A. ALL arguments.
'Hyper-Preterists' (hereafter Preterists) hold a very simple premise: things written to a first century audience in the first century had a first century fulfillment. That means that things written and promised in the first century were fulfilled to the people to whom they were written and promised. Preterism makes Jesus' generation the central organising idea of endtimes. All these facts cited 'in this generation are observable'. Diagrammatically:
. C.1st promises spoken to that generation
. later written to C.1st people in that generation
. were fulfilled in the C.1st generation. Mtt 23:35-36: 24:34-5; Lk 21:22; 24:44.
________________+______________
"This generation shall not pass away until all these things fulfilled."
"All things written of Me will be fulfilled."
"These are the days of vengeance when all things written will be fulfilled."
Criticisms against Preterism are:
. it cannot explain things physically
. it is not psychologically satisfying
. it is counter-intuitive to us personally.
Preterist Reply:
. all three criticism are based on subjective opinions and conjectures, not biblical time facts.
This is the view ALL things fulfilled in that generation. Mtt 24:34; Lk 21:22; 32 - Preterism.
B. NONE arguments.
Futurists hold a more complex premise. Things written to a first century audience in the first century had NO first century fulfillment. The things written and promised in the first century were NOT fulfilled to the people to whom they were written and promised. Futurism argues Jesus was 'delayed'. It argues His coming is literal, and describes His future-to-us second coming as physical, visible, and personal. It may also argue there are 'many comings,' and infer a 2000 year gap between verses. Futurism makes our generation in C.21st the central organising idea of biblical endtimes. Diagrammatically:
. C.1st promises spoken to that generation
. later written to C.1st people in that generation
. were NOT ALL fulfilled in the C.1st generation.
________________+______________
NOT ALL things fulfilled in that generation.
Criticisms against Futurism are:
. it can't explain why Jesus was 'delayed,' which directly contradicts the 'no delay' Heb 10:37
. The term 'literal' is not found in scripture.
. The terms: 'physical, visible, and personal ' are not found in scripture.
. There is no chronological period oequating to 2000 years in scripture
. The plural term 'comings' (only once in scripture. Ezek 43:11) is contrary to the singularity of
'the' parousia to destroy the temple. Mtt 24:3, a 'second' coming. Heb 9:28.
. complete absence of 2000 year time facts is determinatively against futurism
. Ignorance of the past is not a factual base for positively affirming a future coming.
Futurist Reply:
. these things of endtime are always literal.
This is the view NOT ALL things fulfilled in that generation (no citation) - Futurism.
C. SOME (Partial Preter-futurism) arguments.
Partial Preter-futurism holds the most complex premise. Things written to a first century audience in the first century had some first century fulfillment in that generation. The things that are literal were NOT fulfilled to people in that generation. Partial Preterism argues He 'came' in that generation in the judgment on Jerusalem, but he will come again future to our twenty-first century. Factually, Partial Preter-futurism argues the fulfillment of some themes in 'this generation' (eg. Mtt 24:1-3) but argues some literal themes -eg. tribulation, signs, sun darkened and mmon turned to blood Mtt 24:4-33 to be fulfilled future to our day.
Partial Preter-futurism argues both that Jesus came, but has been 'delayed'. It argues both His coming was figuratively in clouds, but His future-to-us second coming is physical, visible, and personal. It may also argue there are 'many comings,' and infer a 2000 year gap between verses. Partial Preter-futurism makes both Jesus' C.1st generation, but our generation in the C.21st the central organising idea of biblical endtimes. Diagrammatically:
. C.1st promises spoken to that generation
. later written to C.1st people in that generation
. were NOT ALL fulfilled in the C.1st generation.
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NOT ALL things fulfilled in that generation --> SOME future by 2000 years
Criticisms against Partial Preter-futurism are:
. it cannot unify ALL the datum in one clear statement.
. it multiplies coming -s and end-s and day-s and fulfillment-s without biblical fact.
. it holds the strengths of a C.1st explanation, but all the weakness of futurism:-
. it can't explain why Jesus was 'delayed,' which directly contradicts the 'no delay' Heb 10:37
. The term 'literal' is not found in scripture.
. The terms: 'physical, visible, and personal ' are not found in scripture.
. There is no chronological period of 2000 years in scripture
. The plural term 'comings' (only once in scripture. Ezek 43:11) is contrary to the singularity of
'the' parousia to destroy the temple. Mtt 24:3, a 'second' coming. Heb 9:28.
