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Thursday, May 24, 2018
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
"All Nations Stood Before The Throne" by J. E. Gautier Jr.
(Please note: This work may be copyrighted; I do not know. I do not own the rights to this work.)
"All Nations Stood
Before The Throne"
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J. E. Gautier Jr.
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"After this I
beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all
nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and
before the Lamb..." Revelation 7:9
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Acts 2:14-21 (Joel 2:28-32)
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"But Peter,
standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, ‘Ye men
of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and
hearken to my words: For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is
but the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken by the
prophet Joel; ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will
pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall
prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream
dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those
days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: And I will shew wonders in heaven
above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that
great and notable day of the Lord come: And it shall come to pass, that
whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’"
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Scripture connects as
one theological Event - the Advent - Christ’s birth, life, resurrection,
ascension, the outpouring of His Spirit upon the Church in A.D. 30, and the
outpouring of His wrath upon Israel in the Holocaust of A.D. 66-70.
(David Chilton, The Days of Vengeance, p. 285)
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We conclude that the
day of visitation refers partly to the incarnation. This event
brought a double-edged crisis. Jesus’ earthly ministry brought the gracious
presence of God’s redemption to those who received him, but set the stage for
a soon-to-occur visitation of wrath and judgment to Jerusalem and the
impenitent children of Israel. (R.C. Sproul on Luke 19:43-44 , The Last
Days According To Jesus, p.81)
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...in Acts 2:16ff. the
Pentecostal tongues event in Jerusalem was pointed to as a harbinger of ‘the
day of the Lord’ that was coming. Tongues-speaking was a warning sign to
Peter’s hearers of the necessity of their being ‘saved from this perverse
generation’ (Acts 2:40) before the ‘great and glorious day of the Lord’ (Acts
2:20). (Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr., Before Jerusalem Fell, p.234)
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Signs and Wonders...
When?
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"And I will shew
wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and
vapour of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the
moon into blood..."
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In his article, Split
Decision: Olivet Stands United, Daniel E. Harden gives a good explanation of
what the type of prophet-speak language (above) was meant to convey -
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‘Apocalyptic Cosmic
Imagery ’ - The pictorial usage of heavenly objects in Biblical prophecy to
indicate the cataclysmic state of national governments, leaders or prominent
persons as a result of a major covenantal event. This includes the rising and
falling of the sun, the moon, and the stars. One of the earliest (and
simplest) examples can be found in Gen 37:9 and its fulfillment in Gen
42:6-9, when Joseph dreamed about his star ascending above his brothers'
stars. Isaiah's prophecies use this technique more than any other prophet,
but it is used throughout the Old Testament.
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Prophet-speak was used
by God to warn His people of coming judgment. The prophet Joel used this
language, but notice when -
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"...BEFORE that
great and notable day of the Lord come."
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This manner of speech
should remind us of other areas of Scripture -
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Revelation 6:12-13
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"And I beheld
when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and
the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth..."
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Following the same
chronology as Joel, we find that the prophet-speak of Revelation 6 precedes
the day of the Lord.
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Didn’t Jesus employ
prophet-speak when He described His coming at AD 70?
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Matthew 24:29
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"Immediately after the tribulation of those
days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and
the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be
shaken."
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In ALL three of
the above passages prophet-speak is used. And in ALL three, it precedes the
coming day of the Lord.
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"I Have Reserved
to Myself...A Remnant"
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In all three passages,
what’s the next event to occur?
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Joel 2:32 - 3:1
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"And it shall
come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be
delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the
Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call. For,
behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again
the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem."
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Revelation 7:1-4
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"And after these
things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth,
holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on
the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending
from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a
loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the
sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we
have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. And I heard the
number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and
forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel."
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Matthew 24:31
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"And he shall
send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather
together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to
the other."
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Again, in
chronological order, ALL three passages refer to the same event -
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Joel - "The remnant...bring[ing] again the
captivity of Judah and Jerusalem."
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Revelation - "angels holding the four winds of
the earth...having the seal of the living God...seal[ing] the servants of our
God in their foreheads...and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four
thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel."
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Matthew - "angels gather[ing] together his elect
from the four winds..."
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Romans 11:1-5, 26-27
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"I say then, Hath
God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of
the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not cast away his
people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias?
how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying, Lord, they have
killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and
they seek my life. But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have
reserved to myself seven thousand men [compare 144,000 at AD 70],
who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal [compare "who
had not worshiped the beast or his image" Rev.20:4]. Even so then at
this present time also there is a remnant according to the
election of grace....And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is
written, [Isaiah 59:20-21] ‘There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer,
and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:’ ‘For this is my covenant unto
them, when I shall take away their sins [Joel 3:21;
Rev.7:14].’"
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Joel 2:32-3:1
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"And it shall
come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered:
for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the
Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call. For,
behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring
again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem."
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"The Valley of
Decision"
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...the Bible speaks of
the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the Church and the destruction of
Israel as being the same event, for they were intimately connected
theologically. The prophet Joel foretold both the Day of Pentecost and the
destruction of Jerusalem in one breath. (David Chilton, The Great
Tribulation, p. 21)
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According to Joel’s
prophecy, AFTER the "pouring out of [God’s] spirit on all
flesh," AFTER the "sun turned into darkness, and the moon
into blood ," and AFTER "the remnant of Judah and
Jerusalem" are gathered...What was to occur?
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Joel 3:2-21
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"I will also gather
all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat,
and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom
they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land. Assemble
yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together
round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O Lord. Let the
heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for
there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about. Put ye in the sickle,
for the harvest is ripe [Rev.14:15-20; Matthew 13:36-43]: come,
get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness
is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision:
for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. The sun and the
moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining. The
Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the
heavens and the earth shall shake: but the Lord will be the hope of his
people, and the strength of the children of Israel. So shall ye know that I
am the Lord your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall
Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more
[see Eph.2:12-13,19-22]. And it shall come to pass in that day, that
the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk,
and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall
come forth of the house of the Lord [Rev.7:17, 21:6, 22:1,17] and shall
water the valley of Shittim. But Judah shall dwell for ever, and Jerusalem
from generation to generation. For I will cleanse their blood that I
have not cleansed [Roms.11:27; Rev.7:14]: for the Lord dwelleth in
Zion."
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According to
Revelation chapters 6 and 7, what would occur AFTER the"sun
became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood" and AFTER
the "one hundred and forty and four thousand of Israel were
sealed"?
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Revelation 7:9, 14, 17
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v.9 "After this I beheld, and,
lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations,
and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before
the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
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v.14 ...These are they which came out of
great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in
the blood of the Lamb [Joel 3:21; Roms.11:27].
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v.17 ...the Lamb which is in the midst of
the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of
waters: [Joel 3:18] and God shall wipe away all tears from their
eyes."
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Isn’t this the same
chronological order as Joel’s prophecy?
