Preterism, Liberty University Outline to
PRETERISM
I. DEFINED: "Preterism places the prophecies of intense evil and foreboding gloom in the first century, focusing on the on the events surrounding the forty-two-month long Neronic persecution, the forty-two-month long
Jewish war with Rome, and the destruction of the temple. The word "preterist" is based on the Latin "praeteritus," meaning "gone by" or "past."
II. WHY ESPOUSED
A. NT TIME-FRAME REFERENCES
1. JESUS’ PREDICTIONS INDICATING A FIRST CENTURY PAROUSIA
a. Mt 10:23 - "Verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone
over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come."
b. Mt 16:28 - "Verily I say unto you, There be some standing
here, which shall not taste death, till they see the Son of man coming
in his kingdom."
c. Mt 24:34 - "Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not
pass, till all these things be fulfilled." (Jesus’ use of "this generation"
throughout the gospels always refers to his contemporaries: 26:36; 11:16;
12:39, 41, 42 and 45; Lk 11:50-51; 17:25; Mk 8:38)
d. Mt 26:64 - "You [the high priest] will see the Son of Man
coming on the clouds of heaven."
2. REVELATION'S PREDICTIONS INDICATING CHRIST'S IMMINENT RETURN
a. SHORTLY, QUICKLY: tachos and en tachei mean "quickly,
all at once, with all speed, without delay."
(1) 1:1 - "...things which must shortly take place"
(2) 2:16 - "Repent, or else I will come to you quickly"
(3) 3:11 - "Behold, I come quickly!"
(4) 22:6 - "...things which must shortly take place."
(5) 22:7 - "Behold, I am coming quickly!"
(6) 22:12 - "Behold, I am coming quickly."
(7) 22:20 - "Surely I am coming quickly."
b. NEAR AT HAND (engus)
(1) 1:3 - "The time is near."
(2) 22:10 - "The time is at hand."
c. ABOUT TO, ON THE POINT OR VERGE OF (mello)
(1) 1:19 - "Write ... the things that are about to take place."
(2) 3:10 - "... the hour of trial ... is about to come upon
the whole world."
3. OTHER NT INDICATIONS OF CHRIST’S IMMINENT RETURN
a. Rom 13:11-12 - "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; the night is far gone, the day is at hand."
b. 1 Cor 7:29-31 "Brethren, the appointed time has grown very
short; from now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none,
and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice
as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had
no goods, and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings
with it. For the form of this world is passing away."
c. 1 Cor 10:11 - "On [us] the ends of the ages have come."
d. Phil 4:5 - "The Lord is at hand."
e. Jas 5:8-9 - "The coming of the Lord is at hand. ... Behold,
the Judge is standing at the door."
f. 1 Pet 4:7 - "The end of all things is at hand."
g. 1 Jn 2:18 - "It is the last hour ... we know that it is the
last hour."
B. PRETERISM AS THE SOLUTION TO A DILEMMA: The apparent failure of these
prophesies to come true has led to skepticism about the reliability of
the Bible and the deity of Christ. Preterism solves this problem by
maintaining that these prophesies did, in fact, have a first century
fulfillment.
III. THE OLIVET DISCOURSE: INDICATIONS THAT IT WAS FULFILLED IN
A.D. 70
A. THE CONTEXT OF THE DISCOURSE
1. THE SEVEN WOES pronounced upon the scribes and Pharisees in Mt
23. They are pronounced not only upon them, but upon the entire
generation ( 23:36).
2. QUESTIONS concerning when the temple would be destroyed, and what
would be the sign of Jesus’ coming and the end of the age (24:1-4).
The temple is Herod’s, and Jesus links its destruction with
his future coming and the end of the age.
B. THE SIGNS OF JESUS’ COMING AND THE END OF THE AGE: THEIR FIRST CENTURY
FULFILLMENT
1. FALSE CHRISTS AND PROPHETS DECEIVING MANY: (5, 11, 24).
Josephus
writes that many false prophets and false Messiahs appeared during the
government of Felix (A.D. 53-60), deluding many. Such figures played a
leading role in the Jewish revolt in late A.D. 66 that led to the Jewish
War.
2. WARS AND RUMORS OF WARS (6-7). These would not have been perceived
as an unusual sign during most periods of world history, but during the
pax
Romana war was extremely rare. E.g., Epictetus writes that "Caesar
has obtained for us a profound peace. There are neither wars nor battles"
(Discourses 3:13:9) Josephus and Tacitus both write
of the unsettledness of the empire leading up to A.D. 70 (see below).
