Featured 5 reasons why the Preterist and/or semi-preterist position is impossible

3. To make reconciliation for iniquity.The word here translated “reconciliation” is usually rendered
“atone”, but according to Strong’s Concordance it expresses also the thought of appeasing or reconciling.
We shall, therefore, assume that our translators had good reason for using the word “reconciliation.” If,
however, it be taken that “atonement” is the better rendering, the conclusion would not be affected; for
both atonement and reconciliation were made by the death of Christ upon the cross.
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The need of reconciliation arises from the fact that man is by nature not only a sinner, but also an enemy
of God (Romans 5:8, 10). Moreover, it is because he is a sinner that he is also an enemy. As a sinner he
needs to be justified; and as an enemy he needs to be reconciled. The death of Christ as an atoning sacrifice accomplishes both in the case of all who believe in Him. In Romans 5:8–10 these two distinct, but
closely related, things are clearly set forth. For we there read, first, that “while we were yet sinners
Christ died for us”, and second, that “when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of
His Son”.
Reconciliation has to do directly with the kingdom of God, in that it signifies the bringing back of those
who were rebels and enemies into willing and loyal submission to God. In this connection attention
should be given to the great passage in Colossians 1:12–22, which shows that, as the result of the death of
Christ, those who have “redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins” (verse 14), are also translated into the kingdom of God’s dear Son (verse 13), Christ “having made peace for them through the
blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself”; and the apostle adds, “And you, who were
sometime alienated and enemies in your mind, yet now hath He reconciled in the body of His flesh,
through death” (verses 20–22).
It is certain, therefore, that, when Christ Jesus died and rose again, atonement for sin and reconciliation
for the enemies of God were fully and finally accomplished as a matter of historic fact. It is important, and
indeed essential, to a right interpretation of this prophecy, to keep in mind that atonement and reconciliation were to be accomplished, and actually were accomplished, within the measure of seventy weeks
from the going forth of the decree of King Cyrus.
It is thus seen that the prophecy has to do with the great and eternal purpose of God to establish His
kingdom — and to bring pardoned and reconciled sinners into it as willing and loyal subjects of Christ,
the King. And when the time drew near the kingdom was proclaimed by the Lord and by His forerunner
as “at hand.” The Lord’s own words, when taken in connection with the prophecy of Gabriel, are very significant. He said: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand” (Mark 1:15). The time
whereof He spoke was that declared in this great prophecy; which is the only prophecy which gives the
time of His coming. Hence His words were really the announcement of His approaching death, resurrection and enthronement in heaven, as the heavenly King of God’s heavenly kingdom.


4. To bring in everlasting righteousness.Righteousness is the most prominent feature of the kingdom
of God. To show this we need only cite those familiar passages: “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His
righteousness” (Matthew 6:33); “the kingdom of God is righteousness and peace, and joy in the Holy
Ghost” (Romans 14:17). One characteristic of God’s righteousness, which He was “to bring in” through
the sacrifice of Christ ((Romans 3:21–26), is that it endures forever; and this is what is emphasized in the
prophecy. A work was to be done, and now has been done, which would bring in everlasting righteousness
— everlasting because based upon the Cross, as foretold also through Isaiah, “My righteousness shall be
forever” (Isaiah 51:8). Jesus Christ has now been made unto US “righteous” (1 Corinthians 1:30); and
this is in fulfillment of another great promise: “behold the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise
Unto David a righteous Branch, and a King reign and prosper And this is His Name whereby He shall be
called JEHOVAH OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS” (Jeremiah 23:5–6).


