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EARLIEST USAGES OF PRETERIST / PRETERITE /
PRAETERIST
G.S. Faber (1843)
"To consider certain vituperative prophecies...as already accomplished
in the course of the first and second centuries; whence, to commentators
of this School, we may fitly apply the name of Preterists." (The Sacred
Calendar of Prophecy)
James Peabody (1847)
"They who
hold the Praeterist scheme, entertain the opinion, that all the
leading
predictions of the book of Revelation, were fulfilled in the
early periods.."
Edward Bishop Elliot (1847)
See my
Examination of the German Praeterist Apocalyptic Scheme,
in the Appendix
to my Vol. iv. (Horæ Apocalypticæ: Or, A Commentary on the
Apocalypse)
Joseph Addison
Alexander (1851)
"The true force of the preterite and future forms, as here
employed, is that according to God's purpose, it has come to pass and
will come to pass hereafter." (Isaiah
Translated and Explained Part Two - Page 148)
Robert
Bickersteth (1855)
"It is not, perhaps, saying
too much, to admit that after all the
attempts of commentators, ancient and
modern,— preterist and futurist, there
are many symbols and visions of
Revelation which, we must confess, we do
not understand." (The
Gifts of the Kingdom, p. 18)
James
Austin Bastow
(1868)
"To
the Preterist scheme of
interpretation we incline, regarding the
predictions of the book as having been
fully accomplished before the close of
AD 135." (A Biblical Dictionary, p. 627)
George
Hawkins Pember (1881) "The
Praeterist view was first put forth as a
complete scheme by the Jesuit Alcasar in
his work entitled " Vestigatio Arcani
Sensus in Apocalypsi," which was
published in 1614. It was thus unknown
in the early times of the Church, and
has found but little favour save with
Roman Catholics and with expositors of a
rationalising tendency.6 It limits the
scope of the Apocalypse to the events of
the seer's life and some other things
which he might well have guessed, and
affirms that the whole prophecy was
fulfilled in the destruction of
Jerusalem by Titus and the subsequent
fall of the persecuting Roman Empire,
that is, in the successive overthrows of
Judaism and Paganism." (The great
prophecies concerning the Gentiles, the
Jews, and the Church of God, pp. 5,6)
H.P. Smith
(1883) "Preterist.
[L. praeteritus, past] 1. One who lives
in the past rather than in the present.
2. One who regards the Apocalypse as a
series of predictions which have already
been fulfilled." (Glossary
of Terms and Phrases)
Webster's Dictionary
(1913) "2. (Theol.)
One who believes the prophecies of the
Apocalypse to have been already
fulfilled. Farrar."
(http://www.dictionary.com/cgi-bin/dict.pl?term=preterist)
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EXHAUSTIVE LIST OF
PRET "SCHOLARS"
(Collected from Scholarly Sources / Under
Construction / Classified by "Grand Association")
Roman
Catholics:
Jesuit Luis Alcazar,
J.B. Bossuet,
Gonzalo Rojas Flores,
Charles Homer
Giblin, Godet, Scott Hahn,
Hug,
Blaise
Pascal, Monsignor
Francesco Spadafora,
Archdeacon
George Wilkins.
Protestants:
Firmin Abauzit,
Jay Adams, Aube,
Auberlen, J.V. Bartlet, Bause, Beck, Beyschlag, Bleek, Bohmer, Bunsen, Buxtorf,
Campbell, David Chilton,
Adam Clarke, Henry Cowles, Credner,
Samuel Davidson,
Gary DeMar, De Pressence, P.S. Desprez,
Wilhelm DeWette, Dusterdieck, Edmundson,
Johann Eichhorn, Erbes, Ersch
and Gruber, Heinrich Ewald,
Feuillet, Hermann Gebhardt,
Geiger, Gieseler, Goodwin, Gratz,
Hugo Grotius,
Harenbert, Hausrath.
Freidrich Hartwig,
Henry Hammond,
Heinrichs, Henderson, J.G. Herder, Herzfeld, Herzog, Hilgenfeld, Hottinger, Immer, Jost, Keim, Kernkel,
John Kitto,
Koppe, Kurtz, Clericus (Le
Clerc), John Lightfoot, Lücke, Lundius, James MacDonald,
F. D. Maurice, Meuschen,
J.D. Michaelis, Mommsen, Neander, Niermeyer,
Thomas Newton, Otho,
Friedrich Adolph Philippi,
Plummer, Protestanten-Bibel authors, Relandus,
Ernest Renan,
E.W.E. Reuss, Reville,
J.S. Russell, Sallschutz, Salmon, Scholten, Schottgen, C.A. Scott,
Edward Condon Selwyn, William Henry Simcox,
Stier,
Moses Stuart, Swegler, Thiersch,
Tholuck, Tilloch, Cornelis
Vanderwall, Volkmar, Wagenseil, B. Weiss,
J.J. Wetstein, Winer,
C.F.J. Züllig, Zunz.
German: Die zeitgeschichtliche Auslegung (Präterismus)
Spanish: Preterismo,
Aucto de la destruición de Jerusalén
Italian: la fine di Gerusalemme
ADVOCATES FOR THE EARLY
DATING
OF THE BOOK OF REVELATION
Firmin Abauzit, Essai sur 1’Apocalypse
(Geneva: 1730).
Jay E. Adams, The Time is at Hand (Philipsburg NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed, 1966).
Luis de Alcasar, Vestigatio arcani Sensus in Apocalypsi (Antwerp: 1614).
B. Aube
Karl August Auberlen, Daniel and Revelation in Their Mutual Relation (Andover: 1857).
Greg L. Bahnsen, "The Book of Revelation: Its Setting" (unpublished paper, 1984).
Arthur Stapylton Barnes, Christianity at Rome in the Apostolic Age (Westport, CT: Greenwood, [1938] 1971), pp. 159ff.
James Vernon Bartlet, The Apostolic Age: Its Life, Doctrine, Worship, and Polity (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, [1899] 1963), Book 2, pp. 388ff. [1]
Ferdinand Christian Baur, Church History of the First Three Centuries, 3rd ed. (Tubingen: 1863).
Albert A. Bell, Jr., "The Date of John’s Apocalypse. The Evidence of Some Roman Historians Reconsidered," New Testament Studies 25 (1978):93-102.
Leonhard Bertholdt, Htitorisch-kritische Einleitung in die sammtlichen kanonishen u. apocryphischen Schriften des A. und N. Testaments, vol. 4 (1812 -1819).
