Fulfilled Bible Study

Fulfilled Bible study I agree with about 99% of this article. Pastor Smith is a partial Preterist where I am a believe fulfilled prophecy. I consider him a good friend. He did an excellent job on this article! I disagree that the beast of revelation was Nero caesar. I have no doubt that the real Beast was zealot led Israel. Adam Maarschalk did all wonderful job proving this in his article. I wrote an article as well on this subject. It can be found as well as Mr. Maarschalks article on who was the beast.

Bible Study

THE COMING OF THE LORD, THE LAST DAYS, AND THE END OF THE WORLD SCRIPTURES

As taught by Jesus and his Apostles

There is a major misconception and error in most modern day minds concerning the meaning of

these terms, and the error is, that any time these terms are used, they always refers to a future time

at the end of the church age, the end of time, or the end of our present physical world. People never

seem to stop long enough to study their Bibles and observe how these terms were used by Jesus and

his Apostles, or they would realize they used these terms as to something that would take place in

their generation to end the Jewish age of law- keeping and to fully establish his New Covenant

Kingdom in the earth.

Two different viewpoints- Three different positions

1) First Viewpoint-FUTURIST .

a) The coming of the Lord, the last days, and the end of the world are events that will take place

sometime in the future. The Great Tribulation is a future seven-year period that follows a gap

of 2000-and still counting-years which takes place between the 69th and 70th week of

Daniel's prophecy.

•b) Three Positions on when the rapture will occur: Pre Tribulation, Mid Tribulation, Post

Tribulation

2) Second Viewpoint-HISTORICAL

a) Most-or all-of these prophecies were fulfilled in the generation in which Jesus and the

Apostles lived and were concluded in 70 AD with the destruction of Jerusalem and its old

covenant worship system of animal sacrifices. This fulfillment was the sign to all men that

God's New Covenant was now fully established in the earth, and is His final method of

obtaining salvation.

b) HISTORICIST

(1) Most prophecy is now history that has progressively been fulfilling itself through time,

even up to our day.

c) PARTIAL PRETERIST (past)

(1) Preterist means past. Partial past interpretation of prophecy believes the Church-Jew

and Gentile in one body-is the True Israel of God, Daniel's 70 weeks are fulfilled, the

Great Tribulation and the time of Jacob's trouble was the destruction of Jerusalem in

70 AD, Jerusalem was Revelation's Babylon the Great, Matthew 24 was fulfilled during

the generation in which it was written, the first 19 chapters of the book of Revelation

are fulfilled, and the remaining chapters of Revelation are being fulfilled in the Church

d) TOTAL PRETERIST

(1) Full preterists believes the Church-Jew

and Gentile in one body-is the True Israel of God, Daniel's 70 weeks are fulfilled, the

Great Tribulation and the time of Jacob's trouble was the destruction of Jerusalem in

70 AD, Jerusalem was Revelation's Babylon the Great, Matthew 24 was fulfilled during

the generation in which it was written. They also believe that the Lord came in judgment against Jerusalem in

70 AD. He resurrected the dead at that time, and that

we who are alive and remain will be caught up to meet the Lord as we die. They also

believe this Kingdom is an "everlasting Kingdom that will never be destroyed."

e) 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17. The Partial Preterists believe its fulfillment will take place in the

future. The Total Preterists believe its fulfillment took place in 70 AD when Jesus came back to

bring judgment against Jerusalem.

f) Please note that all viewpoints-both Futurist and Historicist-believe in the resurrection of

the dead and spending eternity with Jesus as the eternal reward of the Christian.

THE BIBLE is VERY CLEAR

WERE JESUS AND THE APOSTLES WRONG?

QUOTES OF STATEMENTS

1) National publication- "The Apostles preached the coming of the Lord because they believed it

was the last days. Two thousand years later I am preaching the coming of the Lord because it is

the last days."

2) ','The Apostles were mistaken in their interpretation of the time period in which Jesus was

referring. That was a good thing though because their mistake saved the lives of those in the early

church when they fled from Jerusalem in 70 AD."

WAS JESUS A DECEIVER?

In his book, The Last Days According to !Jesus, R. C. Sproul addresses this subject of Preterism and the

way critics use scriptures about Jesus' coming to attack Christianity.

NOW LET'S READ AND DISCUSS SOME OF THE SCRIPTURES THAT CONTAIN THE STATEMENTS

MADE ON THESE SUBJECTS BY JESUS AND THE APOSTLES.

Jesus (to His disciples)

Matthew 10:23 When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. I tell you the truth, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

Matthew 16:27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.

Matthew 16:28 I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom

Jesus confirmed His coming in that generation when he spoke to Peter concerning John.

John 21:18-24 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. 19This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me. 20Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee? 21Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? 22Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me. 23Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? 24This is the disciple which testified of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is true.