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In his book, Before
Jerusalem Fell, Dr. Ken Gentry says this about the 144,000, and those who
came out of the Great Tribulation -
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In Revelation 7:1-8 we
find an interesting temporary divine protection of ‘the land’ where four
angels are seen holding back the winds of destruction...Then follows the
sealing of the 144,000 from the Twelve Tribes of Israel...Clearly the
reference to the Twelve Tribes is to Christians...of Jewish extraction...they
are contrasted with the "great multitude" from "every
nation" who praise God (v.9)....While speaking in the Olivet Discourse
of the destruction of the very Temple to which the disciples could physically
point...He also clearly taught that all of these things would happen to
"this generation" (Matt. 24:32). Indeed, this coming event was to
be "the great tribulation" (Matt. 24:21) - the very tribulation of
which John writes (Rev. 7:14). pp.232-234
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The Greek word for
"tribe"...which in Scripture most frequently refers to the Jewish
tribes....The term obviously has that import in Revelation 7:4ff., where it
is used of each of the specifically named Twelve Tribes....Of course, where
the term is found in connection with "every kindred, tribe, tongue, and
nation" in Revelation, such would not be the exclusive reference (cf.
Rev. 5:9; 7:9; 11:9; 13:7; 14:6). pp.127-128
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So, Dr. Gentry admits
that -
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1) the reference to
the Twelve Tribes is to Christians of Jewish extraction...they are
contrasted with the "great multitude" from "every
nation" who praise God (v.9). The Greek word for
"tribe" is not an exclusive reference to the Jewish
tribes in Rev. 7:9.
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2) Indeed, this coming
event was to be "the great tribulation" - the very tribulation
of which John writes (Rev. 7:14).
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In these statements,
Dr. Gentry is saying that Revelation 7:1-14 is to be considered as fulfilled
by AD 70. How then does Dr. Gentry "split" the Olivet
Discourse, and claim that the separation of the sheep and goats (all nations)
is a still future-to-us event?
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See Daniel E. Harden’s
articles: When is a Heretic, not a Heretic? and Split
Decision: Olivet Stands United
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In the Olivet
Discourse, Matthew 24-25, isn’t Christ still following the same chronological
order as Joel and Revelation?
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AFTER the sun being darkened, and the moon not
giving her light, and the stars falling from heaven and AFTER
"the gathering of the elect," then...What comes next?
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Judgment of the
Nations: The Sheep and Goats.
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Matthew 25: 31-34
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"When the Son
of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him,
[Mtt.16:27; 24:30-31] then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory
[Rev.7:9 "before the throne and before the Lamb"]: And before
him shall be gathered all nations: [Joel 3:2,14 "I will also gather
all nations...multitudes in the valley of decision"/ Rev.7:9 "a
great multitude...of all nations stood before the throne"] and he shall
separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the
goats [Joel 3:12 "there will I sit to judge all the heathen"]: And
he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then
shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my
Father, inherit the kingdom [Dan.7:18-27] prepared for you from the
foundation of the world:"
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"...inherit the
kingdom..." Throughout the New
Testament, "the kingdom" was said to be "at hand." If
this kingdom which the Sheep would inherit is not the same New Testament
kingdom that was "near," then what kingdom is it?
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Matthew 16:27-28
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"For the Son
of Man will come in the glory of His Father with the angels,
and then He will reward each according to his works.
Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste
death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom."
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Jesus said that some
of His disciples would live to see Him come in His glory, with His angels,
and in His kingdom to reward each according to their works! Do we believe
Him?
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Matthew 25:31-32, 34
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"When the Son
of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He
will sit on the throne of His glory. All nations will be gathered
before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a
shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. [Mtt.13:49] ...Then the King will
say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit
the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."
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How are these two
passages not referring to the same coming and kingdom? In both passages we have: the Son of Man
coming in His glory, with His angels, and His kingdom to judge ALL! How
can "the kingdom" of Matthew 16:28, NOT be "the kingdom"
of 25:34?
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It seems clear that
the partial preterist who wants to insert a 2,000 year gap into the Olivet
Discourse, must also insert it between verses 1 and 2 of Joel chapter 3.
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v.1 "For, behold, in those days, and in that
time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem [remnant
of Israel, 144,000 sealed of the tribes],
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v.2 I will also gather all nations [the
heathens], and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat...[judgment
in the valley of decision, there will I sit to judge all the heathen]"
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"IN THOSE
DAYS, AND IN THAT TIME...I WILL ALSO gather all nations...for there will
I sit to judge all the heathen round about."
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A 2,000 year gap
between two verses? The partial preterist claims that AD 70 marked a
"type of coming" in judgment upon apostate Israel ONLY. These
verses say otherwise. These verses explicitly state that when God judged
Israel, He would “also gather all nations” for judgment.
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The
"splitting" partial preterist must also contend that the "day
of the Lord" of Joel 2:31, is not the same "day of the Lord"
of Joel 3:14, which was said to be "near"!
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2:31 "The sun shall be turned into darkness,
and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord
come." (AD 70)
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3:14 "Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of
decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of
decision." (must be future for the partial preterist)
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Two different
"days of the Lord"? And the latter, when all nations (the
heathen) are judged, was said to be near!
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The same holds true
for Revelation 7. For Dr. Gentry, he must bounce back and forth from AD 70
(v.8), to our future (v.9), and back to AD 70 (v.14).
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v.8 "of the tribe(s)...were sealed..."
- AD 70
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v.9 "a great multitude...of all
nations...stood before the throne, and before the Lamb" - must be
future, if Matthew 25:31-34 is not yet fulfilled.
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v.14 "These are they which came out of great
tribulation..." - back to AD 70 again.
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A 2,000 year gap
between verses 8 and 9 of Revelation 7, then back 2,000 years to AD 70 again
for verse 14?
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The prophet Joel
foretold both the Day of Pentecost and the destruction of Jerusalem in one
breath. (David Chilton, The Great Tribulation)
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According to the
partial preterist, how many more breaths must we take before Joel’s
prophecy is fulfilled? And just how many kingdoms are they saying the New
Testament teaches?
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"And His kingdom
the one which shall not be destroyed"
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In his book, Before
Jerusalem Fell, Dr. Gentry says that the Parable of the Vineyard should
be applied to AD 70 -
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There are a good
number of prophetic statements in Christ’s teaching regarding Jerusalem’s
demise (e.g., Matt. 21:33-46...) p.234
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Matthew 21:38-45
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"But when the
husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come,
let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance [Psalm 2:8
"the nations for Thine inheritance"]. And they caught him, and cast
him out of the vineyard, and slew him. When the lord therefore of the
vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen? They say unto him, He
will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto
other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons. Jesus
saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the
builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the
Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? Therefore say I unto you, The
kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing
forth the fruits thereof. [Mtt.25 "the nations... inherit the
kingdom"] And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on
whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. And when the chief
priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake
of them."