5. To seal up vision and prophecy.This we take to mean the sealing up of God’s word of prophecy to the
Israelites, as part of the punishment they brought upon themselves. The word “seal up” sometimes
means, in a secondary sense, to make secure, since what is tightly sealed up is made safe against being
tampered with. Hence some have understood by this item merely that vision and prophecy were to be fulfilled. But we are not aware that the word “sealed up” is used in that sense in the Scriptures. For when
the fulfillment of prophecy is meant, the word “to fulfill” is used. We think the word should be taken here
in its primary meaning; for it was distinctly foretold, as a prominent feature of Israel’s punishment that
both vision and prophet — i.e., both eye and ear — were to be closed up, so that seeing they would see not,
and hearing they would hear not (Isaiah 6:10).
Moreover, this very sealing up of vision and prophecy as a part of the chastening of Israel was foretold by
Isaiah in that great passage where he speaks of Christ as the Foundation Stone (Isaiah 28:16). Following
this is a prediction of “woe” to the city where David dwelt (29:1). So we have here a prophecy which is parallel to that of Gabriel. The latter spoke of the cutting off of Messiah to be followed by the destruction of
Jerusalem; and Isaiah also spoke of Christ as God’s Foundation Stone, laid in Zion (resurrection) and
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then of the overthrow of the earthly Zion. As to this overthrow God speaks through Isaiah very definitely
saying, “And I will camp against thee round about and will lay siege against thee with a mount, and raise
a fort against thee, and thou shalt be brought down” (Isaiah 29:1–4). Then the prophet speaks of a coming storm and tempest and devouring fire and also of the multitude of the nations that were to fight
against the city (verses 6–9). And then come these significant words: “For the Lord God hath poured out
upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes, the prophets’ and your rulers, the seers, hath
He covered. And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed” (verses 10–11).
This manifestly corresponds with Gabriel’s words “to seal up vision and prophet.” Moreover, the word
“sealed,” in Isaiah 29:11, is the same as in Daniel 9:24. These words of Isaiah also give a remarkably accurate description of the spiritual blindness of the people and their rulers in Christ’s day, who, though they
read the prophets every Sabbath day, yet because they knew not their voices, fulfilled them in condemning Him (Acts 13:27).
The fulfillment of Isaiah 6 also comes in here. For the Lord Himself declared that, in His day, was fulfilled
the word “Go and tell this people, Hear ye indeed but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.
Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their
eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed” (Isaiah
6:9–10; Matthew 13:14–15). John also quotes this prophecy and applies it to the Jews of his day (John
12:39–41); and Paul does the same (Acts 28:25–27).
Hence we should note with deep interest the question which this sentence of judgment prompted Isaiah
to ask, and the answer he received. Evidently the prophet understood that the judgment pronounced in
the words quoted above was to be one of terrible severity, for he at once inquired anxiously, “How long”
the period of judicial blindness was to last. The answer was, “Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate, and the Lord have removed men far
away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land” (Isaiah 6:11–12).
Here we have a clear prediction of that which Christ Himself prophesied when the desolation of Judea,
and the scattering of the Jews among all nations (Luke 21:24).

 

6. To anoint the most holy place. When these papers were first written and published in serial form, we
were of opinion that this prediction had its fulfillment in the entrance of the Lord Jesus Christ into the
heavenly sanctuary (Hebrews 9:23–24). But subsequently a copy of Dr. Pusey’s work on Daniel the
Prophet came into our hands, and we were much impressed by the exposition of this passage given by
that great Hebrew scholar, who so ably defended the Book of Daniel from the assaults of the destructive
critics. He pointed out that the word anoint had acquired a settled spiritual meaning, citing the words of
Isaiah 61:1–2, which our Lord applied to Himself as He Whom God had “anointed.” Dr. Pusey also
pointed out that, inasmuch as the same word is used in the very next verse of Daniel “unto the Anointed,
the Prince” it is to be assumed that words so closely united must be used with the same meaning. This
gives the idea of an “anointing of an All Holy place” by the pouring out of the Holy Spirit thereon. Dr.
Pusey cites much evidence in support of this idea; but without going into the discussion of the matter at
length, we will simply state that we were led thereby to the conclusion that the coming of the Holy Spirit
upon the disciples of Christ, on the day of Pentecost, thereby anointing (see 2 Corinthians 1:21) a spiritual temple “the temple of the living God” (2 Corinthians 6:16), furnishes a fulfilment of this detail of the
prophecy, a fulfilment which is not only in keeping with the other five items, but which brings the whole
series to a worthy climax.
These six predicted events, which we have now considered in detail, were, according to the words of God by
Gabriel, to be accomplished within the “determined” (or limited, or “marked off”) period of seventy sevens of
years; and we have shown — indeed it is SO clear as hardly to be open to dispute — that all six items were
completely fulfilled at the first coming of Christ, and in the “week” of His crucifixion. For when our Lord ascended into heaven and the Holy Spirit descended, there remained not one of the six items of Daniel 9:24 that
was not dully accomplished.
Furthermore, by running our eye rapidly over verses 25– 26 we see that the coming of Christ and His being
“cut off” are announced as the means whereby the prophecy was to be fulfilled; and that there is added the
foretelling of the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus the Roman “prince,” and the “desolations” of Jerusalem,
and the wars that were to continue through this entire age “unto the end.”
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We do not speak at this point of verse 27. That part of the prophecy will require a particularly careful ex-amination which we purpose to give it later on.
Prophetic events are often described in veiled language and highly figurative terms, so that it is a matter
of much difficulty to identify the fulfillment of them. But in this instance it seems to us we have the exceptional case of a prophecy whose terms are plain and the identifying marks are numerous. If it were possible to
fix with certainty only one of the six predictions of Daniel 9:24, that would suffice to locate the entire series.
But the indications given to us enable us to identify five of the six with certainty, and the other with a high degree of probability. We have no doubt then that the entire prophecy of verve 24 was fulfilled in the death, resurrection and ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the coming of the Holy from heaven. And the
settlement of the fulfillment of verse 24 carries with it the location of the seventieth week, which is referred to
specifically in verse 27. T

 

How could the Herod Antipas coin exist in 37 BC, when he didn't reign until 6 AD and probably wasn't born until 20BC???

