Preterism and Futurism

 

 

Two unique positions

Though similar in some respects,

The similarities they accept

But the differences reject.

 

The former says, already passed

With a little in the future,

The latter posits yet to happen

As its principal picture.

 

Eschatological positions-

That is what this is about:

Examining last day things

And how they will work out.

 

Accepted to come:

 

The final judgment

 And the consummation of all things,

Regarding both of these

From the same page they sing.

 

Neither holds his position

As a requirement for salvation

And both are cognizant

Of the Great Commission.

 

Go ye into all the world

And preach the Good News,

In this regard

They are of like views.

 

Their differences come

With when the end will occur

And whether present day happenings

To the last days refer.

 

 

A different view of Revelation

Concerning the time,

On its judgments and redemption

They differently opine.

 

The latter says futuristic

The preterists, it’s mostly passed,

Occurring in the first century

Is what they have grasped.

 

The Great Tribulation is passed

And therefore, not yet to come

And presently we are living

In the time of the kingdom.

 

The futurists disagree,

These things are yet to happen,

We are living in the last days

And it’s near the end, they reckon.

 

Present day happenings:

For them, these are the signs

That Jesus is about to return

And to this they are inclined.

 

 

Keep your eyes on Israel

They would also advise

And very soon we should expect

The antichrist to arise.

 

The generation that see

Israel become a nation again

Will also see Jesus

When he comes back to reign.

 

Differing interpretations

Regarding St. Matthew 24

Which generation? That’s the question:

Whether now or before.

 

Preterists argue “this generation”

Is the one to whom Jesus spoke,

But futurists disagree

And uses the fig-tree quote.

 

The fig-tree they argue

Is a reference to Israel

And “this generation” must mean

Twenty-first Century people. 

 

 

It is this generation

That witnessed the event

When Israel became a nation;

Time is far spent.

 

Jesus is standing up

And he is about to return,

This is the lesson from the fig-tree

That we ought to learn.

 

A coming in judgment

On the nation of Israel

And it has already happened

On the Jewish people.

 

This is the preterists’ position

Which they advance

But as you can see,

Futurists take a different stance.

 

Stewart Russell © August 2020

   

Two Eschatological Views

 

 

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 1^st 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 1^st century events

As they back then unreeled.

 

John’s generation back then

Not a 21^st 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

 

Eight Biblical Studies

 

 

THEOLOGY is where to start

It’s right at the very beginning,

It’s the study about the eternal God

Without beginning and ending.

 

Nothing’s impossible with God, we say,

But that is not really true,

Anything contrary to His Divine nature

God will not ever do.

 

God cannot lie or do something wrong

And He will never make a mistake,

God is the Creator of the Universe

And that tells me Big Bang is a fake.

 

God is all knowing and also all wise

He is everywhere at every time,

He is self-existent and omnipotent

He is the only one of His kind.

 

He is the eternal Word and Spirit too

As expressed in the Holy Trinity

Co-eternal, co-existent and co-essential

Are attributes of all three.

 

In the beginning was the Word

And the Holy Spirit too,

The inspired Word testifies to this

Hence, it is the biblical view.

 

Next in line is CHRISTOLOGY

And this is somewhat self-defining,

That this is the study of the Jesus Christ

Not one of us should need reminding.

 

The Anointed One, the promised Christ,

The Living Word of God,

The one born of a woman but not of a man

That later twelve disciples called.

 

The one on whom redemption rests

The price that was paid for man’s sin,

The one crucified on Golgotha’s hill

That now invites all to come to him.

 

The Son that’s equal to God the Father

But was by his own creation despised,

The one that reconciled man to God

And by his creation was crucified.

 

To wit, that God was in Christ,

Reconciling the world unto himself,

Through Christ we have the word of reconciliation

And this is more rewarding than wealth.

 

From God the Father and God the Son

To God the Holy Spirit:

PNEUMATOLOGY is that study

That highlights the blessed Holy Spirit.

 

From as early as verse 2 of Genesis 1

The Holy Spirit is introduced,

And the Spirit of God moved and God said:

For the Trinity in action: here is proof.

 

The Trinity in creation

In both the old and the new,

God speaking by the Word

With the Holy Spirit in view.

 

The Holy Spirit is not a mere force

As some would want us to believe

But is co-equal with the Father and the Son

And supplies the believer’s needs.

 

Christ mediates between God and man

And the Holy Spirit ensures this link

Such that both mediate on man’s behalf

As the Three indwells his tent.

 

Next in order is ANGELOLOGY:

The study of the angelic host,

Once among heaven’s host was Lucifer

But now he occupies a different post.

 

He dared to challenge the Most High

And declared war against God,

Well, the outcome was his utter defeat

Great was his consequential fall.

  

A third of the angelic host he took

That decided to join up with him,

From then he’s been active in the earth

Engaging the world in sin.

