Futurism v. Preterism

[Cosmicwaffle]

Hello forum,

I have recently come across the teachings of Preterism, the belief that all of NT prophecy was fullfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD. Does anyone here have any insight into this debate? Scriptures for or against Futurism/Preterism?

I personally believe in the physical return of our king, a final judgement, a lake of fire, and a renewed heaven and earth without sin or death. Preterism has me confused because they make some good arguments and dodge much opposition by spiritualizing much of what was said in NT prophecy.

Would like to hear any thoughts on this subject, as eschatology is superbly confusing.

 

[Abdicate]

If you have to toss one verse to make a belief work, then it's heresy and that's what preterists do. Avoid it like the plague.

 

[Cosmicwaffle]

They forget Acts 1:9-10
After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. "Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

 

[Euphemia]

Hello forum,

I have recently come across the teachings of Preterism, the belief that all of NT prophecy was fullfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD. Does anyone here have any insight into this debate? Scriptures for or against Futurism/Preterism?

I personally believe in the physical return of our king, a final judgement, a lake of fire, and a renewed heaven and earth without sin or death. Preterism has me confused because they make some good arguments and dodge much opposition by spiritualizing much of what was said in NT prophecy.

Would like to hear any thoughts on this subject, as eschatology is superbly confusing.

I spent many hours debating preterists online. They are quite a deceived group of people. Don't allow them to confuse you with their confusion. I haven't met a nice one, yet. It's best to state the truth and get out. Only Holy Spirit can wake them up.

 

[Juk]

Hello forum,

I have recently come across the teachings of Preterism, the belief that all of NT prophecy was fullfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD. Does anyone here have any insight into this debate? Scriptures for or against Futurism/Preterism?

I personally believe in the physical return of our king, a final judgement, a lake of fire, and a renewed heaven and earth without sin or death. Preterism has me confused because they make some good arguments and dodge much opposition by spiritualizing much of what was said in NT prophecy.

Would like to hear any thoughts on this subject, as eschatology is superbly confusing.

I haven't done research on preterism (something else to look up while eating dinner) but if everything in the Bible was fulfilled already, I don't think that we would be here right now.

 

[Ravindran]

One of the group of people whom I find very surprising that can be misguided to that extent. They must certainly give more credibility to man who put together this doctrine than Word of God itself. Similar to Jehovah's witness

 

[Major]

I spent many hours debating preterists online. They are quite a deceived group of people. Don't allow them to confuse you with their confusion. I haven't met a nice one, yet. It's best to state the truth and get out. Only Holy Spirit can wake them up.

Amen! I have done the same thing!

 

[Major]

They forget Acts 1:9-10
After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. "Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

Preterism is actually a very old Cult. If one really studies Christian doctrine, and carefully analyzes the tenets of Preterism, you invariably arrive at the astonishing conclusion that Preterism necessarily eliminates the Dispensation of the Grace of God, and all Christian doctrine!

Preterism does this by placing all under the authority of the earthly Jesus and the Twelve apostles; rather than the exclusive authority of the heavenly Jesus and the apostle Paul during this dispensation!

Preterists view the apostle Paul, as just another of the Twelve, working under a joint commission. That, however, is a teaching of demons.

If Preterism's claims are correct, then, Christianity has never existed after the manner that we Christians have known it!

The 1,957 years represent the time that exists between 58 AD, around the time when Paul stopped witnessing to the Jews, because of their hard core unbelief, and taught the Gentiles exclusively, until his martyrdom; and 2015 AD.

Obviously, Preterism's claim, that all mentioned above, is "history," cannot be true; as any sane person can well see. Preterism must say that all it believes is "not physical," but "spiritual!" And that is exactly what Preterism does say!

 

[Great Fiction]

When prophecy is discerned from scripture, the interpretation methodology “or hermeneutic” will drive understanding for prophetic meaning.

I find the conflicts between preterism, historicism, and futurism an impossibility to defend in many current schools of thought since interpretive methodologies are less-in-focus than the possible allocations or assignments for prophetic meaning.

