What is the "preterist" view of the book of Revelation?
Are you a person who is concerned with getting to the heart of the truth on difficult biblical passages such as those concerning eschatology?
A few years ago, I produced a video (now on DVD) that explores the preterist view of the book of Revelation. This presentation continues to have a shelf life in that more and more people are turning to this view as they see false predictions related to the dispensationalist view of the End Times fall flat.
The Beast of Revelation: Identified is the best primer on the preterist view available on DVD.
People who like to debate eschatology are those who have their minds made up and are passionate about a particular view. People who don’t like these arguments are usually those with an untenable view or one they find impossible to articulate. Even so, no two “experts” have the same view on the Book of Revelation. That doesn’t mean, however, that there is not a consistently correct view that may be understood. It just means that we need to work harder at it.
The heretical view of preterism can be distinguished from partial preterism in that the latter suggests that many of the prophecies of scripture are fulfilled, but obviously some have yet to come. When I speak off preterism, I am speaking of the “partial” preterist view. Futurism is the “end-times” view of prophecy, while preterism is literally the “before-times” view.
A quick web search will give you the basics. Beware though that some of the information is written by “full” or “consistent” preterists, a view that is seriously deficient in many respects, the main heresy being the denial of the Second Coming of Jesus. The partial preterist view is orthodox in terms of looking with a joyful hope in the bodily Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
John Calvin wrote a preterist commentary on Daniel. I post this at my Daniel website.
Most theologians until the rise of dispensationalism (1800s and 1900s) held a preterist view of Matthew 24 — the so-called Olivet Discourse. R.C. Sproul in his book, The Last Days According to Jesus, outlines this viewpoint.
Preterism has always been a minority view of the church in interpreting the book of Revelation — there are some ancient writers who refer to Nero as the “beast of Revelation 13” but it is only in a cursory manner. The fully developed preterist view did not come until after the Reformation when the Bible proliferated in the 1500s and afterward.
I find this strange because Revelation is the “capstone” of other biblical prophecies found in Daniel and Matthew 24. It is inconsistent to interpret Daniel and the Olivet Discourse as having taken place by the time of AD 70, but then place events that are described in Revelation in similar language at the end of human history. A correct view will interpret scripture with similar passages of scripture.
With regards to the book of Revelation, the modern primers on preterism are the writings of David Chilton and Ken Gentry. They draw most of their material from several authors of the late 1800s. You can get the PDF files of all their books for FREE at: http://freebooks.com/
There are other “primers” on preterism. I wrote one as part of the Rebuttal to Amillennialism in my book, The Four Keys to the Millennium.
Comments
Your comments are welcome!
Some of this language is symbolic, but some calamities actually happened during the great tribulation (AD 67 to 70) during the seige of Jerusalem.
Do you think that the book of Revelation predicts a future world full of sea beasts, dragons, harlots, four faced beasts, horses with riders -- or are these symbolic of the nations, people and spiritual forces at the time of the writing?
Most would interpret these symbols as the latter. Why is it then a stretch to say that the natural calamities in the book of Revelation are also symbolic?
Consider Peter's quote of the prophet Joel in Acts 2:
"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 the 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" (Acts 2:14-21).
Peter says clearly that the prophecy was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost early in the first century. If the prophecy is past tense, then what do you do with the cataclysmic language:
"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."
This all sounds as if the great and terrible day of the Lord is still to come as some future cataclysmic event, but Peter says: "This is that which was spoken of by the prophet Joel." All of this happened on the day of Pentecost.
Signs in the heavens in biblical language (and in all the ancient world) were signs of kingdoms being overthrown. The star of Bethlehem signaled the birth of a new king to pagan astrologers. Likewise the stars falling to earth (literal stars cannot fall to earth) signify that "the Kingdoms of this world have become the kingdom of our God and of his Christ."
Posted by Jay Rogers on 09/11/2006 06:10 PM #
God's Law and Society (DVD)
Download the Free Study Guide!
God’s Law and Society powerfully presents a comprehensive worldview based upon the ethical system found in the Law of God.
Speakers include: R.J. Rushdoony, George Grant, Howard Phillips, R.C. Sproul Jr., Ken Gentry, Gary DeMar, Jay Grimstead, Steven Schlissel, Andrew Sandlin, Eric Holmberg, and more!
Sixteen Christian leaders and scholars answer some of the most common questions and misconceptions related to this volatile issue:
1. Are we under Law or under Grace?
2. Does the Old Testament Law apply today?
3. Can we legislate morality?
4. What are the biblical foundations of government?
5. Was America founded as a Christian nation?
6. What about the separation of Church and State?
7. Is neutrality a myth?
8. What about non-Christians and the Law of God?
9. Would there be “freedom” in a Christian republic?
10. What would a “Christian America” look like?
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Running Time: 240 minutes
Watch over 60 on-line video interviews from God’s Law and Society.
