THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE: New Last Days Scoffers?

The recently posted article labeling preterists as new "last days scoffers" reminded me of something.(Later in this article I intend to give a point by point response to the list of why the preterist view is wrong). In the first century Jewish leaders had held long and unquestioned sway regarding teachings of the Jewish faith. They were well aware of prophecies predicting the appearance of the messiah and the establishment of the Kingdom Of God. When Jesus was born into the world and began his ministry, though he was standing right in front of them, their response was that those prophecies could not have already been fulfilled and all should continue to look for future fulfillment. Here were religious leaders saying fulfillment was yet future when the fulfillment was right in front of them. The problem was the fulfillment didn't match their preconceived, physically-rooted paradigm. Notice what happened in Luke 4: 'And he stood up to read; 17 and there was given to him the book of the prophet Isaiah. He opened the book and found the place where it was written, 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” 20 And he closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant, and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 And he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 22 And all spoke well of him, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth; and they said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” 23 And he said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘Physician, heal yourself; what we have heard you did at Caperna-um, do here also in your own country.’” 24 And he said, “Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his own country. 25 But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when there came a great famine over all the land; 26 and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27 And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” 28 When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. 29 And they rose up and put him out of the city, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw him down headlong." (RSV)
Though this scripture regarding the messiah had been fulfilled, they rejected that and sought to destroy the very fulfillment of it.

In Matthew 11 and 17 when the disciples asked about the coming of Elijah before the great and terrible day of the Lord, looking to future fulfillment, Jesus said this had already been fulfilled in John the Baptist. The fact that the disciples failed to grasp the nature of that fulfillment did not mean the prophecy had not been fulfilled, it meant they did not properly understand the prophecy and it's fulfillment. One can be so used to "looking to the future" that when the future arrives they look right past it because, though the future has become the present, they are still looking to the future. Thus Jesus' comments in Luke 12-"...'When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, ‘A shower is coming’; and so it happens. 55 And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat’; and it happens. 56 You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky; but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?" The Revised Standard Version. 1971 (Lk 12:54-56). Remember "the present time", contextually, was about 30 AD. They were missing the fulfillment of the prophecies which were occurring right then.

What is my point? There is much biblical precedent for religious leaders having a pre-conceived notion of the fulfillment of prophecy that prevents them seeing God's fulfillment when it has been realized. I would believe the gentleman who wrote the article wrote it as a service to God. His desire is to serve the cause of the savior we all honor. I pray God will help him and all who share this view to see the things in which his understanding is correct...and also see the things in which it is mistaken. I pray the same for myself and those who see the eschatological prophecies as having been fulfilled in connection with the fall of Jerusalem and the end of the Old Covenant World and it's chief city, physical Jerusalem, in 70 AD. I am not without sympathy or understanding regarding the view presented in the above mentioned article, that these prophecies are still unfulfilled. For several years I held that view and preached it vigorously. I also vigorously resisted the notion these things were fulfilled by the time the temple fell. "These things have already happened? Preposterous! Everyone knows they are yet future because they haven't happened yet!" (With a little bit of circular reasoning there.) However, when I became willing to consider that my understanding may be wrong, review and careful examination of scripture led me to a preterist understanding. And this view is remarkable in its consistency and honoring of scripture.

Dr. Hindson presented a listing of problems with the fulfilled understanding of prophecy, stating it is based on a faulty hermaneutic. Formerly sharing his view here is a point-by-point response. Dr. Hindson's points are presented first, followed by the resonse:

1. Destroys the Literal Meaning of the Bible. Once you start arguing that the language of prophecy cannot be taken literally, you are not that far removed from not taking the rest of the Bible literally either. Preterists are following the dangerous path of liberalism which began denying predictive prophecy and soon rejected the literal interpretation of creation, the flood, the virgin birth of Christ, His vicarious death and bodily resurrection.

RESPONSE: Did Jesus destroy the literal meaning of the bible when he said, " beware the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees..." in Matthew 16? The disciples interpreted his comments as literal and physical saying "we forgot to bring bread". Jesus' response was that because of their little faith, they failed to grasp the spiritual intent of his words because of their mode of automatically forcing a literal meaning upon his words! In Jeremiah 5:3 the prophet writes-"They have made their faces harder than rock; they have refused to repent." Is he destroying the literal intent of the bible by using a hyperbole to describe the people's obstinence? Or would Dr. Hindson force these words to mean their faces actually changed to a literal hardness beyond that of rock? In Jeremiah 5:14 the prophet is told by God-"Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of hosts: 'Because they have spoken this word,
behold, I am making my words in your mouth a fire,
and this people wood, and the fire shall devour them." Does it destroy our understanding to perceive the metaphor here? Rather, would not forcing a literal meaning upon this text destroy our understanding?! To recognize Jesus was NOT a literal door, or rock, or shepherd doesn't destroy understanding. Forcing a literal meaning on those texts is what would prevent grasping his real meaning.

