| Author | Message | ||
| Pnoga Registered user Username: Pnoga Post Number: 228 Registered: 1-2007  |
I have been studying eschatology recently and have been looking at some of the things preterists are saying. I was curios as to what they believe and why. Below is a list of scriptures that they give evidence for the end times being 70 AD, Which to me goes along with what I believe that the End of the Old covenant was at 70 AD when the Temple and Jerusalem where destoyed, the Jewish killed, and scattered and taken to foreign land and mistreated. I believe the the Old Covenant Israel, indeed it was the end times according to Old Covenant/New Covenant Theology. I do not profess to be an expert in end times and eschatology, but do have interest. I will have to say that the preterist view seems to be pretty close to what I have been studying in the Bible. Of course that can all change as I continue. Look at the verses below and let me know what you all think. I'm not trying to push preterism, just curious. the text below with verses are from someone else's study the comments are not my own. (begin study) The following is a list of some New Testament verses which many Christians have no adequate explanation for. If you can step into the shoes of those being addressed here, nearly 2000 years ago, you would be led to believe that you were living in the end times and that you might live to see the Son of Man coming in His Kingdom. Clearly, Jesus taught that the timing of His "second coming" would be in the first century. His disciples also believed He would come again in the first century. Clearly, those were the last days. John the baptist to Jews: Matthew 3:2, "...Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven has drawn near." Luke 3:7,9, "Then said he to the multitude..O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath about to come? And now also the axe is laid…every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire." The Teachings of Jesus Jesus to His twelve apostles (telling them to preach to Israel): Matthew 10:7, "...preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven has drawn near. " Matthew 10:23, "...In no wise will ye have completed the cities of Israel, until the Son of man be come." Notice Jesus told these 12 apostles that they would not have completed preaching to first-century Israel when the Son of man comes, which was during the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Jesus to Peter, James, John and Andrew…privately: Matthew 24:30,34, " they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory…This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled." Mark 13:24,25,30, " But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken....this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done. " Luke 21:22,26,32, "For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled... for the powers of heaven shall be shaken…This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled. " "This generation" refers to the generation then living at the time Jesus spoke these words. Jesus to His disciples: Mark 8:38, "Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels." What "generation" was Jesus referring to in this passage? Jesus said it was the adulterous and sinful generation that was then living while Jesus was alive! The above passage was spoken before this next passage (the following are all parallel verses): Jesus to His twelve disciples (who were standing in front of Jesus): Matthew 16:27-28, "For the Son of man is about to come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. Verily I say unto you, There are some of those standing here, who in no wise shall taste of death, until they have seen the Son of man coming in his kingdom." Mark 8:38 - 9:1, "…when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels....there are some of those standing here, who in no wise shall taste of death, until they see the kingdom of God having come in power. " Luke 9:26-27, "... when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels…there are some of those standing here, who in no wise shall taste of death, until they have seen the kingdom of God. " Notice how Jesus said that some of his disciples, who were standing right there in front of him, would not physically die by the time He came with his angels to reward every man according to his works (Revelation 22:12). John was one of these men who lived to see it...as you can see by the following verse... Jesus to Peter: John 21:22-23, "...If I (Jesus) desire him (John) to abide till I come, what is that to thee?" [John was one of the twelve apostles who was never martyred, and abided on earth well after 70AD. Therefore, John did abide until Christ came in 70AD, just like Jesus desired him to!] John 14:3, "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I am coming, and will receive you unto myself;" Jesus to the high priest: Matthew 26:64, "...Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven." Jesus to Nathanael: John 1:51, "...ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man. " Jesus to Jews: Matthew 4:17, "...Repent: for the kingdom of heaven has drawn near. " Matthew 23:36,38, "Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. Behold, your house is left unto you desolate." Mark 1:15, "...The time has been fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has drawn near: " Jesus to the daughters of Jerusalem: Luke 23:28-29, "…weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children. For, behold, the days are coming," Jesus to the Jews who sought to kill him: Matthew 3:7, "...O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath about to come?" John 5:25, "The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live." The Revelation of Jesus Christ, communicated through John, to the seven literal churches which were in Asia in the first century: Revelation 1:1, "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must take place shortly." Revelation 1:3, "...the time is near." Revelation 1:7, "Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him." (Those who had crucified Jesus in the first century would see his coming!) Revelation 2:16, "...I am coming to thee quickly, " Revelation 2:25, "…hold fast till I shall come." (To the church in Thyatira, 1 of 7 real churches that existed in Asia Minor between 61 and 65A.D.) Revelation 3:11, "Behold, I come quickly:" Revelation 10:6, "And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever…that there should be no more delay:" (Jesus said he would not delay his coming to those living in the first century!) (The remaining verses are from the very last chapter of Revelation, after all these prophesies have been revealed. Just when will all these things come to pass? This chapter tells us!) Revelation 22:6, "…God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must come to pass soon." Revelation 22:7, "Behold, I am coming quickly:" Revelation 22:10, "...Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is near. " Revelation 22:12, "And, behold, I come quickly;" Revelation 22:20, "...Surely I am coming quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus." The Teachings of the Apostles Paul to all who were beloved of God in Rome: Romans 13:11-12, " And that, knowing the time,...now is our salvation nearer than when we believed…the day has drawn near: " Romans 16:20, "And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly." (See this prophesy in Genesis 3:15). Paul to Timothy: 1 Timothy 6:14, "That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ:" 2 Timothy 1:18, "The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day:" Paul to the Hebrews: Hebrews 1:1-2, "God…Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son," (The scripture says the last days were in the first century, not 2,000 years later). Hebrews 9:26, "For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the consumation of the ages hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." Hebrews 10:25, "...ye see the day drawing near. " Hebrews 10:37, "...he that shall come will come, and will not delay." [Paul said that Jesus would not delay his coming!] Paul to the Philippian church: Philippians 4:5, "...The Lord is near. " Paul to the church of Corinth: 1 Corinthians 1:7-8, "So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 7:29, "...the time is short: " 1 Corinthians 7:31, "...the fashion of this world passeth away." 1 Corinthians 10:11, "Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages are arrived." Paul, Silvanus and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians: 1 Thessalonians 3:13, "To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints." 1 Thessalonians 4:17, "Then we the living who remain shall be caught away together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." 1 Thessalonians 5:23, "...and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. " 2 Thessalonians 2:2:, "...the day of Christ is present. " Paul to the Galatians: Galatians 4:4, "But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law," Galatians 5:5, "For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith." James to the twelve tribes who were dispersed abroad: James 5:7-9, "Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. …the coming of the Lord has drawn near…behold, the judge stands before the door." Peter to the elect scattered abroad: 1 Peter 1:7, "That the proving of your faith…might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:" 1 Peter 1:9-10, "Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:" 1 Peter 1:13,20, " Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the appearing of Jesus Christ; Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you," (Now Peter confirms that the last days were during the first century). 1 Peter 4:5, "Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead." 1 Peter 4:7, "But the end of all things has drawn near:" 1 Peter 4:17, "For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God:" 2 Peter 3:9, "The Lord does not delay concerning his promise" (What promise is this verse talking about? The very next verse reads, "But the day of the Lord will come..." Peter wrote the Lord would not delay his promise concerning the Day of the Lord!] 2 Peter 3:12, "Expecting and hastening the coming of the day of God," Peter to the men of Judaea: Acts 2:16-20, "But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days…The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:" (This confirms that the "last days" the Old Testament prophesized about took place in the first century). Acts 3:24, "Yea, and all the prophets…have likewise foretold of these days." (Peter said ALL the prophets foretold of which days? "These days" of the first century, which were "the last days" of the Old Testament era). John to those who believed in the name of the Son of God: 1 John 2:17-18, "And the world passeth away…Little children, it is the last hour…we know that it is the last hour." (John wrote these epistles sometime after 60 AD. Notice how, as 70.AD was very nearly approaching, John wrote that it is the "last hour", instead of the "last days.") 1 John 2:28, "And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming." 1 John 3:2, "...when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. " | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 9533 Registered: 12-2003  |