3. FAMINES (7). Josephus writes that during Claudius'
reign (A.D. 41-54) there were four seasons of great scarcity. In the fourth
year of his reign, the famine in Judea was so severe that the price of
food became enormous and great numbers died. Cf. Acts 11:28. He
also describes starvation and cannibalism during the final five-month siege
of Jerusalem (Wars 5.12.3 and 6.5.1)
4. EARTHQUAKES (7). These occurred in Caligula's (A.D.
37-41) and Claudius' (A.D. 41-54) reigns. Josephus reports
many earthquakes in A.D. 68 in the midst of the Jewish War. He describes
one particularly terrifying quake and lightning storm, remarking,"anyone
would guess that these wonders foreshadowed some grand calamities that
were coming" (Wars 4.4.5). Tacitus reports them throughout
Rome, also nterpreting them as portents of impending divine judgment (Histories,
1.2-3)
5. PERSECUTION (9-10) - Jesus predicts the coming persecution
and martyrdom of the church, and Israel's impending judgment, adding: "I
tell you the truth, all this will come upon this generation" (Mt 23:32-36).
The NT reports the intense persecution of Christians by the Jews in Acts
8:1 and 1 Thess 2:14-16.
6. APOSTASY (10-13): Hebrews reflects Jews apostatizing and returning
to Judaism (Heb 2:1-3, 3:6 and 14, 6:4-6, 10:26-27).
Cf. Gal 5:4; 1 Jn 2:18-20, and 4:3, but especially
2:24,
all of which report apostacy during the time of the apostles. Also 1
Tim 4:1, 2 Pet 2:1-2 and 20-21.
7. GOSPEL PREACHED IN ALL THE WORLD (14): "World" is Roman
world. NT statements that this had taken place by A.D. 70 -
Acts 24:5,
Rom
1:8 and Col 1:6, 23: "All over the world this gospel
is bearing fruit and growing. ... This is the gospel that you heard and
that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of
which I Paul, have become a servant."
8. ABOMINATION THAT CAUSES DESOLATION (15):
a. CHRIST REFERS TO THE HERODIAN TEMPLE, NOT SOME FUTURE ONE:
Mt24:1-2
b. JESUS' PROPHESY OF THE SIEGE OF JERUSALEM (Lk 21:20) AND DESECRATION
OF THE TEMPLE IS CONFIRMED BY JOSEPHUS: "After the five month siege they
breached the wall, burned the temple down and worshiped Caesar atg its
eastern gate" (Wars 6.6.1)
9. DISTRESS UNEQUALED AND NEVER TO BE EQUALED AGAIN (21)
a. LOSS OF LIFE: 1.1 million Jews died during the Jewish War (Wars
6.9.2).
b. JOSEPHUS REPORTS TERRIBLE CARNAGE: Jerusalem, the temple, the Mediterranean,
Sea of Galilee, Jordan, and Dead Sea covered with blood and gorged with
bodies (Wars 3.9.3; 3.10.9; 4.7.6; 4.1.10; 4.5.1; 5.1.3; 6.8.5).
Cf. Rev 8:8-11
c. JOSEPHUS reports the Romans laying waste to Israel, setting fire
to towns, cities, and trees (Wars 6.1.1; 3.7.8; 5.6.2; 3.7.1; 3.7.8;
5.6.2; 3.4.1; 6.6.2; 7.5.5). Cf. Rev 18:8
d. DISTRESS "UNEQUALED SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE WORLD AND NEVER TO
BE EQUALED AGAIN"? This may be a dramatic device used for emphasis. Such
language is used elsewhere in Scripture (Ez 5:9, 2 Kgs 18:5, 23:25).
Yet this judgment upon Jerusalem was without equal.
10. CHRIST’S COMING ON THE CLOUDS (27, 30):
a. CLOUD COMING AN OT IMAGE OF GOD COMING IN JUDGMENT (Is 19:1,
Ps
18:7-15, Mic 1:3-4)
b. HEAVENLY ARMIES REPORTED BY JOSEPHUS (Wars 6.5.3) AND TACITUS:
"In the sky appeared a vision of armies in conflict, of glittering armor"
(Histories 5.13)
11. THE COLLAPSE OF THE UNIVERSE (29): The same cosmic language
is used of the destruction of Babylon by the Medes (Is 13:9-10),
and a prophesy against the nations (Is 34:3-5), both of which Christ
quotes. Similar language is used of a judgment of the "people of the earth"
in Is 21:18-23, of the judgment of Judah in Jer 4:23-29,
and of the Day of the Lord in Joel 2:30-31.