Willibald Beyschlag, New Testament Theology, trans. Neil Buchanan, 2nd Eng. ed. (Edinburgh: T. &T. Clark, 1896).
Charles Bigg, The Origins of Christianity, ed. by T. B. Strong (Oxford: Clarendon, 1909), pp. 30,48.
Friedrich Bleek, Vorlesungen und die Apocalypse (Berlin: 1859); and
An Introduction to th New Testament, 2nd cd., trans. William Urwick (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1870); and Lectures on the Apocalypse, ed. Hossbach (1862).
Alexander Brown (1878)
Heinrich Bohmer, Die Offenbarung Johannis (Breslau: 1866).
Wilhelm Bousset, Revelation of John (Gottingen: Vandenhoeck, 1896).
Brown, Ordo Saeclorum, p. 679. 50
Frederick F. Bruce,
New Testament History (Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1969), p.411.
Rudolf Bultmann (1976).
Christian Karl Josias Bunsen.
Cambridge Concise Bible Dictionay, editor, The Holy Bible (Cambridge: University Press, n.d.), p. 127.
W. Boyd Carpenter, The Revelation of St. John, in vol. 8 of Charles Ellicott, cd.,
Ellicott's Commentary on the Whole Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, rep. n.d.).
S. Cheetham, A History of the Christian Church (London: Macmillan, 1894) , pp. 24ff.
David Chilton,
Paradise Restored (Tyler, TX: Reconstruction Press, 1985); and The Days of Vengeance (Ft. Worth, TX: Dominion Press, 1987).
Adam Clarke,
Clarke’s Commentay on the Whole Bible, vol. 6 (Nashville: Abingdon, rep. n.d.).
William Newton Clarke, An Outline of Christian Theology (New York: Scribners, 1903).
Henry Cowles, The Revelation of St. John (New York: Appleton, 1871).
W. Gary Crampton, Biblical Hermeneutics (n. p.: by the author, 1986), p. 42.
Berry Stewart Crebs, The Seventh Angel (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1938).
Karl August Credner, Einleitung in da Neuen Testaments (1836).
R.W. Dale (1878)
Samuel Davidson, The Doctrine af the Last Things (1882); "The Book of Revelation" in John Kitto, Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature (New York: Ivison & Phinney, 1855);
An Introduction to th Study of the New Testament ( 1851 ); Sacred Hermeneutics (Edinburgh: 1843).
Edmund De Pressense, The Early Years of Christianity, trans. Annie Harwood (New York: Philips and Hunt, 1879), p. 441.
P. S. Desprez,
The Apocalypse Fulfilled, 2nd ed. (London: Longman, 1855).
W. M. L. De Wette, Kure Erklamng hr Offmbarung (Leipzig: 1848).
Friedrich Dusterdieck, Critical and Exegetical Handbook to the Revelation of John, 3rd ed., trans. Henry E. Jacobs (New York: Funk and Wagnalls, 1886).
K. A. Eckhardt, Der Id da Johannes (Berlin: 1961 ).
Alfred Edersheim,
The Temple: Its Ministry and Services (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, rep. 1972), pp. 141ff.
George Edmundson, The Church in Rome in the First Century (London: Longman’s and Green, 1913).
Johann Gottfried Eichhorn, Commentaries in Apocalypse (Gottingen: 1791).
Erbes, Die Oflenbawzg 0s Johannis (1891).
G. H. A. Ewald, Commentaries in Apocalypse (Gottingen: 1828).
Frederic W. Farrar,
The Early Days of Christianity (New York: Cassell, 1884).
Grenville O. Field, Opened Seals – Open Gates (1895).
George P. Fisher, The Beginnings of Christianity, with a View to the State of the Roman World at the Birth of Christ
(New York: Scribners, 1916), pp. 534ff.
J. A. Fitzmeyer, "Review of John A. T. Robinson’s Redating the New Testament"
(1977-78), p. 312. 52
J. Massyngberde Ford, Revelation.
Anchor Bible (Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1975).
Hermann Gebhardt,
The Doctrine of the Apocalypse, trans. John Jefferson (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1878).
J.C.L. Giesler (1820)
James Glasgow, The Apocalypse Translated and Expounded (Edinburgh: 1872).
Robert McQueen Grant, A Historical Introduction to the New Testament (New York: Harper & Row, 1963), p. 237.
James Comper Gray, in Gray and Adams’ Bible Commentary, vol. V (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, [1903] rep. n.d.).
Samuel G. Green, A Handbook of Church History from the Apostolic Era to the Dawn of the Reformation (London: Religious Tract Society, 1904), p. 64.
Hugo Grotius,
Annotations in Apocalypse (Paris: 1644).
Heinrich Ernst Ferdinand Guenke,
Introduction to the New Testament (1843); and Manual of Church History, trans. W. G. T. Shedd (Boston: Halliday, 1874), p. 68.
Henry Melville Gwatkin, Early Church History to A.D. 313, vol. 1 (London: Macmillan), p. 81.
Henry Hammond, Paraphrase and Annotation upon the N. T (London: 1653).
Harbuig (1780).
Hardouin (1741)
Harenberg, Erkiarung ( 1759).
H. G. Hartwig,
Apologie Der Apocalypse Wider Falschen Tadel Und Falscha (Frieberg: 1783).
Karl August von Hase, A History of the Christian Church, 7th cd., trans. Charles E. Blumenthal and Conway P. Wing (New York: Appleston, 1878), p. 33. 54
Hausrath.
Bernard W. Henderson, The Life and Prim-pate of the Emperor Nero (London: Methuen, 1903).
Hentenius. [secondary source]
Johann Gottfrieded von Herder,
Das Buch von der Zukunft des Herrn, des Neuen Testaments Siegal (Rigs: 1779).
J. S. Herrenschneider, Tentamen Apocalypseos illustrandae (Strassburg: 1786).
Adolf Hilgenfeld, Einleitung in das Neun Testaments ( 1875).
David Hill, New Testament Prophecy (Atlanta: John Knox, 1979), pp. 218-219.
Hitzig.
Heinrich Julius Holtzmann, Die Offenbamng des Johannis, in Bunsen’s Bibekoerk (Freiburg: 1891).
F. J. A. Hort, The Apocalypse of St. John: 1-111, (London: Macmillan, 1908); and
Judaistic Christianity (London: Macmillan, 1894).
John Leonhard Hug, Introduction to the New Tesament, trans. David Fosdick, Jr. (Andover: Gould and Newman, 1836).
William Hurte, A Catechetical Commentay on the New Testament (St. Louis: John Burns, 1889), pp. 502ff.55
A. Immer, Hermeneutics of the New Testament, trans. A. H. Newman (Andover: Draper, 1890).
Theodor Keim, Rom und das Christenthum.
