Let's talk about The End Times

I believe that much of the 'End Times' was already fulfilled in 70 AD with the fall of Jerusalem to the Romans. There, I said it. I'm a 'partial' preterist. I think it's time I take all my weird views and start justifying them before they atrophy from lack of use. Jerusalem was destroyed. Gone. Poof. Extirpated, to use a fun word. The main, huge, cornerstone, foundational pillar is this: Jesus said He would return in 'this generation', the-generation-He-was-talking-to-when-He-made-the-'return statement'. I'll get into this more. This would have been around early-30ish AD. So, that would put the time of His return about 40 years from then. 30+40 is 70! 70 AD.: The fall of Jerusalem to the Romans.

And don't worry: I'll get to the book of Revelation some time down the road.

Quick implications: the 'rapture', 7-year tribulation, and the Anti-Christ have already come and gone. If they happen again, it'll be a 'double-fulfillment'. But it doesn't have to.

So, what's left?

1. The final resurrection
2. The final judgment.

Basically, from Revelation 20 onwards. Everything else is a done deal.

Careful! Remember, I said I was a 'partial' preterist. There's a heresy out there called 'full' preterism that I don't believe: it says ALL prophecy has been fulfilled, including the final resurrection and judgment.

Translations:

1. Verses about 'the rapture' -> the final resurrection.
2. 7-year tribulation -> the Jewish war (66-73 AD).
3. The Anti-Christ -> Nero. Partially: Titus and Vespasian.
4. The Olivet Discourse, Daniel 9, Revelation 1-19 -> the Jewish war.
5. The "Millennium" -> Where WE are now: Revelation 20.

It's reassuring to know that weirdos don't hold this view. R.C. Sproul holds it. Gary DeMar, Hank Hanegraaff: they hold it. It's a view worthy of Biblical scholarship. They all agree that 'partial' preterism is probably the view held by the guys who actually wrote the New Testament.

Have you ever heard people talk about 'the plain reading of the text'? The 'Left Behind' people like this and in certain contexts it's called for. But I'd like to kind of focus on an inconsistency. They're literal about the images, but not about the times. Hear me out.

Jesus said He would return soon, quickly, that some standing here would not taste death, that this generation will not pass away, that the time is near. Don't worry. I'll dissect all this in due time. I'm painting in broad strokes just for the sake of an introduction. Remember the Deuteronomy 18 test for prophets? Jesus was putting Himself on the line here. Throughout the Old Testments, 'true' prophets would put themselves on the line by giving their prophecies time limitations. I think Jesus was doing the same thing here. Let's look at some examples.

Matthew 24:34 - Most assuredly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.

What's the plain reading of the text here? It's pretty clear. Jesus was talking to a certain group of people when He said this. So, the 'End Times' are going to happen before they 'pass away', before they die. That's what it seems to be saying. It's interesting to look at other versions.

The New Century Version: I tell you the truth, all these things will happen while the people of this time are still living.

The Amplified Version: Truly I tell you, this generation – that, the whole multitude of people living at the same time, in a definite, given period – will not pass away till all these things take place.

Pretty clear. There's 4 ways out.

1. Generation means 'race'.
2 Generation means 'some future generation'.
3. Generation means 'all the wicked people ever'.
4. The prophecy is delayed.

I'll get to this soon. But here are some other verses for now.

Matt 10:23 - When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

Matt 16:28 - Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.

Romans 16:20 And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly.

1 Corinthians 10:11 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.

James 5:8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand…..Behold, the Judge is standing at the door!

1 John 2:18 Little children, it is the last hour.

Rev 1:1,3 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place…..Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near…

Revelation 22:20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Shortly. Near. Shall not taste death. The last hour. At hand. Shortly take place. Coming quickly. Is it sinking in? Here's a question. If my view is true, how else could God have told us? The Greek vocabulary is exhausted here.

Another key issue is the order that things happen. I've dealt with the 'when' or the 'timing'. But the order is also important.

Remember Matthew 24:3 - As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?"

The end of the age. What age?

Or, consider Ephesians 1:19-22: That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church . . .

So, there's a PRESENT AGE and an AGE TO COME.

1. Matthew's 'end of the age'.
2. Present age.
3. Age to come.

Let's organize this. Paul wrote Ephesians. Good so far. But Paul wrote the above verses 'during an age'! Which age? It was the age when everything was being put under Jesus' feet. Which age is that? The present age. But put on the brakes for a second. Yes, Paul wrote Ephesians in 'the present age'. It was during the age when everything was put under Jesus' feet. BUT that doesn't mean that everything was put under Jesus' feet ONLY DURING THE PRESENT AGE. Paul says this will still be happening in the 'age to come'.

1. Paul's writing - the present age.
2. Paul's writing - when everything is put under Jesus' feet.
3. Everything put under Jesus' feet - present age and age to come.

This might seem nit-picky but 'order' is crucial. What about 1 Corinthians 15:20-28?

1 Corinthians 15:20-28 (it's a mouth full, but READ IT anyway, and slowly): But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the first-fruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming. Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. For “He has put all things under His feet.” But when He says “all things are put under Him,” it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted. Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.

1. Christ rose from the dead (past event).
2. When Christ comes back (officially), the final resurrection of Christians happens (future event, even to us): warning! warning! This 'coming' isn't the same as the 'coming' in Matthew 24.
3. At the end of His reign, He's going to come.
4. His reign will end when all power, authority, and rule are destroyed.
5. The LAST enemy is death.
6. When death is gone, the Messianic kingdom is over. God will be all in all.

Amazing. This is why eschatology is so cool. We're in the Messianic kingdom right now: the Millennium. This kingdom runs through 'the present age' to 'the age to come'. Paul was in 'the present age', which ended in 70 AD. And we're in 'the age to come', which was 'to come' (future) only to Paul, not to us. The final resurrection and judgment happen at the END of 'the age to come'. At the END of 'the age to come', all power, authority, rule, might (Gog and Magog), and (finally) death are destroyed. In the Millennium (the Messianic kingdom) we share in Christ's resurrection. After Gog and Magog are destroyed, death is destroyed, the just and the damned are 'raised to life' for the final judgment, which begins 'the eternal state', the last and final age.

So, again, there are 3 ages.

1. The present age.
2. The age to come.
3. The eternal state.

One more point and I'll quit for now, since this is getting sort of long. Keep in mind this is all introductory. I'll get to the nitty-gritty soon. The funnest part is when we dissect Revelation. Consider this verse.

Matthew 24:29 - Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

Scary sounding stuff. But remember - this language has been used before. Remember Isaiah 13:9-10 - Behold, the day of the LORD comes, cruel, with both wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate; and He will destroy its sinners from it. For the stars of heaven and their constellations will not give their light; the sun will be darkened in its going forth, and the moon will not cause its light to shine.

Same language, but the universe didn't literally unravel. Stars didn't just literally turn into supernovas and refuse to give their light. This is just the normal, apocalyptic way this kind of literature uses to describe - in this case - a 'judgment' on Babylon.

I'll get into more later. But hopefully you see where all this is headed. The 'Left Behind' interpretations aren't right, I don't think. But I hope to make my view more clear as the blogs go on. Feel free to comment. If you bring up something that I'll hit on later in more detail, I'll let you know; I'll leave a summary-answer for the time-being, just until the more detailed answer comes along.