12. THE GATHERING OF THE ELECT (31): Postmillennialists interpret
this as having to do with Christ sending forth his messengers (missionaries)
throughout the earth and the conversion of Gentiles from all nations after
the fall of Jerusalem.
a. THE MEANING OF ANGELOS: The word translated "angel" (angelos)
can just as easily be translated "messenger" (as it is in Mt 11:10,
Mk
1:2 , Lk 7:24, 27).
b. THE MEANING OF THE TRUMPET CALL: In the year of Jubilee complete
forgiveness of debts was announced by a trumpet call: Lev 25: 9-10.
c. THE DESTRUCTION OF ISRAEL AND GROWTH OF CHRISTIANITY: Ignatius,
Melito
of Sardis, Tertullian, Clement of Alexandria,
Lactantius
and others point back to A.D. 70 as proof that God favored the Christians,
not the Jews, thus paving the way for the advance of Christianity. Cf.
Rev
3:9
C. UPSHOT
1. CHRIST CAME IN JUDGMENT IN A.D. 70 AFTER THE JEWS HAD "FILLED
UP THE MEASURE OF THEIR FOREFATHERS’ SINS" (Mt 23:32).
2. THIS JUDGMENT WAS THE PROPHESIED "DAY OF THE LORD." Mal 4:1-5
(cf. Mt 11:14). According to Amos 5:18-20 and Zeph 1:1-17
the Day of the Lord would be a day of judgment upon the
Jews
Hence when the disciples asked Jesus in Mt 24:3 about the sign of
his coming and of the end of the age, Jesus spoke of the end of the Jewish
age and the hastening Day of the Lord against Israel.
IV. INDICATIONS OF A FIRST CENTURY FULFILLMENT OF THE BOOK OF REVELATION
A. TIME-FRAME REFERENCES INDICATING THE NEARNESS OF REVELATION’S
EVENTS:
1. Its events are to happen "quickly," they are "at hand,"
"about to" occur:
Rev 1:1, 1:3, 2:16, 3:10-11,
22:6-7,
22:10,
22:12,
22:20.
2. Especially noteworthy is Rev 22:10 - "Do not seal up the
words of the prophecy of this book, because the time is near." This is
the exact opposite of what Daniel was told in Dan 12:4. He was told
to seal up his prophecy "until the time of the end."
B. THE TEMPLE IS STILL STANDING (Rev 11:2)
C. IT IS HEROD’S TEMPLE
1. The Olivet Discourse had been given in response to the disciples’
question about the destruction of Herod’s temple (Lk 21:5-7).
In Lk 21:24 Jesus said: "Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles
until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled."
2. John, familiar with Jesus' words, has this as his backdrop - the
Gentile trampling underfoot of Jerusalem will last 42 months (Rev 11:2)
D. THIS TRAMPLING UNDERFOOT OF JERUSALEM OCCURRED DURING THE JEWISH WAR
that ended with the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70. The war lasted
exactly
42 months: from spring, A.D. 67 through August, A.D. 70.
E. WHO IS "BABYLON THE GREAT, MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES"? SHE IS .
. . JERUSALEM
1. SHE FILLS HERSELF WITH THE BLOOD OF THE PROPHETS AND SAINTS: Rev
16:6, 17:6, 18:20, 24. Cf. Mt 23:37 and Acts 7:52.
2. SHE IS THE "GREAT CITY ... WHERE ALSO THE ... LORD WAS CRUCIFIED"
(Rev 11:8) Although Rev 11 clearly is speaking of Jerusalem, is
this the "Babylon the Great" of later chapters? Yes, the designation, "great
city" is used both in ch. 11 and chs. 17-18 (17:18, 18:10,
16,
19, 21).
3. THE IMAGE OF THE UNFAITHFUL WIFE, THE HARLOT, WAS OFTEN USED OF ISRAEL
IN THE OT. Israel is repeatedly called the wife of God (Jer 2:2, 3:14,
Is 54:5). But she was an unfaithful wife (Jer 3:20, Hos 1:2, Ez
6:9, Ez 16, Is 50:1) behaving as a prostitute (Jer 3:1-2). In
the context of Jerusalem’s designation as a prostitute, Is 1:21
is especially noteworthy: "See how the faithful city has become a harlot."