Theodor Koppe, History of Jesus of Nazareth, 2nd cd., trans. Arthur Ransom (London: William and Norgate, 1883).
Max R. King, The Spirit of Prophecy (Warren, OH: by the author, 1971 )
Max Krenkel, Der Apostel Johannes (Leipzig: 1871).
Johann Heinrich Kurtz, Church History, 9th cd., trans. John McPherson (3 vols. in 1) (New York: Funk and Wagnalls, 1888), pp. 41ff.
Victor Lechler, The Apostalic and Post-Apostolic Times: Their Diversity and Union Ltfe and Doctrine, 3rd cd., vol. 2, trans. A. J. K. Davidson, (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1886), pp. 166ff.
Francis Nigel Lee, Revelation and Jerusalem (Brisbane, Australia, 1985)
John Lightfoot (1658)
Joseph B. Lightfoot,
Biblical Essays (London: Macmillan, 1893).
Gottfried C. F. Lucke, Versuch einer vollstandigen Einleitung in die Offenbarung Johannis, 2nd ed. (Bonn: 1852).
Chnstoph Ernst Luthardt, Die Offenbarung Johannis (Leipzig: 1861).
James M. Macdonald, The Life and Writings of St. John (London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1877).
Frederick Denisen Maurice, Lectures on the Apocalypse, 2nd ed. (London: Macmillan, 1885).
John David Michaelis, Introduction to the New Testament, vol. 4; and Sacred Books the New Testament.
Charles Pettit M’Ilvaine, The Evidences of Christianity (Philadelphia: Smith, English & Co., 1861).
A. D. Momigliano, Cambridge Ancient History ( 1934).
Theodor Mommsen, Roman History, vol. 5.
Charles Herbert Morgan, et. al., Studies in the Apostolic Church (New York: Eaton and Mains, 1902), pp. 210ff.
C. F. D. Moule, The Birth of theNew Testament, 3rd ed. (New York: Harper & Row, 1982), p. 174.56
John Augustus Wilhelm Neander,
The Histoty of the Planting and Training of the Christian Church by the Apostles, trans. J. E. Ryland (Philadelphia: James M. Campbell, 1844), pp. 223ff.
Sir Isaac Newton,
Observation Upon the Prophacies of Daniel, and the Apocalypse of St. John (London: 1732).
Bishop Thomas Newton, Dissertation on the Prophecies (London: 1832).
A. Niermeyer, Over de echteid der Johanneisch Schriften (Haag: 1852).
Robert L. Pierce, The Rapture Cult (Signal Mtn., TN: Signal Point Press, 1986)
Alfred Plummer (1891).
Dean Plumptere (1877)
Edward Hayes Plumtree,
A Popular Exposition of the Epistles to the Seven Churches of Asia, 2nd ed. (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1879).
T. Randell, "Revelation" in H. D. M. Spence &Joseph S. Exell, eds., The Pulpit Cornmentary, vol. 22 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, rep. 1950).
James J. L. Ratton, The Apocalypse of St. John (London: R. & T. Washbourne, 1912).
Ernest Renan, L’Antechrist (Paris: 1871).
Eduard Wilhelm Eugen Reuss,
History of the Sacred Scriptures of the New Testament (Edinburgh: T. &T. Clark, 1884).
Jean Reville, Reu. d. d. Mondes (Oct., 1863 and Dec., 1873).
J. W. Roberts, The Revelation to John (Austin, TX: Sweet, 1974).
Edward Robinson,
Bibliotheca Sacra, vol. 3 (1843), pp. 532ff.
John A. T. Robinson,
Redating the New Testament (Philadelphia: West-minster, 1976).
J. Stuart Russell,
The Parousia (Grand Rapids: Baker, [1887] 1983).
W. Sanday (1908).
Philip Schaff,
History of the Christian Church, 3rd cd., vol. 1: Apostolic Christianity (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, [1910] 1950), p. 834.
Johann Friedrich Schleusner.
J. H. Scholten,
de Apostel Johannis in Klein Azie (Leiden: 1871).
Albert Schwegler,
Da Nachapostol Zeitalter (1846).
J. J. Scott,
The Apocalypse, or Revelation of S. John the Divine (London: John Murray, 1909).
Edward Condon Selwyn, The Christian Prophets and the Apocalypse (Cambridge: 1900); and
The Authorship of the Apocalypse (1900).
Henry C. Sheldon,
The Early Church, vol. 1 of History of the Christian Church (New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, 1894), pp. 112ff.
William Henry Simcox, The Revelation of St. John Divine. The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge: Cambridge University, 1893).
D. Moody Smith, "A Review of John A. T. Robinson’s Redating the New Testament," Duke Divinip School Review 42 (1977): 193-205.
Arthur Penrhyn Stanley, Sermons and Essays on the Apostolic Age
(3rd ed: Oxford and London: 1874), pp. 234ff.
Ed Stevens,
What Happened in 70 A. D.? (Ashtabula, Ohio North East Ohio Bible Inst., 1981 );
J.A. Stephenson (1838)
Rudolf Ewald Stier (1869).
Augustus H. Strong,
Systematic Theology (Old Tappan, NJ: Revell, [1907] 1970, p. 1010).
Moses Stuart, Commentary on the Apocalypse, 2 vols. (Andover: Allen, Mornll, and Wardwell, 1845).
Swegler.
Milton S. Terry,
Biblical Hermeneutics (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, [n.d.] rep. 1974), p. 467.
Thiersch, Die Kirche im apostolischm Zeitalter.
Friedrich August Gottreu Tholuck, Commentary on the Gospel of John
(1827).
Tillich, Introduction to the New Testament.
Charles Cutler Torrey, Documents of the Primitive Church, (ch. 5); and
The Apocalypse of John (New Haven: Yale, 1958).
Cornelis Vanderwaal,
Hal Lindsey and Biblical Prophcey (St. Catharine’s, Ontario: Paideia, 1978); and
Search the Scriptures, vol. 10 (St. Cathannes, Ontario: Paideia, 1979).
Gustav Volkmar, Conmentur zur 0fienbarung (Zurich: 1862).
Foy E. Wallace, Jr., The Book of Revelation (Nashville: by the author, 1966) .
Israel P Warren (1878)
Arthur Weigall, Nero: Emperor of Rome (London: Thornton Butter-worth, 1930).
Bernhard Weiss, A Commentary on the New Testament, 2nd cd., trans. G. H. Schodde and E. Wilson (NY: Funk and Wagnalls, 1906), vol. 4.
