Questions and discussion on preterism and eschatology

[DRDS]

Hey guys in the past I've talked about preterism and partial preterism in the end times section, but because that area doesn't get near as much views as this area I thought I would post a important question/ discussion in this area if that's ok.

For those of you all who are familiar with preterist views regarding the end times I was wondering how do preterists think the world and humanity will end?

Since most other Christians think that there will be a future one world government,a antichrist, a rapture either before, during or after the tribulation, a final big war and Christ coming back to destroy evil and establish a millennial kingdom and or eternal heavenly kingdom.

But since preterists don't believe in a literal antichrist, or any of these other major end time events taking place, how do they believe the world will end? Are they like atheists in the sense that they believe it will just end randomly in some sort of random cataclysmic event like a meteor or asteroid attack? Or due to climate problems, or disease, or lack of resources?

If we see the world actually ending this way and not with a one world government and a antichrist type dictator would we then should assume that Christianity is false or if it ends randomly then we could just switch our views to some sort of preterism?

I'd greatly appreciate any further info or help on this. This is something I'm thinking more about since things don't look too good for all of us right now. Feel free to share what you know. Thank you all for your time. God bless.

[Furstentum Liechtenstein]

For those of you all who are familiar with preterist views regarding the end times I was wondering how do preterists think the world and humanity will end?

Your very question identifies you as a Futurist! Preterism has nothing to say about ''End Times'' as this term doesn't apply to the preterist view.* In a sense, Preterism is a prophetic dead end.

But since preterists don't believe in a literal antichrist, or any of these other major end time events taking place, how do they believe the world will end?

There is surely a wide range of beliefs in Preterism about ''The End'' because Preterism must interpret the Bible allegorically in order to shoehorn their ideas & whims into Scripture and make them stick. Many preterists think we are even today living in a form of the new heaven & new earth spoken of in Revelation 21-22.

Or due to climate problems, or disease, or lack of resources?

If we see the world actually ending this way and not with a one world government and a antichrist type dictator would we then should assume that Christianity is false or if it ends randomly then we could just switch our views to some sort of preterism?

Read your Bible and keep your brain turned ON: you won't see the world ending this way.

FL

*to explain by way of analogy, you are asking, ''How does a car's cyclic control function?'' Well, a car doesn't have a cyclic control! that's part of an helicopter!

[DRDS]

Well you are right in that I am a futurist, it's obvious since most Christians are futurists and futurism whether it be pre, mid or post trib it certainly makes more sense at least, to me, more common sense from the NT that this is how things will go down more or less.

I just wanted to know more about preterism just so I can have a "back up plan" just in case if things don't go 100% neatly as to what many or most futurist theologians and believers say they will go.

You know that old saying "do not place all your eggs in one basket"? Well that's where I'm coming from. I'm very nervous that if certain things don't happen just exactly how people think they will go based on their interpretations of Revelation and Daniel we may see a huge gang of "former believers" de-convert into atheists, agnostics or to some other religion. Which is certainly something I nor you or most anyone else here wants to see.

I'm just trying to look out for all of us. You can thank me later.

[Furstentum Liechtenstein]

Preterism, in its various bizarre forms, is an old idea and is still seen as valid by most of Christendom. Only recently - starting in the 19th century - has Dispensationalism become more popular, and mostly in English-speaking countries at that. So, as a Dispensationalist Christian, you are still in the minority. As far as this:

I'm very nervous that if certain things don't happen just exactly how people think they will go based on their interpretations of Revelation and Daniel we may see a huge gang of "former believers" de-convert into atheists, agnostics or to some other religion.

True believers can not ''de-convert'', as you put it, because once the Holy Spirit gives you a heart for God, it is forever. Those so-called ''former Christians'' who occasionally post here never were Christians in the biblical sense.

FL

[DRDS]

So are you trying to say that it's either futurism or nothing? And if something doesn't go exactly the way Revelation says it will go we can then therefore say that Christianity is false?????

[Furstentum Liechtenstein]

So are you trying to say that it's either futurism or nothing? And if something doesn't go exactly the way Revelation says it will go we can then therefore say that Christianity is false?????

No, I'm not saying that at all. I'm saying that the Bible is best interpreted in a literal manner, more precisely the grammatical-historical method. This is also known as the normal method, as opposed to the allegorical or mystical methods. By interpreting the Bible using the normal method, words mean what they mean and figurative speech is understood as figurative speech and allowance can be made for rhetorical constructs (such as hyperbole, for example) when they occur.