4. HER ARRAY
a. Dressed in purple, scarlet, gold, precious stones and pearls (Rev
17:3-5) - an almost exact description of the high priest’s ephod (Ex
28:5-6, 36)
b. This combination of fabrics and gems also describes the temple tapestry
which, according to Josephus, was "Babylonian tapestry in which blue, purple,
scarlet and linen were mingled." (Wars 5.5.4)
c. The gold cup she holds (Rev 17:4) is symbolic of the temple’s
implements: "The greatest part of the vessels ... were of silver and gold"
(Wars 5.4.4.)
d. Josephus’ description of the temple reflects the same opulence: "The
outward face of the temple in its front ... was covered all over with plates
of gold of great weight, and at the first rising of the sun, reflected
back a very fiery splendor, and made those who forced themselves to look
upon it to turn their eyes away, just as they would have done at the sun's
own rays. But this temple appeared to strangers, when they were at a distance,
like a mountain covered with snow; for, as to those parts of it that were
not gilt, they were exceeding white." (Wars 5.5.6)
The inscription on the prostitute’s forehead is a perverse image of
that on the high priest’s: "Holy to the Lord."
5. HER DESTRUCTION:
a. EVEN JERUSALEM’S END RESEMBLES THAT OF AN ADULTEROUS WIFE - DEATH
BY STONING: Josephus writes: "The stones that were cast were of the weight
of a talent, and were carried two furlongs and further. The blow they gave
was no way to be sustained, not only by those that stood first in the way,
but by those that were beyond them for a great space. As for the Jews,
they at first watched the coming of the stone, for it was a white color"
(Wars 5.6.3) This account is reminescent of hailstones, weighing
a talent each, that rain down on the "great city" in Rev 16:19-21.
b. In the end, a New Jerusalem comes down from heaven, replacing the
old, adulterous bride.
F. WHO IS THE BEAST?
1. THE BEAST GENERICALLY CONCEIVED: ROME
a. THE WOMAN (BABYLON) IS SEATED ON THE BEAST: Rev 17:2-8
b."SEATED ON" = "IN DEPENDENCE ON, IN LEAGUE WITH"
(1) BEFORE THE JEWISH REVOLT, THIS HAD BEEN THEIR RELATIONSHIP. Josephus
writes: It seems to me to be necessary here to give an account of all the
honors that the Romans and their emperors paid to our nation, and of the
leagues of mutual assistance they have made with it." (Antiquities,
14.10.1-2)
(2) THE JEWS USED THIS RELATIONSHIP TO GET AT CHRIST AND HIS FOLLOWERS:
(Jn 19:15, Lk 23:2). Throughout Acts they agitated against the Christian
so as to involve the Romans in their persecution (Acts 4:27; 16:20;
17:7; 18:12; 21:11; 24:1-9; 25:1-2)
c. THE BEAST TURNS ON THE WOMAN AND DESTROYS HER: Rev 17:16-17.
This happens with the Jewish War, the 42 month period of trampling underfoot
by the Gentiles (Rev 11:2)
d. OTHER INDICATIONS THAT THE BEAST (GENERICALLY UNDERSTOOD) IS ROME
(1) "SEVEN HILLS": " The seven heads are seven hills on which the
woman sits." (17:9) Rome was known in antiquity as the city on seven
hills (Septimontium).
(2) ROME RISES FROM THE SEA (13:1). From either John’s vantage
point on Patmos, or the Jews’ vantage point, Rome appeared to rise from
the sea. Cf. 17:1.
(3) "SEVEN KINGS": "The seven heads ... are also seven kings. Five
have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come." By this time of Revelation’s
writing (during the Neronic persecution) five of the Roman emperors had
fallen (Julius, Augustus, Tiberius, Gaius, and Claudius),
one was still reigning (Nero), and one would remain for only a short
time (Galba, who reigned only seven months, from June A.D. 68 to
January, A.D. 69), and was followed by three others in short succession.
(4) THE MORTAL WOUND AND ASTONISHING REVIVAL OF THE BEAST
(a) REV 17:8 and 13:3 - "One of the heads of the beast
seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed.
The whole world was astonished and followed the beast."
(b) NERO HIMSELF INFLICTED THIS WOUND, ALMOST DESTROYING ROME:
(i) TACITUS writes of the months following Nero's death in A.D. 68:
"The history on which I am entering is that of a period rich in disasters,
terrible with battles, torn by civil struggles, horrible even in peace.
Four emperors were felled by the sword; there were three civil wars, more
foreign wars and often both at the same time."
(ii) JOSEPHUS writes that Rome was near "ruin." (Wars 4.11.5) The state
of the Romans was so "ill" that "every part of the habitable earth under
them was in an unsettled and tottering condition" (7.4.2).
