Amillenialism Problems Galore

[JaimeMan]

[font=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Calvin was a preterist. Preterist means past in fulfillment. The Preterist or Contemporary Historical view claims that most or all Biblical prophecy has been fulfilled in the first century, up to the year AD 70. This year saw the desolation and destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple by the Roman Empire. And this all happened within Jesus' generation's lifetime, within a Biblical generation, 40 years later. Although Jewish and Old Testament expectations are of a literal earthly reign of the Messiah, based upon their belief that God has finished with corporate national Israel, Preterists believe that there is no need for a future literal Millennial Kingdom on earth. [/font]



[font=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]There are several problems with the belief that most or all of Biblical prophecy has been fulfilled by the year 70 A.D. After seven hundred years of Gentile domination followed by eighteen centuries of the Diaspora, the nation of Israel was rebirthed in a single day (May 14th, 1948). The Hebrew language has been revived as the national tongue and the fate of Jerusalem is the focus of international concern. These events are literal fulfillments of Isaiah 66:8, Ezekiel 37:1-14 and Zechariah 12:2.[/font]



[font=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]If all biblical prophecy is fulfilled by 70 A.D., it is necessary to date the writing of the Book of Revelation prior to the Fall of Jerusalem. Therefore, the Roman Emperor Nero is interpreted to be the Antichrist and Jerusalem is Babylon.[/font]



[font=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]There are several arguments which prove that the Book of Revelation was written in 95 or 96 A.D., a quarter of a century after the Fall of Jerusalem:[/font]



[font=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]The persecution of Christians during the reign of Nero was centered in Rome (A.D.64). According to Revelation 2:13, Antipas was martyred in Pergamum which was located in Western Asia (modern-day Turkey). The persecution of Christians who failed to worship the reigning emperor (the emperor cult), did not reach Western Asia until the reign of Domitian (A.D. 81-96).[/font]



[font=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]The term a synagogue of Satan is used in Revelation 2:9 and 3:9. While followers of Christ were still considered a sect of Judaism by the Romans, they enjoyed freedom to worship under Roman rule. During the siege of Jerusalem, Jewish Christians heeding the warnings of Jesus escaped from Judea when the Roman generals Vespasian and Titus withdrew to Rome after Emperor Nero's suicide. After the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., non-believing Jews who were angered that the Jewish Christians fled from the Holy City, took the names of Jewish followers of Christ off of their synagogue rolls and turned the names into the Roman authorities. The Christian Jews were no longer protected from observing emperor worship and many were martyred. The synagogues of Satan did not arise until after the Fall of Jerusalem.[/font]



[font=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]In the year 95 A.D., John the Apostle was apprehended by the proconsul of Asia and sent to Rome. Emperor Domitian banished John to the isle of Patmos. The tyrant Domitian was slain in September of A.D. 96. All of his edicts and public acts were declared void by a decree of the Roman Senate on account of his excessive cruelty; and his successor, Nerva, recalled all those whom he had banished. The Apostle John returned to Ephesus in A.D. 97 where he became bishop. [/font]



[font=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]The Fall of Jerusalem was prophesied by Jesus and did come to pass within one generation of his prediction. Yet, the prophetic passages of the Book of Revelation were penned after its destruction. Therefore, we can logically conclude that there is biblical prophecy yet to be fulfilled. [/font]
(c) Steven Sherman http://members.tripod.com/lastdayscalendar/interpreting_revelation.htm

 

[PaladinValer]

Fallacy of Equivocation.

Preterism doesn't equate to Amillennialism.

 

[NumberOneSon]

Fallacy of Equivocation.

Preterism doesn't equate to Amillennialism.

You are correct, Sir. I thought this was going to be a thread tackling amillennialism and all I saw was an attempt to deflate preterism. The two are not necessarilly synonomous. If the OP is going to focus solely on Preterism then he should change the title of the thread.

It's also interesting to note that the author of the article not only finds flaws in preterism, but also Futurism as well (especially Dispensationalism), along with Historcism and Idealism. So the title of this thread could just as aptly be called "Futurism Problems Galore" if you take the whole article into account, and not just the parts that bash preterism.

In Christ,

Acts6:5

 

[Covenant Heart]

[font=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Calvin was a preterist...[/font]

...http://members.tripod.com/lastdayscalendar/interpreting_revelation.htm

One is that preterists differ among themselves. Some are "orthodox," and some are "consistent." This forum recognizes this by allowing the former to post their views more generally, whereas the later are precluded from posting those views on the more open boards.

Reformed seminaries and the pastors that they train have also adopted a belief system which includes Christian Replacement Theology.

Our understanding is that this is closer to Roman Catholic theology than Reformed theology. In Reformed theology, the Church is grafted into the Abrahamic church (to borrow Paul's analogy from Romans).

On the other hand, the Ideal viewpoint is declared with reasonable accuracy (that being this member's view), although it goes too far to say that "the visions [don't] describe any particular set of events" because those who hold this view will confess that some events (such as the Revelation of Jesus Christ) will occur at specific points in time.

The article does recognize that the futuristic school (dispensationalism) is no monolith. The same applies to other viewpoints. But the association of Reformed theology with "Replacement Theology" is (even if some lesser writers seem to indicate this) a in error. Serious writers (such as H. Bavinck, G. Vos, or the more popular A. Kuyvenhoven) do not take that view.

Blessings!
Covenant Heart

 

[Breetai]

Calvin was a preterist.

Do you have other sources for this?