Paidion wrote:Philip Mauro wrote:This "great tribulation" is commonly in our day assigned to the future; and this view was held by the present writer himself until he made a personal study of the question. Our observations on this point, however, belong to the second division of our subject, the Lord's Prophecy on Mt. Olivet (#Mt 24), so we will only say at present that so conclusive to our mind is the proof that the "great tribulation" of Matthew 24:21 was the then approaching siege of Jerusalem, that we are bound to believe that competent teachers who relegate it to the future have never examined and weighed the evidence.
Second-century Christians such as Irenæus, believed that the great tribulation was future to their day, and they lived long after 70 A.D. The belief that most or all of Matthew 24 is about the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. is the very essence of preterism, is it not?
Hi Paidion,
Philip Mauro said, "...competent teachers who relegate it to the future have never examined and weighed the evidence." Well, I believe they did examine the evidence and then absolutely refused to believe it was over. Therefore, clever alternatives were crafted to keep the spirit of an Old Covenant Kingdom (wooden literalism) alive and set in the future. You see, the evidence is so overwhelming that to deny fulfillment, will put at risk the inspiration of The Holy Spirit, who clearly taught that generation will not pass until fulfillment came to fruition. Therefore, clever alternatives were INVENTED.
It really is quite simple. These are ancient eyewitness accounts, personal letters to real people telling their story. I guarantee it would be impossible to read the N.T., if you role play as the audience receiving these letters and epistles, to divert it's prophetic messages to another time, people and place. Absolutely impossible! Be the Thessalonians, Ephesians, Corinthians, Romans, Diaspora, etc... 100% impossible!
Preterists are not being unreasonable. However, to read an ancient account or testimony, if you will, regarding events said to affect the people of the time, and then, draft clever ways to nullify that message and assign it to people 100, 500, 1000, 1500, or how about 2000 years and counting to the future; and be DEAD WRONG, FALSE TEACHERS/PROPHETS TO BOOT, and contend they are the ones who are being reasonable is just crazy???? Not a chance.
Irregardless of the evidence to the timing of prophecy being fulfilled in the 1st Century, it is still rejected for ignorance of "The How" question. Wooden literalism and errant expectation on the nature of fulfillment is what kept the unbelieving Jews from accepting Messiah. This same error exist regarding prophecies regarding the end of the age.
How prophecy was fulfilled, may never be accurately solved, however, believing its timing - when God said it will happen - shouldn't be up for question.
God Bless.