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Let’s take a look at Matthew
25:34 again -
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"...Then the King
will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit
the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."
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Is Dr. Gentry
postulating that the New Testament teaches two kingdoms - one that
came in the first-century, and another to come at some future date? When did
Christ or any of His apostles (or any of the Old Testament prophets for that
matter), ever teach such a notion? Where are the verses that support it? To
the contrary, the only kingdom that was ever taught, was said to be "at
hand" or "near" or "about to be." Indeed, the New
Testament does not teach two different kingdoms. It is only the
partial preterist system that, out of necessity, forces this to be. Instead
of the biblical teaching of only one New Testament coming of Christ
that would bring in the one never-ending kingdom; the partial
preterists’ kingdom has an end, with an ushering-in of another
kingdom at their future-to-us coming of Christ.
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Hebrews 12:26-28
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"...whose voice
then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, ‘Yet once more
I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.’ Now this, ‘Yet once more,’
indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things
that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken..."
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The writer of Hebrews
tells us that the first-century Christians were in the process of receiving
a kingdom which could not be shaken. And that the things which could not be
shaken would remain.
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...as the old heaven
and earth collapsed, the church was receiving a kingdom which cannot be
shaken. Was receiving - [Chilton paraphrases the Hebrews writer, JEGjr] ‘We
are receiving! Not that someday we’re going to receive, but we are
receiving.’ But, they hadn’t quite received it yet...It was a process.
(David Chilton, Conference on Bible Prophecy, Oklahoma City,1997)
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Dr. Gentry concurs -
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The Jerusalem
holocaust was coming in that generation...I Thessalonians 2:16 speaks of Jews
who ‘always fill up the measure of their sins’ and upon whom ‘the wrath has
come...to the utmost.’ Hebrews 12:18-29 contrasts Judaism and its
fulfillment, Christianity, and notes that there is an approaching ‘shaking’
of the old order coming. (Before Jerusalem Fell, p.235)
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Is there another
kingdom that will remain after the kingdom which cannot be shaken, is shaken?
The partial preterist would have God say, "Yet twice more I
shake not only the earth, but also heaven."
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Luke 1:33
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"And He will reign over the house of Jacob
forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end."
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The New Testament
speaks of only one kingdom that would come. 2,000 years ago, it was
said to be, "at hand," "near," or "about
to be." "And of His kingdom there
will be no end."
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The New Testament
speaks of only one coming judgment that was about to be, that
would attend the kingdom. Both of these "events" would occur at the
one New Testament "coming of the Son of Man." The
partial preterist system has accepted the traditional view of a future-to-us
"eternal phase of the kingdom at Christ’s Second Advent." (Drs.
Bahnsen and Gentry, House Divided - The Break-Up of Dispensational
Theology, p.188) They have a sort-of transference of the kingdom
into its "eternal phase" at a yet future Advent. Question: Where
are the verses that support this?
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The "Now, Not
Yet" Experience
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...we hold with the
great majority of evangelicals the idea of a ‘now, not yet’ kingdom... (House
Divided, p.188)
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The reason that Drs.
Bahnsen and Gentry hold to this "now, not yet" idea is because,
that’s what the New Testament teaches! But, who was it that
experienced the "now, not yet"? It was the first-century, New
Testament-times Christians. They lived during the "now, not yet."
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‘but we are
receiving.’ But, they hadn’t
quite received it yet...It was a process. (David Chilton, Conference on
Bible Prophecy, Oklahoma City, 1997)
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Again, in their book House
Divided, Drs. Bahnsen and Gentry -
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Thus, the Gospels
emphasize on several occasions the nearness of His kingdom (Matt. 3:2; 4:12,
17; 10:7; 16:28; Mark 1:14-15; 9:1; Luke 21:31). After the Gospels there is
no longer any preaching of the kingdom as at hand because: The Kingdom Was
Established During Christ’s Ministry. p.180
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Drs. Bahnsen and
Gentry say that "the kingdom was established during Christ’s
ministry," and they show scriptural support for this. A more fitting
term would be, introduced. The kingdom was introduced during Christ’s
ministry. BUT, Drs. Bahnsen and Gentry would also say, "the
kingdom did in fact come [emphasis JEGjr] in Christ’s ministry" (House
Divided, p.180). Well, which is it? They say, "After the Gospels
there is no longer any preaching of the kingdom as at hand." Is this a
true statement? Several of the verses that they have supplied are shown to not
support their theory [see further below for Mtt.16:28 and Mk.9:1]. Let’s take
a look at one of those verses -
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Luke 21:31
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"Even so ye also,
when ye see these things coming to pass, know ye that the kingdom
of God is nigh."
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Yes, Jesus may have said
this during His ministry which was recorded in Luke’s gospel, but to what
was He referring?
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...Luke’s account in
Luke 21, which definitely speaks of the A.D. 70 destruction of the physical
temple to which the disciples actually pointed. (Gentry, Beast of
Revelation, p. 128)
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Luke 21:31 is found in
Christ’s Olivet Discourse. In the previous verses, Jesus tells His disciples
of the "signs" to look for before His Return. One of those signs is
found in Luke 21:20, "But when ye see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then
know that her desolation is at hand." Jesus spoke these words
some thirty years before "these things" actually happened. But He
told them that when these things began to come to pass, to know that the
kingdom of God is nigh, or near. It seems that the kingdom still hadn’t
come until several years after the Gospel times of Christ’s ministry.
But the kingdom had been introduced (now, not yet) during His
ministry. What act by God marked the consummation of His Kingdom?
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The most significant,
redemptive, historical action that takes place outside the New Testament, is
the judgment that falls on Jerusalem, and by which judgment the Christian
Church now emerges as The Body of Christ. (R.C. Sproul, Dust to Glory
video series, 1997)
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Revelation 11:15
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"Then the seventh
angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The
kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His
Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!" (note Rev.11:18’s resurrection)
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David Chilton on
Revelation 11:15, Days of Vengeance -
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At this point in
history God’s plan is made apparent: He has placed Jews and Gentiles on equal
footing in the Covenant. The destruction of apostate Israel and the Temple revealed
that God had created a new nation, a new Temple, as Jesus prophesied to the
Jewish leaders: ‘Therefore I say to you, the Kingdom of God will be taken
from you, and be given to a nation producing the fruit of it’ (Matt.21:43).
Thus the Kingdom of God, the ‘Fifth Kingdom’ prophesied in Daniel 2, becomes
universalized, as the heavenly choir sings: ‘The kingdom of the world has
become the Kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He will reign forever
and ever.’ p.287-288
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Marcellus Kik, An Eschatology
of Victory -
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The catastrophe of
Jerusalem really signalized the beginning of a new and world-wide kingdom,
marking the full separation of the Christian Church from legalistic Judaism.