Brooke Foss Westcott, The Gospel According to St. John
(Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, [1882] 1954).
J. J. Wetstein, New Testament Graecum, vol. 2 (Amsterdam: 1752).
Karl Wieseler, Zur Auslegung und Kritik der Apok. Literatur (Gottingen: 1839).
Charles Wordsworth, The New Testament, vol. 2 (London: 1864).
Herbert B. Workman, Persecution in the Early Church (London: Ofiord, [1906] 1980).
Robert Young, Commentary on the Book of Revelation (1885); and Cotie Critical Comments on the Holy Bible (London: Pickering & Inglis, n.d.), p. 179.
C. F. J. Zullig, Die Ofienbamng Johannis erklarten (Stuttgart: 1852).
Greg Bahnsen
(1984)
"A partial list of scholars who have supported the early date for Revelation, gleaned unsystematically from my reading, would include the following 18th and 19th writers not already mentioned just above: John Lightfoot, Harenbert, Hartwig, Michaelis, Tholuck, Clarke, Bishop Newton, James MacDonald, Gieseler, Tilloch, Bause, Zullig, Swegler, De Wett, Lucke, Bohmer, Hilgenfeld, Mommsen, Ewald, Neander, Volkmar, Renan, Credner, Kernkel, B. Weiss, Reuss, Thiersch, Bunsen, Stier, Auberlen, Maurice, Niermeyer, Desprez, Aube, Keim, De Pressence, Cowles, Scholten, Beck, Dusterdiek, Simcox, S. Davidson, Beyschlag, Salmon, Hausrath. Continuing on into the 20th century we could list Plummer, Selwyn, J.V. Bartlet, C.A. Scott, Erbes, Edmundson, Henderson, and others. If one's reading has been limited pretty much to the present and immediately preceding generations of writers on Revelation, then the foregoing names may be somewhat unfamiliar to him, but they were not unrecognized in previous eras. When we combine these names with the yet outstanding stature of Schaff, Terry, Lightfoot, Westcott, and Hort, we can feel the severity of Beckwith's
understatement when in 1919 he described the Neronian dating for Revelation as "a view held by many down to recent times."[40] By many indeed! It has been described, as we saw above, as "the ruling view" of critics," by "the majority of modern critics," by "most modern scholars," and by "the whole force of modern criticism." The weight of scholarship placed behind the Neronian option for the dating of Revelation has been staggering. In our won day it has gained the support of such worthies as C.C. Torrey, J.A.T. Robinson, and F.F. Bruce and has been popularized by
Jay Adams.[41] In 1956 Torrey could write about the number 666, "It is now the accepted conclusion that the beast is the emperor Nero."[42]" (Historical Setting for the Dating of Revelation)
ADVOCATES FOR THE TEACHING THAT AD70
WAS A RETURN OF CHRIST
BROWN, ALEXANDER, of Aberdeen. " The Great Day of the Lord." E. Stock.
BROWN, DAVID "Christ's Second Coming"
COWLES, Professor HENRY, of Oberlin, U.S.A. " The Revelation of John."Published by Appleton, New York.
CROSBY, ALPHEUS, D.D., of Boston, U.S.A.
DALE, R. W., D.D. "The Coming of Christ" ; a Sermon (1878) now out of print.
DEPSREZ, PHILLIP, S. " The Apocalypse Fulfilled." Longmans, 1861.
EDWARDS, JONATHAN
"Miscellany 1199"
FARRAR, FREDERIC, W., D.D.
" The Early Days of Christianity." 1882
GOODHART, C. A., M.A.
"The Christian's Inheritance." Nisbet, 1891. Grotius. " Annotations."1644.
HAMMOND. "Annotations." 1653.
HAMPDEN-COOK, E., M.A. "The Christ Has Come." 1894.
HARRIS, J. TINDALL.
"The Writings of the Apostle John." Hodder. HINDS,
SAMUEL, M.A. "The Catechist's Manual." 1829.
HOOPER, JOSEPH, of Bridgwater.
KING, ALEXANDER. " The Cry of Christendom for a Divine Eirenikon."
LEE, SAMUEL, D.D., of Cambridge, Translator of Eusebius's " Theophania."
LEE, F.N., Dr.
MAURICE, F. D., M.A. "The Apocalypse." 1861.
MAURO, PHILIP.
MURRAY, JAMES, of Torquay.
MURRAY, J. 0. F., M.A., in the Cambridge " Companion to the Bible." 1893.
NEWTON,THOMAS, D.D. " Dissertations on the Prophecies." 1754.
NISBETT, N., of Ash -next -Sandwich, Kent."The Triumphs of Christianity over Infidelity displayed, or the Coming of the Messiah the True Key to the Right Understanding of the most difficult passages in the New Testament." Rivingtons, 1802.
NOYES, JOHN, H. Author of "The Greatest Secret in the World (published by G. N. Miller, 188, W. Houston St., New York; 18.), and of "The Berean" (out of print).
PECKINS, W. N., of Torquay,
RATTRAY, THOMAS, of Toronto. The Regal Advent." 1878.
RUSSELL, JAMES STUART, D.D. The Parousia." 1878.
The Parousia." 1878.
STARK, ROBERT, of Torquay.
STEPHENSON, J. A., " Christology of the Old and New Testaments," 1838.
TERRY, MILTON S., D.D. " Biblical Hermencutics." Hunt & Eaton, New York. 1883.
THOM, Dr., of Liverpool.
TOWNLEY, ROBERT, Of Liverpool.
URMY, WILLIAM S., D.D., of San Francisco. " Christ Came Again." Eaton & Mains, New York. 1900.
WARREN, ISRAEL P., D.D., of Maine, U.S.A. " The Parousia." 1878.
WILKINSON, W. J. P., of Exeter.
Louis Berkhof (1915)
"3. Present day critical scholars are generally inclined to adopt the
Praeterist (zeitgeschichtliche) interpretation, which holds that the view of
the Seer was limited to matters within his own historical horizon, and that
the book refers principally to the triumph of Christianity over Judaeism and
Paganism, signalized in the downfall of Jerusalem and Rome. On this view
all or almost all the prophecies contained in the book have already been
fulfilled (Bleek, Duisterdieck, Davidson, F. C. Porter e. a.)." (New
Testament Introduction)
E.B.
