For centuries many Christians have debated scripture. The numerous denominations and interpretations have led to many disagreements, even to the point of alienating brethren as "heretics." Now the common excuse for seperation is that the true interpretation of the Bible cannot be known, or that many passages can have more than one interpretation. I believe the truth CAN be known, and my goal, in search of that truth, is to know the intent of the authors. When we decide to focus on what they were trying to say, and get away from the thought of "what is this saying to me," we will move closer to the truth than we ever have before. My goal is to explain the basics to preterist interpretation which I hold to be the truth concerning the "end times."
Principal One: God Is Always On Time! God may not work in the same time restrictions as we. That knowledge has led to various interpretations as to the timing of creation and other events. However, concerning prophecy, God always gave man a timetable and what was to be expected. In EVERY case of prophecy, he was on time according to OUR method of timing. Without this accuracy, not only would scriptural credibility be challenged, but the signs and warnings to those who were told to wait for that period of time would be moot. Confusion would take over, and every generation would be caught up in believing they were the ones to fulfill the prophecy.
1. The Egypt Example
Prophecy: Ge 15:13 - Then the LORD said to Abram, "Know of a surety that your descendants will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs, and will be slaves there, and they will be oppressed for four hundred years; Fulfillment On Time!
Ex 12:40 - The time that the people of Israel dwelt in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years. *NOTE: Israel was not oppressed 430 years. For their first years they were at peace under Josephs rule. So this difference in years is not a contradiction.
2. Israel’s Babylonian Captivity
Prophecy: Jer 25:11 - This whole land shall become a ruin and a waste, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. Jer 25:12 - Then after seventy years are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chalde'ans, for their iniquity, says the LORD, making the land an everlasting waste. Jer 29:10 - For thus says the LORD: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfil to you my promise and bring you back to this place.
Fulfillment: Zech 1:7 On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month which is the month of Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to Zechari'ah the son of Berechi'ah, son of Iddo, the prophet; and Zechari'ah said…..11 And they answered the angel of the LORD who was standing among the myrtle trees, 'We have patrolled the earth, and behold, all the earth remains at rest.' 12 Then the angel of the LORD said, 'O LORD of hosts, how long wilt thou have no mercy on Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these seventy years?' 13 And the LORD answered gracious and comforting words to the angel who talked with me. 14 So the angel who talked with me said to me, 'Cry out, Thus says the LORD of hosts: I am exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion. 15 And I am very angry with the nations that are at ease; for while I was angry but a little they furthered the disaster. 16 Therefore, thus says the LORD, I have returned to Jerusalem with compassion; my house shall be built in it, says the LORD of hosts, and the measuring line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem. 17 Cry again, Thus says the LORD of hosts: My cities shall again overflow with prosperity, and the LORD will again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem.'" 3. Daniels 70 Weeks
I will not go into the specifics but as almost every single Christian agrees, Christ began His ministry exactly 483 years from the “going forth to rebuild the temple.” (Daniel 9:25). Again God was right on time, according to the “box” he put Himself in to fulfill His promise to send the Messiah. Things do not get obscured, fuzzy or mixed up after this. God remained on time in all the aspects of His prophecies. Christ followed suit. Without timeliness, there is confusion. But the Apostles DID NOT teach confusion, they taught imminence because God would once again be on time.
4. Christ’s Declaration of Returning Within THAT Generation
The timing of His returned is linked primarily by defining the "end of the age of the gentiles."
Here is in very simple terms, what the "age of the gentiles" was!!
The time of the gentiles is the time that the Roman army shattered the power of the Holy people in AD 70.
Lu 21:24 - they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led captive among all nations; and Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
Revelation and Daniel clean up this somehow misunderstood phrase.
Re 11:2 But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.
Daniel 12:7 And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.
These are not coincidences. All of this happened as Christ said. Somehow the church made a simple event and complicated it. But just as Jesus said, and as long as was told to Daniel and John, it happened THEN!!
Luke21:20 "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. 21:21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it; 21:22 for these are days of vengeance, to fulfil all that is written. ................Lu 21:24 - they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led captive among all nations; and Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. ..............32 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away till all has taken place. ....... Re 11:2 But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.
Daniel 12:7 And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and swear by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.
There is no coincidence that 37 years from Christ's ascention, Jerusalem was surrounded by armies (Luke 21:20) 3 1/2 years later the temple was utterly destroyed (Matt 23:38, 24:1-3) and the power of Judaism was SHATTERED as Daniel said (Daniel 12:7).
Yes, God was on time again. There is no more need for confusion. But just in case:
Matt 16:27 For the Son of man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay every man for what he has done. (The Resurrection). 16:28 Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom."
Matt 10:23 - When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next; for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel, before the Son of man comes.
Matt 24:34 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away till all these things take place.
Heb 1:1 In many and various ways God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets; 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.
