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FINDING & DEFINING "NORMATIVE PRETERISM"
Seeking the Equivalent of a "Preterist
Kerygma" (AD70 as God's Wrath for Calvary)
Can theology
be art? Absolutely! And as with all artistic works, systematic
theologies are but manmade reproductions of the True Substance (as with
Moses' revelation of the earthly tabernacle being just a copy of the
heavenly temple).
That being said, the various systems of preterism revealed throughout
Christian history are worthy of notice as being works of art on par with
Handel's
Messiah or
Kaulbach's Zerstörung -- depending on their various levels of
simplicity, coherence, and Calvary-mindedness.
In this PreteristArchive.com section's
main page,
Christian history and its generally preterist
presuppositions were considered. This subsection will
focus on the varied nature of the preterist assumptions, and their
success -- to a greater or lesser degree -- in meeting the criteria
previously mentioned. (Some are so brutish they are hard to judge
- these works will migrate into their own subsection in time.. the help
of masters is always solicited.)
As
always, there was a broad range of opinion regarding the AMOUNT of
prophetic fulfillment in AD70. To the best of my knowledge,
however, no FULLY preterist system arose until the middle of the 19th
century among the American Preterist Universalists. Being deemed
ultimately - (yes) - toxic and cancerous, these heretical forms will not
be discussed here. Rather, this section will include those
theological artist who have not divorced themselves from standard
evangelical orthodoxy, and who were never seriously censured for their
work as a result of this split.
Though works on the subject of
Daniel's Seventy Weeks will be given particular focus, there have been
many brilliant examples of preterist doctrinal synthesis in all fields
of theology dating back to the earliest days -- notable in the work of
Barnabus,
Justin Martyr,
and Hegesippus.
Perhaps the most glorious outcropping of preterism in
history came straight from the throne of the world's leader in the early
4th century, in collaboration with the Roman Church's true first "pope".
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.
Preterism effectively became the ruling theology of the entire world due
to the combined work of
Caesar Flavius
Valerius Aurelius Constantinus Augustus and
Eusebius.
Check it out!
More than a few classical
preterist theologians have noted the connection this has to prophetic
fulfillment.. without straying into the bog of Historicism.
The eschatology of early Eusebius (which was that the fall of Paganism
in the rise of Constantine is the pinnacle of Bible prophecy) has been
very popular through the ages, being held by many luminaries, such as
our all-time #1 preterist theologian,
Dr. Samuel Lee --
who influenced an entire generation (and undoubtedly
James Stuart
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 advanced 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. (VERY pleased to be standing
directly behind Johannes)
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. Literature is the primary lens through
which the march of history's building preterist movement will be seen.
3) Honoring those who have held back against
theological extremism - See
also the historical bearers of preterism in their never ending struggle against hyper preterist extremism.
The united voice of pre-19th century authorship, being themselves
zealous for the "Preterist Truth," was never willing to let a few spoiled eggs ruin the
lot! The authors of the 19th century
deserve particular attention, as they fought a real war against the many
unorthodox systems which arose utilizing preteristic eschatology (The
German School, American Preterist Universalism, English Schismatics,
etc.).
WHOLLY ENDORSED, YET VERY PROGRESSIVE:
The Catholic Preterism of Alcasar, the Protestant
Preterism of Hugo Grotius, the English Preterism of Henry Hammond, the
Westminster Preterism of John Lightfoot, the Postmillennialist Preterism
of Daniel Whitby, the Canturbury Preterism of F.W. Farrar, others..
under construction below.
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THE TOP THREE SCENES CHOSEN AS THE CLIMAX OF BIBLE PROPHECY FROM A
SURVEY OF HISTORICL PRETERIST PERSPECTIVES
NUMBER ONE:
Rome - AD312/325
ROME'S ALLEGIANCE TO JESUS
"Iesus Rex"
CREATED IN THE IMMEDIATE
AFTERMATH OF THE CHRISTIAN TAKEOVER OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE. THEOLOGY ENDORSED
BY EMPEROR.
CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY OF
ENDORSEMENT
FOUNDERS:
"It was evident, then, that Christians understood
the establishment of the Roman Empire under
Christian jurisdiction as a new exodus and
restoration of the land. Christians compared
the church to Solomon's temple, and the revival of
the body of Christ to the resurrection of the dead.
The age to come had come; the kingdom was
established; the promises had been fulfilled." Bill
Archive in
The Consequences of the Covenant
Eusebius: "The newly built houses of prayer,
assembling of bishops, and the congregation of
members of Christ's body from far away places, in
Eusebius' judgment, were fulfillments of Ezekiel's
prophecy that bone would be joined to bone and joint
to joint. [Ezek. 37:1-14; HE X.iii. 1-3]"
(Quoted in
The Consequences of the Covenant, p. 319)
"Just as we
have heard, thus we have also seen in the city of
our God.. And in what city but that newly
constructed and God-erected [city], which is the
living church." [Ps. 48:8;
HE X.iv. 3-6
HE X.iv]" (Quoted in The Consequences of
the Covenant, p. 319)
"Glorious
things have been spoken concerning you.. city of
God"
FOLLOWERS:
Froom: "When Grotius' authorship of the book was
detected, it turned all orthodox theologians against him', ('The Prophetic
Faith Of Our Fathers', volume 2, page 510, 1954)
-
Luis of Alcasar
- Jesuit author of infamous
Vestigatio in Apocalypsi -
Presents "Normative Preterism" within Catholic World
as Antidote to the Reformation
"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)
- Father of English Exegesis & Author of first full
length English commentary on the Bible -
Presents "Normative Preterism" to English
Speaking World
David
Brady
"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." (The contribution of British writers between
1560 and 1830)
Jeffrey K. Jue
"Henry Hammond followed the example set by
his Dutch apocalyptic mentor. He also began
the millennium with Constantine in his interpretation of
the twentieth chapter of the Apocalypse. "And he
apprehended the devil.. and bound him for a space of a
thousand years, noting the tranquility and freedom from
persecution that should be allowed the church of Christ
from the time of Constantine's coming to the empire."
Moreover the first resurrection (20:4-6) was not a
literal resurrection, but a description of "Christians
living in tranquility and peace during the millennium or
Christian state of peace under Constantine."
Finally, Hammong consistently followed Grotius in
identifying Satan's release at the end of the millennium
as "the rise of the Mahomedan religion" Grotius
and Hammond both believed they were living in the period
after the millennium, during the release of Satan, and
awaiting the final apocalyptic resolution in the return
of Christ to bring the final judgment." (Heaven
upon earth: Joseph Mede (1586-1638) and the legacy of
millenarianism, p. 155)
- 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)
"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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