The historicist and Idealist
The preterist and futurist,
Four eschatological positions
Comprise our last days list.
Feverish arguments
Concerning which one is right,
Each of the proponents
Claiming to have the light.
Like Armenians and Calvinists
Splitting Christendom in half
And people knowing no better
Sometimes having a laugh.
Mud-ites and non-Mud-ites
Arguing incessantly:
Concerning the healing of the blind
They disagree vehemently.
Four eschatological positions
Agreeing to disagree
And not necessarily agreeably
Or citing commonalities.
They have more in common
Than all that divide
But their focus on differences
Causes them to collide.
Two are particularly prominent
And two relatively mute,
I will focus attention on the two
At the centre of the dispute.
Preterist and Futurist:
These are the dominant two
The former adopts a past position
The latter: a future view.
Preterist indicates the past
Futurist is self-defining,
In terms of last days prophecies
Which, if either, is binding?
“Opinions” is not the truth
Though at times they converge
So, when arriving at a conclusion,
Hold to the Bible, I urge.
Neither position is salvific
Nor is a barrier to salvation
But both cannot be equally right
Is my humble submission.
Concerning last day prophecies
Most are already fulfilled,
The Futurist believe otherwise
They remain to be fulfilled still.
Concerning the Revelation
This book is about our future,
Preterist look at the 1st century
And advance a different picture.
Preterist focus on stated time clues
And the audience relevance
While Futurist make light of these
And argue for a far distance.
Futurist prophetic stance
Is based on a modern-day Israel
Who from Old Testament times
Was God’s chosen people.
God broke off with the Jews
That Gentiles could be ushered in
And some spectacular event will occur
To bring most of the Jews to Him.
First: the rapture of the Church
Then a time of great trouble
For all those that are left-behind:
In particular the nation of Israel.
In this seven-year tribulation
The Jewish nation will turn to God
And in a single day
All Israel will answer God’s call.
Next will be the millennium
During which Christ will reign:
This will be an exact thousand years
Is what the Futurist claim.
The final judgment will follow
And the consummation of all things
And Jesus will hand over to God:
The Father and eternal King.
Conversely Preterist believe
In an inexact thousand years:
Of a period beginning at Pentecost
Till the second advent appears.
The time of the final judgment
When Satan is cast in the lake of fire
With all that rejected Jesus Christ
And were in Satan’s hire.
Futurist interpret prophecy
Via current events
The matter of signs and wonders
Is their intent.
Thus, they’ve erred many times
As to when the world will end,
Regarding world event after event
They often see a trend.
They use modern day tabloids
To make sense of the Word
As it especially relates to Israel
As we have already heard.
Conversely, for the Preterist
Revelation is an almost done deal
A record of 1st century events
As they back then unreeled.
John’s generation back then
Not a 21st century generation
Thus, the proof of Biblical prophecy
And the book of Revelation.
Some Preterist believe
No prophecy is left to be fulfilled
But their eschatological explanation
Leaves me baffled still.
For Futurist Israel is the key
And it always has been,
God made a promise to Abraham
That all Israel will be redeemed.
The question, however arises:
Which Israel does the Bible mean?
“Since not all Israel is Israel”
This from Romans we glean.
Preterist believe Jesus is the key
As shown in Matthew 24
And all he said to his audience then
In Revelation he develops more.
It was urgent for them:
They would see Revelation unfold,
They were not left in the dark
By John they were told.
Let Scripture interpret Scripture
As you finally decide
But understand that on neither view
Does our salvation ride.
Salvation solely rests
On our acceptance of Christ
And the only offering that suffices
Is Christ’s expiatory sacrifice.
That’s soteriology not eschatology
Accept Christ today!
What think ye of Christ?
He is the only.
Stewart Russell © June 5, 2021
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