Paul, even though these texts are addressing people in the first century, one must ignore the literal meaning of the words of many of them to suppose that they were fulfilled in 70 AD. To be sure, at least a partial fulfillment occurred at the destruction of Jerusalem. Israel was scattered; they had no more nation. To be sure, the last days began with the incarnation of Jesus. Hebrews 1:1-3 clarifies that He is God's final word to us in these last days. But Jesus has not come in His glory, nor have the cosmic signs both Jesus and Revelation describe following the tribulation occurred. Moreover, the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 would have to be understood to be the great tribulation. Revelation describes worldwide apostasy and tribulation, and AD 70 cannot adequately fulfill those prophecies. Moreover, 2 Thessalonians 2 describes the "lawless one" who would come, and Revelation 13 describes the beast and the false prophet who would arise. Further, Revelation 19 describes the beast and the false prophet being thrown into the lake of fire before the millennium, before the Great White Throne judgment, and before Satan himself is thrown in. Additionally, Revleation 20 describes the millennium on earth during which Christ Himself reign, and during which those resurrected in the First Resurrection reign with him. This happens BEFORE the second resurrection when the wicked are resurrected for judgment. In order for preterism to "work", this first resurrection has to be defined as the new birth that Christian experience. But the NT is totally clear about the definition of "resurrection". Paul explains in 1 Cor 15 that Jesus resurrection is our hope, and it's our pattern of what to expect. Resurrection always refers to the physical body, not the spirit. Jesus' resurrection was bodily, not a spiritual awakening. To insist that the "resurrection" in Revelation 20 is merely spiritual rebirth is to twist the meaning of the word in a way that reminds me uncomfortably of Adventism. From God's perspective, is not "long" or "short". 2 Peter 3:9: The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. Prophecies throughout the Bible often have sequential fulfillments. Jesus' prophecies of the end times are no exception. For sure AD 70 was in view, but not everything He said happened then. Furthermore, Jesus has not returned. Acts 1 clearly has the angel telling the disciples that Jesus would return the very same way He left: in the clouds. Moreover, however, every eye would see him. Romans 11 leaves no wiggle room for excluding God keeping His promises to the Jews. Jesus taught that Jerusalem would be trampled by the Gentiles "until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled" (Luke 21:24). Paul says that Israel "has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in" (Romans 11:25). God always keeps His promises. Preterism says that Israel was finished in AD 70, and the church now replaces Israel. To be sure, Jews and Gentiles are all saved in exactly the same way, and Jews may become part of Christ's body even now just as Gentiles do. But Paul says in Romans 11, "As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable" (Romans 11:28-29). I can't say exactly how the end will unfold. But the Bible is clear that God keeps His promises, and even though the Jews have gone into apostasy, God will yet fulfill His promises. He will not "bring in" the Jews just because they are Jews; they must believe in Jesus as their Savior and Messiah. But Paul says a time is coming when the Gentiles will have come in, and God will essentially "unharden" Israel so they will believe. Preterism says we essentially apply the OT prophecies to the church, and anything that "doesn't fit" we call "conditional" upon Israel's obedience. If one sees these prophecies as still being God's promises, however, it becomes more and more clear that many of the OT prophecies are describing a millennial kingdom that John foretells in Revelation 20. God cannot lie, and He always keeps His promises. Even the existence of the nation of Israel was not thought possible 100 years ago. No, it is not God's kingdom. But Ezekiel's vision of the dry bones coming together but still lacking life certainly suggests the current unbelieving nation of Israel. I am not dogmatic about how the end will play out. But I do not see the Bible teaching that all the eschatological prophecies were completed in AD 70. Colleen | ||
| Brian3 Registered user Username: Brian3 Post Number: 200 Registered: 8-2005 |
Not defending full-preterism but could it be that God has kept his promises to the children of Israel? Deu 28:15 "But it shall come about, if you do not obey the LORD your God, to observe to do all His commandments and His statutes with which I charge you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:... Deu 28:45 "All these curses will come, pursue, and overtake you until you are destroyed, since you did not obey the LORD your God and keep the commands and statutes He gave you. (Message edited by brian3 on March 11, 2009) | ||
| Bskillet Registered user Username: Bskillet Post Number: 241 Registered: 8-2008 |
The first advent of Jesus was the beginning of the eschaton. We have been living in the eschaton (last days of earth) ever since. Thus, some prophecies can relate the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD and the Second Coming as related events, and still be consistent from God's perspective. This is where Adventism has so many problems. It doesn't realize that Jesus's first advent, not 1844, was the fulfillment of the vision in Daniel 7, and that the Second Advent is the continuation of that fulfillment. In other words, Daniel 7 is in the process of being fulfilled ever since the First Advent, as are all other eschatological prophecies. (Message edited by bskillet on March 11, 2009) | ||
| Pnoga Registered user Username: Pnoga Post Number: 229 Registered: 1-2007 |