 

Michael is called the archangel

And Gabriel is the messenger of God,

These two we know of in the Word

Besides Lucifer before the fall.

 

 

And who better than Lucifer aka Satan

To introduce the study of DEMONOLGY

For he is leader of the demonic host

And the instigator of human tragedy.

 

You would recall in the Garden of Eden

It was Satan that tempted Eve,

Just three words, “Hath God said…?

And Eve was tragically deceived.

 

Ever since, Satan and his minions

Have been wreaking havoc on the earth,

Most notably inciting men and women

To disbelieve the Saviour’s birth.

 

It could be morning, noon or night,

Satan and his demons do not rest

Trying to get all of mankind not to confess

That Jesus Christ is come in the flesh.

 

SOTERIOLOGY: the study of salvation

As stated in John chapter 3 verse 16:

For God so loved He gave!

It was Jesus who came to redeem.

 

To redeem man from the scourge of sin

Ever since the first man fell,

The earthy Adam had sold us out

And our destiny was a flaming hell.

 

The second man is the Lord from heaven

That came to be the Saviour,

Reversing the curse that Adam brought

So that man could gain God’s favour.

 

There is therefore no salvation

Other than in the Lord, Jesus Christ,

The propitiation of God the Father

And man’s once and for all sacrifice.

 

Romans 5:8

 

But God commended His love toward us,

In that, while we were yet sinners,

Christ died for us.

 

And when the day of Pentecost came

They were of one accord in one place,

From these relative few disciples in waiting

The origin of the God’s Church we trace.

 

Herein is the study of the Church

ECCLESIOLOGY it is called,

It’s now become the Church triumphant

With its message spread abroad.

 

Established on the Rock, Christ Jesus

Purchased by his atoning blood,

Chosen from the very beginning

A Spirit filled Christian brotherhood.

 

A composite of born-again believers

Endued by the Holy Spirit

To tell the message of the glorious Gospel

Consistently by life and lip.

 

The central theme of the New Covenant

The Old having passed away,

An eternal and far better covenant

As the writer of the Hebrews did say.

 

A Church that looks for Christ’s coming

But also carries out its mission

To spread the Gospel throughout the world:

This is the Great Commission.

 

Then comes the end whenever that be

For not one of us can see,

But we do know it will certainly come

Whatever our ESCHATOLOGY.

 

Whether Futurist or Preterist,

Idealist or Historicist,

Whatever position on the eschatological list,

Here is the point we must not miss.

 

Jesus is coming again!

It is clear in the Holy Word,

It matters not to us when that time will be

But it’s a fact it will occur.

 

Some believe it could be this year,

Some contend that’s not likely

But whatever one’s belief, opinion or view

The Lord’s return is a certainty.

 

He will return for those that are his

This loving Shepherd of his sheep

Including those that have died in him

And those not yet fallen asleep.

 

Stewart Russell © August 6, 2021

 

If Only We Knew When

 

 

If only we knew when he was coming

There are so many things we would change,

Like a lot of things that matter now:

All these priorities would be rearranged.

 

Some would wait till the day before

And put a lot of things in place

Just like we do at Christmas time

As though running a short distance race.

 

Top priority would be his coming

I am sure it’s not the top priority now,

Maybe those unbelievers who paid him no mind

Would be practising how to bow.

 

But let’s be practical and let’s be real

More than two thousand years have passed,

And the longer it is before his return

The longer ‘twill be our task.

 

But what if he were coming tomorrow?

And what if we only knew today?

I could just imagine the frantic rush-

It would be all serious business and no play.

 

You see, our belief about eschatology

Should influence how we live today,

If we believe he could return tomorrow

We would be acting without delay.

 

 

But maybe we really don’t believe that

Hence, why we’re just coasting along,

And just putting a few things in place

Just in case our thinking is wrong.

 

The Thessalonians in the early Church

Felt Jesus would return in their time

And in such anticipation refused to work

But they had to change their mind.

 

If they refuse to work they should not eat

This was the Apostle Paul’s command,

That may seem harsh in a Christian church

But it really was the better plan.

 

You maybe wondering what I am getting at

Based on this title I have chosen,

It is that we too have neglected the work

That our Saviour, the Lord has given.

 

 

This is the time for the Gospel to spread:

With this we should be occupied,

Instead we are caught up with frivolous things

And this anomaly should not be denied.

 

It is true we can’t keep a frenetic pace,

That is not humanly possible

But we must keep in mind the Great Commission

And ensure we preach the Gospel.

 

The fact that he died for our sins

And the sins of the whole wide world,

The fact that he rose again from the dead

As recorded in his Holy Word.

 

The fact that he is coming again

And none of us knows the time,

The fact that he is the only pardon for sin

Regardless of what others may opine.

 

If only we knew when, I repeat again,

Why should that be the significance?

The fact of the matter that he is coming again

Should be the fact that makes the difference.

 

Stewart Russell © October 2019