AUTHOR'S VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE
Author's Brief Testimony
AUTHOR'S
VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE
Author's
Brief Testimony
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I recently reviewed a book by a South Dakota writer Lloyd Dale. I took some time to examine the arguments leading to the conclusions of the work. While the work was based upon Scripture, I found his conclusions difficult to defend in the light of the weight of other scripture and the state of world affairs. In
his work, Dale assails the vast body of teachings held by most
fundamentalist ministries and believers who hold to a coming
"end time scenario as detailed
in the Bible in Revelation" and a
future
millennial reign of Christ. Dale is an a-milleniallist. He also upholds the doctrine of "replacement theology." Replacement theology holds that the "Christian church" has replaced Israel. It did not take long in my reading to realize how those who promote the preterist doctrine, scholarly men, can invest countless hours in study, only to arrive at an outrageous interpretation of Scripture. Altough they haved combed, ground out and exegeted from Scripture, I believe they miss what I see as the clear spiritual message dealing with "a Kingdom of God" on earth as a yet unmanifested time in which true millennial attributes will be in evidence throughout the world. Preterists believing the Kingdom of God is already in operation must ascribe to natural economic, political and social processes to deliver the peace and justice to the world through religion. How is this possible? Will natural and fallen man whose hearts are governed by self-centered lusts be capable of bringing this to pass? The preterist's presumption is that a glorious and wisely governed 'Ecclessia' will transform the nations in righteousness. This is not a scriptural viewpoint. Paul in 1Tim.4 and in 2nd Timothy 3 tells us the in the end times evil will increase and perilous times will dominate the world scene. The human race at this time will be lured away following deceiving spirits and twisted religious doctrine. The future millenial kingdom yet awaits when the rule of righteousness will govern the nations with its divine King, Yeshua, King of the Jews and Messiah, literally ruling upon the throne in Jerusalem. Remember that Jesus at his earthly trial before Pilate, stated clearly that - - "NOW my kingdom is NOT OF THIS WORLD." Preterists would argue the contrary. They hold that after 70 A.D. the Kingdom of God was established in this world and has been in force thereafter. Dale, supports "preterist" teachings that argue the Kingdom age began about 70 A.D. with the judgment and destruction of the nation of Israel and the Jewish temple by the Roman emperor Titus. For the preterist, It was at that time God's judgment was meted upon an unrighteous and apostate Jewish priesthood thus wresting traditional religious practice and their Kingdom inheritancefrom Israel and the Jews. The preterist view is is the non dispensational interpretation. There is no promised future coming of the Lord. Likewise, there is no scriptural evidence to validate any teaching of a rapture of the church. Those
who teach a Rapture doctrine are denounced. Lloyd Dale references the period of the apostolic writers to be "the perilous (evil) times" Paul described to Timothy (noted above) as interpreted by Preterists to be that time of persecution in the early church age that occurred during the Roman empire. This interpretation is thought to be the culmination of Daniel's 70th week prophecy. According to the dispensational reading of the Bible, the church age is a parenthetical time period in which the 70th week has been interrupted from its fulfillment until the end of the church age, an unspecified duration of time. The time of the Gentiles will have been concluded and the 70th week of Daniel (Daniel chap.9) then resumes after the signing of the peace treaty of the antichrist world ruler with Israel. The Biblical time line reverts back to the nation of Israel and the future restoration and redemption of the Jewish nation. I am compelled to ask the question, how should this Millennial Kingdom look? Is divine peace and justice in evidence throughout the world? Does nature itself reflect edenic serenity? Or are we still ravaged by both evil men and nature? Throughout Dale's writings, he maintains that the phrase ‘end times' has just one application, the end of temple religion and the judgment against Israel as a nation. The question preterists must address is how can the argument be made that we in the church age have entered into any kind of enlightened, overcoming influence on Planet Earth? Yes, we are indeed promised a token, a downpayment, of kingdom authority and status as adopted sons of the Most High. Christians know that we bear witness to the "Kingdom of Heaven" within, with righteousness, peace, joy in the Holy Spirit. But can we say that the perfect has come? It would be impossible to deny that the expression of evil has grown worse and worse in the world. If we are objective we can see the institutional church remains mostly adrift in darkness. Institutional churches strain to exercise there own authority and status quo. I can only conclude that preterists are stretching Bible interpretation more for the sake of intellectual argument than in measuring the evidence of the world we are facing at the start of the 21st Century. The Apostle Paul has noted that man through natural (soulish) wisdom and scholarship can not know God. preterists uphold a belligerently held theology; no Israel, no rapture, and evidently, no future physical second coming and rule of Jesus the Messiah upon the throne of David. I
remain convinced of the soon-return for the
bride as taught in the allegory of the Jewish
Bride by Zola Levitt and other spirit-filled
believers; |