Preterism stuffs the Bible with meanings that are simply not justified by the words of Scripture. For example, according to Preterists, Jesus' second coming has already occured. We are - even now - living in a sort-of Millenium/Kingdom of God. And there is no ''End Time'' either. Hell? well, that has been re-invented into a variety of forms, from: annihilation of the guilty to the simple non-existence of hell as Jesus spoke of it.

So the choice is yours: believe what God has clearly stated in his Bible, or believe the Other Guy

FL

[DRDS]

Well for me to really cut to the chase and I didn't want to mention it because other people here who I greatly admire like Gman for instance don't want to think about it. But I'm really nervous about the situation with Israel and Iran and that demonic idiot mahmoud ahmadinejad and his nuclear weapons and the fact that Obama (whom I'm afraid is scripted to win the election because of this blasted hurricane) has been helping this idiot and will continue to after this jerk gets re-elected (and plus I don't think Romney would do any better since he's a mormon moron)

I'm just afraid that Israel could really be wiped off the map unless God does something so miraculous it would rival a lot of things He did back in Bible times. Because literally you can say now the world is pretty much against Israel. And if this happens and given what happens to the ground itself after a nuclear attack or accident, that area will be unliveable pretty much forever.

So if this happens would this be every bit as bad for Christianity as would for instance, finding the corpse of Christ? Which nearly all Christian apologists and even the Apostle Paul himself says would destroy Christianity. So would Israel getting destroyed be every bit as damaging to Christianity as finding Christ's corpse? I know this is scary, angry, sad, evil, horrible stuff but it needs to be discussed because this are possible scenarios.

Besides we don't know for sure 100% certain that God exists, we take it by faith and for most of us here we take it by faith as well as evidence. But we don't know 100% for certain. In addition, if God does indeed exist, we don't know His mind exactly. We don't know exactly 100% how He is going to do things, He may want to strain our ability to trust Him or test everyone's faith by allowing things to go somewhat differently than what we think they are going to go or have been taught that they could go.

God can be and probably is full of surprises and I just don't know. Things look extremely bad right now and have the potential to get a million times much worse here very very soon, and I'll just be honest I'm very scared, very nervous in addition to being very disappointed that my life could end very soon from either starvation or by natural disaster or just by getting murdered by the crazy nut jobs that roam my area. Bottom line I just want to be with God, and be happy and for God to exist and for Christianity to be real and for God to sort my brain out and make me like whatever lot He decides to give me. Oh and to see God save as many people as possible, I rather see a lot of people and a lot of different, beautiful, talented and exciting people in heaven than just a handful of legalistic, hateful, prideful, Amish Quakers.

Oh well, I'm done for now.

[Furstentum Liechtenstein]

Well, I was at a dinner party tonight and most people at the party felt that Obama will get a second term. Since Americans don't vote in great numbers, and since Romney is behind, and since US voters tend to give incumbents a second term, I also think you guys are in for 4 more years of Obamarama. Good for you! you deserve him for all your disloyalty towards God, and the sinfulness of your country.

In any event, the US has far more serious problems than who occupies the White House.

Besides we don't know for sure 100% certain that God exists, we take it by faith and for most of us here we take it by faith as well as evidence. But we don't know 100% for certain.

That's a bizarre thing to say. If you are not 100% sure that God exists, you are certainly not a Christian.

FL

[DRDS]

Thanks for the insults I'll remember that! As far as I know I am a believer, I mean be honest with youself and admit you have doubts from time to time. All honest believers have doubts and things that they worry about regarding their faith, our lives are not perfect like what yours apparently is. And no matter how you much you don't like it I will make it into heaven after I die you will just have to deal with me whether you like it or not!

[Furstentum Liechtenstein]

Thanks for the insults I'll remember that! As far as I know I am a believer, I mean be honest with youself and admit you have doubts from time to time.

What insults are you talking about?

As far as doubts are concerned, I do not have doubts about God's existence: I am 100% sure that God exists but you seem to doubt:

Besides we don't know for sure 100% certain that God exists, we take it by faith and for most of us here we take it by faith as well as evidence. But we don't know 100% for certain.

Perhaps you haven't expressed yourself adequately? You may have said one thing but meant another?

Anyway, all of this is besides the point. Preterism is wrong, period.

FL