“If the Great Commission has been fulfilled, and the General Resurrection of Christians has been fulfilled, and the Judgment of the wicked and the righteous has been fulfilled; then what is left to propagate? Is Preterism really about telling everyone it’s all over and everyone missed it?
This question of what is ongoing or ‘What now?’ question has dogged many preterist teachers….[T]here is not much of an outline in the Bible for what Christians should be doing if they are not supposed to be replicating the practices of the pre-AD 70 Christians.
Roderick Edwards
About Preterism — p. 36f
Full Preterism if it is to be “consistent Preterism” must concede that Satan and the work of his minions has ceased. After all Scripture teaches;
Rev. 20:10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where[b] the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
Per Inconsistent Preterism, all is past so that this passage must mean that the Devil has already been cast into the lake of fire and brimstone. Preterism then, if consistent must teach that our ancient enemy, the devil is no longer an enemy since he no longer prowls like a hungry lion seeking whom he may devour. Preterism says this is past.
Further, Hyper-Preterism runs into the problem of Jesus promise to the Church to remain until the end of the age. If the end of the age has already come per Consistent Preterism than Jesus has fulfilled His promise and is now no longer with us.
Next we have to ask what happens in regards to the current practice of the Eucharist by Christians? After all, we are instructed by the Holy Spirit in I Cor. 11:26 to attend the table “until He comes.” If Christ has come, per Eschatological Past-ism then Christians are disobeying by attending the Lord’s Supper. After all, per the Full Preterist Christ has come and so attending the table now is akin to taking up and implementing again the OT Sacrificial system.
Next there is the Preterist denial of bodily resurrection of the saints and yet we find this being expressly taught in Mathew 27:52-53 where we read:
“And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.”
Look, even one of the Preterist gurus, J. Stuart Russell who was one of the most influential 19th century Preterists, balked at interpreting Rev. 20:10-15 (the judgment after the millennium) as having already been fulfilled. At this point Russell left behind the addlepated atmosphere of the current Preterism.
Having begun with Roderick Edwards we shall end with him;
Imagine how odd it is that Reformed people are now picking up this anti-Reformed eschatology.
There is a lot to answer here and I would ask very kindly if you would love to talk because all of the comments that were made about Preterism are incorrectly stated and you have presuppositions that are incorrect in your article; you are missing what the great commission is particularly about and we do not believe that there is nothing to do and that’s not what our Lord gave us to do, he gave us work and a kingdom; so if you would like to have a conversation let me know and I can discuss each and every point, thank you.
Hey Christopher,
Thanks for the offer but I’m not interested in a conversation on these matters. Been there. Done that.
If Kim Burgess can’t convert me on these matters than I doubt anyone can.
I do understand that talking with you chaps is like having a conversation with an Arminian. Our worldviews are so completely different that no progress is really possible because even though we might use the same words our worldviews are so altering the meanings that there isn’t any thing we agree on, regarding this matter except linguistic similarity.
But thanks for the offer.
Bret
That’s no problem, however I’m not familiar with Kim Burgess answers, and I would personally avoid saying as a Christian, been there, done that, we must not let pride rule out any answers. We must always be humble. I was an amilennialist for over 28 years until God through His scripture showed me, not anyone else, it wasn’t till after I came to these conclussions as a Presbyterian Reformed that I met other preterist, I will always be humbled by God’s word. But who is Kim Burgess, who is Paul, I am of Apollos? We must not think that one is above another in the kingdom of God. However if you have any studies of Greek, then you can by no other means be see fulfilled eschatology and a Kingdom that Christs rules that conctinues into all ages. Thank you and consider my invitation.
I am humble enough to not be interested in giving heterodoxy and perhaps heresy a platform.
You’d be better served exerting your efforts on someone else.
And I think “been there, done that,” is perfectly acceptable and so again I say “no” to your invitation.
Then why are you even bothering to talk about Preterism in the first place, don’t even entertain the topic and move on. Makes no sense. You started this thread not me, senseless!
I’m sorry Christopher that you misunderstood and that I did not make it clear.
These posts are not to discuss Hyper Preterism with Preterists. These posts rather are to denounce Preterism and warn people off Preterism. I am not interested, as you now know, in debating the possibility of Hymaneanism’s legitimacy.
Perhaps now you can see the sense of what I am doing.