The whole system of worship, so closely associated with Jerusalem and the
Temple, received, as it were, a death blow from God himself. p.138
|
Revelation 12:10-11
|
"And I heard a
great voice in heaven, saying, Now is come the salvation, and
the power, and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his
Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, who accuseth them
before our God day and night. And they overcame him because of the blood of
the Lamb, and because of the word of their testimony; and they loved not
their life even unto death."
|
The result of
Michael’s [Dan.12:1, JEGjr] victory over the Dragon...Now have come the
salvation - the victorious deliverance into a 'wide, open space' -
and the power, and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of His
Christ. The outcome of the Holy War is this: The Kingdom has arrived!
(Chilton on Rev.12:10-11, Days of Vengeance, p.315)
|
The passages in
Revelation 11 and 12, speak of the soon-to-occur fulfillment of Daniel’s
prophecy -
|
Daniel 7:18, 21, 27
|
"But the
saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom [Heb.12:28 "we are
receiving (now, not yet) a kingdom"], and possess
the kingdom forever, even forever and ever....and a judgment was made in
favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time [Rev.12:10
"now is come...the kingdom of our God"] came for the saints to
possess [Mtt.25:34, the sheep, those on His right, inherit the kingdom]
the kingdom. Then the kingdom and dominion, And the greatness of the
kingdoms under the whole heaven, His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And all dominions shall serve and obey Him."
|
Dr. Gentry even
supports that the kingdom actually came at AD 70 -
|
In Mark 9:1 Jesus
promises that some of his hearers would not "taste of death" before
witnessing the "coming of the kingdom with power." This almost
certainly refers to the destruction of the temple at the behest of Christ...
(Before Jerusalem Fell, p. lii)
|
Dr. Gentry failed to
mention Mark 8:38. These two verses together, Mark 8:38 and 9:1, parallel
Matthew 16:27 and 28.
|
Mark 8:38-9:1
|
"Whosoever
therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and
sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he
cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. And he said unto
them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here,
which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come
with power."
|
Matthew 16:27-28
|
"For the Son
of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he
shall reward every man according to his works. Verily I say unto you,
There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see
the Son of man coming in his kingdom."
|
There’s the "now,
not yet." The time between Christ’s ministry (the introduction
of the kingdom), and His coming (the establishment, or consummation of
the kingdom) at AD 70 is what is reflected throughout the New Testament. The
first-century Christians who lived during that time experienced the
"now, not yet." NOT US! Audience Relevance! We must take off our
Nikes and put on their sandals. We must learn to read our Bibles with one of
the most basic of interpretive principles - Audience Relevance. What did
Christ’s words mean to His original listeners? And what did the epistles mean
to the readers to whom they were addressed?
|
Note what Matthew
16:27 and 28 teach - At Christ’s coming in His kingdom, with His holy
angels, with the glory of His Father, He would reward every man according to
his works; and that SOME STANDING IN FRONT OF HIM WOULD LIVE TO SEE IT!
Doesn’t this coincide perfectly with what we learned from Joel,
Revelation, and Jesus in His Olivet Discourse?
|
No gimmicks, just
plain language.
|
"In the judgment
with this generation"
|
Matthew 10:11, 14-15,
23; 11:20-24; 12:41-42, 45
|
"And into
whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, inquire who in it is worthy; and
there abide till ye go thence....And whosoever shall not receive you, nor
hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust
of your feet. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the
land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.
But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I
say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the
Son of man be come....Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most
of his mighty works were done, because they repented not: Woe unto thee,
Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done
in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long
ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable
for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. And thou,
Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for
if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom,
it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, That it shall
be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee....The
men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall
condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a
greater than Jonas is here....The queen of the south shall rise up in the
judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from
the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold,
a greater than Solomon is here....Even so shall it be also unto this
wicked generation."
|
Isn’t AD 70 when
"this wicked generation" was judged? The partial preterist says,
"yes."
|
Matthew 23:29-35
|
"Woe unto you,
scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the
prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, And say, If we had
been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them
in the blood of the prophets [Lev.26: 40-42]. Wherefore ye be witnesses unto
yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. Fill
ye up then the measure of your fathers. Ye serpents, ye generation of
vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? Wherefore, behold, I
send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall
kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute
them from city to city [Mtt.10:23]: That upon you may come all the
righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto
the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and
the altar. Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this
generation."
|
Plain language - Isn’t
Christ saying that the heathen nations would be judged along with that wicked
generation of vipers! Doesn’t this also coincide perfectly with Joel,
Revelation, Jesus in His Olivet Discourse, and Jesus in Matthew 16:27-28? The partial preterist insists that
Christ’s coming in AD 70 was simply a "type of coming" in judgment
upon Israel. But we have already shown that this is not the case. Christ
Himself said, "every man" (Mtt.16:27), that's verbatim
Revelation 22:12, "And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is
with Me, to give to every man acccording to his work" which Dr.
Gentry says is AD 70. Joel’s prophecy, "in those days, and in that
time...I will also gather all nations, for there will I sit to judge
all the heathen" (Joel 3:1-2,12) was proven to be an AD 70 event.
The judgment of the sheep and goats, "all nations"
(Mtt.25:32) was shown to be the soon-to-occur fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy.
Revelation 7, which Dr. Gentry posits at AD 70, was shown to be that same
group (the sheep) from Matthew 25’s "sheep and goats." And
in the above passages, when Christ "upbraids the cities wherein most of
his mighty works were done," He includes the Gentiles within the same
judgment of impenitent Israel.
|
How does this not
represent the so-called "universal Judgment of all mankind"? What part of SCRIPTURE is the Preterist
violating for saying that the Judgment is past? These are the very same
verses that, before were thought to support the idea of a future-to-us
Coming. Since it has been shown that the Gentiles were also judged at AD 70,
where are the verses that teach a future-to-us Final Universal Judgment?
|
"World Without
End"
|
Dr. Gentry from, The
Great Tribulation in Progressive Dispensationalism (Part 3) - Dispensationalism
in Transition, September, 1998 -
|
...I do not believe
that I am THEOLOGICALLY committed to requiring that both judgments (A.D. 70
and Second Advent) appear in Matthew’s Olivet Discourse. My evangelical
creedal commitments require a Second Advent, to be sure, but not necessarily
a Second Advent in Matthew 24-25. Indeed, these chapters could theoretically
speak ONLY of A.D. 70 (even though I believe such would be quite awkward). I
do not have any unyielding theological commitments against applying the
entire Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24-25 to A.D. 70. If these chapters apply
only to A.D. 70, so be it!
|
To reiterate the
sentiment of some well known premil-dispensationalists who engage Dr. Gentry
in debate (paraphrase from House Divided, p.274) -
|
If [Gentry] were to
take the whole Olivet discourse as already fulfilled...then he is left with
the problem of where does the Bible actually teach the second coming?
|
Dr. Gentry states that
he is willing to have the entire Olivet Discourse, Matthew 24 and
25, apply to AD 70. First of all, if this was the case, where would Dr.
