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Not One Stone Left Upon Another : The catastrophic fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 forever changed the face of Judaism—and the fate of Christians in the Holy Land

"Jesus predicted it 37 years before it happened. Herod Agrippa II and his sister Bernice, who heard Paul's testimony at Caesarea (Acts 26), tried hard to prevent it, as did the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus (our main source of first-century information). But the fall of Jerusalem and the burning of the Temple in A.D. 70 happened nevertheless, and it was a catastrophe with almost unparalleled consequences for Jews, Christians, and, indeed, all of subsequent history."

Church History's "Preterist Assumption"
FINDING & DEFINING "NORMATIVE PRETERISM"

 Preterist Kerygma: "The Fall of Jerusalem was the Vengeance of God Upon the Jewish Nation"
 Pret Scholars | Normative Pret | Hyper Pret | Progressive Pret | Reformed Pret | Pret Universalism | Pret Idealism

 

JEWISH/CHRISTIAN BIBLICAL STUDIES (1500BC-AD70) | EARLY CHRISTIAN PRETERISM (AD70-1000) | FREE ONLINE BOOKS  (AD1000-2008)

David Hocking: What is Preterism? (2005) "Preterists believe that the promise of our Lord’s Second Coming began to be fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Some believe that the prophecies mentioned above were fulfilled in the Second Century AD at the time of the Second Jewish Revolt against the Roman Empire at the time of Emperor Hadrian. Some preterists hold that the prophecies were fulfilled during the first three centuries AD as God wages war on the enemies of the Church (which they argue include Israel and Rome!) resulting in the “Christianization” of the Roman Empire under Constantine." | The Significance of AD30 | AD70 | AD135 | AD312

FINDING & DEFINING "NORMATIVE PRETERISM"

Strictly preterist eschatology also has a few sterling alternatives given throughout Christian history.   Perhaps the most glorious outcropping of preterism in history came straight from the throne of the world's leader in the early 4th century.  Constantine's labarum should be considered the pinnacle of historical preterism, but is largely unknown or ignored -- especially among the crowd which sees prophecy extending no farther than ad70.

By identifying and defining the major forms of standard historical preterism, such as the previously mentioned view of Eusebius, which is that the fall of Paganism in the rise of Constantine is the pinnacle of active Bible prophecy in history.  See also Dr. Samuel Lee, who influenced an entire generation (and hyper preterist Russell) by championing this eschatology.

Such is the idea with this page --

1) Defining "Normative Preterism" (i.e. not "hyper") -  This won't be difficult, because this site has for years been gathering the source materials.   At this time, John Lightfoot - a modern preterist held in great esteem -  serves as the template for normative preterism.   He is a very modern preterist, as is provable by his Commentary of the New Testament from the Talmud and Hebraica (1658).  Lightfoot's line between normal and hyper preterism is therefore PreteristArchive.com's default for normative preterism.

2) Displaying Normative Preterism's March Throughout History -  As seen in Church History's "Preterist Assumption", the preterist view of eschatology has a long and glorious place in Christian history.   See the march of historical preterism, and its never ending struggle against hyper preterist extremism.   Historical preterists were not going to let a few spoiled eggs ruin the lot!   .     The purpose of this page will be to display the progressive leaps in eschatology as seen through historical Christian literature.   The Apocalypse Commentary of Alcasar, the English preterism of Henry Hammond, and the Westminster preterism of John Lightfoot as just a few examples of progressive leaps in Berean studies in eschatology.
 
 THE CLIMAX OF BIBLE PROPHECY:

THE ROMAN EMPIRE'S CONVERSION TO CHRIST

AND THE RESULTANT THOUSAND YEARS OF PEACE

CLIMAX OF POST-CROSS BIBLE PROPHECY: THE ROMAN CONVERSION TO CHRIST
 Granted, you may find this system to be "inconsistent" and yours a marked improvement; However, "normative" covers the past, not the future

CREATED IN THE IMMEDIATE AFTERMATH OF THE CHRISTIAN TAKEOVER OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE.  ENDORSED BY HOLY ROME.  DEVELOPED BY PHILOLOGISTS
 

"Luis de Alcazar of Seville went even further along the preterist road, assigning only the final two chapters to the end of the age.  He understood the first beast to represent the Roman Empire and the second beast as pagan Rome's carnal wisdom.. Constantine was the angel who bound Satan, whereupon the Millennium commenced." (David Brady in The contribution of British writers between 1560 and 1830)

  • Henry Hammond - Father of English Exegesis & Author of first full length English commentary on the Bible - Presents "Normative Preterism" to English Speaking World

"Hammond in turn attached the words of Mt. 24.34 ("this generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled.") to the events of the Apocalypse and suggested that chapters 4-11 described the infancy and growth of the Church of Christ up to its gaining possession of the Roman Empire."  (David Brady in The contribution of British writers between 1560 and 1830)

  • Jacques Benigne Bousset - Critical Scholar Extraordinaire - Advances AD312 Preterism within Catholic Church

"Like Alcazar before him, Bossuet expounded the Apocalypse as alluding in the major part (as far as the Millennium) to the first three centuries of the Christian Church"  (David Brady in The contribution of British writers between 1560 and 1830)
 

  • Herbert Thorndike (First generation Modern Preterist) Opposing the Historicism Rampant in England

"English Christians burning churches, defacing tombs and graves of the death, destroying the monuments of Christianity, and in fine cutting the throats of English Christians, all the while that they were ruining the whore of Babel, and cutting antichrist's throat." "He asserted that the main scope and drift of the Apocalypse was to foretell the conversion of the Roman Empire to Christianity, the climax being reached with the coming of Constantine, followed by the Millennium (interpreted in a spiritual sense)."   (David Brady in The contribution of British writers between 1560 and 1830)

Brian Simmons (2008) "Leeism" may be defined as a tendency of thought promoted by Preterist Samuel Lee (1783-1852). Though a rabid proponent of the "Past Fulfillment" of New Testament prophecies, Lee saw the consequences of his hermeneutics, which would tend to destroy and dissolve the doctrines of Christianity. Though denying futuristic eschatology for the most part, he was no cessationist, but taught that eschatology is now consummated upon the death of the believer. That is, the coming of Christ and the "resurrection of the body" are fulfilled when we die. His teachings did not have very great impact during his own age, although his "scholarship" was highly regarded by the savants of his day. Lee's theories illustrate what typically occurs when Preterists straddle the fence--adopting a "compromise" which allows them to keep their faulty hermeneutics, while at the same time retaining a "form" of New Testament doctrine. Hence, those whose theological tendencies lie in this direction may be classed as "Leeists."

  

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