(iii) TACITUS perceived Rome to be in its death throes: "This was the
condition of the Roman state when Serius Galba, chosen consul for the second
time, and his colleague Titus Vinius entered upon the year that was to
be for Galba his last, and for the state almost the end." (Histories 1.11)
(iv) THIS STATE OF AFFAIRS WAS NOT RESOLVED UNTIL VESPASIAN left his
Judean expedition to take power in Rome: "The empire, which for a long
time had been unsettled and, as it were, drifting through the usurpation
and violent death of three emperors was at last taken in hand and given
stability by the Flavian family" (Suetonius, Vespasian 1).
2. THE BEAST SPECIFICALLY CONCEIVED: NERO (A.D. 54-68)
a. NERO THE EMPEROR AT THE TIME OF THE WRITING: He is the fifth king
"who is." Suetonius’ enumeration of the emperors was: Julius,
Augustus, Tiberius, Gaius or Caligula, Claudius (the five kings who
have fallen at the time that John is writing), Nero (one "who is"),
and Galba - one who "has not yet come, but when he does come, he
must remain for a little while" - seven months (Rev 17:10)
b. NERO DEMANDED WORSHIP: Rev 13:5-8. Inscriptions have been
found in Ephesus in which Nero is called "Almighty God" and "Savior." He
and Caligula "abandoned all reserve" in promoting emperor worship - they
were the only two who demanded divine honors while still alive. Nero claimed
to be Apollo.
c. NERO’S PERSECUTION OF THE CHURCH
(1) 42 MONTHS IN DURATION: from November, A.D. 64 through June, A.D.
68. John banished to Patmos during this persecution (Rev 1:9) and
Peter and Paul died in A.D. 66 or 67.
(2) PREDICTED PRECISELY BY JOHN: REV 13:5 - "The beast was
given ... authority for forty-two months. ... He was given power to make
war against the saints and to conquer them."
(3) THE FEROCITY OF THE PERSECUTION: Tacitus reported
that Nero "inflicted unheard-of punishments on those who, detested for
their abominable crimes, were vulgarly called Christians" (Annals 15.44).
The persecution claimed "an immense number" (Tacitus), "a vast multitude
of the elect" (1 Clement 6).
d. NERO’S BEAST-LIKE CHARACTER
(1) HE MURDERED HIS OWN FAMILY MEMBERS
(2) HE "MARRIED" A BOY, THEN CASTRATED HIM
(3) HE KICKED HIS PREGNANT WIFE TO DEATH
(4) HIS SADISTIC SPORT: Suetonius writes that Nero "devised a
kind of game in which, covered with the skin of some wild animal, he was
let loose from a cage and attacked the private parts of men and women,
who were bound to stakes." (The Lives of the Caesars, 6.29)
(5) HE WAS EVEN CALLED "THE BEAST": Tacitus ... spoke of Nero's
‘cruel nature' that ‘put to death so many innocent men.' Pliny the Elder
... described Nero as ‘the destroyer of the human race' and ‘the poison
of the world.' Juvenal tells of ‘Nero's cruel and bloody tyranny.'
Apollonius
of Tyana specifically states that Nero was called a ‘beast': ‘In my
travels, which have been wider than ever man yet accomplished, I have seen
man, many wild beasts of Arabia and India; but this beast, that is commonly
called a Tyrant, I know not how many heads it has, nor if it be crooked
of claw, and armed with horrible fangs. ... And of wild beasts you cannot
say that they were ever known to eat their own mother, but Nero has gorged
himself on this diet."
e. NERO’S DEATH: He committed suicide by the sword at the age of 31. Cf.
Rev
13:10 - "If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity he will
go. If anyone kills with the sword, with the sword he will be killed."
f. NERO’S NUMBER
(1) REV 13:18 - "Let him who has understanding calculate the
number of the beast, for the number is that of a man: and his number is
666." (NASV)
(2) THE HEBREWS HAD NO NUMERALS, and so, used letters to signify numbers,
just as the Romans did. Neron Caesar (the Greek rendering, documented
by archaeological finds), when transliterated into Hebrew (NRWN QSR) had
a number of 666.
(3) FURTHER EVIDENCE: A well-documented textual variant has 616. A mere
copyist's error? Bruce Metzger speculates: "Perhaps the change was intentional,
seeing that the Greek form Neron Caesar written in Hebrew characters (nrwn
qsr) is equivalent to 666, whereas the Latin form Nero Caesar (nrw qsr)
is equivalent to 616."
[ Go Back ]
Planetpreterist.com Copyright © by Planet Preterist - (436 Reads) |
