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"Yet the apostle John describes a reality that has only recently come into focus: global banking, laser scanning, and the universal bar code. . .Again, what better descriptive term could John have found in the ancient world than "the mark," which would enable every citizen to buy or sell who had it?"
-- Tal Brooke
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Preterism: The TIMING of the JUDGMENT is part of the GOSPEL
Posted on Monday, December 20 @ 19:02:54 PST by MichaelB |
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In the scriptures below we see Paul speaking of the importance of not altering the gospel. Paul actually condemns men for altering it. While it is not my point to condemn anyone. I try my best to love everyone who names the name of Christ. Also, it is wise to point out that Paul corrected Peter's doctrine to "his face" and no one would ever question Peters salvation would we?
Of course not. But the point I want to make is about us. Yes, us. This is a continuation of my point that I was making in my short article about "Why I Will Never Deny Preterism".
Galatians 1
6I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel-- 7which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! 9As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!
10Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Notice in the scriptures above that by altering the Gospel of Christ is because of the need of men to be accepted by men. Is this a good reason? No! Because by doing so we are actually told that we would "not be a servant of Christ". I know that we all fall into sin and that we make mistakes (I may be the chief of this) but this is no doubt a serious issue when it comes to the Gospel, according to Paul. It's not to be taken lightly. Should approval of men, getting what we want from men / women be our goal? We all want to be accepted by the masses. This is understandable. But the honor that we have been blessed with by being Preterists is the truth of God. God has blessed us with the truth of God in a much richer understanding than most. I do not mean this boastfully. I mean this in a way that I hope inspires us to share Preterism with whom ever we come across in order to further the understanding that WE HAVE A KING! We are no longer waiting for one.
So now to demonstrate straight from scripture that the timing of the judgment is part of the Gospel. Please Remember, the scriptures above, and below, these are not my words. I am simply quoting the scriptures.
Matthew 16
27For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. 28I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."
Romans 2
6God "will give to each person according to what he has done." 7To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. 16This will take place on the day when God will judge men's secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.
Above we see that Paul the Apostle in Romans 2 quotes Matthew 16. In Matthew 16 we are told that the 2nd Coming of Christ would happen while some of the people that were standing there were still alive. In Romans 2 Paul quotes Matthew 16 and actually tells us that the judgment is part of the Gospel. Since it is tied to Matthew 16 the timing of the judgment (while some standing there were still alive) is part of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
So what am I saying? Here is what I am trying to get across. I do not feel it necessary to break fellowship with those who do not understand certain things about Christ and the 2nd coming and the judgment. What I am saying is that we need to share it with people. It is an honor that has been given to us. It's not a curse to be a Preterist. In fact it is about as Christian as it gets. After all, how many of our forefathers were booted out of the synagogues for simply speaking the truth. If this happens / has happened to you at our modern "churches", so be it. You are in good company with the likes of Paul the apostle and many many others. Consider it an honor.
Allow me once again to remind you of what we are told in the scriptures regarding speaking the truth and worshiping God and not men found in my last short article.
Acts 24
1Five days later the high priest Ananias went down to Caesarea with some of the elders and a lawyer named Tertullus, and they brought their charges against Paul before the governor. 2When Paul was called in, Tertullus presented his case before Felix: "We have enjoyed a long period of peace under you, and your foresight has brought about reforms <= Notice there had been reforms in the past. in this nation. 3Everywhere and in every way, most excellent Felix, we acknowledge this with profound gratitude. 4But in order not to weary you further, I would request that you be kind enough to hear us briefly.
5"We have found this man to be a troublemaker, stirring up riots among the Jews all over the world. He is a ringleader of the Nazarene sect <= sect is the same word as cult. 6and even tried to desecrate the temple; so we seized him. 8By examining him yourself you will be able to learn the truth about all these charges we are bringing against him."
9The Jews joined in the accusation, asserting that these things were true.
10When the governor motioned for him to speak, Paul replied: "I know that for a number of years you have been a judge over this nation; so I gladly make my defense. 11You can easily verify that no more than twelve days ago I went up to Jerusalem to worship. <= Paul states basically that he is just trying to worship the Lord. 12My accusers did not find me arguing with anyone at the temple, or stirring up a crowd in the synagogues or anywhere else in the city. <= By stirring up he means saying things contrary to scripture. You will see what I mean in a few verses later. 13And they cannot prove to you the charges they are now making against me. <= They can not prove what he is saying is unbiblical. 14However, I admit that I worship the God of our fathers as a follower of the Way, which they call a sect. <= Paul admits that he is worshiping God the way that they say that he is. I believe everything that agrees with the Law and that is written in the Prophets, <= Paul states that the way he is worshiping agrees with the Law and the Prophets (scripture).15and I have the same hope in God as these men, that there will be <= Greek "mello" (about to). a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. <= Paul is being accused of saying the resurrection was "about to" happen back then. We are accused of saying that it already happened back then. 16So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man. <= Keeping his conscience clear is by worshiping with what agrees with the scriptures. Same should go for us.
