The
Preterist movement as a whole is not very big, and the number of Full
Preterists are fewer than our Partial Preterist counterparts.
Nevertheless, this has not stopped Full Preterists from taking the
initiative to spread our message around the globe, and now, for the
first time, a Filipino Full Preterist author, Tim Liwanag, has added
what may arguably be one of the most beneficial tools the Preterist
movement has had in decades: Fulfilled Eschatology.
The
book begins by asking the questions we have all pondered: When is the
end of the world? Can we know when Jesus Christ will return? Which
prophecies still need to be fulfilled before said return? We have all
no doubt asked ourselves such questions. For most of us, we begin our
spiritual journey as Futurists, believing in the future destruction
and re-creation of our planet at the coming of the Lord, in which
we'll spend a thousand years of bliss on Earth, before returning to
Heaven with the Lord. And it truly sounds wonderful, doesn't it?
Despite the hopefulness this may provide, have you ever challenged
these ideas and tested them with the scriptures?
You
might think, “Of course such beliefs are scriptural! They have been
taught in the church for years!”
And sure, they have
been taught for years. This, of course, does not make something true,
and as Tim Liwanag addresses, such beliefs are nothing close to
scriptural, providing hundreds of scripture citations to prove his
points. His exegetical work demolishes Futurist presuppositions,
providing assurance of a fulfilled life through our savior, Lord
Jesus Christ, and his atoning work on the cross and fulfillment of
promises.
One of the strongest statements the author makes is at the beginning
of chapter one:
“Christian Futurists are discarding biblical prophecy in favor of a
'doom and gloom' stance. Others are willing to disregard the 'analogy
of faith' [Scripture interprets Scripture] method in order to not
frustrate the 'Second Coming' expectation among all professing
Christians. In other words, vain imaginations or sheer speculations
have overrun biblical prophecies that were already fulfilled. True
exegesis seems to be waning even among the most conservative church
members” (p.13)
In
the Church, Christians concern themselves with orthodoxy and church
membership, rather than an accurate understanding of scripture. The
appeal to church fathers and creeds,
rather than the words of the prophets, apostles, and Christ himself,
is overwhelming. Such time indicators, as “soon,” “at hand,”
and “near,” are discarded in favor of eisegesis and lies, all to
maintain church membership, credibility, and to avoid the dreaded
heretic label.
Fulfilled
Eschatology does not shy away
from the truth in spite of this. The author does a profound job
teaching the reader about the use of prophetic language, how to
interpret it, and how to apply it. His emphasis on proper
hermeneutics in chapter one provides a strong, sound foundation for
readers, so that they can further equip themselves for not only what
is to come in the the book, but their own biblical studies, as well.
The
emphasis on Christ in the second chapter helps direct the reader to
the understanding that all scripture is Christ-centered. The Bible is
not merely a compilation of historical facts, parables, and
prophecies; everything is tied together as part of a single plan—a
revelation, if you will—and Christ is at the center of it all. From
the promise of salvation in the garden to his parousia
at the end of the age, without Christ as the focal point of all
prophecy, one cannot properly interpret said prophecies. And, as the
author points out, we must acknowledge Israel's role in it all, for
“[w]e are not the original audience of the prophets who spoke in
God's name and by his authority (Exodus 7:1). We are not born of
Jewish blood, the ethnic and physical Israel, or physical descendants
of Abraham; therefore, we have to make sure that we understand the
written Word and not misinterpret the promises and prophecies that
were originally addressed to God's chosen people in the Old Covenant
period (Deuteronomy 7:6-8)” (p.21).
The importance of audience relevance is discarded by many Futurists.
It is generally ignored by pastors, scholars, and casual believers
alike, trading solid hermeneutics for personal application. But in
doing so, one cannot interpret prophecy correctly, as every prophecy
had an intended audience, whether near or far from the time the
prophecy was given, and to reject this fact in favor of personal
application leads to misinterpretation, even private interpretation
(cf. 2 Peter 1:20-21). This, however, is not to say there is no
scripture applicable to us today, rather that we must bear in mind
the original intended audience and interpret scripture in light of
that audience. Chapter two does a fine job of providing the proper
means of understanding these things.
Chapter three is an especially powerful chapter. Picking up from the
chapter two's message of Christ-centered interpretation, Liwanag
provides important emphasis on “purpose-fulfillment, which he
defines as “the fulfillment of God's redemptive purpose” (p.25).
The way the author explains this on pages 25 and 26 is done very
cleverly in his explanation of Israel's Babylonian captivity and the
eventual release by Cyrus.
But,
as Liwanag further notes, God's redemptive purposes were not
fulfilled solely through what we read of historical Israel, but also
through the promise of the Lord's coming, reign, and kingdom (p.26).
The call for repentance was to all nations (cf. Matthew 28:19-20),
and God would provide a solution to a problem that had begun
thousands of years prior in the garden of Eden. We find the
fulfillment of this solution through the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ and the full establishment of his kingdom and covenant with
all who come to him, near and far.