Gentry then find JESUS teaching another coming other than His coming at AD
70? Secondly, if, for Dr. Gentry, the entire Olivet Discourse refers to AD
70, then God sure does down-play the supposed End of the World doesn’t He? It
seems that more and more passages are being applied to AD 70, and less and
less to the end of the world. But, Dr. Gentry will continue to hold to that
future-to-him coming because of his "evangelical creedal commitments."
How much more of the New Testament is the partial preterist going to give
away to AD 70 before they realize, "You know what, I’ve run out of
verses, the Bible really doesn’t say anything about the end of the world does
it?" Actually, the Bible does address the End of the World issue -
|
What Peter is saying
[II Peter 3:7-13 JEGjr] is that, once the Old era is gone, the New Covenant
will be established. An era in which righteousness dwells. The New World
Order of the Lord Jesus Christ has arrived. And according to God’s promise,
the saving knowledge of Him will fill the earth as the waters cover the sea
[Is.11:9, JEGjr]....there are scripture passages that indicate that the world
isn’t going to end in a fiery holocaust, it’s going to continue on forever.
Scripture references for those: Psalm 78:69; 104:5; 119:90; Ecclesiastes 1:4 and
Ephesians 3:21. (David Chilton, Conference on Bible Prophecy, Oklahoma
City, 1997)
|
Psalm 78:69
|
"And he built his
sanctuary like high palaces, like the earth which he hath established for
ever."
|
Psalm 104:5
|
"Who laid the
foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever."
|
Psalm 119:90
|
"Thy faithfulness
is unto all generations: thou hast established the earth, and it
abideth."
|
Ecclesiastes 1:4
|
"One generation
passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for
ever."
|
Ephesians 3:21
|
"Unto him be
glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world
without end. Amen."
|
Also:
|
Genesis 8:21-22
|
"And the Lord
smelled a sweet savour; and the Lord said in his heart, I will not again
curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's
heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every
thing living, as I have done. While the earth remaineth, seedtime and
harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall
not cease."
|
Psalm 148:4-6
|
"Praise him, ye
heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens. Let them praise
the name of the Lord: for he commanded, and they were created. He hath also stablished
them for ever and ever: he hath made a decree which shall not pass."
|
Is it just a
coincidence that Preterists understand that ALL “End of the World (age)”
references actually only refer to AD 70, AND we have these “the world’s not
going to end” verses to back it? How does Paul’s “world without end” fit into
the partial preterist and Futurist’s “the world is going to end” scenario? It
doesn’t. It can’t. If these verses (above) don’t mean what they plainly
say, then what do they mean?
|
Since the kingdom has
already come, one verse really says it all -
|
II Timothy 4:1 NKJV
|
"I charge you
therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living
and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom."
|
In his book Before
Jerusalem Fell, where he is attempting to prove the pre-AD 70 dating of
the book of Revelation, Dr. Gentry prefers the "more literal fashion"
translation of the Greek mello - mellw by Alfred Marshall -
|
Unfortunately, none of
the major translations cited above [NASB, NKJV, ASV, RSV, NIV, etc. JEGjr.]
translates Revelation 1:19 in a literal fashion. Although, interestingly,
several do translate the same verb in a more literal fashion when it appears
in Revelation 3:10....Marshall’s The Interlinear Greek-English New
Testament, however, (is) quite literal in both instances. The relevant
phrases read: "the things which are about to occur" (Rev.1:19) and
"being about to come" (Rev.3:10). p.141
|
I have to agree with
Dr. Gentry. If I had my choice in the matter, I also would prefer the more
literal fashion over the not-so-literal fashion.
|
In their book, House
Divided - The Break-Up of Dispensational Theology, Drs. Bahnsen
and Gentry write -
|
...a more accurate
translation of the verse suggests another more reasonable interpretation
(which we adopt): ‘I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ
Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing
and His kingdom.’ p.188
|
In their fight against
premil-dispensationalism, Drs. Bahnsen and Gentry chose to use the NASB,
which they considered to be a "more accurate translation" of II
Timothy 4:1. Continuing on in House Divided, Drs. Bahnsen and Gentry
quote a portion of II Timothy 4:1 from Alfred Marshall’s, The
Interlinear Greek-English New Testament -
|
...The charge, then,
would be with a two-fold emphasis on the basis of the fact that Christ Jesus,
who is the Judge, will judge the living and the dead, ‘both [by] the
appearance of him and [by] the kingdom of him,’ that is, by His Second Advent
and by His Kingdom. p.188
|
In both books,
Before Jerusalem Fell and House Divided, Dr. Gentry prefers
the "quite literal" and "more literal fashion"
translation of Alfred Marshall. Dr. Gentry approves of Alfred Marshall’s
translation of the Gr. mello as about to, in Revelation
1:19 and 3:10, and uses it to serve his purpose of dating the book of
Revelation. As we have seen, he also quotes a portion of Alfred
Marshall’s translation of II Timothy 4:1. Questions: Why was only the
second half of the verse quoted? - "both [by] the appearance of
him..." Why not the whole verse? Was this simply an oversight, or could
it be that had Drs. Bahnsen and Gentry quoted the entire verse from Alfred
Marshall’s translation of II Timothy 4:1, it would have meant LIGHTS OUT for
partial preterism?
|
Let’s take a look at
how Dr. Marshall translates II Timothy 4:1... No, wait a minute, let’s
first see how our NASB, NIV, NKJV and Alfred Marshall translate the identical
form of mello - mellontoz found in Acts 18:14 -
|
Acts 18:14
|
NASB - "But when Paul was about to
open his mouth..."
|
NIV - "Just as Paul was about to speak..."
|
NKJV - "And when Paul was about to
open his mouth..."
|
Marshall - "And being about - Paul to open
his mouth..."
|
Now, look how Marshall
translates THE SAME EXACT WORD in II Timothy 4:1 -
|
"I solemnly
witness before - God and Christ Jesus, the [one] BEING ABOUT TO
judge living [ones] and dead, both [by] the appearance of him and [by] the
kingdom of him."
|
One verse really does
say it ALL, doesn’t it?
|
By Drs. Bahnsen and
Gentry’s own admission, the Judgment was to have taken place "both
[by] the appearance of him and [by] the kingdom of him."
|
...the fact that
Christ Jesus, who is the Judge, will judge the living and the dead, ‘both [by]
the appearance of him and [by] the kingdom of him,’ that is, by His Second
Advent and by His Kingdom.
|
That was the whole
point they were trying to make in this section of House Divided; They
are correct on both counts - The Judgment would occur "by His Second
Advent and by His Kingdom." It’s just that they are off by 2,000
years!
|
Hebrews 9:26
|
"For then must he
often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the
end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of
himself."