Thanks Colleen, I agree with you. I'm not going to beat myself up too much with all this. I know I am saved by Grace through Faith in Christ alone, I believe that. I will just have to take whatever else comes along. When God is good and ready to let me know more, I will humbly accept it. Thanks to all for your response Paul (Message edited by pnoga on March 11, 2009) | ||
| Bskillet Registered user Username: Bskillet Post Number: 242 Registered: 8-2008 |
I would add in this discussion that it is important to differentiate between full preterism and partial preterism. Some very good Christians, including R.C. Sproul, are partial preterists. Full preterism is heresy: It implies, as Colleen said, that the resurrection was a spiritual event in the first century. | ||
| Pnoga Registered user Username: Pnoga Post Number: 230 Registered: 1-2007 |
That is why we all have to be good Bereans.LOL | ||
| Brian3 Registered user Username: Brian3 Post Number: 201 Registered: 8-2005 |
Bskillet, thanks for adding that. That's what I meant when I said I wasn't defending Full-Preterism. I don't believe EVERYTHING has happened. Just more than some folks!  Paul, IMO an excellent book on four major views of eschatology is "Revelation - Four Views: A Parallel Commentary" edited by Steve Gregg. In Christ, Brian (Message edited by brian3 on March 11, 2009) | ||
| Agapetos Registered user Username: Agapetos Post Number: 1767 Registered: 10-2002  |
Colleen, that was an awesome explanation about the problems with preterism! However, I'm a little surprised that the "millennial" theory was brought back out even when it was shown to be so faulty not long ago: The Millennium theory just doesn't fit, because the OT prophecies speak of the Law's ceremonies -- holy days, festivals, and sacrifices done by the priests and royalty. The OT prophecies (especially in Ezekiel) were written to Israel while in her exile, and spoke of her return after that exile -- not of a return after the return, so to speak. There is too little information given about the "millennium" if we read exegetically and simultaneously believe that Christ is the Light and fulfillment of the shadows. Unless we embrace dispensationalism's foundational claim that the New Covenant is a temporary intermission in the continuance of the Old Covenant. I've mentioned this before, but it seems to have been missed: Jews were still Jews for almost 2000 years when the modern nation of Israel did not exist. They were still "Israel" (in bondage) whether they had a political nation or not, whether they stood on the soil of Canaan or not. Old Testament Israel was called "Israel" when she was in Egypt and when she was in exile. So it's not good if we look at today's political definitions as fulfillment of Biblical prophecy which does not recognize "nations" by the same parameters that we do today. It's not good to do "newspaper exegesis" -- to read Scripture in such a way as to make it match real life events that we deem significant in our modern understanding, but which don't match the Bible on its own terms (in this case, how the Bible recognizes "nations"). I don't mean to attribute this to you personally, by the way, because I know it is something you have learned from Gary Inrig and other teachers of dispensationalism. "Newspaper exegesis" just doesn't do justice to context, and doesn't stand up under exegetical study. Ezekiel 36 & 37 look forward to the Cross and Pentecost, not to a future time. These chapters are Soteriological, not eschatalogical. They point us to Jesus Christ, not to the end times. This can be seen easily when Ezekiel 37's "dry bones" vision is held next to parallel passages such as Isaiah 26:17-19 - Both Isaiah and Ezekiel were written "in parts", in the days of the shadows. When the Light came, He spoke of the fulfillment of these things in Himself: Hallelu Yah! The dry bones live! Blessings in Jesus to you! Ramone *****(Extra notes)***** These are some extra notes that I didn't feel were the "meat" of the body of this post, but I couldn't bring myself to throw them out. If anyone has comment on them, I'd really appreciate having the main things ABOVE addressed first and foremost, lest I eternally smack myself on the head for letting the "extras" distract from the main part. Ezekiel 37 is directly connected to Ezekiel 36, which speaks of the pouring out of the Holy Spirit and the "day" in which God would cleanse them from their sins. We know these times as "pentecost" and "calvary". On the day of cleansing from sins, verse 36:33 speaks of being "resettled in towns". This is parallel to Isaiah 61, which Christ invoked from at the beginning of His ministry in Luke 4, speaking of the healing and rebuilding of lives. Indeed, the "New Covenant" passage itself in Jeremiah 31 is sandwiched between promises of restoring Israel to their land. In the same way, the context of Ezekiel 37 (the dry bones) also ends talking about God making an "everlasting covenant of peace" with them. The New Covenant and "restoration" began simultaneously. Not the restoration of an earthly kingdom, but the beginning of a heavenly one in the spiritual realms, which endures forever. On the surface it might seem like He was speaking of the restoration of Israel to her land, but this happens at times of (1) being cleansed from sins and (2) being filled with the Holy Spirit. Going further, verse 36:35 also invokes the comparison with "Eden", just as Isaiah 51:3 does... and just as Hebrews 4 does! Hebrews 3 also started with "land" and them brought the Jewish readers' attention beyond the land to their true rest, back to Eden in Jesus Christ. I said earlier that the OT prophecies (especially in Ezekiel) were written to Israel while in her exile, and spoke of her return after that exile -- not of a return after the return, so to speak. The people who returned from the exile understood the prophecies (about the return) to have applied to them. And God sent prophets to guide them, such as Haggai, Malachi and