What
the heck is PRETERISM?
Preterism is the belief that most or all of the
prophecies in the Bible have
already been fulfilled.
I believe that the tribulation and Christ's "coming in the clouds"
were
in the first century (just as Jesus said they would be.)
I
believe that the term "last days" referred to the last
days of the
Old Covenant, not the end of the physical world.
I believe that The Kingdom of God is here now.
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BUT
BUT BUT BUT BUT...
I
hear you. You're probably freaking out.
Hopefully all your questions
will be answered as you continue reading.
Did
you know that Jerusalem was completely destroyed in AD 70?
Remember
where Jesus said that all those buildings would be rubble?
That happened!
And it happened within that generation.
Matt 24:34 Verily
I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these
things be fulfilled.
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THE
SLEDGEHAMMER (ouch!)
Here
are a few things that will smash your current beliefs. I just
want you to know that this is going to
hurt me more than it hurts you.
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THE
LAST DAYS
The
scripture makes it clear that the "last days" were
in the first century AD.
I believe that it means the last days of Judaism.
The temple and
Jerusalem were destroyed in AD 70.
Acts 2:14 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:
15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour
of the day.
16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
17 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:
Hebrews 1:1 God,
who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past
unto the fathers by the prophets, 2 Hath in these
last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed
heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
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.
1Corinthians 10:11 Now
all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written
for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the
world are come.
I Peter 4:7 The end
of all things has drawn near.
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GOSPEL
PREACHED IN ALL THE WORLD
Many say that after the gospel is preached
in remote parts of
Africa that haven't been reached yet, then
the end will come.
Matthew 24:14 And
this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world
for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
The scripture makes it clear that this
was accomplished before AD 70.
Romans 1:8 First,
I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your
faith is spoken of throughout the whole
world.
Romans 10:18 But
I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their
sound went into all the earth, and their words
unto the ends of the world.
Romans 16:25 ¶ Now
to him that is of power to stablish you according
to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ,
according to the revelation of the mystery,
which was kept secret since the world began,
26 But
now is made manifest, and by the scriptures
of the prophets, according to the commandment
of
the everlasting God, made known to all
nations for the obedience of faith
Colossians 1:5 For
the hope which is laid up for you in heaven,
whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth
of the gospel; 6 Which is come unto you, as it
is in all the world;
and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in
you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the
grace of God in truth:
Colossians 1:23 If
ye continue in the faith grounded and settled,
and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel,
which ye have heard, and which was preached to every
creature which is under heaven
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NEW
JERUSALEM
Many "prophecy experts" teach
that the New Jerusalem
is a literal physical city that will fly
here from outer space.
Revelation 21:2 And
I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God
out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Notice the comparison to a bride. Who is
the bride of Christ?
The "experts" teach that the New Jerusalem will land here on earth
after all sin is done away with.
Revelation 21:14 Blessed
are they that do his commandments, that they may have right
to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into
the city. 15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers,
and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh
a lie.
Here is Paul addressing Christians in his
day. They were in the holy city. It's spiritual.
Hebrews 12: 22 But
ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living
God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company
of angels
Galatians 4:26 But
Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
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1John 2:18 Little
children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist
shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we
know that it is the last time.
Not one antichrist, many. And it happened
back then.
1John 2:22 Who
is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He
is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
1John 4:3 And
every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come
in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist,
whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already
is it in the world.
2John 1:7 For
many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess
not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This
is a deceiver and an antichrist.
The book of Revelation does not use the
term "antichrist."
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THE
MARK OF THE BEAST (pretty scary, huh?)
The "experts" tell
us that it is only now possible to give
people a mark because of our recently
developed technology,
but The Old Testament talks about marks.
Deuteronomy 6:6 And
these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine
heart: 7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children,
and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and
when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and
when thou risest up. 8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign
upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine
eyes.
I believe that taking the mark meant that
you substituted Caesar's law for God's Law.
By the way, "Nero
Caesar" in Hebrew has the numerical value of 666.
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SATAN
BOUND
Jesus
said that Satan was bound when he was on the earth.
This doesn't
fit our modern day interpretation of Satan
being
bound because there is still evil in the world.
But I trust
Christ's interpretation more than the "expert's."
Matthew 12:28 But
if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom
of God is come unto you. 29 Or else how can one enter into
a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first
bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.
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COMING
ON CLOUDS
The "experts" tell
us that Jesus will literally come back on a cloud.
The Old Testament
uses this type of imagery to describe God's power and judgment.
Isaiah 19:1 The
burden of Egypt. Behold, the LORD rideth upon a swift cloud,
and shall come into Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall be
moved at his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in
the midst of it.
The "experts" would
say that this "cloud coming" means that God brought
judgment. Then they say that "cloud coming" in the
New Testament means something else.
I believe that the destruction of Jerusalem
in AD 70 would qualify as a cloud coming. Another cloud coming
mentioned in the Old Testament is the ascension.
Daniel 7:13 I
saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of
man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient
of days, and they brought him near before him. 14 And there
was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all
people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion
is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and
his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
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Matt 12:28 But
if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom
of God is come unto you.
Matt 16:28 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.
Luke 10:8 And
into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you,
eat such things as are set before you: 9 And heal the
sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom
of God is come nigh unto you.
Luke 11:20 But
if I with the finger of God cast out devils,
no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you.
Col 1:13 Who
hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and
hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: next
page:It's quite a stretch to believe we're in the
last days now
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NEXT:
The Time Texts
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