You're a Preterist? What do you have to look forward to?
By Arthur Melanson
The preterist
believes all the prophecies of God came to fulfillment in the first century. The Second Coming of Jesus Christ ushered in
the fall of Jerusalem, the resurrection,
the great white throne judgment, and the establishment of the kingdom of God. All these things took place in A.D. 70. To those raised on futuristic fare these preterist
pronouncements leave them open-mouthed and goggle-eyed. Nevertheless, these are the generational prophecies of the Bible.
Some futuristic
Christians at this point will search the Scriptures to see if these things are true. Others, sad to say, will openly scoff,
and ridicule the preterist position without any Biblical investigation whatsoever. It is this attitude that brings forth the
question, “What do you have to look forward to?”
To those fostered in the falsity of futurism, forward looking is all that’s
cooking. Hope is better than accomplishment. The promise is better than the fulfillment. And pie in the sky bye and bye is
more desirable than pie before the eye. Brainwashed is an apt term to describe the experience and indoctrination of a futurist
believer. We ought to know—we used to be futurists.
The question “What do you have to look forward to?” is a knee-jerk
reaction to the preterist claim of past fulfillment. It is a thoughtless question, and it smacks of gross ingratitude. It’s
like the joke about the two friends that had a falling out. The first was self-centered, pessimistic and stingy. The second
was friendly to all, optimistic and generous. The first accused the second of never doing anything for him. The second man
patiently told his friend the many things he had done for him. He helped him get a good job. He signed a note so his friend
could buy his present house. When trouble came he helped him with his hospital costs, and when his children grew he helped
with their college education. The first man listened in silence. Then he raised his head, looked at his generous friend and
asked, “Yeah, but what have you done for me lately?”
This is how we treat God when we asked the question “What do you have to
look forward to?” Jesus died for our sins. He raised the dead. As our High Priest He opened the way to God. He returned
to defeat all God’s enemies, including death. He made the kingdoms of this world the kingdoms of our Lord and His Christ.
He made us joint heirs with Him as He reigns forever and ever. But what has He done for us lately? What do we have to look
forward to?
The futurist thinks the preterist doesn’t have anything to look forward to
because we say everything is already accomplished. And it is! During the Olivet discourse Jesus said: “Assuredly, I
say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things are fulfilled.” (Mt. 24:34) This statement
followed His teaching on His Second Coming. [To gain a full understanding
of Preterist teaching the author recommends his book, The
Second Coming—Postponed or Fulfilled?]
But there’s an element here that the futurist overlooks. Some preterists miss
it too. The great fulfilled prophecies brought to bear by the eschatological work of Jesus Christ have enduring qualities.
Some of the things Jesus did were one-time events. The cross was a one-time event, but sinners still look to Calvary for their atonement. The Second
Coming was a one-time event, but all Christians continue to reap the benefits of the kingdom of God that shall never pass
away.
“Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples,
nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom
the one which shall not be destroyed.” (Dan. 7:14)
So some things are one-time events but have enduring qualities. Other things are
not one-time events but only began in the first century and continue today and forever. Judgment is one, and resurrection
is another.
Men die. The Bible tells us, “ . . . it is appointed for men to die once, but
after this the Judgment.” (Heb. 9:27) We know the earth abides forever. (Ec. 1:4) So as men are born—men die,
and judgment is an ongoing continuing process. Judgment by Jesus Christ began in A.D. 70, but it is obviously not a
one-time event.
The futurist greatly errs when he thinks of these eschatological occurrences as one-time
happenings. Futurism taught him to think this way. When you believe the literal planet earth burns up and all evil ceases
to exist with the return of Christ, then we can understand where his ideas come from. The futurist doesn’t know what
to do with verses that show saints in the holy city and sinners outside. That’s foreign to his end-time understanding.
“Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to
the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and
murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.” (Rev. 22:14,15)
The futurist fails to realize the world that ended was not a literal planet but an
age—a Jewish age. The works burned up were the weak and beggarly elements of the Old Covenant—the Law. Failing
to realize these truths he applies his “one-time event” mind-set to the correct claims of preterism and asks,
“What do you have to look forward to?”
Resurrection also has to be a continuous, ongoing process, because we have a dust
problem. Yes, that’s right—a dust problem. God told the first man that he came from dust and to dust he would
return. That’s the way its been working ever since. Each passing year your author finds himself a little dustier than
the year before. The world calls it growing old. Christians call it getting ready to graduate to glory.
At the risk of letting the cat out of the bag, let me say that your clay body is
not fit for a heavenly environment. We have in preterism a “heaven now” crowd, but your author is not among them.
Our citizenship is in heaven, but while we are home in our earthen vessel, we are absent from the Lord. The remedy, as provided
by the Lord, is resurrection.
“And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the
image of the heavenly Man.” (1 Cor. 15:49) “Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also
has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.” (2 Cor. 5:5)
All the things that needed doing to make heaven possible for the believer through
resurrection are past events. Jesus did all the work necessary two thousand years ago. What the futurist overlooks is resurrection
is not a one-time event. Resurrection, like judgment, continues as long as the earth remains and men are born unto women.
There was a harvest resurrection in A.D. 70, but we have not yet entered into the process. We will, but not yet.
There’s a preacher in an adjoining town who when speaking of physical death
says: “Everybody’s passed through it but us.” So, too, it is with resurrection. When we shuffle off this
mortal coil the Resurrection State is immediately ours. (2 Cor. 5:8)
What will heaven be like? The Bible doesn’t give much information on the subject.
This is understandable when we remember Paul knew a man in Christ who was caught up to the third heaven—the Paradise
of God. That man heard words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. God does reveal this about heaven: “You will
show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Ps. 16:11)
This is something all Christians
can look forward to. Would you not agree?