Chapters
three and four provide much more for the reader to take in, and I
encourage every reader to spend much time in these chapters, as the
details the author provides are critical for every believer to
understand. Part 1 of Fulfilled Eschatology
concludes with the fourth chapter.
In
part two of the book, I find my first point of major disagreement in
the author's understanding of the terms of the new covenant, as
explained in part two's introduction. Fortunately, this does not do
much harm to the overall points being made, though I find the section
on immersion one of the weakest points in the book as a whole.
Though, for those who agree with his understanding of the terms of
the new covenant this will be no problem at all. The reader simply
makes up their own mind as to whether the author is correct, and
should not feel discouraged to continue should they not agree with
this point.
Where
chapter one lacks, chapters two and three shine. I found the section
titled, “The Indwelling God in the Days of Christ's Glory”
(p.63), especially enlightening, as the topic of the Holy Spirit's
indwelling is a subject of dispute among Futurists and Preterists
alike. The topic of Spirit baptism was also handled very well, though
I believe it lends further confusion as to the author's understanding
of new covenant terms. Nevertheless, I do not find disagreement here,
only with the implications it carries in contrast to chapter one.
Furthermore,
chapter four's discussion of the remnant and the chosen generation is
a huge hammer to popular Futurist views regarding God's chosen, and
chapter five's discussion of the new creature
is especially powerful. Both chapters provide the kind of
foundational knowledge necessary for proper understanding regarding
the fulfillment of God's promises in the establishment of the new
creation, from timing of fulfillment to the specifics of the
resurrection. Very powerful chapters, indeed.
While
parts one and two are used to create a stable biblical foundation
(and successfully do so), part three, “Fulfilled Prophecies,”
gets into the meat of the book. Initially, I had reviewed this
section in detail, but given its nature (interpretation of prophetic
texts) I have shortened my remarks, as it requires too much space to
provide commentary on every major point.
Chapters
one and two effectively engage Futurist views regarding the signs of
the times and the timing of the last days. Futurism and Preterism are
such separate views because of these issues. While Futurism seeks the
signs of the times per what I call newspaper exegesis
(using current events to interpret prophecy), Preterists know to let
scripture interpret itself. And thus, as the author makes us aware,
when Jesus was giving his listeners the signs of the impending end of
the age (their age, not ours),
we must understand that the end of the age was coming to a close
soon, not two thousand
years later.
Chapter three provides one of the most sound arguments for the
identification of the two witnesses I have read in years. Whether one
agrees with the author's conclusions is simply up to the reader,
though I encourage those who disagree to challenge every point of the
author's exegesis before discarding it. Chapter four's discussion of
the harlot city, Jerusalem, is equally powerful, though I expected
this chapter to be much longer. Identifying Mystery Babylon is key to
interpreting the book of Revelation, and it felt as though proper
emphasis was not given to this subject. Nevertheless, the author
manages to nail very huge points in his limited space, points which
cannot be refuted by any school of eschatological thought.
And just as chapter four deals a huge blow to the Futurist
interpretations of Mystery Babylon, chapters five and six give the
reader another paradigm shift, this time addressing the topic of the
antichrist and the man of sin. Those familiar with the
Left Behind-esque interpretations of modern Dispensationalism
should be no stranger to the misconception of a single world ruler in
the future—Satan incarnate. Liwanag does away with this belief
quickly and efficiently, leaving little room for doubt as the author
points fingers at the Herods. And if that wasn't a shock to Futurist
interpretations, identifying the restrainer as the Caesars may
seem even more mind-blowing. But with every interpretation the author
gives, he provides the scriptural and historical sources to support
them.
Chapters seven through eleven deal heavily with the book of
Revelation's imagery of beasts and dragons. Among Futurist camps, the
interpretations are removed from the time of the Roman empire (cf.
Daniel 2 and 7), despite such interpretations actually identifying
the fourth beast as the Roman empire (i.e., while identifying this
beast appropriately as the Roman empire, they unfaithfully insert
gaps and re-write history to appease their interpretation of a future
Roman kingdom via the one world government). Liwanag puts a stop
to this, observing the line of Caesars and Herods as a whole and
identifies their roles during the last days leading up to the
tribulation (addressed in chapter eleven).
The rest of part three covers virtually every remaining major point
of the book of Revelation, and then some!. At this point, the author
has put the nail in the coffin, so to speak, regarding the timing of
Revelation's fulfillment and the completion of the last days.
When the reader completes the book, there is no doubt about the first
century fulfillment of the last days.
It is important to understand that we live in the new heaven and the
new earth, as citizens of the new Jerusalem—the bride, the Church!
The Church has been wedded to Christ, the old covenant is obsolete,
and Christ thrives in all who come into his covenant with him; the
covenant Jesus Christ shed his blood for so that we may live!
Become the new creature today! Bask in the Lord's glory and the
fulfillment of his promises!
With blessings,
Jason Watt
P.S. Please send a message to Tim Liwanag via his Facebook page for your chance to receive a FREE electronic copy of this incredible book! (https://www.facebook.com/tim.liwanag?fref=ts)