John was the only apostle alive in 70 A.D all the rest had been killed according to history.

JESUS SPOKE TO The HIGH PRIEST AND THE SANHEDRIN

Matthew 26:63-66

Matthew 26:63-66 But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. 64Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. 65Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy. 66What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death.

The High Priest knew that Jesus was applying to Himself a messianic prophecy found in the book of Daniel.

Daniel 7:13-14 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 14And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

There are two subjects that have not been fully studied out by most Christians, in regards to

Biblical imagery and definitions. They are:

1) JESUS COMINGIN THE CLOUDS f

2) THE KINGDOMOF GOD

JESUS COMING IN THE CLOUDS

"COMING IN THE CLOUDS" is Old Testament imagery that usually refers to God's coming in judgment

on a nation. God usually used another nation's army to carry out this type of coming.

Isaiah 19:1 The burden of Egypt. Behold, the LORD rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it.

Jeremiah 4:13-14 Behold, he shall come up as clouds, and his chariots shall be as a whirlwind: his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe unto us! for we are spoiled. 14O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?

Ezekiel 30:3 For the day is near, even the day of the LORD is near, a cloudy day; it shall be the time of the heathen.

Ezekiel 30:18-19 At Tehaphnehes also the day shall be darkened, when I shall break there the yokes of Egypt: and the pomp of her strength shall cease in her: as for her, a cloud shall cover her, and her daughters shall go into captivity. 19Thus will I execute judgments in Egypt: and they shall know that I am the LORD

Nahum 1:2-6 God is jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies. 3The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. 4He rebuketh the sea, and maketh it dry, and drieth up all the rivers: Bashan languisheth, and Carmel, and the flower of Lebanon languisheth. 5The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at his presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein. 6Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him.

The Lord uses the same biblical imagery used in the book of Revelation to describe His coming in

judgment, and the clouds are described as the dust of the Lord's feet.

Zephaniah used the same type of imagery in his prophecies.

Zephaniah 1:14-17 The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. 15That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, 16A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers. 17And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung.

Joel 2:1-11 Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; 2A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations. 3A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them. 4The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run. 5Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array. 6Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness. 7They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks: 8Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk every one in his path: and when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded. 9They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief. 10The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining: 11And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?

Notice that much the language of Joel's description of the heathen army is identical to the imagery

used in the book of Revelation.

This again proves that His coming in the clouds refers to God using another nation's army to execute

His judgments on another nation. In verse 10 He even uses the same biblical imagery as is found in

Matthew 24 and Revelation 6 to describe what was to happen after the destruction of Jerusalem.

Some say Matthew 24 and the book of Revelation have to be future since the sun, moon, and stars are

still in the sky. God said in the Old Testament, the SUN, MOON, and STARS were "for signs" and "to

rule," which means a sign of rulership or government.

Genesis 1:14,16 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: 16And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.

In biblical imagery, seeing a star fall from the sky foretold a coming change in the government to

which it was referenced.

Josephs dream and human government

Genesis 37:9-10 9And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me. 10And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth? 11And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.

In biblical imagery, seeing a star fall from the sky foretold a coming change in the government to

which it was referenced.

PROPHECY OF THE DESTRUCTION OF BABYLON INTHE O.T.

Isaiah 13:9-11 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. 10For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. 11And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.

The actual fulfillment of this- happened. when the armies of the Medes and Persians defeated the King of Babylon and took over his city. This represented a change in government and authority.

THE DESTRUCTION OF EGYPT

Ezekiel 32:7-8 And when I shall put thee out, I will cover the heaven, and make the stars thereof dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give her light. 8All the bright lights of heaven will I make dark over thee, and set darkness upon thy land, saith the Lord GOD.

The defeat of Idumea and Bozarah

Isaiah 34:4 And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree.

This is the same language as the wrath in Rev 6

Revelation 6:13-16 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. 14And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. 15And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; 16And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:

Compare Rev 6 with Luke 23

Luke 23:28-30 But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children. 29For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck. 30Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us.

WHAT IS THE KINGDOM OF GOD ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE?

Matthew 3:1-2 1In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, 2And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Words of Jesus

Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

HE THEN SENT OUT HIS DISCIPLES

Matthew 10:7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Notice that they were all preaching that the Kingdom of God was “at hand” and not several thousand years away. That means they had to be referring to the Church Kingdom.

Matthew 12:28 28But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.

John 18:36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.

Luke 17:20-21 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: 21Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

Romans 14:17 know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean. 15But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. 16Let not then your good be evil spoken of: 17For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. 18For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.

John 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

It is easy to see that Jesus and His Apostles believed that the Kingdom of God to be the spirit of God indwelling in the hearts of believers after they are born again and not a future kingdom in the earth.

