dive into Matthew 24 without recognizing the intro to Christ's comments in Matthew 23. There He talks about 2 events - AD70 and His climactic return at the end of time. Jesus speaks about the destruction of the temple in AD70, as a result of Israel's unbelief. He also talks about a future climactic day in the future when every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. These were two key events that would happen in the then future. The disciples were obviously inquisitive as to when these would happen. They then asked two questions in Matthew 24 in response to our Lord’s words.
I believe Jesus initially talks about the intra-Advent period in Matthew 24:4-14, Mark 13:5-13 & Luke 21:8-19. I don’t think anyone could surely dispute with any credence that Matthew 24:15-22, Mark 13:14-20 & Luke 21:20-24 are a record of the coming of Titus in AD70. I believe Matthew 24:23-51, Mark 13:21-37 & Luke 21:25-38 also describe the intra-Advent period and especially the glorious climactic return of Jesus Christ.
We should never forget that the focus of Scripture is Christ, His First Advent and His concluding Second Advent. It is not Titus and AD70 as some Preterists suggest by their fixation with that event. That is all many of them want to talk about. It is very sad!
There is a lot to assist us in identifying when Jesus is talking about AD70 and when He is talking about His future physical return in glory - namely other Scripture! A simple comparison between Christ’s words in Matthew 24 (and the parallel passages in Mark 13 & Luke 21) and Paul’s words in 1 & 2 Thessalonians will give us good insight into the second coming references in Matthew 24.
There is a remarkable correlation between the key words used by Christ and the words of Paul the Apostle when it comes to describing the coming of the Lord and the end of the age/world. This climatic event ushers in the end of time and the beginning of eternity. What is notable is that both use identical Greek words to describe the same concluding event in history.
This exposes both Pretrib and Preterism. Preterists are fixated with the coming of Titus in AD70 and Pretribbers are fixated with a supposed two-future comings of the Lord and imaginary 7-year period in-between them.
Contrasts
Let us compared the words of Christ with the words of Paul the Apostle.
Paul uses the same Greek word as Jesus (in Matthew 24:6 and Mark 13:7) when warning believers not to be “troubled” (throeo) by persecutions before Jesus future coming. These are the only two occurrences of this word in the Greek New Testament (in 2 Thessalonians 2:2).
Paul uses the same Greek word as Jesus does (in Matthew 24:9, 29) for “tribulation” (thlipsis) in references to the persecution of the saints before Jesus comes (in 1 Thessalonians 3:3, 2 Thessalonians 1:6).
Paul uses the same Greek word as Jesus does (in Matthew 24:8) for “travail/sorrows” (ōdin) in regard to the birth pangs that precede Jesus’ climactic return (in 1 Thessalonians 5:3).
Paul uses the same Greek word as Jesus does (in Matthew 24:42) for “watch” (grēgoreuō) in regard to being vigilant of Christ’s glorious return (in 1 Thessalonians 5:6).
Paul uses the same Greek word as Jesus does (in Matthew 24:3, 27, 37, 39) for the one and only second “coming” (parousia) in references to the catching away of the saints (in 1 Thessalonians 2:19, 3:13, 4:15, 2 Thessalonians 2:1, 8).
Paul uses the same Greek word as Jesus does (in Matthew 24:30) for “heaven” (ouranos) describing where the Lord shall appear/be revealed and descend from at His coming (in 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 2 Thessalonians 1:7).
Paul uses the same Greek word as Jesus does (in Matthew 24:43) for “thief” (kleptēs) to describe the unexpected nature of Christ’s climactic return (in 1 Thessalonians 5:2).
Paul uses the same Greek word as Jesus does (in Matthew 24:31) for “trumpet” (salpigx) when describing the noise that accompanies the arrival of Christ at the end (in 1 Thessalonians 4:16).
Paul uses the same Greek word as Jesus does (in Matthew 24:30; Mark 13:26; Luke 21:27) for “clouds” (nephelē) in regard to the gathering of believers at the return of Christ (in 1 Thessalonians 4:17).
Paul uses the same Greek word as Jesus does (in Matthew 24:31) for “angels” (aggelos) to describe the heavenly host that accompany Jesus when he returns (in 2 Thessalonians 1:7).
Paul uses the same Greek word as Jesus does (in Luke 21:36) for “escape” (ekpheugō) in regard to the Church being rescued from the wrath of God before the destruction of the wicked (in 1 Thessalonians 5:3).
Paul uses the same Greek word as Jesus (in Matthew 24:31) for “gather together/gathering” (episunagógé) describing the catching away the saints of God. (in 2 Thessalonians 2:1).
Paul uses the same Greek word as Jesus does (in Matthew 25:6) for “meet” (apantēsis) in regard to joining Christ at His return (in 1 Thessalonians 4:17).
Paul uses the same Greek word as Jesus does (in Luke 21:34) for “sudden/unawares” (aiphnidios) describing the global pouring out of the wrath of God on the wicked at His coming. These are the only two occurrences of this word in the Greek New Testament (in 1 Thessalonians 5:3).
Intro
One of the most important hermeneutical principles is interpreting Scripture with Scripture. But this is where I feel both Preterism and Futurism falls short. They tend to subjectively dump everything either into the past or into the future, respectively. They fail to see that passage after passage in Holy Writ contain allusions to both the past and the future. This is no better demonstrated than the approach of both groups to Matthew 24. Preterism attributes everything to the coming of Titus in AD70, Futurism attributes everything to the end of this age. But both are wrong! It speaks of both events.