Elliott
"It may probably at once strike the
reflective reader that if the chronology of Bossuet's scheme, extending
as it does from Domitian's time to fall of the Roman empire in the 5th
century, do in regard of the supposed
Roman catastrophe abundantly better suit with historic fact
than the German Neronic or Galbaic Præterist Scheme, it is on the other
hand quite as much at disadvantage in respect of the
other, or Jewish catastrophe. For surely that
catastrophe was effected in the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus, above
20 years before Bossuet's Domitianic date of the Apocalypse: and all
that past afterwards under Hadrian was a mere rider to the great
catastrophe." (Bousset's
Roman Praeterist Scheme)
G.S. Hitchcock (1911)
“The Praeterist School, founded by the Jesuit Alcasar in 1614, explains
the Revelation by the Fall of Jerusalem, or by the fall of Pagan Rome in
410 A.D.” (The Beasts and the Little Horn, p. 7.)
Tim LaHaye
"The great merit of the preterist approach is that it understands and interprets the plight of the first-century church in terms of the crisis that had developed at that particular time. By not relegating the book to some future period the encouragements to the church as well as the warnings to "those who dwell upon the earth" are taken with immediate seriousness" (The Book of Revelation, 1977, 27).
"..most preterists are Bible-believing Christians who love the Lord and are striving to serve Him." (ETC, p.7)
NIV Study Bible
"Preterists understand the book
[Revelation] exclusively in terms of its first century setting, claiming
that most of its events have already taken place." (Robert
Mounce and David O'Brown for Zondervan)
New King James Study
Bible
"preterists view the book [Revelation] as
referring almost exclusively to first century events." (Nelson's
Publishers, page 2195)
George Hawkins Pember (1881)
"The Praeterist view was first put forth as a complete scheme by the
Jesuit Alcasar in his work entitled " Vestigatio Arcani Sensus in
Apocalypsi," which was published in 1614. It was thus unknown in the
early times of the Church, and has found but little favour save with
Roman Catholics and with expositors of a rationalising tendency.6 It
limits the scope of the Apocalypse to the events of the seer's life and
some other things which he might well have guessed, and affirms that the
whole prophecy was fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus
and the subsequent fall of the persecuting Roman Empire, that is, in the
successive overthrows of Judaism and Paganism." (The great prophecies
concerning the Gentiles, the Jews, and the Church of God, pp. 5,6)
Benjamin Warfield
(1)
The Preterist, which holds that all, or nearly all, the prophecies of the book were fulfilled in the early Christian ages, either in the history of the Jewish race up to A.D. 70, or in that of Pagan Rome up to the fourth or fifth century. With Hentensius and Salmeron as forerunners, the Jesuit Alcasar (1614) was the father of this school. To it belong Grotius, Bossuet, Hammond, LeClerc, Wetstein, Eichhorn, Herder, Hartwig, Koppe, Hug, Heinrichs, Ewald, De Wette, Bleek, Reuss, Reville, Renan, Desprez, S. Davidson, Stuart, Lucke, Dusterdieck, Maurice, Farrar, etc. " (Revelation)
Rand Winburn
"In 1688, Jesuit-educated and Preterist, Bishop Bossuet dropped a bombshell on Protestants by publishing his scathing indictment of Protestantism, The History of the Variations of the Protestant Churches. Bossuet's purpose is so doing was to show the lack of unity and succession of Protestant doctrines through the ages (which the Calvinists claimed), unlike the unity and apostolic doctrines of the Catholic Church, thus fulfilling the promise of Jesus in Matt. 16:18. Using the Protestant belief (that there have always been believers who have held to their anti-Catholic doctrines) against them, he proposes arguments proving the unorthodox Christianity of all the groups Protestants claimed as forefathers." (Paulicans)
David S. Clark
(1921)
"Interpreters have been usually classified as 1. praeterist,
regarding the prophecies as already fulfilled; 2. futurist, placing the
whole book in the times of the millennium and the second advent; 3.
hhistorical, the fulfillment issuing int he continuous progress of the
church and kingdom on to the end. This classification is not exact as no
one can be altogether a praeterist or a futurist." (The
Message from Patmos, page 8)
Steve Gregg
"Those who hold to the
classical preterism of centuries past take a high view of the
inspiration of the Scripture and date the Book of Revelation prior to
A.D.70." (Revelation, p.30)
"The preterist approach
sees the fulfillment of Revelation's prophecies as already having
occurred in what is now the ancient past, not long after the author's
own time. Thus the fulfillment was in the future from the point of
view of the inspired author, but it is in the past from our vantage
point in history. Some preterists believe that the final
chapters of Revelation look forward to the second coming of Christ.
Others think that everything in the book reached its culmination in the
past.
In contrast, those who hold to
the classical preterism of centuries past take a high view of the
inspection of Scripture and date the Book of Revelation just prior to
70AD. They are capable of pointing out may details in Revelation that
they believe were fulfilled in the fall of Jerusalem and some see in the
later chapters the prediction of the fall of Rome and beyond to the
Second Coming of Christ. What I am representing as preterism in this
volume is this theological conservative early-date preterism that has
had worthy advocates for several centuries."
Mark Horne
"While there are many people who argue for
the preterist position, including Jay Adams, David Chilton, Gary
DeMar, Ken Gentry, and James B. Jordan, it is especially notable that N.
T. Wright also argues for preterism. Wright is notable because he is not
primarily a theologian but is an apologist defending the historicity of
Jesus in secular academic circles. In doing so, he does much to
vindicate the historical Jesus not only from liberals, but from orthodox
conservatives as well. He must show how it is credible to believe that a
first-century Palestinian Jew did and said what the gospels assert that
He did and said." (Why
Side with the Sadducees)
R.C.
Sproul Jr.
