Preterism Refutation (Part 11) - Doctrinal Implications of Full Preterism

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XII. Consider some of the problems with equating the destruction of Jerusalem with the resurrection and the second coming of Christ. 1. Did all the tribes of the earth mourn at the destruction of Jerusalem? Mat 24:30 A. Most of the people of the earth didn't even know about the destruction of Jerusalem as it was happening. B. The Romans were not mourning in 70AD, but were likely rejoicing that the Jewish rebellion had finally been quelled. C. Some preterists claim that the tribes of the earth are the tribes of Israel. D. This objection was refuted in Section XI, 3. 2. See Luk 17:26-30. A. In the day of Christ's return, life will be going on as usual (eating, drinking, marrying, planting, building), even to the point of saying "peace and safety” (1Th 5:1-3). Could this properly describe the horrors of the Jewish war? B. In Noah's and Lot's days, the wicked were destroyed the SAME day that the just were saved. i. During the Jewish war, the just were delivered 3-1/2 years BEFORE the wicked were destroyed (66 A.D; 70 A.D.). ii. At Christ's return, the just and the wicked will be living and working side by side (Luk 17:34-36). C. In 70 A.D. God used the instrument of the Roman army to destroy the ungodly. i. But on the day of the Lord, God HIMSELF will execute judgment (1Th 4:16; 2Th 1:7-10). ii. This agrees with the situations in Noah's and Lot's days: the judgment was by the very hand of God Himself (2Pe 3:10-12). D. The destruction of the wicked in Noah's and Lot's days was utter and complete: none of the targeted wicked survived. i. “Even THUS shall it be in the day when the Son of man is REVEALED (Luk 17:30). ii. But in 70 A.D. there were survivors of the wicked Jews who were "led away captive into all nations” (Luk 21:24). 3. The time of the destruction of Jerusalem was knowable by preceding signs, but the time of the day of the Lord to destroy the heavens and earth has no such signs. A. It comes without warning, as a “thief in the night” (1Th 5:2). B. The time of that day is known by none but God, so continual watchfulness is required (Mar 13:31-37). C. That day will come as a snare on all them that dwell on the face of the WHOLE EARTH (Luk 21:35). XIII. Consider the doctrinal implications of Full Preterism. 1. If all prophesy is fulfilled, then the following things are true. A. Jesus Christ is not returning to this earth. i. He "returned" in 70AD. ii. All the verses in the Bible about the 2nd coming of Christ have to be spiritualized or allegorized away because He didn't actually come back in 70AD. B. There is no bodily resurrection of the dead. i. The resurrection of the dead was prophesied (1Th 4:16); therefore it was fulfilled in 70AD. a. But all that are in the graves (Joh 5:28-29) (nor any that were in the graves for that matter) did not rise from the dead in 70AD. b. Therefore, it must have been a spiritual or figurative resurrection. ii. Since there is no bodily resurrection from the dead, then Christ's body didn't rise from the dead (1Co 15:13, 16) (preterists actually believe this). a. If Christ didn't rise from dead bodily (which is the only way He could have risen from the dead - Luk 24:39), then we are yet in our sins (1Co 15:17; Rom 4:25). b. The apostles are liars (1Co 15:15). c. Therefore, the gospel is a lie (1Co 15:1-4). d. Therefore, the Bible is a lie. e. Therefore, God is a liar. f. Therefore, our faith is vain (1Co 15:14). g. If Preterism is true, then just live it up -- eat, drink, and be merry -- because you're going to hell (if there even is one) (1Co 15:32). C. Jesus is not with us today because the end of the world happened in 70AD (Mat 28:20). D. There is no true church in this earth. i. The church will endure on earth to commemorate Christ's death until He returns (1Co 11:26). ii. If Jesus returned in 70AD, then we no longer show His death by partaking of communion in the church which means there is no church on this earth. iii. The local church is the kingdom of God (Luk 22:29-30). a. When Christ returns at the end of the world, He will deliver up the kingdom to God (1Co 15:24). b. If the second coming when Jesus returned and delivered up the kingdom to God happened in 70AD, then the local church on earth ended in 70AD. iv. If there is no true church on this earth, then consider the implications of that. a. All of the verses that speak of the local church do not apply to us today. (i) Much of what is written in the epistles of Romans, 1&2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1&2 Thessalonians, Hebrews, 1&2 Peter, and 1 John do not apply to us today because they were all written to local churches. (ii) Much of Jesus' instruction to His disciples doesn't apply to us because they were His local church (Mat 26:30 c/w Heb 2:12). b. There is no communion since it is a local church ordinance (1Co 11:23-26 c/w 1Co 1:2). c. There is no feetwashing since it is a local church ordinance (Joh 13:13-15 c/w Joh 13:4 c/w Mat 26:30 c/w Heb 2:12). d. Since there is no true church today, there is no ministry today. (i) Pastors are a gift to the church (Eph 4:11 c/w 1Co 12:28), and if there is no church then there are no pastors. (ii) The books of 1&2 Timothy and Titus do not apply to us today because they are pastoral epistles. (iii) There is no baptism because ministers baptize (2Ti 4:5 c/w Act 21:8 c/w Act 8:12). 1. Therefore, there is no call to repentance because the call to repentance is a call to baptism (Act 2:38). 2. Therefore, there is no command to believe the gospel which is preceded by repentance (Mar 1:15). e. There are no gifts of the Spirit because the Spirit fills the church (Act 2:1-4) and gives gifts to be exercised within it (Rom 12:4-8). E. There is no Satan or fallen angels. i. They were cast into the lake of fire in 70AD (Rev 20:10). ii. This means that all of the scripture about resisting Satan and spiritual warfare doesn't apply to us today (Jam 4:7; 1Pe 5:8-9; Eph 6:11-18). iii. No sinner is delivered to Satan for the destruction of the flesh (1Co 5:5). iv. No one walks according to the prince of the power of the air (Eph 2:2). F. There is no eternal punishment of the wicked. i. Everyone that was not written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire in 70AD (Rev 20:15). ii. The punishment in the lake of fire must be a metaphor since all the wicked have been in it since 70AD, yet the living wicked are still here on earth today. 2. Either all things have been fulfilled or they have not. A. If all things have been fulfilled, then the vast majority of the Bible doesn't apply to us today. B. If all things have been fulfilled, the preterist can't pick some convenient things and claim that they have not yet been fulfilled like Revelation 20.