|
Dr. Gentry on Hebrews
9:22-10:7 (specifically 9:26) -
|
Notice the key phrase:
‘in the end of the world.’ In the original Greek, it reads: ‘completion of
the ages.’ This phrase must be taken literally, but its literal frame of
reference was the fall of Jerusalem and the annulment of the temple’s
sacrificial system. The author was therefore prophesying the imminent end of
national Israel as God’s covenant people. (The Beast of Revelation,
p.xiv)
|
But wait a minute,
isn’t this the passage that speaks of Christ’s Second Advent?
|
Hebrews 9:28
|
"So Christ was
once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall
he appear the second time without sin unto salvation."
|
Dr. Gentry is not
inserting another 2,000 year gap at verse 27 is he? This "second
time" must be referring to Christ’s coming at AD 70, which "end[ed]
national Israel as God’s covenant people." Where did our phrases,
"Second Coming," and "Second Advent" come from? Surely,
it was Hebrews 9:28! In the above, Dr. Gentry has stated that the
"completion of the ages" refers to the fall of Jerusalem. And
elsewhere, "...the end of the Temple and the Jewish age (Matt.24:2, 3,
15-16)." BJF, p.242
|
I Corinthians 2:8
|
"...which none of
the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have
crucified the Lord of glory."
|
According to the New
Testament, during what "age" was our Lord crucified? “THIS
age.”
|
Titus 2:12
|
"teaching us
that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly,
righteously, and godly in the present age"
|
Dr. Gentry must concur
that Paul’s "this age" and "the present age" refer to the
same "completion of the ages" that would see their end at the
destruction of the Temple and Jewish age. Paul wrote during the Jewish
age - THIS age. He died before the destruction of Jerusalem. Therefore,
Paul’s “this age,” and "present age," must be the Jewish age. With
this, Dr. Gentry must agree.
|
Let’s take a look at
these “Second Coming” verses within their context -
|
Hebrews 9:26, 28 NKJV
|
"He then would
have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now,
once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the
sacrifice of Himself. ...so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many.
To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart
from sin, for salvation."
|
Titus 2:12-13
|
"teaching us
that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly,
righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed
hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus
Christ."
|
Notice in this next
passage, Peter is telling his fellow elders that THEY would receive
their crown at His appearing -
|
I Peter 5:1-4
|
"I, a fellow
elder, exhort the elders among you, I being also witness of the
sufferings of Christ, and also a part of the glory that will [Gr.
mello, is about to, JEGjr] be revealed: Shepherd the flock of
God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but
willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those
entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock, and when the Chief
Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does
not fade away."
|
The next passage is
one of the most embarrasing for partial preterists. It says too much. ALL
partial preterists must cave-in to this most glaring case of audience
relevance. But at the same time, hasn’t this passage ALWAYS referred to
the Second Coming?
|
II Thessalonians
1:4-10 (Weymouth, New Testament
In Modern Speech, 1909)
|
"...we
ourselves [Paul, Silas and Timothy] make honourable mention of you
[Thessalonian Christians] among the Churches of God because of your
patience and faith amid all your persecutions and amid the
afflictions which you are enduring. For these are a plain token of God’s
righteous judgment, which has in view your being deemed worthy of
admission to God’s Kingdom [Mtt.25:34 "inherit the kingdom"], for
the sake of which, indeed, you are sufferers. A plain token of God’s
righteous judgement, I say, since it is a righteous thing for Him to
requite with affliction those who are now afflicting you; and to
requite with rest you who are suffering affliction now -
rest with us at the re-appearing [Heb.9:28 "appear the
second time"] of the Lord Jesus from Heaven, attended by His mighty
angels [Mtt.16:27; 24:30-31; 25:31]. He will come in flames of
fire to take vengeance on those who have no knowledge of God, and do not obey
the Good News as to Jesus, our Lord. They will pay the penalty of eternal
destruction, being banished from the presence of the Lord and from His
glorious majesty, when He comes on that day..."
|
Take a close look at
this last verse, and compare it to -
|
Matthew 25:41, 46
|
"Then He will
also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the
everlasting fire...And these will go away into everlasting
punishment..."
|
Actually, compare the
entire sheep and goats passage of Mtt.25:31-46 with the above II
Thessalonians passage. In both we have -
|
Christ coming with His
angels. The living Christians inheriting the Kingdom. And the unrighteous
paying the penalty.
|
So, Christ would
APPEAR a second time at the completion of the then present age, in His
KINGDOM...but II Timothy 4:1 hasn’t happened yet?
|
II Timothy 4:1 NKJV
|
"I charge you
therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will [being
about to, JEGjr] judge the living and the dead at His appearing and
His kingdom."
|
According to Drs.
Bahnsen and Gentry’s interpretation, Christ’s "appearing" is His
Second Advent -
|
...the fact that
Christ Jesus, who is the Judge, will judge the living and the dead, ‘both [by]
the appearance of him and [by] the kingdom of him,’ that is, by His
Second Advent and by His Kingdom. (House Divided, p.188, emphasis
JEGjr)
|
And if His Kingdom
came by His appearing at AD 70 at the end of THAT age, how can II
Timothy 4:1 be future to us? Also, is it just a coincidence that if mello is
translated properly as “about to,” it fits hand-in-glove with these other
proofs?
|
From Ernest
Hampden-Cook’s The Christ Has Come, 1891 -
|
The belief that
Christ’s Second Advent, with its accompaniments of a resurrection and a
judgment, took place at the time of the destruction of Jerusalem rests on
precisely the same basis as the expectation of the events ever taking place;
namely, on the plain, emphatic, and continually repeated statements of our
Lord and His apostles given beforehand...He himself predicted that these
events would take place at the close of the Jewish dispensation. To Christian
believers this affords the strongest possible presumption that they did take
place...The burden of proof in the argument rests not on those who assert,
but on those who deny the past advent...To deny the truth of His predictions
because we are unable historically to verify a certain portion of them is simply
to make manifest the shallowness of our faith in Him. To disprove the truth
of those predictions would be to shake the Christian religion to its very
foundations. Let God and God’s Son be true, and, if need be, every mere man a
liar!
|
Because in the opinion
of some, not by sound exegesis, the living and the dead
have not been judged yet, II Timothy 4:1 is reserved for some future-to-us
appearing and kingdom, and mello is not allowed its proper translation.
|
So, according to
partial preterism, Christ has appeared, but it wasn’t His Appearance!
|
For a second time, but
it wasn’t The Second Time!
|
And He came in His
kingdom, but it wasn’t His Kingdom!
|
With His holy angels
and His Father’s glory to reward every man, but it wasn’t;
|
With His Holy Angels
and His Father’s Glory to Reward Every Man!
