“Realized Eschatology” “Preterism” “The Max King Theory” “A.D. 70 Doctrine” “Realized Eschatology” “Preterism” “The Max King Theory”

Max King: “The Holy Scriptures teach the second coming of Christ, including the establishment of the eternal kingdom, the day of judgment, the end of the world, and the resurrection of the dead, occurred with the fall of Judaism in 70 A.D.” (The Nichols-King Debate, p. 1).

Happened in A.D.70: 1. All Bible prophecy was fulfilled completely. 2. The kingdom came with power. 3. The second coming of Christ occurred. 4. The Judgment Day took place. 5. The dead were raised and death was conquered. 6. The Law of Moses ended. 7. Satan’s rule ceased. 8. The world ended. 9. Heaven and Hell began.

Nothing New Retelling of an old error. 1883, Dr. A. Wilford Hall, “Universalism Against Itself” - Exposed this false doctrine 1930’s, C. H. Dodd gave it the name, “Realized Eschatology” “Eschatology” – the doctrine of last things Realized Eschatology means the doctrine of completed last things “Preterism” comes from Latin word for “past”- Belief that prophecies in NT were all fulfilled

Why Some Fall For This Error Some passages where Jesus is described as “coming” in a local or physical judgment upon Jerusalem – Matthew 24 Some contend all NT reference to the “coming” of Christ in judgment must refer to destruction of Jerusalem

Why Some Fall For This Error Jesus “Coming” in Different Senses 1. “Came” to earth as a human being (Luke 19:10) 2. He “came” when church was established on Pentecost (Matthew 16:28; Mark 9:1) 3. He “comes” to discipline unfaithful congregations (Revelation 2:5) 4. He has promised to “come” in a universal judgment (Matthew 25:31,32)

Why Some Fall For This Error Some are puzzled by James 5:7,8 “for the coming of the Lord is at hand.” This error corrected in 2 Thessalonians 2:1ff “Day of the Lord has come” (2:2) Coming always “at hand” because of secretive nature (1 Thessalonians 5:1-3)

The Kingdom Of God Did not come until A.D. 70 (Matthew 16:28; Mark 9:1) Kingdom of God is the same relationship as the church (Matthew 16:18,19; Acts 20:28; Revelation 1:5,6) Church clearly in existence on day of Pentecost (Acts 2:47) Jesus was reigning prior to A.D. 70 (Acts 2:29-31; Ephesians 1:19-23) Mark 9:1 – Kingdom will come with power

The Kingdom Of God Luke 24:49- Stay in Jerusalem until clothed with power from on high Promise repeated Acts 1:4 connected with coming of the Holy Spirit in Acts 1:8 Holy Spirit did Not come upon the apostles in A.D. 70, but on Pentecost – Acts 2:1-4 John 3:3-5 one cannot see kingdom of God unless baptized – if kingdom did not come until A.D. 70, why did apostles preach and practice it long before this? (Acts 2:38; 8:12) Colossians 1:13- IN His Kingdom (Colossians 2:10)

The Second Coming Second Coming Different in Number of Respects: 1. Will be sudden and unexpected as thief in the night without any warnings – (Luke 21:20 – 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3) 2. Life on earth for Christians followed the destruction of Jerusalem (Luke 21:21-24) yet life on earth will not follow for Christians at second coming (1 Thessalonians 4:17,18) 3. At destruction of Jerusalem coming of Jesus was Invisible (Matthew 24:33) yet at second coming He will be Visible (Acts 1:11) 4. The destruction of Jerusalem was a judgment on a particular city, but the second coming involves all nations (Matthew 25:31,32; Revelation 1:7)

The End of the World King argues that 2 Peter 3 was fulfilled at destruction of Jerusalem, but not the Context: 1. Judgment mentioned in 3:9,10 is paralleled with judgment in days of Noah (3:3-7). Universal, not Local 2. King argues that the “world” under consideration is not the material world, but the “Jewish world.” Yet the “world” destroyed by the flood was the physical planet (3:6,7) 3. In verse 10 it is the physical creation being destroyed – not only works on it, but earth itself. This planet is destroyed (3:3-7) 4. New heavens and new earth not after destruction of Jerusalem, for world still filled with evil (2 Peter 3:13).

The End of the World Argue that Matthew 5:18 teaches the Law of Moses was removed in A.D. 70 Apostles taught that Law ended at the cross Colossians 2:14-16 “nailed it to the cross” Ephesians 2:15 “having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments” Hebrews 9:15-17 “where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.” Hebrews 10:9,10 “take away the first…establish second” IF “heaven and earth pass away” refers to destruction of Jerusalem, did Jesus’ words pass away when Jerusalem was destroyed? (Matthew 24:35)

The Resurrection Argue that 1 Corinthians 15 it is resurrection of those from the grave of Judaism. The resurrection under consideration in 1 Corinthians 15 is a bodily resurrection (15:12-18) Resurrection of this chapter happens when: Kingdom is delivered up (not set up) (15:24) – at the “end” (15:24) – When Jesus stops ruling, not when begins ruling (15:25) – When all God’s enemies have been defeated (15:25)- When death has completely been defeated (15:26,55) – after destruction Christians continued to be “mortal” (15:54)

The Resurrection Resurrection is “bodies” (15:35) bodies of “flesh” (15:39) Another major problem with interpreting this as being “the resurrection of the church is: When did the church die? The “body raised in the chapter was planted as “perishable,” “dishonorable,” “weak” and “natural” body (15:42-44) It was raised in the same body that was sown The church established on the day of Pentecost was not a perishable, dishonorable, weak and natural body!

Various Problems Baptism paralleled to resurrection of Christ (Romans 6:3-5) but seeing that the resurrection is supposedly past, does baptism have any validity? The Lord’s Supper to be observed until He comes (1Corinthians 11:26) but if He has come, what is the authority to continue to partake? Jesus said in the resurrection to “neither marry, nor are given in marriage” (Luke 20:35) IF the resurrection has already happened, Christians have no right to marry

Various Problems Jesus noted that after the resurrection, “neither can they die anymore” (Luke 20:35). IF this is not literal, then it is spiritual, and if that is the case, then the A.D. 70 advocates have Jesus teaching that no Christian can fall away after the destruction of Jerusalem Those who advocated this doctrine have joined Hymenaeus and Philetus in affirming that the resurrection is past already – 2 Timothy 2:16-19