What is more important - praise of men or praise of God?
John 12
42Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; 43for they loved praise from men more than praise from God.
Galatians 1
10Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.
11I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up.
1 Thessalonians 2
3For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive, 4but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts. 5For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed--God is witness
It is an honor to be a Preterist - thank God every day for it.
Notice the pattern:
Pharisees accused Christians.
Catholics accused Reformers.
Creedalist Reformed accused Preterists.
Our Goal should be to please God first. Not men. This means being honest with who we are (Preterists) to people we talk with when it comes up.
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Re: The TIMING of the JUDGMENT is part of the GOSPEL (Score: 1)
 by Seeker (connections@bellsouth.net) on Tuesday, December 21 @ 12:54:17 PST
(User Info | Send a Message) | Who will preterists accuse? Partial Preterists?
I'm not saying Partial Preterists are right, because most people that call themselves Partial Preterists are actually futurists, but Partial Preterists like Gary DeMar who believes ALL of Matthew 24 has been fulfilled should have their own category and I hope we don't wind up accusing them.
Seeker |
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Re: The TIMING of the JUDGMENT is part of the GOSPEL (Score: 1)
 by MichaelB on Wednesday, December 22 @ 09:22:14 PST
(User Info | Send a Message) | I accuse Gary Demar of not being CONSISTENT.
Matthew 24 is fulfilled AS HE SAYS.
That means heaven and earth passed away.
We find that happening at the GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT in Revelation 20 "heaven and earth flee away"
Mike Bennett |
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- by Seeker on Wednesday, December 22 @ 10:20:09 PST
Re: The TIMING of the JUDGMENT is part of the GOSPEL (Score: 1)
by darrens on Wednesday, December 22 @ 15:25:39 PST
(User Info | Send a Message) | Since you are talking about Paul speaking of the importance of not altering the gospel, it seems here would be a good place to share something that I put together the other day. I was reading through Acts and thinking about what Paul's message (his "gospel") actually was all about...
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WDPP? (What Did Paul Preach?)
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What message did the inspired apostle Paul proclaim throughout the book of Acts?
>The word of salvation promised to Israel (i.e. justification/forgiveness of sins/everlasting life) - 13:23,26,32,46
>Repentance - 14:15; 17:30
>Jesus and the kingdom of God, out of the Law and the Prophets - 19:8; 20:25; 28:23,31
>Hope of the resurrection of the dead, both the just and the unjust - 23:6; 24:14,15,21
>The whole counsel of God (holding back nothing that is profitable) - 20:20,27
>NOTHING BUT "the hope of Israel" - 28:20
In summary, Paul preached only "the hope of Israel".
Even though he preached the kingdom of God and the word of salvation (based on the promises to Israel as recorded in the Old Testament Law and the Prophets) what was the reason he gave for being "on trial"?
> For the hope of "the resurrection of the dead". <
At the time of Paul's missionary journeys, the events he was preaching were Old Testament prophecies that had not yet been fulfilled.
On the topic of "the resurrection of the dead", let's ignore the *nature* of this even for the moment.
What the Bible say about the *timing* of the resurrection?
-It was to occur at the end of the/this age (see Matthew 13:36-43 - and see Galatians 4:4 to identify under what age Jesus was born into).
-And it would be linked to the scattering of the "power of the holy people" (see Daniel 12:2-7).
Those predictions contained in the Law - those things which are actually *capable* of being "fulfilled" - would obviously include the kingdom of God (based especially on Acts 28:23). But the Law's predictions also includes eternal life - salvation itself, see Hebrews 9:26-28 - *and* the resurrection of the dead.
Now consider the simple words of Jesus in Matthew 5:18 (among others): He declared that the Law would remain completely intact until all of it was completely fulfilled. So there it is, the painful fact: Clearly there is no biblical way of justifying any kind of divorce of "ceremonial" law from any other aspect of the Old Covenant Mosaic Law. All of the Law would remain in full force until it all was completed, fulfilled, consummated...
So draw your own conclusions as to what all of this means.
Ouch ... for futurists, anyway. =^)
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Hope that all made sense!
In Christ For Truth,
Darren Dirt.
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