[b]How would your view of Christianity change if you came to believe that the Rapture, Tribulation, Antichrist, mark of the beast, Second Coming of Christ, and many other supposedly future events had already taken place?[/b]

There is a growing group of Evangelicals who look to the past instead of the future to find fulfillment for many of these prophetic events. This view is commonly known as Preterism, and it produces one of the most extreme forms of Replacement Theology (where the Church replaces Israel), since preterists widely teach that God has divorced Israel and replaced it with the Bide of Christ---the church.

Definition

The term Preterism is based on the Later preter, which means “past” or “gone by”. Preterism teaches that many of the prophecises in the Book of Revelation, the Book of Zechariah, and the Olivet Discourse were fulfilled in the events surrounding the fall of Jerualsem in 70 A.D. Many Preterists actually believe that we are living in some form of the new heavens and the new earth of Revelation 21-22.

Generally, the preterist spectrum can be divided into two categories: partial and full Preterism. Full preterists hold that all Bible prophecy was fulfilled with the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. If there is a future Second Coming, they say, the Bible does not speak of it. Full preterists also believe there is not future bodily resurrection, which places them outside the realm of historic Christian orthodoxy.

Moderate preterists believe that most, but not all, prophecy was fulfilled in the 70 A.D. destruction of Jerusalem. Although they see many traditional Second Advent passages as fulfilled, they do believe a few passages still teach a future Second Coming (Acts 1:9-11; 1 Cor 15:51-53; 1 Thes 4:16-17). They also see a future judgment and the resurrection of believers at Christ’s bodily return.

Advocated

Full Preterism arose in North America during the 1950’s and 60’s within [b]Church of Christ circles[/b]. No doubt the American chapion of full Preterism has been Max R. King and his son Tim, formerly of the[b] Parkman Road Church of Christ in Warren, Ohio[/b]. Formerly moderate preterist David Chilton coverted tofull Preterism seral years before his death in 1997. Other full preterists include Ed Steven, Don K. Preston, John Noe, and John L. Bray. An amazingly high proportion of preterist Web sites advocate full a preterist postion, even though they likely represent smaller overall numbers than partial preterists.

[b]Partial pretersists include a number of weel known evangelicals: R.C. Sprould, R.C. Sproul, Jr., Kenneth L. Gentry, Gary DeMar, Greg Bahnsen, Fary North, Hank Hannegraph (The Bible Answer Man?), and Steve Gregg. Many lesser known partial preterists inhabiyt virtually every community in North America.[/b]

[b]Preterists are often found within conservative Reformed circles like the Orthodox Presbyterians (OPC) and the Presbyterian Church of America (PCA). Many people within the home school movement and conservative politically active evangelicals favor Preterism.[/b]

Key Passages

The bible verse preterists use most widely in their attempts to establish their thesis concering Bible prophecy is Matthew 24:34 “ Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” (See also Mark 13:30; Luke 21:32)

Kenneth Genty said of this much debated passage, “This statement of Christ is indusputability clear---and absolutely demanding of a first century fulfillment of the events in the preceding verses, including the Great Tribulation.”

However, I believe the timing of [b]”This Generation[/b]” is governed by the related phrase [b]all these things,[/b], which refers to events Christ described in verses 4-31, which are events of the Tribulation. Consequently, Christ was saying that the[b] generation that “sees all these things” will exist until all the events of the future Tribulation are fulfilled literally.[/b]

Preterists ignore the fact in Matthew 24 that it is Israel whom the Lord is rescuing. Matthew 22-23 speaks of Israel’s judgment, which came in 70 A.D., but one should not ignore the identity of the nation rescued in 24:27-31.[b] It is Israel, so this clearly a future event. This is a literal interpretation and one that was NOT FULFILLED in the first century.[/b]

[b]Preterists believe they are driven to 70 A.D. fulfillment of Revelation because,like the Olivet Discourse, they believe it says it was to be fulfilled “soon”. Thus, they say terms like QUICKLY and AT HAND teach that Revelation had to be fulfilled within a few years of its writing. Even though virtually everyone down through Chruch History has held to a 95 A.D date for the writing of Revelation, preterists say the book was written in 65 A.D. The 95 A.D. date renders the preterist view impossible and fortifies the argument that the term quickly and at hand teach imminence—that Christ can return at any moment----not that He will return soon.[/b]

Sincerely,

Walter

Waltern,

thanks for taking the time to respond.