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Freedom: The Model of Christian Liberty (DVD)
“Give me liberty or give me death!”
Patrick Henry’s famous declaration not only helped launch the War for Independence, it also perfectly summarized the mindset that gave birth to, and sustained, the unprecedented experiment in Christian liberty that was America.
The freedom our Founders envisioned was not freedom from suffering, want, or hard work. Nor was it freedom to indulge every appetite or whim without restraint—that would merely be servitude to a different master. No, the Founders’ passion was to live free before God, unfettered by the chains of autocracy, shackles that slowly but inexorably bind men when the governments they fashion fail to recognize and uphold freedom’s singular, foundational truth: that all men are created in the image of God, and are thereby co-equally endowed with the right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
This presentation is a similar call, not to one but many. By reintroducing the principles of freedom that gave birth to America, it is our prayer that Jesus, the true and only ruler over the nations, will once again be our acknowledged Sovereign, that we may again know and exult in the great truth that “where the Spirit of the LORD is, there is liberty” (2 Cor. 3:17).
Welcome to the Second American Revolution!
This DVD features “Liberty: The Model of Christian Liberty” along with “Dawn’s Early Light: A Brief History of America’s Christian Foundations.” Bonus features include a humorous but instructive collection of campaign ads and Eric Holmberg’s controversial YouTube challenge concerning Mitt Romney’s campaign for president.
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The Silent Scream (DVD) Eight Languages
“When the lives of the unborn are snuffed out, they often feel pain, pain that is long and agonizing.” – President Ronald Reagan to National Religious Broadcasters Convention, January 1981
Ronald Reagan became convinced of this as a result of watching The Silent Scream – a movie he considered so powerful and convicting that he screened it at the White House. More recently, it was by catching just a glimpse of what this film reveals that Planned Parenthood director and abortion advocate Abby Johnson turned and became a strong advocate for the pre-born.
The modern technology of real-time ultrasound now reveals the actual responses of a 12-week old fetus to being aborted. As the unborn child attempts to escape the abortionist’s suction curette, her motions can be seen to become desperately agitated and her heart rate doubles. Her mouth opens – as if to scream – but no sound can come out. Her scream doesn’t have to remain silent, however … not if you will become her voice. This newly re-mastered version features eight language tracks and two bonus videos.
“…a high technology “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” arousing public opinion just as Harriet Beecher Stowe’s 1852 antislavery novel ignited the abolitionist movement.” – Sen. Gordon Humphrey, Time Magazine
Languages: English, Spanish, French, South Korean, Chinese, Russian, Portuguese, Japanese
Running Time: 28 minutes
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Go Stand Speak (DVD)
With “preaching to the lost” being such a basic foundation of Christianity, why do many in the church seem to be apathetic on this issue of preaching in highways and byways of towns and cities?
Is it biblical to stand in the public places of the world and proclaim the gospel, regardless if people want to hear it or not?
Does the Bible really call church pastors, leaders and evangelists to proclaim the gospel in the public square as part of obedience to the Great Commission, or is public preaching something that is outdated and not applicable for our day and age?
These any many other questions are answered in this documentary.
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The Beast of Revelation: Identified (DVD)
Who is the dreaded beast of Revelation?
Now at last, a plausible candidate for this personification of evil incarnate has been identified (or re-identified). Ken Gentry’s insightful analysis of scripture and history is likely to revolutionize your understanding of the book of Revelation — and even more importantly — amplify and energize your entire Christian worldview!
Historical footage and other graphics are used to illustrate the lecture Dr. Gentry presented at the 1999 Ligonier Conference in Orlando, Florida. It is followed by a one-hour question and answer session addressing the key concerns and objections typically raised in response to his position. This presentation also features an introduction that touches on not only the confusion and controversy surrounding this issue — but just why it may well be one of the most significant issues facing the Church today.
Ideal for group meetings, personal Bible study — for anyone who wants to understand the historical context of John’s famous letter “… to the seven churches which are in Asia.” (Revelation 1:4)
Running Time: 145 minutes
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While I think Dr. Kenneth L. Gentry makes some good points about Revelation events that may have already taken account, there are so many dramatic, remarkable events in book of Revelation, such as accounts of the stars darkening, large portions of fish dying in the seas, rocks falling from heaven, etc, etc, that it's difficult to imagine that this was all completely symbolic of past events.
On the other side, I've long considered it silly how some denominations have the "end time" dates and events figured out to a specific year/hour/minute/second at a specific location globally. That just doesn't seem right to me.
Regardless of the viewpoint, the thing I consider notable about Revelation is that right in vs. 1:3, that comment about "blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it." I think there are definitely blessings to receive from studying deeper into Revelation.
Posted by December Sun Blog on 09/11/2006 02:56 PM #