Hi Steve,steve7150 wrote:I think there are times God speaks either in a present tense like Isa 53 when this prophecy took place 750 years later or Gen 3.15 where it sounds soon but took place thousands of years later. I have trouble understanding the purpose of Revelation if the Full Preterist or Partial Preterist view is true. It doesn't seem like a Revelation since it's repeating things already previously clearly stated. It's also possible the beginning of Revelation is about the destruction of Jerusalem but not the entire book.
I think we can agree that Old Covenant passages, such as Isa 53, are full of types and shadows of better things to come. This IS NOT speculation but a biblical truth supported by scripture. Therefore, when the Anti-Type, Jesus and NT Prophets arrived, Types and Shadows were completely done away with. Jesus, the Church, and the New Age IS NOT nor EVER WILL be a Type or Shadow. The real deal has arrived!
This is the marvelous prophetic difference between the two testaments. Not distinguishing what is spiritual reality from the earthly type or shadow is why the Jews in the 1st century, who knew the Old Covenant bettter than you or I ever could, missed its fulfillment altogether. Basically, if we are still holding on to earthly types and shadows when trying to understand the NT, we too will miss the mark altogether.
Your Gen 3:15 comparison is a presupposition. God doesn't indicate a time qualifier in the text. And when God does give us humans a qualifier, we should not say IT"S NOT NEAR or IT"S NOT FAR OFF, or that Near means Far Off and Far Off means Near. This kind of hermeneutic isn't supported by scripture when God is dealing with mankind to know his prophetic timeline.
Steve, you said, "I have trouble understanding the purpose of Revelation if the Full Preterist or Partial Preterist view is true. It doesn't seem like a Revelation since it's repeating things already previously clearly stated." You may have to clarify this for me, so that I don't misrepresent your understanding. So I'll just say this:
1. Revelation = a disclosure of truth, instruction or concerning things before unknown
2. If things are being repeated, it's not the Preterist who's doing it, it's the Father; and The Father said it's The Revelation of Jesus Christ.
Steve, I am not speculating concerning who the prophecy was written to. Neither am I speculating concerning when the events foretold would happen. I have context and exegisis regarding these facts. Those who oppose the context must provide exegisis to make the case, that The Father wasn't talking to an audience almost 2000 years ago, the time statements didn't apply to them, Jesus himself is a TYPE or SHADOW and we're waiting for a greater fulfillment, and this new age we are in will be destroyed or replaced by another age.
1 Cor 14:56 is typical of the two testaments. Until we grasps the power of Jesus words, John 6:63, we will continue to be utterly baffled by spiritual fulfillment, just as the unbelieving Jews were. I am also reminded of passages in Hebrews:
"Heb 5:12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat... Heb 6:1-2 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment."
Here we are, almost 2000 years into the New Age, and still questioning some of the basic principles of Christ:
Repentance
Faith
Baptisms
Laying on of Hands
Resurrection
Judgement
Paul urged his readers to MOVE ON. Why? Because maturity is needed to discern good and evil. "Heb 5:13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe." This is another reason why I believe the biblical account concerning eschatology. Almost 2000 years ago they were told to move on, the end is near, mature to discern the good and the evil of the events about to take place. There's so many reasons why AD 70 need be understood as prophecy fulfilled, but I went too long as it is. As always, God Bless!