2. Distorts the Promise of the Second Coming. Placing the return of Christ in the past robs the Church of a confident expectation about the future. We are left on earth trying to “make the best of it” without any real hope of divine intervention. It leaves the Church trying to “bring in the Kingdom” without the King.

RESPONSE: Placing the fulfillment of these prophecies does the exact opposite of what Dr. Hinson states. If I promise you a thousand dollars and then fulfill that promise by giving you the thousand dollars, have I indeed robbed you? Instead of distorting the promise of the Second Coming preterism upholds it exactly as promised by Jesus and the inspired writers. In Matthew 16 27 & 28 Jesus promised he would return before some of them died. The literalists are left bending and twisting the text from its PLAIN meaning to find some alternate meaning for comfort's sake. The writer of Hebrews, in 10:37, states-" “For yet a little while, and the coming one shall come and shall not tarry..." This was written around 65 AD and the Greek reveals the intensity of the nearness of His coming- ἐτι γαρ μικρον ὁσον ὁσον,
ὁ ἐρχομενος ηξει καὶ οὐ χρονισει· mikron is the "little" and hoson is the "very". But notice that the Greek reveals Jesus' coming was to be, not in a little while", not in "a very little while", BUT in "a very, very little while". The preterist view honors the integrity of Jesus and his words and the inspiration of Holy Scripture. Jesus and the New Testament writers consistently set forth his second coming in a near-to-them time frame. You can look it up. List the passages (without eliminating some from consideration to prejudice the outcome) and see what time frame is presented. The consistency is remarkable: within that generation, near, soon, before some of them died, at hand, in a very, very little while, before they could go through all the towns of Israel, etc. The preterist view shows Jesus to be the Son of God, and the New Testament writers to be inspired and infallible. This contrasts with futurists who say the second coming is still in the future and Paul was mistaken to hold his nearness expectations. The crux of the matter is the connection of Dr. Hindon's first two points. Forcing the second coming of Jesus to be a literal coming on a literal white cloud is what forces a future viewpoint. This refusal to acknowledge the figurative use of language in prophecy either disregards texts like Isaiah 19:1 or reveals a lack of awareness regarding such texts ("An oracle concerning Egypt. Behold, the Lord is riding on a swift cloud and comes to Egypt; and the idols of Egypt will tremble at his presence, and the heart of the Egyptians will melt within them.") When God brought his judgment on cruel Egypt, he did not literally saddle up a cloud with a "cloud of dust and a hearty 'hi o' Silver". He swiftly brought the armies of an avenging nation upon Egypt. Nor did their hearts turn to liquid in their chest cavities. But the real meaning of the prophecy, that they would be filled with fear, is what actually happened. Jesus promised he would return in the lifetime of his disciples. Some would still be alive when he returned. And he would bring the father with him to make their home with the disciples of Jesus ("Judas(not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered him, “If a man loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him."-John 14). That body of believers was purified by the blood and sanctified to became a NEW TEMPLE, a dwelling place for God in the spirit (Eph. 2:19-22). When the Holy Spirit prepared that dwelling place Christ returned with the father to dwell in that new temple, and the sign of this wonderful spiritual reality, was the destruction of the old typological temple in 70 AD. This is consistent with the glorious announcement of Revelation 21:3-"the dwelling of God is with men..." which John said repeatedly was to happen soon after his writing these words (which can be demonstrated to have been written just prior to the fall of Jerusalem).

3.Diminishes the Hope of the Believer. Preterism negates the biblical commands to “watch” and “be ready” for the coming of Christ. It limits those injunctions to the first century believers prior to AD 70. In fact, it limits every biblical command related to the return of Christ. The phrase “until He comes” would have to be limited to AD 70. How can we “build the church” (Matthew 16:18) or “occupy until he comes.” In fact, how do we celebrate the communion service to “show forth the Lord’s death until he comes” (I Corinthians 11:26)? Should we stop celebrating the Lord’s Supper because He already came in AD 70?

RESPONSE: Contrary to these thoughts, our hope in God is made more sure because we find confidence in a God who did exactly what he said exactly when he said he would. We discover that those disciples, who were not told "don't watch because these events are two thousand years away" did watch and saw what Jesus said to watch for. Thus Peter, watching, was led by the Holy Spirit to write "The end of all things is at hand"(1 Pet.4:7) and "For the time has come for judgment to begin with the household of God" (4:17). The same Holy Spirit led John to write-"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." (1 John 2:18). Paul was led to write-"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; 12 the night is far gone, the day is at hand..." (Romans 13) These, and a host of passages like them, show the disciples did watch and found Jesus' predictions and promises to be accurate.