Though differentiation for allegory, symbolism, physical manifestation and spiritual manifestation are all components in current hermeneutics within various schools of theological thought, there is in my opinion, in current positions, theological insufficiency to exhaust possibilities for hermeneutical application; yet maybe there is an exhausted hermeneutical compilation that is published that I am unaware of.

May I make an analogous example for simplicities sake: There will come a time when a climber will reach the summit of a great mountain after experiencing an arduous stint. (this is only an example and not real scripture)

Preterism, historicism, and futurism today would be more concerned about “what mountain in the natural is being inferred and when it is inferred”; they are less concerned with interpretive methodology to assign it. Futurism, preterism and historicism are primarily concerned with historic timing of natural manifestion more than hermeneutics most of the time, though I have seen some exception in discussions.

For hermeneutical exploration, we could ask is the mountain:
naturally physical, spiritually physical, allegorical, symbolic, a type, a parable, a representation, bi-dimensionally physical, spiritual, real in one dimension but symbolic in the other, or physical in one dimension with opposite dimensional correlation. There are more, this is just some.

I personally am more invested in hermeneutical discovery. I find hermeneutical studies and publications deficient to exhaust all applicable methodologies, yet I have also defined many for my own study sake. Please know that I criticize no one’s eschatological studies; for we all search for truth.

If anyone knows of a publication that would offer exhausted hermeneutical methodologies that would also have the dexterity to justify application by method, then I am quite interested. Everything that I have read so far is either hermeneutically apologetical, or hermeneutically centric, instead of being focused to harness hermeneutical exhaustion. I have also read some who would touch on hermeneutical variants.

On another note, just a minor caveat, we should also be vigilant that all three positions have political motives in their foundational construction in history; by understanding the reformation and the counter-reformation we can also understand their origins and original focus.

 

[Major]

Hello forum,

I have recently come across the teachings of Preterism, the belief that all of NT prophecy was fullfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD. Does anyone here have any insight into this debate? Scriptures for or against Futurism/Preterism?

I personally believe in the physical return of our king, a final judgement, a lake of fire, and a renewed heaven and earth without sin or death. Preterism has me confused because they make some good arguments and dodge much opposition by spiritualizing much of what was said in NT prophecy.

Would like to hear any thoughts on this subject, as eschatology is superbly confusing.

Preterism is a scourge! It is heresy at its highest! It is totally error and false and I encourage you to leave it in the pit of hell from where it came.

 

[geralduk]

Hello forum,

I have recently come across the teachings of Preterism, the belief that all of NT prophecy was fullfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD. Does anyone here have any insight into this debate? Scriptures for or against Futurism/Preterism?

I personally believe in the physical return of our king, a final judgement, a lake of fire, and a renewed heaven and earth without sin or death. Preterism has me confused because they make some good arguments and dodge much opposition by spiritualizing much of what was said in NT prophecy.

Would like to hear any thoughts on this subject, as eschatology is superbly confusing.

I have never heard ANY "ISM" to be of sound doctrine .
For they seem all to take ONE doctrine and attempt to define or view or understand all scripture by the one doctrine .This is impossible.
Given that the initial doctrine is sound then it still cannot be used as the lense by which all scripture is understood.
For all sound doctrines are as it were the bones of a body. Each in their place and connected to each have different functions and purposes yet when they are in order and complete uphold the body and give it strength .
When Jesus was on the cross all his bones were out of joint . Not broken but simply ; if it can be said out of joint .
An ISM simply takes A truth and makes it THE truth.
So you cannot deny the destruction of the temple in 70 ad for that is A truth .
But it is not the whole truth .
and in a court of law you are not only obliged to tell the truth but the whole truth. For a truth taken out of context becomes a pretext for error or a lie.
Presuming then that your question is not of the "yea hath God said......" variety .Then my advice is not to get involved in those debates at all .For they give place to the devil and polarise Gods people to defending ones own position rather than contend for THE faith that was once and for all delivered to the saints .
and simply wastes peoples time .
Take any ISM and throw it in the bin.
and rather study the scriptures and listen to sound preaching.
and forget foolish and "vain debates"

in Christ
gerald

 

[Grant Melville]

I have never heard ANY "ISM" to be of sound doctrine .

Amen!