"Thankfully, God in his mercy has done a
great work in waking up many people to their condition. The rapid spread
of the doctrine of preterism has been a welcome tonic. No more visits to
the chiropractor after making "some of you will not sleep" and "this
generation shall not pass" stretch out into two millennia." (Foreword
to The End of All Things, p.9)
This position, known as
preterism, takes seriously the time frame references of Jesus and the
apostles regarding Christ’s return. While all others, especially the
most hard-core dispensationalists, are practicing exegetical yoga with
Jesus’ promises that "some of you will not sleep" and "this generation
will not pass," preterists read and understand without contortion or
embarrassment." (Foreword to The End of All Things, p.9)
Greg
Bahnsen
"A partial list of scholars who have supported the early date for Revelation, gleaned unsystematically from my reading, would include the following 18th and 19th writers not already mentioned just above: John Lightfoot, Harenbert, Hartwig, Michaelis, Tholuck, Clarke, Bishop Newton, James MacDonald, Gieseler, Tilloch, Bause, Zullig, Swegler, De Wett, Lucke, Bohmer, Hilgenfeld, Mommsen, Ewald, Neander, Volkmar, Renan, Credner, Kernkel, B. Weiss, Reuss, Thiersch, Bunsen, Stier, Auberlen, Maurice, Niermeyer, Desprez, Aube, Keim, De Pressence, Cowles, Scholten, Beck, Dusterdiek, Simcox, S. Davidson, Beyschlag, Salmon, Hausrath. Continuing on into the 20th century we could list Plummer, Selwyn, J.V. Bartlet, C.A. Scott, Erbes, Edmundson, Henderson, and others. If one's reading has been limited pretty much to the present and immediately preceding generations of writers on Revelation, then the foregoing names may be somewhat unfamiliar to him, but they were not unrecognized in previous eras. When we combine these names with the yet outstanding stature of Schaff, Terry, Lightfoot, Westcott, and Hort, we can feel the severity of Beckwith's
understatement when in 1919 he described the Neronian dating for Revelation as "a view held by many down to recent times." By many indeed! It has been described, as we saw above, as "the ruling view" of critics," by "the majority of modern critics," by "most modern scholars," and by "the whole force of modern criticism." The weight of scholarship placed behind the Neronian option for the dating of Revelation has been staggering. In our own day it has gained the support of such worthies as C.C. Torrey, J.A.T. Robinson, and F.F. Bruce and has been popularized by
Jay Adams. In 1956 Torrey could write about the number 666, "It is now the accepted conclusion that the beast is the emperor Nero."" (Historical Setting for the Dating of Revelation)
Gary DeMar
"Much of the debate over
preterism comes down to when the (Revelation of John) was written.
This is especially true for the book of Revelation. If a document
was written prior to the destruction of Jerusalem which occurred in A.D.
70, then any statement about future prophetic events could be a
reference to that event." ("Shreds
of Preterism" Among First Century Writers)
"A Preterist
believes that certain prophetic passages have already been fulfilled.
The key interpretive factor for the preterist is the use of time
words like "shortly" (Rev. 1:1), "near" (1:3; 22:10), and "quickly"
(22:7, 12 20) and time indicators like "this generation" (Matt. 24:34),
"at hand" (1 Peter 4:7), and "right at the door" (James 5:9). The
terms "preterism" and "preterist" are based on the Latin word preter,
which mans "past." (The
Early Church and the End of the World, p. 2)
F.W. Farrar
"It has been usual to say that the Spanish Jesuit Alcasar.. was the founder of the Præterist School.. But to me it seems that the founder of the Præterist School is none other than
St. John himself."
(The Early Days of Christianity
-
PRÆTERIST INTERPRETATION |
FALL OF JERUSALEM |
APOCALYPSE)
Kenneth Gentry
"Many mistakenly assume that evangelical preterism burst upon the eschatological scene through Reconstructionist publications, such as Chilton's
The Great Tribulation (1987), my The Beast of Revelation (1989), and DeMar's
Last Days Madness (1991) (all were former students of Bahnsen at Reformed Theological Seminary in the 1970s). Actually amillennialist Jay Adams'
The Time is at Hand (1966) was an (early) important seminal text that helped spark the (later) preterist revolution. It was even used by Bahnsen at RTS in his "History and Eschatology" course. Other pre-resurgence books include Campbell's
Israel and the New Covenant (1954), Kik's The Eschatology of Victory (1975), and Cornelis Vanderwaal's
Search the Scriptures (1978)." (Recent Developments)
"The term
‘preterism’ is based on the Latin preter, which means ‘past.’
Preterism refers to that understanding of certain eschatological
passages which holds that they have already come to fulfillment.
Actually, all Christians--even dispensationalists--are preteristic to
some extent. This is necessarily so because Christianity holds that a
great many of the Messianic passages have already been fulfilled in
Christ's first coming." (Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr., He Shall Have
Dominion [Tyler, TX: Institute for Christian Economics, 1997],
162–163).
Henry Hammond
"And it has been matter of much satisfaction to me, that what hath upon
sincere desire of finding out the truth, and making my addresses to God
for his particular directions in this work of difficulty.. appeared to
me to be the meaning of this prophecie, hath, for this main of it, in
the same manner represented it self to several persons of great piety
and learning (as since I have discerned) none taking it from the other,
but all from the same light shining in the Prophecie it self.
Among which number I now also find the most learned Hugo Grotius,
in those posthumous notes of his on the Apocalypse, lately
publish'd." (Paraphrase and Annotations, introduction to the Apocalypse)
-- Response by John Owen "that there are many complaine of your secret
vain-glory, in seeking to disclaime the direction from H. Grotius in
reference to your comment on the Revelation." (Packer, The
Transformation of Anglicanism, 96)
Tim LaHaye and Tommy Ice in End Times Controversy
-
Preterism greatly distorts the
culmination of God's plan for history. (LaHaye and Ice, p. 420)
-
The logic of the preterist
position leads one to delusional views of present reality. (LaHaye
and Ice, p. 420)
-
Many bizarre possibilities
become viable when people begin to believe and think through the
implications of preterism. (LaHaye and Ice, p. 420)
-
...this would logically mean,
for the preterist, that most of the New Testament does not refer
directly to the church today. (LaHaye and Ice, p. 421)
-
If preterism is true, then the
New Testament was written primarily to believers who lived during
the 40-year period between the death of Christ and the destruction
of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. Therefore, virtually no part of the New
Testament applies to believers today, according to preterist logic.
There is no canon that applies directly to believers today, during
the current church age. (LaHaye and Ice, p. 421)
-
If Revelation 21-22 is a
description of the state in which we are now living, then it also
renders most of the New Testament obsolete and impractical because
it relates to believers and how they should live between Christ's
two comings. The logic of the preterist position leads to this
conclusion, even though many preterists do not think this way in
practice. They don't, but according to their theology, they should!
They must separate preterist theory from practice, since they cannot
implement in practice preterist theory. (LaHaye and Ice, p. 422)
-
If Titus 2:13 was fulfilled in
A.D. 70 with Christ's return, then the "present age" in verse 12
would have ended when verse 13 was fulfilled. Therefore, the entire
admonition in verse 12 was applicable only to Christians up until
A.D. 70. This means the instruction "to deny ungodliness and worldy
desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present
age" does not apply to our current age, but to the past age that
ended in A.D. 70 when "the appearing of the glory of our great God
and Savior, Christ Jesus" was manifested in the destruction of
Jerusalem. This (sadly) is one of the practical implications of the
preterist view, as applied to this passage and to most of the
imperatives relating to the Christian life as found in the New
Testament. (LaHaye and Ice, p. 422)
-
The clear implication of
preterist thinking is that the teachings in Titus no longer relate
to the age in which we live. (LaHaye and Ice, p. 422)
-
If preterism is true, then it
should alter much of what we understand the Bible to be saying about
the Christian life. (LaHaye and Ice, p. 424)
-
Therefore, if "the last days"
have already come and gone, we should expect that the persecution of
the godly should be absent and "evil men and imposters" should not
"proceed from bad to worse." According to preterism, that may have
happened in the days leading up to A.D. 70, but not after that time.