4. Deprives Israel of Her Future. Preterists insist that God is finished with Israel. Many of them teach that it is actually Jesus who breaks the covenant with Israel in Daniel 9:26-27. In essence, Preterism pits Jesus against Israel and therefore smacks of anti-Semitism. Preterists actually teach that the “Babylon” of Revelation 17-18 is Jerusalem! Therefore, the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70 represents Christ’s ultimate triumph over unbelief.

RESONSE: What future? The Old Covenant has been set aside and is obsolete (see Hebrews 8:13, 10:9). It wasn't set aside for gentiles; they were never under it (Eph. 2:11-13). What is a Jews future hope? The same as it has been since the end of Biblical Judaism...the same as gentiles...being reconciled to God, the father of all mankind, through the only true messiah-Jesus! "That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast only through faith. So do not become proud, but stand in awe. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. 22 Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness; otherwise you too will be cut off. 23 And even the others, if they do not persist in their unbelief, will be grafted in..." (Rom. 11). See Ephesians 2:11-18 and notice there aren't two bodies, but one. Gentiles may become part of that body and Jews also. There aren't two plans of salvation. The whole point of the covenant was to show law could not reconcile a person to God. The law could not, nor ever would be able to reconcile anyone to God. See Paul's discussion of the passing splendor of the temporal Jewish covenant and the excelling splendor of the eternal covenant of the messiah in 2 Corinthians 3. As for the Lord's Supper, a careful reading of the texts shows Jesus to teach his disciples to take it looking forward to his return when he would the TAKE IT WITH THEM. The Lord's Supper has far more meaning for us now that ever...for indeed, we sit a table with Abraham Isaac and Jacob, and commune with the Father and the Son!

5. Denies the Power of Christ. While most preterists would insist they are defending the power of Christ, they are actually denying it. They are trying to “bring in the Kingdom” without the King. And might I add, they are fighting a losing battle! Christianity is under attack like never before. We are not winning the battle for world dominion and we never will. Yes, the church will continue to grow (Matthew 16:18), but so will the resistance of Satan (1 Timothy 4:1). God will continue to do marvelous things in this world. But the Church will never bring the Kingdom of Heaven to earth until the King of Heaven returns in person.

REPONSE: Preterists and not "trying to bring in the kingdom". Jesus did that. It was established through the preaching of the good news of the kingdom and the accepting of that good news by believers (Jews and gentiles) who became a body of believers cleansed by the blood to be a new temple for a dwelling place of God in the spirit. When that temple was finished, God did what we do when we finish building a new house...he moved in. And to leave no doubt where his real dwelling place was (a new spiritual temple), he destroyed the physical temple. There was not one stone left upon another. Jesus did exactly what he said he would.

Remember the trial of Steven? Did you ever notice what got those particular Jews (rejected the claim that Jesus was the messiah) so bent out of shape at Stephen? “This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law; 14 for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place, and will change the customs which Moses delivered to us.” (Acts 6). Why would Stephen say such things? What would make him think Jesus would return and destroy the temple and change the law? A quick read of Matthew 24, and Luke 21 will tell us where he got that idea...from Jesus. Stephen believed Jesus was alive again, had gone to heaven, and would return in their lifetime to destroy the temple and remove the old covenant and restore the presence of God to the lives of people of faith...bringing spiritual LIFE to replace the spiritual DEATH first brought into the world by Adam and sustained by the law (whose animal sacrifices could not cleanse sin-Hebrews 1:1-4). Interestingly, Paul preached in Acts 13 "Let it be known to you therefore, brethren, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, 39 and by him every one that believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses. 40 Beware, therefore, lest there come upon you what is said in the prophets: 41 ‘Behold, you scoffers, and wonder, and perish;
for I do a deed in your days,
a deed you will never believe, if one declares it to you.’” Notice that the scoffers were those who didn't believe these things were being fulfilled in that time Paul was preaching.

I appreciate that Dr. Hindon has a heart responsive to Jesus. He is a follower of the Christ. He works in Christian education, which is a wonderful work. I think, though, that he is like me. I don't know everything...and I'm not right about everything. May all of us love the savior and our God. May we, in that love, continue to learn and grow. May we have teachable spirits. May we be bold enough to change when we find we have been wrong. And may we love one another while bringing the saving message of Jesus to those who have not yet been reconciled to God by faith and grace.

PS- Don't miss TRUTHVOICE 2005 here in the Dayton area in June.
Terry Hall
Dayton, Ohio