Wow. It has been a month since my last blog post. Unfortunately, it's been about two months since I really had it in me to put major effort into my articles. For some reason, my brain works insanely hard for many months, then all of a sudden I crash and burn for an undetermined amount of time. Nevertheless, I am starting to feel a bit more refreshed, so I think it is time to continue this Preterism vs. Futurism series.
In this article, I am going to be sharing my thoughts on this idea of the coming lunar tetrad as a sign of the imminent return of Christ. A Futurist friend of mine shared this video with me on Facebook: Lunar Tetrad. I provided a response to him that covered every major point in the video, and I wound up finding my response detailed enough to perhaps benefit someone looking to understand Preterism. So, I decided I'd share it on my blog.
Before I share my response it might be beneficial to define just what a lunar tetrad is. It is a rare event, in fact, and seems to have only occurred seven times since Christ's first advent (at least as I understand it and as claimed in the video). A lunar tetrad is four consecutive lunar eclipses that are all total eclipses. Space.com defines a total lunar eclipse as follows:
"Earth’s full (umbral) shadow falls on the moon. The moon won’t completely disappear, but it will be cast in an eerie darkness that makes it easy to miss if you were not looking for the eclipse. Some sunlight passing through Earth’s atmosphere is scattered and refracted, or bent, and refocused on the moon, giving it a dim glow even during totality. If you were standing on the moon, looking back at the sun, you’d see the black disk of Earth blocking the entire sun, but you’d also see a ring of reflected light glowing around the edges of Earth — that’s the light that falls on the moon during a total lunar eclipse." (http://www.space.com/15689-lunar-eclipses.html)
This tetrad in 2014-2015 falls on Jewish feast days, or "appointed times." The video seeks to connect the tetrads of 1949-1950 and 1967-1968 to major events in Israel, thus laying the foundation for the relevance in the coming years. Below is my critique (it would be beneficial to watch the video first to keep up):
The video lists these four appointed times as fulfilled:
1) Passover (the cross)
2) Unleavened Bread (removing spiritual adultery from the temple)
3) First Fruits (Christ's resurrection)
4) Pentecost (outpouring of the Spirit)
I concur.
The video then mentions Revelation 12:1-2 as the sign of Christ's birth. I also agree with this, and I do not maintain a December 25th date for his birth.
I do not agree with these last four being unfulfilled, however:
1) Feast of Trumpets (rapture, per Dispensational thought)
2) Day of Atonement (parousia; i.e., "second coming")
3) Feast of Tabernacles (dwelling together)
4) The Last Great Day (1000-year reign of Christ)
One frame reads, "The Bible warns in the 'Last Days' many in the Church will be caught unaware regarding the return of our Saviour."
Did you know Christ's first advent was for the last days?:
1 In many parts, and many ways, God of old having spoken to the fathers in the prophets, 2 in these last days did speak to us in a Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He did make the ages; (Hebrews 1:1-2)
In fact, the video makes the claim that the Feast of Pentecost was fulfilled via the outpouring of the Spirit. Joel prophesied of this event (Joel 2:28-32). Peter, immediately after the outpouring, quotes Joel's prophecy verbatim, affirming that it was for the last days:
16 `But this is that which hath been spoken through the prophet Joel: 17 And it shall be in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; 18 and also upon My men-servants, and upon My maid-servants, in those days, I will pour out of My Spirit, and they shall prophesy; 19 and I will give wonders in the heaven above, and signs upon the earth beneath -- blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke, 20 the sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the coming of the day of the Lord -- the great and illustrious; 21 and it shall be, every one -- whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, he shall be saved. (Acts 2:16-21)
The video claims that the lunar tetrad of 1949-1950 is connected to Israel's independence in 1948. As Israel's independence has nothing to do with Bible prophecy, I would have to disagree. Contrary to popular belief, this text has not one thing to do with Israel's national re-establishment:
32 `And from the fig-tree learn ye the simile: When already its branch may have become tender, and the leaves it may put forth, ye know that summer [is] nigh, 33 so also ye, when ye may see all these, ye know that it is nigh -- at the doors. 34 Verily I say to you, this generation may not pass away till all these may come to pass. (Matthew 24:32-34)
Not only does Jesus say this within the context of fulfillment within his own generation's lifetime, but a cross-examination of Luke's account will note a distinct difference that disrupts this theory of prophetic relevance in the fig tree simile/parable:
29 And he spake a simile to them: `See the fig-tree, and ALL THE TREES, 30 when they may now cast forth, having seen, of yourselves ye know that now is the summer nigh; 31 so also ye, when ye may see these things happening, ye know that near is the reign of God; 32 verily I say to you -- This generation may not pass away till all may have come to pass; (Luke 21:29-32)
I capitalized "ALL THE TREES" because Christ is not referring to the fig tree in any special way. What he is saying is that just as trees give signs of summer's imminence, so too will there be signs revealing the imminence of the parousia. The signs that he gave throughout the discourse were just that.