(LaHaye and Ice, p. 425)
-
No, the Tribulation and much
of Bible prophecy is not past; rather it is future. If it was
fulfilled in the past, then we have no future. (LaHaye and Ice, p.
429)
Ron Cooke
"The praeterist view found
no favour and was hardly so much as thought of in the time of primitive
Christianity. Those who lived near the date of the book of Revelation
itself had no idea that its groups of imagery were intended merely to
describe things then passing, and to be in a few years completed. This
view is said to have been first promulgated in anything like
completeness by the Jesuit Alcasar, in his "Vestigatio Arcani Sensus in
Apocalypsi" (1604). Very nearly, the same plan was adopted by Grotius.
The next great name among this school of interpreters is that of Bossuet
the great antagonist of Protestantism." (Unmitigated
Twaddle)
Tommy Ice
"You might be interested to know that in 1843,
when the journal Bibliotheca Sacra was first started, it taught
Preterism. You can go back and look at the early articles – Scholars
such as Moses Stewart (sic) and James Robinson wrote for the journal in
those early years. It was not until 1934, when Dallas Seminary took
control of Bib
Sac, that it became a futurist organ." (The
Destructive View of Preterism)
"My preterist friends have not
been able to find any early preterists in the early church. I would
never say that there is no one in the early church who taught preterism.
. . . Don't be foolish enough to say that nothing is out there in church
history, because you never know. . . . There is early preterism in
people like Eusebius. In fact, his work
The Proof of the Gospel is full of preterism in relationship to
the Olivet Discourse."
("Update on Pre-Darby Rapture Statements and Other Issues": audio tape
December 1995)
"What’s happening is that
Preterism is challenging
futurism. Idealism is not a
factor out there and Historicism is not a factor. Preterists are rising
up, coming mainly out of the Reconstructionist Movement, to do this.
What is their theme verse? Does anybody know? Let’s all say it together,
“Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these
things be fulfilled.” So, when you talk to a Preterist, get ready to
hear the words,
“this generation” at least
eight dozen times if you have an extended conversation.
We’ll have to have some Christian sociologists do an analysis of how
frequently Preterists in an average hour discussion of Preterism say
“this generation” and report back. That would be a good
thing for the Christian Ed department to do. That way we could have some
probability rates on these kinds of things." (The Conservative
Theological Journal, 48, Volume 3, in an article entitled "The
Destructive View of Preterism," pg 393)
"It is strange that
there is not one shred of evidence that anyone in the first century
understood these prophecies [in the Olivet Discourse and the book of
Revelation] to have been fulfilled when preterists say they were. You
would think that if a large body of Bible prophecy were meant to relate
to a specific generation, as preterists contend, then the Holy Spirit
would have moved in such a way so that first-century believers would
have reached such an understanding. However, there has not yet been
found any evidence that indicates that the first-century church viewed
Bible prophecy this way. This fact provides a major problem for
preterism, which thus far has proved insurmountable."
"There is zero
indication, from known, extant writings, that anyone understood the New
Testament prophecies from a preterist perspective. No early church
writings teach that Jesus returned in the first century.17 If
we as God's people are to understand the prophecies of New Testament in
this way, you would think that the Holy Spirit would have left at least
one written record of this." ("The History of Preterism,"
The End Times Controversy: The Second Coming Under Attack, eds.
Tim LaHaye and Thomas Ice (Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 2003), 37, 39.)
Tim LaHaye
"Many
Bible-believing Christians find it astounding that anyone would teach
that our Lord Jesus Christ has already returned to earth and that we are
now living in the kingdom age predicted throughout the Bible. Yet
that is what preterists believe and teach. And surprisingly, their
numbers are growing -- not because their arguments for what they are
trying to believe are so convincing, but because many of their new
followers have only heard one side of the argument." (p.7)
"In his book The Last Days According to Jesus, Dr. Sproul narrows down preterists to two main divisions: "Full Preterism and Partial Preterism." Reduced to the most significant distinction between them, a full preterist is one who believes all prophecy was fulfilled at the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D.70, including the second coming of Jesus. Partial preterists such as Sproul and Gentry believe that even though Matthew 24 and the book of Revelation have largely been fulfilled, they still understand some Bible passages to teach a future second coming (Acts 1:9-11; 1 Corinthians 15:51-52; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). They see the second coming of Jesus, the resurrection of the dead, the Judgment Seat of Christ, and heaven as yet future." (pp. 7-8)
On "Full Preterism"
Jay
Adams (2003)
"Frost goes on to write, "If the Second Coming really did occur in
A.D.70, does this damage the integrity of the church, he history and her
claim to know the truth?" The (Orthodox Preterist) answer?
Absolutely. The vast majority of biblical exegetes have
clearly taught the doctrines that (Unorthodox Preterists) reject.
If UPs are correct, it would mean that the Bible-believing church would
have been deluded or deceived for most of its history, and Christians
would have truly entertained a "misplaced hope." (Preterism: Orthodox or
Unorthodox, pp. 2,3)
"Because
UPs are right in many of their interpretations, and because in these
they have good exegesis on their side, they have become cocky about the
interpretation of other passages in which they show shoddy and forced
exegesis to support untenable teachings." (Preterism: Orthodox or
Unorthodox, p. 4)
Kenneth Gentry
"("Hyper" Preterism)...goes too far by extending valid observations gathered from temporally confined judgment passages (texts including such delimitations as soon and at hand) to passages that are not temporally constrained and that actually prophesy the future advent of Christ." (Tabletalk magazine, January 1999, p.56)
"Before I begin my analysis and critique, however, I must make very clear my orthodox convictions regarding biblical eschatology. I pause to do so because a new, unorthodox movement has arisen that confuses many Christians regarding orthodox preterism. This new movement largely arises from within Church of Christ (Campbellite) circles; indeed, the two main publishing sources of the movement are run by present or former Campbellites (though, like any good cult-like movement, it is widening its net and drawing followers from other sources). This movement asserts that A.D. 70 witnesses the fulfilling of ALL eschatological prophecy. This mutant form of preterism goes too far, for it denies a future Second Advent of Christ; a future, bodily resurrection of the dead; and other historic, orthodox doctrines of the Christian faith."
