O
Osgiliath
Guest
Stormcrow, I certainly never specifically said Preterism was "a cult". I don't believe I've ever used the term "cult" before. However, my point was that Preterism and Futurism are essentially alternate takes on eschatology. The degree of certainty expressed about such things amazes me. My certainty involves only the existence of God and His loving and accepting character. Everything else is scholarship, hermeneutics, science and probabilities.
To quickly sum up what I was attempting to show is that - Christ "Is, Was and Will Be." It is neither preterist in character, nor is it dispensationalist or futurist. A dispensationalist, futurist, or a preterist knows only one third of who Christ is. So neither knows the fullness of Christ:
"I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty" (Revelation 1:8)
"I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hades and of death." (Revelation 1:18)
These verses in Revelation agree with Christ's statement that His words would "never pass away".
"Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." (Matthew 24:35)
The Spirit of Christ's Words "the time is at hand," IS in EVERY generation. Christ said; "the words that I speak unto you, THEY ARE SPIRIT, and THEY ARE LIFE." If you cannot see that that is true in every generation then you will not see the dangers of emphasizing either preterism, futurism, or dispensationalism. To emphasize the past, is to miss the IS. To emphasize the future is to miss the IS. All Christendom does one or the other. If you see this as classifying Preterism as "a cult" there is nothing I can do about it - but at least in my own mind, that was not my intention.
To quickly sum up what I was attempting to show is that - Christ "Is, Was and Will Be." It is neither preterist in character, nor is it dispensationalist or futurist. A dispensationalist, futurist, or a preterist knows only one third of who Christ is. So neither knows the fullness of Christ:
"I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty" (Revelation 1:8)
"I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hades and of death." (Revelation 1:18)
These verses in Revelation agree with Christ's statement that His words would "never pass away".
"Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." (Matthew 24:35)
The Spirit of Christ's Words "the time is at hand," IS in EVERY generation. Christ said; "the words that I speak unto you, THEY ARE SPIRIT, and THEY ARE LIFE." If you cannot see that that is true in every generation then you will not see the dangers of emphasizing either preterism, futurism, or dispensationalism. To emphasize the past, is to miss the IS. To emphasize the future is to miss the IS. All Christendom does one or the other. If you see this as classifying Preterism as "a cult" there is nothing I can do about it - but at least in my own mind, that was not my intention.