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What Is Preterism and Why This New Website?

I run into Christians regularly, who, when confronted with the word “preterist,” blurt out the question, “What’s that?”  As I write this, preterism is certainly not the most widely known view of Bible prophecy on the planet, but give us another 50 years and that may not be the case anymore!  It is growing rapidly, especially in the Reformed church community, and many consider it a continuation of the 16^th century Protestant Reformation.  In fact, one preterist author, John Noe, has posted “The 9.5 Theses for the Next Reformation.”  It is unquestionably the view held by the first century believers.

The word “preterist” or “preterism,” of course, means past fulfillment.  Simply expressed, the word refers to that view of Bible prophecy which recognizes that all of the O.T. and N.T. prophecies of future redemptive and soteriological events were fulfilled completely at the time of the Roman invasion of Jerusalem and the burning of its Temple in A.D. 70.  This was “the end of the world” to those believers of Jesus’ day!  Naturally, the ongoing effects of this awesome, world-shattering series of events continue even to this day…and forever!

“Impossible!!” you say?  Take another look, my friend.  There are many scholars down through the eras of church history who have taught that Jesus Christ and His disciples actually believed the Second Coming and related events would take place in that first century generation.  But most of these scholars, while admitting this undeniable fact, diligently labor in an effort to side-step or explain away the plain teachings of Christ and His inspired writers.  Commentary after commentary has been written, lecture after lecture has been proclaiming, that most end time events were not actually fulfilled in the first century as Jesus said they would be, but await the end of time to be finally and completely fulfilled – still in our future.

This writer has confronted Christian scholars and laymen who openly display a studied and almost stubborn reluctance to part with the futurist views that they have been taught.  The cost of abandoning futurism is high – too high for many scholars and pastors to pay!

Pause for a moment and consider what is involved here.  I’ll list just a few things below:

1.  Pastor, elder and deacon ordination vows may be placed in jeopardy!

2.  Loss of pastoral occupational positions and accompanying family stress!

3.  A partial revision of the great ecumenical creeds and confessions!

4.  Hundreds of Bible commentaries and study guides needing to be rewritten!

5.  Seminaries needing to revise large portions of their curriculum!

6.  The man-in-the-pew may feel betrayed at the hands of those he trusted!

So…is it worth it?  In the final analysis, it boils down to the question: Does truth really matter more than the things listed above?  Does God honor His truth more than outward unity?  Could the church have been mistaken on these things for over 1900 years?

Ask yourself this question:  Am I safe to continue to ignore these teachings of Jesus and instead embrace the teachings that are not supported by the Word of God?  Why would I want to believe something, however traditional it might be, if it did not agree with God’s Holy Word?  Do I want to stand with tradition rather than the truth? (John 14:6).

This is why I decided to bring many of my written articles on preterism together “under one roof” and add more articles from time to time.  I believe that the truth of God’s Word stands supreme, and that God will honor those who take a stand for it.

Now to the website: You might wish to begin with The Bridge from Futurism to Preterism or Our Presuppositions Make the Difference or, if you are a listener to Family Radio, to one of the letters I wrote to their president, Harold Camping.

Remember to sign my Guestbook below the Links area.  Thank you!  And of course always feel free to email me at preteristAD70@uReach.com.  I will try to answer your questions, or help you, in any way that I can, to come to a more perfect understanding of the prophetic scriptures.  If you are already a preterist, never cease to thank your Sovereign Lord for opening your eyes to the truth that His Son spoke so long ago, and which is so important in being faithful today while we are still living the Christian life.

Walt Hibbard

Wilmington, Delaware

August 2005

Why In-Depth Bible Study Is Vitally Important?

(A Disclaimer Relating to This Website)

By

Walt Hibbard, 7/26/2008

My friend, why do each one of us Christians need to continually study deeply into God’s Word, the Bible?  I am not asking why we should read the Bible or how we can apply the teachings and commands that God’s gives to His people.  Nor am I asking, just now, how we can better compare Scripture with Scripture and thus gain a deeper understanding into God’s whole plan of redemption for His people? 

Neither am I right now discussing what the relationship is between the Book of Genesis and the Book of Revelation – the first book of the Bible and the last book of the Bible.  Even a cursory glance at the latter will show Apostle John’s dependence on Genesis for his inspired writing in Revelation.  Most commentaries on Revelation attempt to demonstrate the similarity of language that pervades both books.  Yet, too often, the writer will take the matter no farther and will not allow the interpretation of either or both books to be affected by the similarity of one to the other.

But there is so much more that in-depth Bible study may reveal to the seeking student which does not appear on the surface at all.  With the Bible dealing primarily with God’s covenantal relationship to His people, could not this fact alone serve to encourage the Bible student to re-study his prior interpretative principles relating to both the book at the beginning and the book at the end of our Bibles?  Perhaps there is much more here than some scholars have suspected?  Is it worth looking into?  Is in-depth Bible study truly honored by our Lord as His people mine these depths to get to know God Himself better?

A much needed warning:  In our studies, some of us may well find ourselves working “beyond the fence of creedal restrictions” – as some scholars would look at it – and into an area where we will invite the frowns of well meaning friends and scholars whom we admire and in the past have seen eye to eye on many different doctrines.  I plead for a measure of understanding from these dear brethren with whom we have so much in agreement and treasure the bonds of fellowship so thoroughly.  Such has been the experience of all of us who have engaged in prophetic studies that have lead us to be named as preterists.  But it even goes deeper than that on this occasion.

As much as James Stuart Russell’s earth-shaking, late 19^th century title has influenced so many of us to consider the past fulfillment of Bible prophecy, yet in this early 21^st century we are privileged to find immeasurable help in the recently published, monumental effort of Timothy P. Martin and Jeffrey L. Vaughn, PhD.  The title is BEYOND CREATION SCIENCE, which examines both the early chapters of Genesis and the Book of Revelation from an in-depth covenantal perspective.  These authors probe deeply into hermeneutical distinctions in a most impressive manner and leave one with an insatiable desire to compare our own presuppositions with those of the authors.  In my case, this book has helped me to gain a better understanding of both the beginning and the ending of God’s Word and everything in between.

Did I find it necessary to modify my previous views?  Yes, I did!  In some cases, very substantially, but in each case where this happened, I have found a “comfort of spirit” in these newly adopted interpretations and insights.  I consider the Martin/Vaughn book to be the most valuable study that I have ever read dealing with Bible prophecy and the Genesis creation account, both at the same time.  I urge everyone who has benefitted from my website in the past to read this book for himself or herself, then - when finished - read it again!  Pray over this book sincerely and then ask God, “Does this in-depth covenantal understanding of the Bible ring true? And what should I do about it?”

I also discovered that I needed to remove some articles from my website since they no longer reflect my current views.  In the case of certain articles that remain, the reader will notice some sentences that still reflect my former views, yet in spite of that, was considered to be valuable enough to remain on the website. I ask my readers to grant me a measure of grace since it would be rather impractical at this time to make the needed adjustments.  Thank you so very much!

Below this article (and with full permission), I am displaying B. E. Kimball’s succinct presentation reflecting his own in-depth study of BEYOND CREATION SCIENCE.  I share his views to a remarkable degree.

THE END