Key Preterist Principles
BY PGF
2 years, 2 months ago
Background as definitions: Preterism and Postmillennialism?
Modern postmillennialism is largely, though not solely, committed to a particular interpretive tool known as “preterism.” This tool is helpful for explaining many of the catastrophic judgment passages as features of the founding of Christianity in the first century rather than evidence for the decline of Christianity in the final century.
However, postmillennialists do not adopt this interpretive approach in order to avoid a negative impact on their eschatological system. Rather, preterism arises naturally from a careful reading of the biblical text.
The evangelical, Reformed preterist strongly holds to the futurity of the Second Advent, the resurrection, and the great judgment. These are orthodox givens well exhibited in Scripture and long held by historic Christianity in creedal form.
Three factors generate preterism: (1) the importance of chronological indicators in biblical prophecy, (2) the impact of OT apocalyptic language on eschatological discourse, and (3) the significance of A.D. 70 for redemptive history. Let us see how these impact Revelation.
First, chronological indicators
Preterism relies heavily upon Revelation’s assertions of the nearness of certain prophetic events (1:1,3; 22:6,10), while non-preterists disingenuously re-interpret these. When the preterist comes upon didactically-seated temporal delimiters, he allows them their literal significance and seeks an historical fulfillment in antiquity. Where absent, then other issues must suggest the proper interpretation, which may or may not demand a past fulfillment.
The article discusses prophetic symbolic imagery and the foundational basis for the New Covenant, aka Christianity. The education in this short post is invaluable to the proper understanding of our current timeframe in God’s plan for our redemptive history in Christ. Read the whole thing.
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