Zechariah, applying words from earlier prophecies. The pre-A.D.70 Jerusalem was part of the fulfillment of God's promises to bring the exiles back (as the people and prophets believed). But that Jerusalem was destroyed, in contrast with what Jeremiah 31:40 says of the return -- that it would never again be uprooted or demolished. So if we read literally, we are left with only two possibilities about the post-exile Jerusalem: 1) it was a fulfillment of the prophecies, and the prophecies are ended in A.D. 70, 2) it was not the fulfillment of the "return from captivity" promises, which were in the future Option #2 does not make sense because the prophets were there in the rebuilding of post-exile Jerusalem, prophesying and applying the words about the "return" from the Law and the prophets. In other words, God was speaking to the people through the prophets that this was exactly what He knew would happen. It was fulfillment. (It's important to note that God's voice was speaking through the prophets during and through that "return" to the land -- something that was not happening in 1948, except through people practicing Newspaper Exegesis because they were excited about a man's barely 100-year-old theology that was built squarely on the cornerstone of believing in a separation of "Israel" and "Church"). Reading literally, the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D.70 would seem to negate the fulfillment of the "return" promises of the prophets. This is where Christ comes in, speaking of Spirit and truth, and Paul proclaiming the mystery of the gospel". The un-"seen" third option is brought to light: that the kingdom was transferred, or rather, it was "born from above". Just as Jesus said to Pilate before being led to the crucifixion, "But now My kingdom is from another place." And so the Scriptures are all true: The nation of Israel did indeed return to the "land" of Israel, and "the desired of all nations" did indeed come, and He "filled the house with glory" --- an ever-growing glory still increasing today, a glory that does not depend on the old fading law, nor on holy "times", nor on holy "days", nor on holy land. The glory of God's house has indeed surpassed that of all former houses. As a final note, these things should be read alongside passages such as Isaiah 44:1-5 and Psalm 87 for full impact. | ||
| Lifeanew Registered user Username: Lifeanew Post Number: 204 Registered: 10-2007 |
Thank you all for your thoughts and presenting both sides so each of us can study to our own conclusions. I have been getting hammered with millennium theory and told it is a nonessential belief. This seems to be the most essential, non-essential teaching in the church I'm attending. | ||
| Agapetos Registered user Username: Agapetos Post Number: 1771 Registered: 10-2002 |
Wow, what a phrase! How incredibly REVEALING! Often we say things are "not essential", but then the way we teach them or focus on them or the way we claim they are biblical -- well, the attention we give to them doesn't match our proclamation that they are "not essential". It's actually very similar to liberal/evangelical Adventism, or the "public face" of Adventism that does not want to focus on the distinctively "Adventist" beliefs. They want to say that they're in harmony with Christian essentials, and that the other things aren't essential. But then after you "get in", you find out how incredibly essential the things are, even though they are frequently proclaimed to be non-essential or non-salvational. I'm telling you guys, the biggest kept secret among us Former Adventists --the unspoken thing we all know is true but rarely say-- is that a lot of Adventist mistakes and interpretive methods can be found in non-Adventist churches, too! It's easy to focus on Adventism, but the problems that are at the heart of Adventism are not uniquely "Adventist" -- they are things that are simply human, simply human "religious" tendency. In our drive to focus on Adventism, we often don't call non-Adventist churches out on these things because it's easy to focus on "Adventism" itself... and if the problems are bigger than "Adventism", well, it seems a lot more difficult to handle. Just as we found security in "being Adventist", when we leave we often feel a sort of reverse-security, a security in being out of Adventism. Just as we trusted the SDA system while we were in it, in a sort of reversed way, we can put our trust in simply being "out of the SDA system". And really, that's not a real security. It's just a photo-negative of the same insecurity. It's like SDAs who believe that SDA is THE church, the ONE church, THE body of Christ... and then when they leave, they become part of a church that teaches the same thing (like Catholicism or Eastern Orthodox). They leave one dependence on a human system for dependence on another human system. In the same way, but in a sort of reversal, I think often we exercise a sort of dependence on being not-Adventist. Just like others transferred their trust from SDA to another "the one" church's religious system, in the same way we often transfer our trust to "not being Adventist". And this tends to blind us to the larger view of the SDA problem: that it is not just an SDA problem, but things are happening a lot in Christian churches -- just not in such a concise, neatly concentrated package as in SDA. But there are similar errors, similar bad hermeneutics, similar interpretive systems like SDA out there (dispensationalism being the most obvious), and similar abuses of authority in churches. The reason these things exist in SDA is not simply "Because it's Adventism!" That is a false conclusion that blinds us to seeing the real problems in Adventism... and blinds us from carrying the blessings God's given us to the churches we attend after leaving Adventism. |
