Hi, Roby. I'm finally back home. Thank you for your patience.
Yes, there were several months between the sieges. That merely provided the opportunity for the Jewish Believers to escape the “Days of Vengeance”. Audience relevance is very important here. Jesus told His audience “when you” see these the things that He described. He didn’t say “when they see these things”, or “when the people living at that time see these things”.
Actually, Jesus did not say He would return immediately after the tribulation. In Matthew 24:29-31, Jesus tells us “the sign of the Son of Man will appear”. He described a darkened sun, moon, etc. Heavenly bodies symbolize earthly rulers and governments in many places. The scriptural references I provided are proof that prophesies frequently utilize symbolism. Using the principle of interpretating scripture with scripture, it’s perfectly logical to believe He is using symbolic language. Consider the language of Acts 2:17-21, which quoted the prophet Joel. The sun did not literally turn dark nor did the moon literally turn into blood on the Day of Pentecost. Just as you refer to my arguments as “pret tactics”, I could just as easily refer to your arguments as “anti-pret tactics” or “futurist” tactics where you figure the meaning that you apply to these prophetic passages is the only possible explanation. We agree there can only be one true interpretation, but both our views have logical arguments.
The 2nd Coming did not occur in Revelation 1:7, but Jesus “came” in judgement of Israel. In Matthew 26:64, Jesus told Caiaphas “I tell you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of Heaven” . Coming on the clouds” refers to God coming in judgement (e.g. Isaiah 19:1, Jeremiah 4:13-14, Nahum 1:2-6)
The Beast was Rome (personified in Nero), and the False Prophet was Apostate Israel. While "futurists" often accuse Peterists of not interpreting the prophesies literally, futurists see a literal fulfillment of the 7 Trumpets of Rev 8 (1/3 of the earth burned up, burning mountains thrown into the sea, a great star falling), but a symbolic fulfillment of Rev 11:1-8. The irony here is that Jerusalem's location is specifically identified as "where their Lord was crucified" and symbolism is applied to Jerusalem as the city "which mystically is called Sodom and Egypt".
Since you returned to the theme of this thread, I shall do likewise. The rapture hasn't happened yet because it never will. While you believe Preterism to be a man-made doctrine, I believe the rapture to be a man-made doctrine.
Paul was writing what he'd been told by Jesus or the Holy Spirit, in 1 Cor. 15:51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.
And in 1 Thess.4: 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
Not to mention the previously-posted Rev. 3:10.
Now, that's positive, undeniable SCRIPTURAL evidence of a coming rapture.
When Jesus said "When you", He meant those who will actually see it. Obviously, it hasn't yet happened. Same for paul's "we who are still alive". Obviously, none of that "we" are now alive on earth.
With all due respect, all preterism, both full & partial, relies on trying to reduce certain Scriptures to "figurative/symbolic" status, a hippo that won't fly, a pig that won't roller-skate. After Jesus cuts the trib short, there'll be one more cosmic event immediately afterward, during which He will return. I trust you're several notches above the idiots who try to make an issue over "falling stars".
SCRIPTURE says there WILL be an event we now call the rapture. deny all you want, but I believe Scripture itself over anyone who tries to invent new meanings for certain passages.