Can you give me a one paragraph opinion of Preterism?

R____

Sure. I can do it in one sentence: Preterism is one third of Christ. It therefore is not His fullness.

Now, if you have the time and are interested in why I say that, you can continue reading.

Jesus Christ informs us eleven times in the book of Revelation that He “Is, Was, and Will Be” (Rev 1:8). ‘Is’ is always primary and is always before ‘Was.’ Preterism puts ‘Was’ as primary. Revelation says, “Keep the sayings of the prophecy of this book, for the time IS at hand” (Rev 1:3). Preterism says ‘How can I possibly ‘keep’ what is in the past?’ A preterist knows a 1/3 Christ, a dispensationalist knows a 1/3 Christ, a person who believes that the entire book is all about the here and now only, knows but a 1/3 Christ. Any combination of these thirds, which does not include all three, fails to know exactly who Christ is. He is not divided. Here is who He IS in His fullness:

Rev 1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
Rev 1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

What is true of Christ, is true of His Word. His Word is not dead, historical letters. It is “alive for evermore.” Not being able to grasp this spiritual principle has led “historical orthodox Christianity to split up into the various schools of thought mentioned above. Nevertheless here is what Christ told us about Himself and His Words:

Joh 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth [ Greek- gives life]; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

In other words, Christ’s Words are “alive for evermore.” They were not just alive back in 70 A. D. Was physical Jerusalem attacked and destroyed in 70 A. D.?
Spiritual Jerusalem has been under attack ever since. But it takes a spiritual mind to understand such a thought. It is foolish to all others.

1Co 2:13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
1Co 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

The natural man believes, as I have so often been told, “the physical IS the spiritual.”

O. K.

Rev 22:11 He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.

Mike

Rev 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

Thank you for your response. I am going to reread it the next few days to make sure I am hearing you. My initial reaction is this – I have NEVER heard either preterists or dispensationalists so much as hint that their view in any way affected the fact that the Christ was, is and always will be. These doctrinal views are narrowly focused on the fulfillment of certain prophecies and some things are fulfilled. It is safe to say Christ will not be crucified again – yet this in no way diminishes the fact he was, is and always will be. If I hear you correctly as saying he is always “coming” that is already covered in the statement he always is. All Preterism says is that the fulfillment of certain prophecies means we shouldn’t view them as future just like it would be absurd to say we are waiting for the Christ to be crucified. Certainly if I said that to you I am sure you would quickly point out that the sacrificial lamb issues are “past.”

Thanks again, and I will reread your response. Maybe I am missing something?

R____

R____,

The last thing I want to so is to offend you. My intent is to help you to see the things of the spirit.

1Co 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
1Co 2:13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
1Co 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Did you get anything out of what I wrote? I’m not condemning you. I simply want you to see that you, as of yet cannot think spiritually. Your answer to me displays this fact graphically. Let’s take your letter sentence by sentence:

My initial reaction is this – I have NEVER heard either preterists or dispensationalists so much as hint that their view in any way affected the fact that the Christ was, is and always will be.

Of course not. No Preterist, Dispensationalist, Presentist, or any one who emphasizes any doctrine of scripture at the expense of the rest of scripture, will ever admit to ignoring the rest of scripture. I could not begin to tell you how many churches I have seen that have the words ‘Full Gospel’ on their marquee. But you would not dare to quote Isa 45:7 or 1Ti 4:10 m or 1Jn 2:2 in any of those churches. They would throw you out on your ear. A friend of mine actually read those verses without comment in a Bible study in an orthodox group. He read those verses without comment and several of the group demanded to know what he was saying. He said he was not saying anything. He had hoped the Bible could speak for itself. Did these ‘full gospel’ people admit that they weren’t really ‘full gospel?’ No, of course not. They accused my friend of the very thing they were doing. Without comment on the verses read they accused him of trying to spread heresy. So when a Preterist admits that Jesus Is, Was and Will Be, what he is really doing is exactly what you have done here. Just look at how you have worded your reply. Whereas the scriptures generally arrange the words Is, Was and Will Be, you have them inadvertently arranged thusly:

… Christ was, is and always will be.