|
Dr. Gentry fights to
have mello work for his purpose against premil-dispensationalism -
|
Unfortunately, none of
the major translations cited...translates Revelation 1:19 in a literal
fashion. (Before Jerusalem Fell p.141)
|
...this term means ‘be
on the point of, be about to.’...According to Young’s Literal Translation of
the Bible, Revelation 1:19 reads: ‘Write the things that thou hast seen, and
the things that are, and the things that are about to come [mello] after these
things.’ The leading interlinear versions of the New Testament concur. This
is surely the proper translation of the verse. (The Beast of Revelation
pp.23-24)
|
Just out of curiosity,
if Dr. Gentry really wanted to show the great zeal he has for the proper
translation of the Greek word mello, why didn’t he also go to Young’s
Literal Translation of the Bible, for its translation of mello in -
|
II Timothy 4:1
|
"I do fully
testify, then, before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who is
about to judge living and dead at his manifestation and his
reign"
|
Or in:
|
Acts 24:15
|
"having hope
toward God, which they themselves also wait for, [that] there is about
to be a rising again of the dead, both of righteous and
unrighteous"
|
If he had done this,
he could have shown: 1) just how inconsistent it is to take the
Resurrection of Revelation 11 and 20, out of "the things that are
about to come after these things." (Rev.1:19) And 2)
that there must be a driving presupposition which forces an individual to
pick and choose, when and where he’s going to allow for the proper
translation of a word to effect his interpretation of a certain passage, or
not.
|
"This is surely
the proper translation..." - Dr. Kenneth L. Gentry Jr.
|
Well, sometimes
anyway.
|
Daniel 12’s
Resurrection and AD 70
|
Daniel 12:4, 9
|
"‘But you,
Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end....for
the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.’"
|
The New Geneva Study
Bible on Daniel 12:4 -
|
12:4 seal the book. Sealing the book preserves it unaltered as it
awaits fulfillment. p.1355
|
In the Olivet
Discourse, Jesus opens the seal.
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Matthew 24:15
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"Therefore when
you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet..."
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Daniel 12:11
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"And from the
time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of
desolation is set up..."
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Daniel 9:27
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"...in the middle
of the week He shall bring an end to the sacrifice and offering. And on the
wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, even until the
consummation, which is determined..."
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The usefulness of this
passage is enhanced by the fact that Christ draws from it in His Olivet
Discourse (cf. Matt. 24:15) which is clearly related to the A.D. 70
destruction of the Temple (cf. Matt. 24:1-2). (John F. Walvoord on Daniel
9:24-27, The Revelation of Jesus Christ, p. 35)
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Matthew 24:21 is
virtually verbatim Daniel 12:1. Both describe the "Great
Tribulation" period which partial preterists place at AD 70. Even the New
Geneva Study Bible recognizes the correlation -
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12:1 a time of trouble. This unparalleled time of trouble is
sometimes identified with the "great tribulation" predicted by
Jesus (Matt. 24:21; Mark 13:19). p.1355
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Matthew 24:21
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"For then there
will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the
beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be."
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Daniel 12:1b
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"And there
shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a
nation, even to that time."
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Daniel 12 screams of
AD 70 fulfillment, and the partial preterist knows it, so it is posited
there. But what about those pesky resurrection verses? They sure do throw a
monkey wrench into the works don’t they?
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Daniel 12:1-2, 13
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"At that time Michael
shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your
people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there
was a nation, even to that time [Mtt.24:21]: and at that time your people
shall be delivered, every one who is found written in the book. And many of
those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting
life, some to shame and everlasting contempt. [Rev.20:12-15]...As for
you, go your way till the end. You will rest, and then at
the end of the days you will rise to receive your allotted
inheritance."
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- "At that
time Michael shall stand up...and there shall be a time of trouble...and
at that time your people shall be delivered, every one who is found
written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth
shall awake..."
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Are these two
different "at that time[s]"? One "at that time" that is placed at AD 70, then the
next "at that time" still off into our future? And don’t forget
that in verse 4, we must come back to AD 70 again! Folks, these are
resurrection passages! If you were a Jew, having been taught Daniel’s
prophecy your entire life, when would you have expected the resurrection and
the "end of the days" to be? Upon a simple, straight-forward
reading, your only conclusion could be -
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Daniel 12:1,7,11
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"...there shall
be a time of trouble...when the power of the holy people is
completely shattered...And from the time that the daily sacrifice is
taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up..."
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...the fall of
Jerusalem and the annulment of the temple’s sacrificial system. (Gentry, Beast
of Revelation, p.xiv)
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Matthew 23:36-24:2
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"Assuredly, I say
to you, all these things will come upon this generation. O Jerusalem,
Jerusalem...See! Your house is left to you desolate...Then Jesus went
out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the
buildings of the temple. And Jesus said to them, "Do you not see all
these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left
here upon another, that shall not be thrown down."
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While speaking in the
Olivet Discourse of the destruction of the very Temple to which the disciples
could physically point... (Gentry, Before Jerusalem Fell, p.233)
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In the very next
verse, Matthew 24:3, why did the disciples ask what they did? How did they
know what questions to ask?
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"...Tell us, when
will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of
the end of the age?"
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...the end of the
Temple and the Jewish age (Matt.24:2, [3], 15-16). (Gentry, BJF,
p.242, emphasis JEGjr)
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Jesus just finished
telling them that their Temple and city would all be destroyed. How did the
disciples know to tie the destruction of Jerusalem, with His coming and the
end of the age? Could it be because they knew Daniel 12?
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Daniel 12:7b
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"...and when the
power of the holy people is completely shattered, all these things shall
be finished."
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Daniel is told that
"all these things shall be finished," the resurrection included,
"when the power of the holy people is completely shattered." This
should remind us of another passage that says "all" would be
fulfilled by AD 70 -
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Luke 21:20, 22
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"But when you see
Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near...For
these are the days of vengeance that all things which are written may be
fulfilled."
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Note (below) that many
Bibles reference Daniel 12:2 to Matthew 25:46 (sheep and goats), where Jesus
once again draws from Daniel’s prophecy.
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Daniel 12:2
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"And many of
those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting
life, some to shame and everlasting contempt." AD 70 context.
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Matthew 25:46
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"And these will
go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous [the sheep, Rev.7:9’s
"great multitude of all nations, clothed with white robes"]
into eternal life." Olivet Discourse, AD 70 context.
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Next, Daniel is told that
the words of the prophecy will be sealed ‘til -
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Daniel 12:8-9
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"Although I
heard, I did not understand. Then I said, ‘My lord, what shall be the end of
these things?’ And he said, ‘Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed
up and sealed till the time of the end.’"
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Daniel 10:14; 8:26
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"Now I have come
to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days,
for the vision refers to many days yet to come....therefore seal up
the vision, for it refers to many days in the future."
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Daniel is told to
"close up and seal" the words and visions of his prophecy because
they refer to "many days yet to come." We’ve already seen that
Christ opened that seal, and that the things which Daniel prophesied would
"all" be accomplished by AD 70.
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The Book of Revelation
begins and ends (Rev.1:1,3 and 22:6,10) with the phrase, "the things
which must shortly take place...for the time is at hand."
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Revelation 22:10
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"And he said to
me, ‘Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the
time is at hand."
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The apostle John is
told to NOT seal the Book of Revelation because the time is at hand.
