Preterists - Put up or shutter up

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Aug 15, 2009
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The Lord bless you for you honesty and your desire to know. Discernment of what is meant to be literal and what is symbolic, comes from becoming familiar with the book of Revelation by studying it and the related books and scriptures regarding end-time events. However, there is information that is made plain to the reader, the literacy of a thousands being one of them.


As I continue to proclaim, the book of Revelation should be read in the literal sense until a symbolic sense is obvious. An enormous dragon with seven heads should alert the reader immediately that a symbolic interpretation is required. The meaning behind the symbolisms are for the most part, revealed right in the Revelation itself. For example, the seven heads and the ten horns of the dragon, are revealed in Rev.17. The symbolism of the sun, moon and stars regarding the woman of Rev.12, is revealed in Genesis 37:9-10.

Just keep on praying about it and continue to read the book of Revelation and the Lord will reveal what is literal and what is symbolic.
Amen. It's all about the context within the book.
 
Dec 28, 2016
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Stephen63,

It doesn't collapse my system as I am not firmly settled yet. I am somewhere betwixt Chiliasm and amill. My bone of contention in this thread is the pre-trib rapture. Its not firmly stated in the scriptures, imo.
 

JaumeJ

Senior Member
Jul 2, 2011
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How can the "rapture" be pre-trib when we are taught at the last trump all will be changed, Jesus will return on the clouds with His angels.

Every eye will see Him.....yes, the world really is round so this is something only Yahweh can achieve.

He will send His angels to bring up first those who sleep, and second those who are quick (alive in the flesh) to meet Him.

The words are written, and teh Holy Spirit does affirm them for me. I would not claim to know the exact moment or even year this will occur, the only importance is that I believe God's Word, Jesus Christ. It really is easier to have faith than to attmpt to design an entirely newending to this age, besides, mankind cannot do this.
 
Nov 12, 2015
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What does an expression such as ten thousands of thousands mean? Is that to be calculated as meaning a precise number?

Or, "as many as the sands on a beach or in the desert?" Are we to start counting grains of sand?
So then...your objection is at those who would say He reigns for 1,000 years exactly in the millennial reign? You would prefer that people said it is just a really long time? :)
 
Feb 7, 2015
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So then...your objection is at those who would say He reigns for 1,000 years exactly in the millennial reign? You would prefer that people said it is just a really long time? :)
No, my disappoint is more with many of us feeling we have to portray the illusion that we have it all figured out........... and worse, we are hell-bent on making sure the rest of the world benefits from our almost exclusive nuggets of wisdom.
 
Nov 12, 2015
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The point many of you "die-hards" are missing is that many of us can freely admit that although we do have some ideas about what things in Revelation and some of these other prophesies might mean.... we certainly do not know for sure. Many of you seem to think it demonstrates your lack of faith or spirituality if you are not able to declare with as much blustered authority as you can muster, that you know with absolute and unparalleled certainty just what each and every word of all of them means.
I can understand what you say here. There are men who have extensively studied it and then there are men who have not. These latter ones can say some pretty crazy things sometimes.

I know too, that there are things that in themselves sound nuts in Revelation. The scorpions, the horses, etc. But, I look at Revelation as a book of prophecy and believe that when it says it will all happen just exactly as God said to His prophets, that it will literally happen, even the parts that say things like men will seek to die but won't be able to. Can't figure that one out, but I do believe it. It actually sounds to me like some kind of scientific tampering where men would seek to die and try to kill themselves and not be able to.

I think I see that you think this is too childlike of a faith. And that's okay. I don't need you to agree with me. I'm fine with letting you have your view on it. :)
 

notmyown

Senior Member
May 26, 2016
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And a 1,000 hills is a 1,000 hills. God owns the cattle on 1,000 hills. Not 999 hills, not 1,001 hills, but exactly 1,000 hills. Deal with it. ;) :D :)
lol! i haven't read further than this yet, but was thinking about Deuteronomy and God keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations.... ummm.... poor generation 1001. ;) :D
 
Aug 15, 2009
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Here's my bone to pick.....