Now that demonstrates what the problem is with anything that deviates from the arrangement of God’s Word. God generally places the IS as primary. Is, is primary for a reason:

Rev 1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

I am repeating myself when I tell you again that ‘Is,’ is primary because “The time IS at hand” to “keep the sayings of the prophecy of this book.”

Rev 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

Do you have any idea as to what that means? If you are a Preterist, or a Dispensationalist, or a ‘Presentist’ (I know, I know, that is not a word), then you do not know what anything in that verse means.
Have you read the prophecy of this book? Has God given you “ears to hear the sayings of the prophecy of this book?”

Do you even begin to know what is meant by “keep those things that are written therein?” You admittedly do not believe that “the time is at hand… [ to] keep the things that are written in this book,” because you tell me:

These doctrinal views are narrowly focused on the fulfillment of certain prophecies and some things are fulfilled. It is safe to say Christ will not be crucified again – yet this in no way diminishes the fact he was, is and always will be

You contradict yourself here and don’t even catch it:

“It is safe to say Christ will not be crucified again – yet this in no way diminishes the fact he… will be.”

Now if Christ is indeed still being crucified, as you admit, even as you deny it, then He Is, Was and Will Be, being crucified. You are familiar with the oft quoted, seldom understood:

Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me…

Now if we are crucified with Christ, then Christ is still being crucified 2000 years after He was first crucified. You cannot be a Preterist and understand this verse at the same time:

Rev 1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

To properly understand this verse necessitate that you also understand this verse:

1Jn 4:17 … As he [ Christ] is, so are we in this world.

Anyone who emphasizes any one aspect of Christ at the expense of the others in their proper order, does not know what “As he is so are we in this world,” means.

To properly understand this verse, “the time IS at hand,” will always be primary. The truth that Christ did indeed die for our sins in the past, will be in its proper secondary perspective, and the fact that He is coming to reign on the earth outwardly, will be in its proper position as the third thing to be considered when we consider who Jesus Christ is. The Jesus of the scripture is “Is, Was and Will Be.” In that order and always in His fullness. Therefore Mike Vinson is neither a Preterist nor a futurist nor a Presentist. Mike Vinson is an ‘Is, Was and will be- ist.’ Mike Vinson “reads and hears the words of this prophecy.” Mike Vinson believes that “the time is at hand to keep those things that are written therein.”

Consequently, not being a Preterist, a Dispensationalist, nor a Presentist, Mike Vinson has “kept the sayings to the churches in the first three chapters, because he has been “given ears to hear what the spirit says to the churches.” HE has “repented of losing his first love… and he is dying daily.” He has and is experiencing the removing of the seven seals by the Lamb, as he is “growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. He has heard and is now sounding the seven trumpets. Mike Vinson has and is experiencing the fiery trials of the ‘seven last plagues,’ as they burn the three beasts of Rev 13, out of him. Mike Vinson wants to be sure to fear and tremble at these words:

Rev 22:6 And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.

This concluding verse sounds a whole lot like chapter one verse three, but there is even more similarity:

Rev 22:7 Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.

Are you “keeping the sayings of the prophecy of this book?” These promised blessings are accompanied with a stern warning:

Rev 22:18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
Rev 22:19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

What is “your part” in this book? Or is this a book that was all fulfilled 2000 years ago? Or may be the sayings of the prophecy of this book are all in the future? Then again maybe it is all just right here and now?

There is one more option to consider. Perhaps the words of the prophecy of this book are spiritual. Perhaps heaven and earth may pass away and “the time is at hand,” will still be true, to keep the sayings of the prophecy of this book. Maybe “the time has been at hand,” to keep the sayings of the prophecy of this book in the lives of God’s elect for the past two thousand years and counting. This book is “The Revelation of Jesus Christ.” These are His Words. And what did He tell us of His Words? Did HE tell us they were for the past? Did He tell us they were for the future? Are they only for the present? Here is what He said about His Words:

Mat 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

Christ says “the time is at hand.” He says this at the beginning of this book, and He repeats it with a warning at the end. I for one, believe Him. And I for one, will give His Words the emphasis He gives to them. I will not change that order, nor will I, with His help, add to or take away form those words.

How about you? Has Christ been coming all along? Will He yet set up His kingdom on earth? I think He Is, Was And Will.

Mike

Rev 22:20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.