Many Bible students dive into Matthew 24 without recognizing the intro to Christ's comments in Matthew 23. There He talks about 2 events - AD70 and His climactic return at the end of time. Jesus speaks about the destruction of the temple in AD70, as a result of Israel's unbelief. He also talks about a future climactic day in the future when every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. These were two key events that would happen in the then future. The disciples were obviously inquisitive as to when these would happen. They then asked two questions in Matthew 24 in response to our Lord’s words.
I believe Jesus initially talks about the intra-Advent period in Matthew 24:4-14, Mark 13:5-13 & Luke 21:8-19. I don’t think anyone could surely dispute with any credence that Matthew 24:15-22, Mark 13:14-20 & Luke 21:20-24 are a record of the coming of Titus in AD70. I believe Matthew 24:23-51, Mark 13:21-37 & Luke 21:25-38 also describe the intra-Advent period and especially the glorious climactic return of Jesus Christ.
We should never forget that the focus of Scripture is Christ, His First Advent and His concluding Second Advent. It is not Titus and AD70 as some Preterists suggest by their fixation with that event. That is all many of them want to talk about. It is very sad!
There is a lot to assist us in identifying when Jesus is talking about AD70 and when He is talking about His future physical return in glory - namely other Scripture! A simple comparison between Christ’s words in Matthew 24 (and the parallel passages in Mark 13 & Luke 21) and Paul’s words in 1 & 2 Thessalonians will give us good insight into the second coming references in Matthew 24.
There is a remarkable correlation between the key words used by Christ and the words of Paul the Apostle when it comes to describing the coming of the Lord and the end of the age/world. This climatic event ushers in the end of time and the beginning of eternity. What is notable is that both use identical Greek words to describe the same concluding event in history.
This exposes both Pretrib and Preterism. Preterists are fixated with the coming of Titus in AD70 and Pretribbers are fixated with a supposed two-future comings of the Lord and imaginary 7-year period in-between them.
Contrasts
Let us compared the words of Christ with the words of Paul the Apostle.
Paul uses the same Greek word as Jesus (in Matthew 24:6 and Mark 13:7) when warning believers not to be “troubled” (throeo) by persecutions before Jesus future coming. These are the only two occurrences of this word in the Greek New Testament (in 2 Thessalonians 2:2).
Paul uses the same Greek word as Jesus does (in Matthew 24:9, 29) for “tribulation” (thlipsis) in references to the persecution of the saints before Jesus comes (in 1 Thessalonians 3:3, 2 Thessalonians 1:6).
Paul uses the same Greek word as Jesus does (in Matthew 24:8) for “travail/sorrows” (ōdin) in regard to the birth pangs that precede Jesus’ climactic return (in 1 Thessalonians 5:3).
Paul uses the same Greek word as Jesus does (in Matthew 24:42) for “watch” (grēgoreuō) in regard to being vigilant of Christ’s glorious return (in 1 Thessalonians 5:6).
Paul uses the same Greek word as Jesus does (in Matthew 24:3, 27, 37, 39) for the one and only second “coming” (parousia) in references to the catching away of the saints (in 1 Thessalonians 2:19, 3:13, 4:15, 2 Thessalonians 2:1, 8).
Paul uses the same Greek word as Jesus does (in Matthew 24:30) for “heaven” (ouranos) describing where the Lord shall appear/be revealed and descend from at His coming (in 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 2 Thessalonians 1:7).
Paul uses the same Greek word as Jesus does (in Matthew 24:43) for “thief” (kleptēs) to describe the unexpected nature of Christ’s climactic return (in 1 Thessalonians 5:2).
Paul uses the same Greek word as Jesus does (in Matthew 24:31) for “trumpet” (salpigx) when describing the noise that accompanies the arrival of Christ at the end (in 1 Thessalonians 4:16).
Paul uses the same Greek word as Jesus does (in Matthew 24:30; Mark 13:26; Luke 21:27) for “clouds” (nephelē) in regard to the gathering of believers at the return of Christ (in 1 Thessalonians 4:17).
Paul uses the same Greek word as Jesus does (in Matthew 24:31) for “angels” (aggelos) to describe the heavenly host that accompany Jesus when he returns (in 2 Thessalonians 1:7).
Paul uses the same Greek word as Jesus does (in Luke 21:36) for “escape” (ekpheugō) in regard to the Church being rescued from the wrath of God before the destruction of the wicked (in 1 Thessalonians 5:3).
Paul uses the same Greek word as Jesus (in Matthew 24:31) for “gather together/gathering” (episunagógé) describing the catching away the saints of God. (in 2 Thessalonians 2:1).
Paul uses the same Greek word as Jesus does (in Matthew 25:6) for “meet” (apantēsis) in regard to joining Christ at His return (in 1 Thessalonians 4:17).
Paul uses the same Greek word as Jesus does (in Luke 21:34) for “sudden/unawares” (aiphnidios) describing the global pouring out of the wrath of God on the wicked at His coming. These are the only two occurrences of this word in the Greek New Testament (in 1 Thessalonians 5:3).
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