According to the preterist view, we are in the thousand year reign of Christ.

Jesus has already came back.

Jesus is now in full charge.

Where is He?

Why all the wars if Jesus is reigning now? The plagues? earthquakes? Hurricanes?

Now, for the grand finale'..... Where is any of this written in history?

Preterists quote the "church fathers" regularly, yet there's not a single mention of this already happening in their writings.

We quote Josephus for history, but he wrote nothing about it, & he lived thru it.

None of the 1st or 2nd century writers say anything about it!

Now, some questions need to be answered:

When did preterism begin?

It's been said that the rapture theory started in the 17th century, right?

Preterism is said to have started in the 16th century. By a Jesuit. From the RCC.

Before that, there was no such thing.

Since this is the argument for the rapture by preterists as well, it's only fair that this argument also be accepted by the preterists, otherwise, they look like hypocrites for accepting one, & rejecting the other.

That's my 2 cent's worth.
 
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Ahwatukee

Senior Member
Mar 12, 2015
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I can understand what you say here. There are men who have extensively studied it and then there are men who have not. These latter ones can say some pretty crazy things sometimes.

I know too, that there are things that in themselves sound nuts in Revelation. The scorpions, the horses, etc. But, I look at Revelation as a book of prophecy and believe that when it says it will all happen just exactly as God said to His prophets, that it will literally happen, even the parts that say things like men will seek to die but won't be able to. Can't figure that one out, but I do believe it. It actually sounds to me like some kind of scientific tampering where men would seek to die and try to kill themselves and not be able to.

I think I see that you think this is too childlike of a faith. And that's okay. I don't need you to agree with me. I'm fine with letting you have your view on it. :)
Morning Stunnedbygrace,

Regarding people not being able to kill themselves to escape those demonic beings that are commanded to torment the inhabitants with stings like scorpions, I would suggest that God removes the ability for people to die during the 5th trumpet judgement. Death appears to be an active force with an actual entity representing it. As and example of this, both death and Hades are thrown into the lake of fire at the great white throne judgment - Rev.20:11-15
 
E

eternally-gratefull

Guest
Interpret future prophesy with fulfilled prophesy as precedence, All prophesy before Christ literally was fulfilled. that means all prophesy will be literally fulfilled.

(ie, using historical precedence)

So if a prophesy can not be literally said to have occurred. most likely it has not yet occurred. we should not try to spiritualize it to make it come true, that is calls interpreting the word to fit our belief system. Not using the word to interpret the word.

as for the tribulation argument, No one will know until it happens. Until then, all we can do is try to guess at best, for this reason, no one should be judging another based on what they think, A post trib person should not be judging a pretrib person and vise versa. since neither of you can prove you point beyond a shadow of a doubt.
 

tourist

Senior Member
Mar 13, 2014
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Tennessee
Here's my bone to pick.....

According to the preterist view, we are in the thousand year reign of Christ.

Jesus has already came back.

Jesus is now in full charge.

Where is He?

Why all the wars if Jesus is reigning now? The plagues? earthquakes? Hurricanes?

Now, for the grand finale'..... Where is any of this written in history?

Preterists quote the "church fathers" regularly, yet there's not a single mention of this already happening in their writings.

We quote Josephus for history, but he wrote nothing about it, & he lived thru it.

None of the 1st or 2nd century writers say anything about it!

Now, some questions need to be answered:

When did preterism begin?

It's been said that the rapture theory started in the 17th century, right?

Preterism is said to have started in the 16th century. By a Jesuit. From the RCC.

Before that, there was no such thing.

Since this is the argument for the rapture by preterists as well, it's only fair that this argument also be accepted by the preterists, otherwise, they look like hypocrites for accepting one, & rejecting the other.

That's my 2 cent's worth.
The 1000 year earthly reign of Jesus has not yet taken place for if it had we would be able to physically see Him and touch Him. The government will be on His shoulders. Saying that we are now in the millennium is nonsense as it ignores prophecy through-out the bible, especially in the book of Revelation. Adding to your contribution there is now 4 cents total to this topic. It makes perfect sense.
 

notmyown

Senior Member
May 26, 2016
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there's a difference between full and partial preterism, i do believe.
 