The video then gives Amos 9:13-15 as proof. However, I find it far more accurate to understand this in terms of the conditions of the new covenant. Note that the land promise to Abraham was fulfilled in such a manner as the "heavenly city," the "new Jerusalem":
13 In faith died all these, not having received the promises, but from afar having seen them, and having been persuaded, and having saluted [them], and having confessed that strangers and sojourners they are upon the earth, 14 for those saying such things make manifest that they seek a country; 15 and if, indeed, they had been mindful of that from which they came forth, they might have had an opportunity to return, 16 but now they long for a better, that is, an heavenly, wherefore God is not ashamed of them, to be called their God, for He did prepare for them a city. (Hebrews 11:13-16)
This, and Amos 9, coincide with Isaiah 65, in which we read of the new heaven and new earth, which I would say is not a new planet, but instead the phrasing the Hebrews understood as God's covenant. Compare Genesis 1:1 to Genesis 2:4. Note, too, that Moses, speaking to the Israelites, called THEM heaven and earth (Deuteronomy 32:1). God, likewise does this (Isaiah 1:1-2). Truth be known, to the ancient Hebrews, this was the way to refer to something in a covenant context. This is something our Western minds neglect, or are not aware of. Of course, heaven and earth do not always have covenant relevance. That'd be silly to suggest.
But in the sense of prophecy, it is often the case. Revelation 21 supports this:
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth did pass away, and the sea is not any more; (Revelation 21:1)
If this refers to a literal new planet, this new planet will not have any seas. That's ridiculous. This is because "sea" has a different context. This is covenantal (note there being a new "heaven and earth" as in Isaiah 65). The reason for no more sea is because the sea is representative of Gentiles. The temple itself actually represented as much. The "molten sea," as it was called, was where the priests would wash before entering the temple. This "molten sea" was where the Gentile proselytes would worship. Note that the angel tells John the waters which the woman sat on were "many peoples, nations, and tongues" (Revelation 17:15). Also, notice that the four beasts in Daniel 7 come from the sea. This is because they are Gentile kingdoms. Same with the beast in Revelation 13. Thus, if there is no more sea in this new heaven and earth, the Jew/Gentile distinction must be done away with; God has ONE covenantal people made up of all peoples:
12 for there is no difference between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord of all [is] rich to all those calling upon Him, (Romans 10:12)
28 there is not here Jew or Greek, there is not here servant nor freeman, there is not here male and female, for all ye are one in Christ Jesus; (Galatians 3:28)
Now, as for how this all pertains to Amos 9, note the description of new Jerusalem. We are given its interpretation, and it's NOT a literal city:
2 and I, John, saw the holy city -- new Jerusalem -- coming down from God out of the heaven, made ready as a BRIDE adorned for her husband; (Revelation 21:2)
9 And there came unto me one of the seven messengers, who have the seven vials that are full of the seven last plagues, and he spake with me, saying, `Come, I will shew thee the BRIDE OF THE LAMB-- THE WIFE,' 10 and he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and did shew to me the great CITY, the holy Jerusalem, coming down out of the heaven from God, (Revelation 21:9-10)
As we can see, the imagery in the prophecy is a city, but the city represents something, and we are told that this is his bride. Interpreting scripture with scripture, we know that this is referring to the body of Christ, his believers (Ephesians 5:25-27; John 3:29; 2 Corinthians 11:2; Colossians 1:18-24). THIS is the city Abraham awaited, and is the fulfillment of Amos 9, which this video attributes to 1948. That is incorrect, however.
But if Revelation 21 is the establishment of the new covenant, then wouldn't it be at the cross? No. Hebrews 8:13 informs us that the old covenant was still in need of fulfillment. This was written in the 60s C.E. Christ, himself, said that the law could not pass until ALL was fulfilled, at which time "heaven and earth" would pass (Matthew 5:17-18). If the law passed at the cross, so too did heaven and earth. This would find fulfillment in 70 C.E. at the destruction of Jerusalem when all the law was finally fulfilled (cf. Luke 21:20-22), thus fulfilling Isaiah 65 and Revelation 21, for now the new covenant was fully established, ushering in a new heaven and new earth.
I'm sure this sounds heretical. I would be willing to elaborate further.
Moving on...
1967 is the next target for the lunar tetrad. Given the above information, I'm sure you will be able to see why I do not find Biblical relevance for this, either. National Israel has nothing to do with God's covenant. The promises to Abraham were fulfilled through Christ, and we find that only those in Christ are of Abraham (Galatians 3). His bride is his covenant people, not national Israel.
The video uses Luke 21:24 as proof of 1967's relevance to the end times. However, as I've already pointed out, this has first century relevance. I can provide articles on this, if you'd like. I've written a number of them.
You may have noticed that the video contradicts itself. When referring to the coming tetrad in 2014-2015, the video suggests the fulfillment of Matthew 24:31-32. Yet, notice that this video used Matthew 24:32 for Israel's independence in 1948. Hmm... Then, to make it worse, the video neglects audience relevance COMPLETELY. This is one of, if not THE most important hermeneutics to follow. Christ was speaking to his own generation. The video uses Matthew 24:34 to try and say that those who see these things will be that "last generation." That is not what Christ was saying.
The video mentions a generation as being 70 years. If this started in 1948, pre-trib rapture believers missed the rapture two years ago. If the tribulation is seven years long, which I beg to differ, then it should have already started. The video's claim is that 2018 should be the year to watch for as it pertains to the coming of Christ, but according to popular Dispensational theology, many things that should have happened by 2011/2012 did not happen. This should have caused a paradigm shift for millions.
So, there you have it. While intriguing, and certainly entertaining, I do not find the coming lunar tetrad Biblically relevant. This begs the question of whether we, as Preterists, find ourselves infallible to the point in which we shouldn't pay attention to such things? Are we so certain that we are correct that we do not stay on our toes when interesting analyses like this lunar tetrad theory appear? Most would say yes. I would, too, honestly. But while I do not believe this theory is relevant, you can be certain I will continue to follow it during the next couple years, for it will be at that time a new attempt at date setting is made.
Maybe they'll give up someday. Maybe.
Blessings to all,
Jason Watt
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