So I think you are saying that He will at first not share His intent at being worshipped.

I was trying to figure out since it seemed contradicting about honoring a god but not honoring any God.

I guess probably since in the time of writing the texts many would say the god of this and that for everything. So He probably wont honor it as a God but he will highly value it as God is to be valued namely war.

That is an interesting verse you quote about when Satan tempted Jesus. This clearly shows his wants He was not able to take over heaven so he wars in the second and first heaven and takes over the world.

It might also be that he falsely honors one called the god of war and then when he reveals his self exalting that he will then denounce this god of war or say that he was it the whole time.

I don't know if you caught my responding question to your view on the anti Christ's race.

Yes, it seems that he will hide his self exalting til later. He comes into government through deceit. Then I think once he has control he will then at that point call himself god. He will then also at that time release false signs and wonders and so forth. I think chronologically that that does not happen til a little later as well.

Savannah,

Okay so you believe in a literal Millenium but that it has already been fulfilled.

Thanks for your reply. I don't see how you can say that this has all been fulfilled historically. I mean it is certain that Satan has not been thrown into the bottomless pit nor that Jesus has ruled on the earth for a thousand years. If this has not been done then surely the previous things have not occurred since if they had these other things would have followed. I would agree that things like this have happened but that they are only "an" anti Christ and not "the" anti Christ. They are tremors and birth pangs for what is to come almost foreshadowings.

Hi anonymity,
It's been a while. :-)

To Anonmyity:

I'm not sure if you wanted further information about the probable/possible nationality of Antichrist, or not, but here is what I believe:

Is the Antichrist Jewish?

Is the Antichrist Jewish? Although there is no definitive answer, two Bible verses provide us with good reason to believe he will be. The first appears in the Book of Genesis when God prophesies the coming of Israel’s Messiah and Satan’s Antichrist.

“ And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” Genesis 3:15

Later on, when Jacob is blessing his sons, he makes this prophecy about Dan:

“16. Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel. 17. Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward. Genesis 49:16-17

This reference to a serpent striking a heel may indicate that the Antichrist will be a Jew from the tribe of Dan, but it isn’t certain and many reasonable people are divided on this issue.

In addition to this reference to the tribe of Dan, the Book of Daniel points out that the Antichrist will worship himself above all else:

“37. Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all..” Daniel 11:37

This passage is often referenced by those who believe the Antichrist will be of Jewish heritage. [b]The fact that he will have no regard “for the God of his fathers” is viewed as a reference to the monotheistic God of the Jews.[/b]

Adding further fuel to speculation that the Antichrist might be Jewish is the following passage from the Book of Revelation:
“11. And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.” Revelation 13:11

This verse states that the Antichrist will “come up out of the earth,” a biblical phrase often associated with the promised land and the Jewish people. Throughout the Old Testament, the earth is used as a symbol for Israel, while the sea is used as a symbol for the Gentile peoples:

“1. And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.” Revelation 13:1

The verse above is a reference to the Antichrist’s kingdom, which as stated before, will be a revived form of the Roman Empire – thus emerging from among the Gentile people. But all the authority of this kingdom will be exercised by “the beast from the earth” referenced in Revelation 13:11:

“And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.” Revelation 13:12

The first beast, whose “death-wound had been healed,” is the revived Roman Empire. The Book of Daniel clearly states that this world empire will re-emerge in the last days, thus becoming healed of its mortal wound. But the one who rules it will “come up out of the earth.” Could this be a reference to the Antichrist’s Jewish heritage?

[b]Will the Jews Accept the Antichrist as Messiah?[/b]

All the speculation surrounding the Antichrist’s possible Jewish heritage lends itself to another question: Will the Jews accept the Antichrist as their Messiah? Many believe that the following statement by Jesus is really a prophecy that the Jewish people will accept the Antichrist as their Messiah:

“I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.” John 5:43

The Antichrist would have to be Jewish in order to be accepted by Israel as the Messiah. Many believe this scripture points to a specific person in the future who will “come in his own name” and be accepted as the Redeemer of Israel.