(An Introductory Disclaimer)
"Unfortunately, a new gnosticism is infecting the church: hyper-preterism. One major feature of hyper-preterism is its denial of a future physical resurrection of the believer at the end of history. As we shall see, this contradicts a major result of the resurrection of Christ. Before I demonstrate this, I must briefly summarize the argument for Christ's physical resurrection, which is the effective cause of our own future resurrection. "
(Christ's Resurrection and ours)
Kenneth L. Gentry Jr.
"First, hyper-preterism is heterodox. It is outside the creedal orthodoxy of
Christianity. No creed allows any second Advent in A. D. 70. No creed allows any
other type of resurrection than a bodily one. Historic creeds speak of the
universal, personal judgment of all men, not of a representative judgment in A.
D. 70. It would be most remarkable if the entire church that came through A. D.
70 missed the proper understanding of the eschaton and did not realize its
members had been resurrected! And that the next generations had no inkling of
the great transformation that took place! Has the entire Christian church missed
the basic contours of Christian eschatology for its first 1900 years?" (Brief
Theologial Analysis of Hyper-Preterism)
Scott Hahn
"I was originally attracted by Max King and J. S. Russell, but subsequently rejected their view that 70 AD exhaustively fulfills NT prophecy. Personally, I have come to conclude that the main error of "hyper-preterism" is based on the common failure to recognize the theological significance of the biblical (and ancient Jewish) view of Israel's temple as a "microcosm" (i.e., the cosmos in miniature), which implies that the cosmos itself was seen as a "macro-temple" (see Ps 104, Job 38). Accordingly, the divinely decreed destruction of the Jerusalem (microcosmic) temple was itself a typological event, one that foreshadows the future destruction of the cosmos (i.e., as macro-temple). The destruction of the Jerusalem temple is thus a true -- but partial -- fulfillment, which implies a partial non-fulfillment, thus pointing to a still greater fulfillment in the future, when the cosmos undergoes the same divinely decreed destruction as the Jerusalem temple.
An integral interpretation of NT prophetic texts is rooted in the scriptural view of creation, set forth in terms of temple typology (see Hebrews 9:1-12). What happens to the temple must eventually happen to the cosmos; the resurrected body of Christ is the New Temple, which will be fully manifested in glory only when the old cosmos undergoes the same transformative judgement
of God, thus bringing forth a New Creation -- which the Apocalypse rightly
describes as the Divine Temple (Rev. 11:18ff) of the New Jerusalem (Rev.
21:22)." (comments, ca-anathema, 2003)
Tommy Ice
"EXTREME preterists, or consistent preterists, as they prefer to be known as, hold that all future Bible prophecy was fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. If there is a future second coming, they say, the Bible does not talk about it. Extreme preterists believe that there is no future bodily resurrection, which place them outside the realm of Christian orthodoxy." (Has Bible Prophecy Been Fulfilled?)
Tim LaHaye
"those who teach Christ came physically in A.D. 70 are borderline heretics"
(End Times Controversy, p. 10)
Robert Mounce
"The
major problem with the preterist position is that the decisive victory
portrayed in the latter chapters of the Apocalypse was never achieved.
It is difficult to believe that John envisioned anything less than the
complete overthrow of Satan, the final destruction of evil, and the
eternal reign of God. If this is not to be, then either the Seer was
essentially wrong in the major thrust of his message or his work was so
hopelessly ambiguous that its first recipients were all led astray"
(The Book of Revelation, 1977, 27)
Gary North
"I recommend the immediate public recantation and personal repentance of Russell's theology (Full Preterism). Barring this, I recommend the heretic's excommunication by his church's judicial body. The elders should allow the accused member to identify the heresy for which he is then excommunicated."
(David Chilton, R.I.P.)
"I would suggest that we not encourage (David Chilton's) heresy by interacting with him on this matter on this or any other forum. It is now a matter of Church discipline, assuming that he is under any." (North on Chilton)
"We can and should pray for the restoration of his mind, but to debate with him publicly will almost certainly drive him deeper into this heresy. He will feel compelled to defend himself in public. Let him go in peace. It is not our God-given task to confront him at this point. That is for his local church to do." (North on Chilton)
"Church officers who learn of any member's commitment to the doctrine of "full preterism" have an obligation to help this member clarify his or her thinking, and either become fully consistent with the full-preterist position or else fully abandon it. The member should be brought before the church's session or other disciplinary body and asked the following six questions in writing:"
"the member must also be asked to sign an affirmation of Chapter XXXIII of the Westminster Confession of Faith and answer 90 of the Larger Catechism. This signed statement constitutes a formal rejection of the "full preterist" position. The member must be told in advance that this signed statement can be shown to others at the discretion of the session. If the member refuses to sign such a statement under these conditions, the elders should continue the disciplinary process."
"There are only three lawful ways out of a local congregation: by death, by letter of transfer, and by excommunication. Presbyterian laymen who have been brought before the church's session because they are suspected of holding heretical preterism, and who persist in their commitment to heretical preterism by refusing to sign a statement that is consistent with the Westminster standards, must be removed from membership in the local congregation by excommunication." ("Full Preterism" : Manichean or Perfectionist-Pelagian?)
Joe Price (1989)
"It is not a harmless, private conviction which can be held
without hurting oneself and others, but a pernicious theory of error
which engulfs the soul of men in destructive heresy!" (Joe Price, "The
Second Coming of Christ: Did it Already Occur'! (3)," Guardian of Truth.
November 2, 1989, p. 650).
David B. Updegraff (1892)
"THE effort
to make people believe that the promised parousia [coming] of our Lord
took place at the "destruction of Jerusalem" tends to mislead souls,
blot out the Christian's hope, and destroy the value of Scripture as a
definite testimony to anything." (Old Corn: Or, Sermons and Addresses on the
Spiritual Life, p. 278)
Jim West
"We must not let them get away with calling themselves "preterists"
or "consistent preterists," or believers in "fulfilled eschatology." The word "preterist"
is a good word. The disciples of Hymenæus are not preterists; their "dispensable
eschatology" makes them heretics. " (The Allurement of Hymenæan Preterism: The
Rise of Dispensable Eschatology)
Douglas Wilson
"When some people find a hammer, everything starts to look
like a nail. In the world of hyper-preterism, we find that everything is devoted
to tying everything else into A.D. 70 somehow." (WSTTB, p.255 )