Colossians 1:12-13 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 13Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 14In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

With these points established, you can understand that HIS “Coming in the clouds” Deals with his judgment on Jerusalem and the full establishment of his kingdom in the earth

MORE STATEMENTS MADE BY JESUS AND HIS APOSTLES

Matthew 24:1-3 And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. 2And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. 3And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? (age) (according to the greek)

They were asking for the one sign that would bring about the destruction of the temple, the coming of the Lord, and the end of their age in their Generation.

Mark 13:4 Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?

Matthew 24:34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled

These statements make it very clear that these occurrences should not be divided-if you are going to

allow Scripture to interpret Scripture. Strong's Concordance supports this interpretation I in its

definitions of the Matthew 24:3 word "coming."

COMING-Parousia (par-oo-see-ah=.Srrong's NT: 3952). It is said to be, "from the present participle of

NT: 3918; a being near, i.e. advent (often. return; specifically, of Christ to punish Jerusalem, or

finally the wicked); (by implication) physically, aspect: KJV-coming, presence."

Three different Greek words translated "world" in the KJV.

1) Cosmos

2) Aion

3) Oikoumene

WORLD - COSMOS 2889. cosmos, cosmos; prob. from the base of G2865; orderly arrangement, i.e.

decoration; by impl. the world (in a wide or narrow sense, indud. its inhab., lit. or fig. [mor.]):-

Adorning, world. (EXAMPLE)

Matthew 4:8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them

WORLD- 165. aion, ahee-ohn': from the same as G104; prop. an age; by extenso perpetuity (also past);

bim l. the world; spec. (Jewish) a Messianic period (present or future):-age, course, eternal, (for'

ever (-more), [n- ever, eginnmg of the, while the) world (began, without end). CompoGS550.

This is the word used in Matthew 24:3. There it shows that they were asking about the end of the

"age," and not the end of the "cosmos" (earth) as most people try to teach. The Jews onl¥

understood there to be two ages: the current age they were living in, and the coming age of their

Messiah.

Hebrews 1:1-2 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds

This scripture calls the time that they were living in the "last days." This refers to the last days of the

Jewish age of Law-keeping.

Hebrews 9:26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

This says Jesus died at the end of the world. Is that still future as well? We know that this is

impossible to apply to the future since Jesus died almost 2,000 years ago

HIS COMING WAS NEAR AND WAS TO HAPPEN IN THEIR DAY

Hebrews 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Hebrews 10:37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.

1st Peter 1:20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you

1st 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 world are come.

Paul said that they were the ones upon whom "the ends of the world are come." He couldn't have been

talking about the end of the physical world because it is stilI here, so he must have been talking~out

the end of the Jewish age of Law-keeping.

OIKOUMENE- THE KNOWNWORLD

WORLD - 3625. oikoumene, oy-kou-men-ay; fern. part. pres. pass. of G3611 (as noun, by impl. of

GI093); land, i.e. the (terrene part of the) globe; spec. the Roman empire:-earth, world. (EXAMPLE)

Matthew 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

Most scholars say this refers to the inhabited part of the earth, or "their known inhabited part",

more specifically the Roman empire of their day. .A brief look at a few scriptures will show this is

something that was fulfilled in their day before the end came at Jerusalem.

Romans 1:8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world

Romans 10:18 But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.

Colossians 1:5-6 For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel; 6Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:

Colossians 1:23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister

Romans 16:25-26 Now to him that is of power to establish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, 26But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:

"All the world" meant the inhabited world that they knew in their day.

Luke 2:1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed

You would then have to say that this scripture is future, because the whole earth has never been

taxed. We know this future time frame can't be true. This scripture clearly applied only to the Roman

Empire, and was definitely fulfilled during that time.

Acts 11:28 And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the spirit that there should be great dearth(famine) throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar

Some would say since the "whole world" has never experienced a worldwide famine, this scripture has

to be referring to the future as well. The remaining context tells us that it happened in the days of

Claudius Caesar. We can thereby know with certainty that it was for their time, and not written for a

future time.

MATTHEW AND LUKES ACCOUNT OF THE ABOMONATION OF DESOLATION

MATTHEW 24:15 gives the key sign to recognize the time of the end-:-the Abomination of

Desolation. Luke revealed this occurrence to be the armies surrounding Jerusalem. That is exactly

what the early church saw, and thereby knew to flee to safety before the corning judgment on

Jerusalem took place.

Matthew 24:15-21 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) 16Then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains: 17Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: 18Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. 19And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! 20But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day: 21For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

Jesus would only give such a warning because He knew when this judgment took place that there

would still be some who were still engaged in the Jewish Law and its customs. Jesus let those to

whom He spoke know that they were the ones that would see the heathen army surround Jerusalem.

When they saw this they were to escape that city because Jesus said there was a great tribulation

coming Please read part 2 on the left.