[b]Conclusion[/b]
It is an absolute certainty that the Antichrist will arrive on the world scene as the ruler of a revived Roman empire. However, it is less certain whether or not he will be of actual Italian descent or some other ethnic background. Several scriptures offer the possibility that he could be Assyrian, Greek, or Jewish. But none of them offer us the definitive statement contained in Daniel 9:26.

So how do we rectify these seemingly contradictory prophecies concerning the Antichrist’s nationality? Is he Roman? Italian? Jewish? Assyrian? Greek? He doesn’t necessarily have to be exclusively one or another.[b] He could be an Assyrian Jew born and raised in Italy, or any number of possible combinations.[/b] We don’t know for certain, but history indicates that each of these prophecies will be harmonized when the Antichrist finally appears.

[b]Two thousand years ago, the seemingly contradictory prophecies of the first coming of the Messiah were all harmonized in the life of Jesus Christ who was a Nazarene born in Bethlehem who came out of Egypt. With the benefit of hindsight, we can see how this was possible, but for the Jewish scholars who lived before the birth and ministry of Jesus, these prophecies were a topic of intense debate. Would the Messiah come from Nazareth, Bethlehem, or Egypt? The answer, of course, was all three.

In similar fashion, a debate continues today in regard to the prophecies of the Antichrist and his national identity. But no matter how much we speculate on the ultimate meaning of the scriptures, we won’t know the absolute truth until God’s appointed time. As such, it is wise to study these prophecies and teach them to others, so that Christians of the Antichrist’s generation will be able to positively identify him based on sound Scriptural evidence.[/b]

May the Lord Jesus Christ, upon His Return, find us actively engaged in teaching these truths to others. Until then, live with a patient and enduring faith that His Return is soon upon us.

Sincerely,

Walter

Nearthe cross,

I don't know if you mean you me or both, but either way sorry sometimes when I get a lot of posts with long articles it takes me some time to respond and sometimes I lag

I wasn't saying that %100 it was not going to be Islam. I was more so responding to someones previous statement that it is for sure Islam because the doctrine fits perfectly. Also, as I noted earlier there are many religions that are seeking a Messiah figure like Hinduism I believe and the New Age ect. It just seems to me that a lot are jumping on this band wagon or more so jumping the gun a bit probably like people did in the time of Nero or maybe even Hitler. I would at least say though that it would seem that Islam is the anti Christ of the hour and seems to be Satans main instrument at this time, but I'm still not sure I can say for sure that Islam is it though there are many things pressing that it is highly of the anti Christ spirit like the demographics and the polar opposite doctrines. I feel also that much of it may be the Ishmael Isaac feud though not sure thats the whole story, but it does seem the most hostile Muslims are of some Arab connection.

Thanks for the info and taking the time to respond.

Waltern,

thanks for the info and answering my question or "attempting" jk haha.

Savannah,

Thanks for the article on Nero. I'd never really read the case for preterism before. I'll give it more consideration. For anyone who missed it, last month I wrote an infallible essay proving that the Beast and [url=https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=28205&forum=34&7]The Spirit of Antichrist[/url] are two separate entities.

_________________
Wayne Kraus

To anonymity:

I hope that the Scriptures that I quoted were helpful. What Scripture. or common sense for that matter, can possibly support the idea of the Jewish Priesthood accepting an Arab Messiah?

I have studied and thought about this for over 50 years, and have never heard of such a preposterous scenario (ie an Arab Messiah for the Nation of Israel).

Sincerly,

Walter

Walter,

thanks.

That is a LOT of years of studying :)! haha

Your comment brings up a question. Do the Scriptures state that the anti Christ will seek to be the Jewish Messiah? Or at least pose to be for a while. I mean he is going to abominate the Temple and so forth. This is something I would like to inquire further about. I know that Jesus says that many will come saying I am the Christ and he is called the anti Christ I am just not sure there seems to be indications on both sides what do you think/know?