1 John 2:18 Children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come; therefore we know that it is the last hour.
Here is one very important example why timing is so important:
From John Noe's "The Only Solution to the Liberal Skeptic Attack"
"Even C.S. Lewis, the respected Christian apologist and author, we are embarrassed to report, said in 1960: 'Say what you like, we shall be told, the apocalyptic beliefs of the first Christians have been proved to be false. It is clear from the New Testament that they all expected the Second Coming in their own lifetime. And, worse still, they had a reason, and one which you will find very embarrassing. Their Master had told them so. He shared, and indeed created, their delusion. He said in so many words, ‘this generation shall not pass till all these things be done.’ And He was wrong. He clearly knew no more about the end of the world than anyone else. It is certainly the most embarrassing verse in the Bible.' - Essay "The World’s Last Night" (1960), found in The Essential C.S. Lewis, p-385. Yes my friend's God's timing was important!
Prov 13:12Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.
Hab 2:3 For still the vision awaits its time; it hastens to the end--it will not lie. If it seem slow, wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay.
Rev 10:6 and swore by him who lives for ever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it, that there should be no more delay, 7 but that in the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God, as he announced to his servants the prophets, should be fulfilled.
Principal 2: Salvation Can Not Be Applied Until the Second Coming
Many people believe that there was salvation before the final resurrection to occur. They teach today that our loved ones are in heaven, yet they continue to delay say His second coming is delayed. The problem with this though is death was not even defeated until the resurrection occurred. Yes Christ had the victory itself, yet victory over death was still in waiting. That is why the Apostles taught the HOPE of salvation. They did not teach it to be applied already.
1. The Dead Are Still In Hades Without the Resurrection of Daniel 12 Being Fulfilled
12:2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt….. 12:13 But you, go your way till the end; for you shall rest, and will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days."
Daniel would not rise until the end of the days spoken in this chapter. Those days include verse 2 and the final resurrection. Daniel did not rise with Christ!! Peter was given the same promise from our Lord. Peter would not be able to meet with the Lord until He returned to put death, the Last enemy, under His feet.
John 13:36 Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, where are You going?" Jesus answered him, "Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you shall follow Me afterward." 37 Peter said to Him, "Lord, why can I not follow You now? I will lay down my life for Your sake." 38 Jesus answered him, "Will you lay down your life for My sake? Most assuredly, I say to you, the rooster shall not crow till you have denied Me three times. 14:1 "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father's house are many mansions; F80 if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. F81 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. If Christ has not returned to receive them unto Himself, then they are not where He is!! Revelation itself declared Hades to be destroyed only after the resurrection.
Rev 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, F109 and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death
Neither Peter nor any other Christian is with the Father in heaven if Christ has not returned.
2. Death Would NOT Be Defeated For the Christian Until the Daniel 12 Resurrection
1 Cor 15:24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death......... The writer of Hebrews affirmed that all had not yet been put under Christ's feet. In other words, Christ, though raised from the dead, had not put death into submission under Himself and would not, until He returned from the Father and raised the dead at the end of the days!
Heb 2:8 putting everything in subjection under his feet." Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. As it is, WE DO NOT YET SEE everything in subjection to him.
Read again, until death was made His footstool, the New Covenant itself was not in effect!!
,Hebrews 10:13 from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. 14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. 15 But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before, 16 "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them," F40 17 then He adds, "Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more." F41 18 Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.
1 Cor 15 tells us when death would finally be defeated. At the resurrection of the last day!!
51 Lo! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable nature must put on the imperishable, and this mortal nature must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory." 55 "O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting?" 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Death would only be defeated at the "rapture"/resurrection!!
3. The "Hope of Salvation:" Salvation Taught as a Future Event
The language of hope, in and of itself proves that salvation was a future event longed for by the apostles. They understood Christ had defeated death for Himself, but that our High Priest had ascended to the Father to present Himself, a living sacrifice, worthy to save all men.
Heb 9:11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12 he entered once for all into the Holy Place, taking not the blood of goats and calves but his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. 13 For if the sprinkling of defiled persons with the blood of goats and bulls and with the ashes of a heifer sanctifies for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify your conscience from dead works to serve the living God.
The issue at hand though is that He had not reappeared, to affirm that the sacrifice was accepted so that all who were awaiting redemption would know their sins were covered forever, by His blood. Hence the statement in verse 28:
28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
He was going to appear a SECOND time for salvation.
Paul used a language of hope to affirm in those who were waiting for this appearance for salvation. Let me first clear the way. Hope is for something you DO NOT already have. So that fact Paul taught it as a hope, confirms it's dependence on a second coming of Christ!
Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
One does not hope for what he has, right?
Rom 8:24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 8:25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Rom 12:12 Rejoice in your hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.
Rom 13:11 Besides this you know what hour it is, how it is full time now for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed;
But NOT there yet!
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