Nov 12, 2015
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Hey Ahwatukee,

The reason this scripture is so important to them, and you probably know it, is that a literal interpretation of this scripture would collapse their doctrine, for they believe we're already in the thousand year reign of Christ, which in & of itself is a joke, & apparently we've already been it over 2,000 years already.:)
Do they all believe that...?
 
E

eternally-gratefull

Guest
there's a difference between full and partial preterism, i do believe.
what are they? I never heard of preterism before I came to CC. I always called people by what they believed. Pre-mil vs Amil, Pre-trib, mid trib, or post trib.
 
Nov 12, 2015
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No, my disappoint is more with many of us feeling we have to portray the illusion that we have it all figured out........... and worse, we are hell-bent on making sure the rest of the world benefits from our almost exclusive nuggets of wisdom.
I understand. I agree. Your complaint is my complaint in most threads! :)
 
Feb 7, 2015
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I can understand what you say here. There are men who have extensively studied it and then there are men who have not. These latter ones can say some pretty crazy things sometimes.

I know too, that there are things that in themselves sound nuts in Revelation. The scorpions, the horses, etc. But, I look at Revelation as a book of prophecy and believe that when it says it will all happen just exactly as God said to His prophets, that it will literally happen, even the parts that say things like men will seek to die but won't be able to. Can't figure that one out, but I do believe it. It actually sounds to me like some kind of scientific tampering where men would seek to die and try to kill themselves and not be able to.

I think I see that you think this is too childlike of a faith. And that's okay. I don't need you to agree with me. I'm fine with letting you have your view on it. :)
Not really. I see "childlike" as just accepting that we are cared for, despite not truly having any idea how or why. Although a child constantly asks, "Why?", they really don't feel they have to know. Adults, on the other hand, have a tendency to need to at least "believe" they have a certain amount of control because they have "logically" sorted some things out and depend on that knowledge being an accurate guide for them.
 
Nov 12, 2015
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Morning Stunnedbygrace,

Regarding people not being able to kill themselves to escape those demonic beings that are commanded to torment the inhabitants with stings like scorpions, I would suggest that God removes the ability for people to die during the 5th trumpet judgement. Death appears to be an active force with an actual entity representing it. As and example of this, both death and Hades are thrown into the lake of fire at the great white throne judgment - Rev.20:11-15
I think Willie will like your "I suggest." :)
 
Nov 12, 2015
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The 1000 year earthly reign of Jesus has not yet taken place for if it had we would be able to physically see Him and touch Him. The government will be on His shoulders. Saying that we are now in the millennium is nonsense as it ignores prophecy through-out the bible, especially in the book of Revelation. Adding to your contribution there is now 4 cents total to this topic. It makes perfect sense.
I agree with all but calling the views of others on it nonsense. :)

I agree there are too many things that did NOT occur to call it fulfilled. For instance, we see many of us dying young. We do NOT see us outliving the works of our hands, for one thing. We see the opposite, in my opinion.
 
May 11, 2014
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Regarding people not being able to kill themselves to escape those demonic beings that are commanded to torment the inhabitants with stings like scorpions, I would suggest that God removes the ability for people to die during the 5th trumpet judgement.
This is just weird. Not true at all.
Death is only swallowed in victory when Jesus returns. The LAST enemy to be destroyed is death.
Paul makes this clear for us.
 

notmyown

Senior Member
May 26, 2016
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what are they? I never heard of preterism before I came to CC. I always called people by what they believed. Pre-mil vs Amil, Pre-trib, mid trib, or post trib.
oh, man, i'd have to write a book! lol

i am currently studying full preterism (thank you, Locutus for the tools :) ), but i think amil falls in the partial preterist camp.

basically, the amil position is that most, but not all things are yet fulfilled. from what i've read thus far, that's the major distinction between full and partial. we were raised in dispensational churches, but i can no longer see that view in the Scriptures.

you can call me amil, EG. i'll still like you, and i trust you'll still like me. see how this works, folks? no need to destroy friendships over eschatology. ;)