 

That is the mantra of many pre-trib-dispensationalists!

But he had his Scofield Reference Book! Sad how many have been led to false doctrine by Scofield's notes.

 

So what were you studying for 30 years if not reading these guys? Tell me what 30 years of self-study entails.

 

The Meaning of the Millennium compiled by Robert Clouse has some interesting remarks by George Ladd, a covenant premillennialist, and Anthony Hoekema, an amillennialist, on the millennium!

 

Icon,

I assume that you know Philip Mauro was a reformed pre-trib-dispensationalist!

 

I guess I'm trying to say that it is a hindrance to the thought process to be confrontational.

e.g. I don't agree with RC Sproul about eschatology, he is (or has been) post-millennial and/or partial preterist but never pre-mil, pre-trib (as far as I know). But I have no problem reading him or watching videos of him in action because he is not obnoxious and doesn't throw disagreeing brethren into the Lake of Fire.

IMO, The confrontational position only perpetuates and can even increase animosity. Not good in my estimation.

However, I'm not saying it is totally unnecessary and if the Lord has put this in your heart, then by all means go to it. Teach us what the Lord has given you.

BTW, in Revelation 1 of which you quote and every eye shall see Him, I think its noteworthy that there is no mention of any on earth as being glad concerning His coming but everyone is wailing. Probably because there aren't any happy ones on the earth, they are with Him.

Also, here and throughout the Book of Revelation ALL seem to know that the wrath of God has come, no atheists, agnostics, doubters, skeptics.
They know it is He that is causing their misery yet for all that there are those who will will not repent.

HankD

 

I reject the pre-trib-dispensationalism of John MacArthur but have read a number of his books and in general agree with him. The one thing I like about MacArthur's writing is that he does't try to confuse the reader with theological jargon, much like Martyn Lloyd-Jones!

That being said I believe the Book of Revelation was written primarily for the comfort of those 1st Century Christians undergoing persecutions first by the Jews and then by Rome. Revelation is a book of Victory for Jesus Christ and His Church. As for interpreting the Revelation I take an idealist approach and believe it presents a series of pictures, primarily in apocalyptic language of the struggle between good and evil until Jesus Christ returns and brings final judgment to Satan and his.

 

I'm like OR here. I disagree with MacArthur's pre-trib view. But I have tremendous respect for him. I own his study bible plus 3 books that have been very insightful.

Oh and the "idealist approach"

 

Errrr what do you mean theological jargon? and your saying ML-J uses this?

And Lloyd-Jones wasn't a Dispy doodle.

 

That about sums it up for me too

 

Where is the struggle between good and evil?
Revelation 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

Revelation 1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

Revelation 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

Revelation 5:11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;
12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.
13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.
14 And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.

Revelation 6:14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

Revelation 7:10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.

Revelation 7:15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.

Revelation 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

Revelation 11:17 Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.

Revelation 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

Revelation 15:4 Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.

Revelation 17:14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

Revelation 19:1 And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:

Revelation 19:6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.

Revelation 19:9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

Revelation 19:16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

Revelation 20:2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,

Revelation 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

There is no struggle here; only victory. There is continual praise for the Victor.
A struggle between good and evil; white and black; light and darkness; is a dichotomy which most of the pagan religions paint their world with. Christianity has no such concept. Christ is always the Victor.

Even though this world now lies in the hand of "the wicked one," the victory is ours in Christ Jesus our Lord. When He comes again and sets up his earthly Kingdom Satan will be bound and then ultimately thrown into the lake of fire forever. That will be the ultimate victory. It was already won at the cross. But the exercise of or execution of the final sentence will take place at the end of Millennial Kingdom. He is a defeated foe. There is no reason to allow him to defeat us.
However we are not in that Kingdom now as so many OT passages indicate.
The Tribulation has not taken place as the many plagues of this book have not taken place. It is a book of comfort to the believers of the first century, but also a book of comfort to every believer of every age. The victory is ours. There is no need to fear.

 

Oooooh... "Dispy doodle"... I like that!

 

I knew it, You can spot the Jack Hyles IFBrs just by the attitude. Give it up guys, you can't have an intelligent conversation with them.

 

No, no, no! As I wrote that I thought it might be interpreted incorrectly. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, at least in his books I have read, does not use theological jargon. Even I can understand what he means.

He is definitely not dispensational, a Predestinarian Methodist,if you can believe such, from Wales and educated as a Medical Doctor.

I was seized by an irresistible impulse to modify you original post just a little. Hope you don't mind!