. complete absence of 2000 year time facts is determinatively against futurism
. Ignorance of the past is not a factual base for positively affirming a future coming
. It is too confusing:- Mtt 24:1-3 as C.1st, but 24:3-33 is C.21st, but then 24:34 says 'this C.1st
generation", and then finds a 2000 year gap to the next verse 24:35 re; heaven and earth.
C.21st
Partial Preter-futurist Reply:
. these things of endtime are both figurative and literal.
This is the view NOT ALL things fulfilled in that generation (no citation) - but SOME things are Future. This is Partial Preter-futurism.
D. THE MEASURE OF RIGHT THOUGHT.
After Copernicus published his sun-centered book on astronomy in 1543, (De Revolutionibus. Heliocentrism) many Copernican sceptics remained Partial (earth centered) Ptolemaists. In other words they lacked the information to fit all the observable datum into one single schema. This fence-straddling is considered a flaw in any theory. A good theory unifies ALL the datum in one single statement. If ithe theory cannot answer all of the data under one simple premise, it cannot 'double-dip' and escape criticism.
Reliable knowledge is established on the basis of facts. All true knowledge is an acquaintance with observable facts. True theories are based on reliable knowledge which may be observed, tested, and falsified. (ie. Shown to be absent in facts or opposed to facts). Compare endtime thought with astronomical thought.
Ptolemaism (SELF-centered astronomy) was suggested by watching the sun 'go around' the earth - sense experience. There was no fact to support it, it answered no fact, the theory predicted no fact. It merely began because there was no clear and definite system to explain the other planets. 'Self' became the center of the universe. For 1400 years 'self' made earth the central-organizing idea of astronomy - retarding progress, stunting the imagination, bolstering superstition, and reinforcing dogma. Copernicus explained a wider range of observable facts than Ptolemy on a simpler basis with a simpler, singlular premise. Copernicans just didn't need two theories to explain one set of datum.
E. THE MEASURE OF RIGHT THOUGHT APPLIED TO ENDTIMES.
Futurism (C.21st SELF-centered centered endtimes) is suggested by reading a 2000 year-old book - sense experience. There is no 2000 year fact to support it, it answers no time fact, but rather denies them, the theory predicts no fact. It merely begins because there is no clear and definite system to explain the state of affairs in the first century. C.21st 'Self' becomes the center of the biblical universe. For 2000 years 'self' made their own generation the central-organizing idea of endtimes - retarding unity, stunting the imagination, fostering superstition, reinforcing dogma, inspiring Inquistions, spawning Crusades. Preterism explains a wider range of observable facts than Futurism or Partial Preter-futurist on a simpler basis, with a simpler, singlular premise. Preterism just doesn't need two theories to explain one set of datum that 'must shortly come to pass', the resolution of which was to occur 'quickly' to the time of writing in the first century.
For myself I never set out to deny futurism. As I kept explaining more and more facts in the first century, it just fell away as an old garment. Futurism and its two-headed companion are: suggested by no biblical time fact, answers no biblical time facts, predict no new biblical time fact, cannot be falsified, are supported by 'specials rules' (eg. mental rules:- literal, a delay, invisible gaps, physical, personal, visible, all absent in scripture). I accept that ALL first century promises spoken and written to first century generation were fulfilled in their generation. Mtt 23:35-36: 24:34-5; Lk 21:22; 24:44. A Preterist believes that, measured by observation and rational principles, a first century view is the only defensible view.
F. CONCLUSION.
Science had a great revolution in 1543 ,when it had its 'certain' C.1st earth-centered theory replaced by something more probable. It had lasted 1400 years. For 2000 years religion has never had such a revolution. Four hundred years into the modern age, and 2000 years later, a literal 'Yet Future to us' second coming has only splintered Christianity into 38,000 different sects, and has not even established a rational enquiry into the bible.
Religion needs a Copernican Revolution that allows biblical observation its own authority, reasoned upon by valid logic consistent rational principles. I believe that bible fact and right thought, like cement and water, add strength to one another. As science needed to go through labor pains to give birth to the light of natural knowledge, so also religion needs to accept that psychological comfort is not the measure of a true theory, that orthodoxy is not the objective test of truth, that dogma and truth are not convertible terms, and that infallible certainty is not the expectation and measure of rational minds.
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