All Old Testament prophecies would see their fulfillment "shortly."
Jesus said that "all things that were written" would be fulfilled
by Jerusalem’s destruction. The angel told Daniel that "all these
things" would be fulfilled "at that time."
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Dr. Gentry on Revelation
22:10, Before Jerusalem Fell, pp. 140-141 -
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...Thayer expands on
the idea of the word [Gr. engus, "near" or "at hand,"
JEGjr]: ‘...concerning things imminent and soon to come to pass.’ He lists
Revelation 1:3 and 22:10 in his series of examples. The word is used
frequently of chronologically near events, such as approaching summer (Matt.
24:32), the Passover (Matt. 26:18; John 2:13; 11:55), the Feast of
Tabernacles (John 7:2), etc. How could events related to the collapse of the
Roman Empire two or three hundred years in the future be considered "at
hand"...? ...Several generations of these Christians would have waxed
and waned over such a period. Even more difficult to understand is how events
two or three thousand years in the future could be considered "at
hand" ...How could such events so remotely stretched out into the future
be "at hand"? But if the expected events were to occur within a
period of from one to five years...then all becomes clear.
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Unbelievable!
How in the world does Dr. Gentry (and partial preterism) get away with
taking the Resurrection of Revelation 11 and 20, out of "at hand"?
Does God allow for it? Do we have any verses that say, "All things except
the resurrection"? Is John told, "Seal up the resurrection because
it is not ‘till many days in the future, but Do Not seal up all other things
for their time is at hand"? We are taught through Daniel 12 that the
resurrection would occur at the destruction of Jerusalem! We are taught by
Christ in the Olivet Discourse that Daniel’s prophecy would see fulfillment
in that generation (Mtt.24:34). And we are taught in Revelation that ALL
these things were to shortly take place! And they ALL concur with one
another! Again, what part of SCRIPTURE is the Preterist violating
because he says, "The resurrection was an AD 70 event"?
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I guess, if you want
to blatantly take verses 1, 2 and 13’s resurrection out of Daniel 12, and
blatantly take Daniel 12 out of its certain AD 70 context; and if you
blatantly take the resurrection of Revelation chapters 11 and 20 (verbatim
Dan.12 language), out of "the things which must shortly come to
pass...for the time is at hand" non-sealed sandwich of Revelation 1 and
22; and if you say, "Well yes, He did say, 'all things would be
fulfilled', but He didn't really mean ALL things", and if you
arbitrarily "split" the Olivet Discourse, and if you wanted
to flat-out deny the true meaning of the Greek word mello when it suits
you...then I suppose you could claim that the Resurrection and Judgment
still haven’t happened yet!
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Even more difficult to
understand is how events two or three thousand years in the future
could be considered 'at hand' ...How could such events so remotely stretched
out into the future be "at hand? (Gentry, Before Jerusalem Fell,
p.141)
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I couldn’t have said
it better myself.
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In the footnotes on
page 141 of Before Jerusalem Fell, Dr. Gentry shows his favor by
listing these literal translators of the Greek word, mello: Green,
Marshall, Weymouth, and Young. In the verses below, all of these men
translate mello as "about to" or "soon to be"
in their Literal Translation Bibles. Unless otherwise specified, all are
taken from Jay P. Green Sr’s., Literal Translation of the Holy Bible,
1976.
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II Timothy 4:1
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"Then I solemnly
witness before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, He being about to
judge living and dead [at] His appearance and His kingdom."
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Acts 24:25 (exact form of mello as II Timothy 4:1
and Acts 18:14)
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"And [Paul]
having reasoned concerning righteousness and self control, and the Judgment
that is about to be, becoming afraid, Felix answered, For the
present, go; but taking time later, I will call for you."
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Hebrews 10:25-27 (exact form as II Timothy 4:1 and Acts 18:14;
24:25)
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"...not forsaking
the assembling together of ourselves, as [is the] custom of some, but
exhorting, and by so much more as you see the Day drawing near.
For [if] we [are] willfully sinning after receiving the full knowledge
of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice concerning sins, but a certain
fearful expectation of judgment and zealous fire being about to
consume the adversaries [compare II Thess.1:1-10]."
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Acts 28:6 (NASB translates as "was about to")
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"But they
expected him to be about to become inflamed, or suddenly to
fall down dead."
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Acts 24:14-15 (exact form as Acts 28:6)
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"But I confess
this to you that according to the Way, which they say [is] a sect, so I
worship the ancestral God believing all things according to that having been
written in the Law and the Prophets, having a hope toward God, which these
themselves also admit, [of] a resurrection being about to be of
[the] dead, both of the just and unjust ones."
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Matthew 16:27-28 (exact form as Rev.1:19, that Dr. Gentry
favors)
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"For the Son of
man is about to come with His angels in the glory of His
Father. And then He will give reward to each according to his action. Truly I
say to you, There are some standing here who in no way will taste of death
until they see the Son of man coming in His kingdom."
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Acts 17:31 (exact form as Mtt.16:27 and Rev.1:19. Alfred
Marshall’s, The Interlinear Greek-English New Testament)
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"...because he
set a day in which he is about to judge the inhabited earth in
righteousness, by a man whom he designated, a guarantee offering to all
having raised up him out of [the] dead."
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I Peter 5:1,4 (exact form as Rev.3:10, which Dr. Gentry
favors)
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"I, a fellow
elder, exhort the elders among you, I being also witness of the sufferings of
Christ, and [being] sharer of the glory about to be
revealed....And [at] the appearing of the Chief Shepherd, you
[fellow elders JEGjr] will receive the never-fading crown of glory"
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Hebrews 1:14
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"Are they not all
ministering spirits for service, being sent out because of the [ones] being
about to inherit salvation [compare Heb.9:28
"Christ shall appear a second time without sin to
those expecting Him for salvation"]."
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In conclusion, I
believe that the partial preterist position violates much of the plain
teaching of Scripture, simply because they refuse to let the Scriptures
plainly teach. Their predilection of a future coming of Christ forces a still
future resurrection. In turn, that makes for all sorts of twists and turns:
2,000 year leaps from AD 70, to our future, back to AD 70 again; picking and
choosing when and where audience relevance should or shouldn’t apply.
Question: How did the time statements ever change one coming into two
anyway? "Oh, I can dump all of those bothersome time statements off at
AD 70, and still keep my future-to-me Coming?" No, you can’t! The
partial preterist position is constantly in transition, you never know what’s
going to be given up to AD 70 next...Who knows maybe II Timothy 4:1?
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The more I pondered
the awesome implications of Jesus’ words, the more I realized their truly
revolutionary significance for eschatology. Without exception, every event
foretold by the Biblical prophets was fulfilled within that generation, as
Jesus said....Scripture foretells a Second Coming - not a third! (~David
Chilton, Foreword to What Happened in AD 70? By Ed Stevens, 1997)
(Click to enlarge image)
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