Nine Things Which Must Happen Before Christ Returns

mandym · Oct 3, 2011

In reply to their three questions, Jesus told His disciples nine things which must happen before the end comes.

Prerequisite #1: False Christs Will Deceive Many

4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

Preterists quote historical records of many false prophets as evidence that this prerequisite was fulfilled prior to 70 AD. It is true that many false prophets arose before 70 AD. However, surviving early historical documents record no more than a few who claimed to be the Christ, notably Simon Magus. Since 70 AD, many false Christs have indeed arisen, especially in the last two centuries. If the current trend continues, in the future there will be even more.

Prerequisite #2: Wars and Rumors of Wars

6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
7a For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:

The casualties of war prior to 70 AD are paltry compared to the wars of this century. In WW II alone, 30 million people died!

Prerequisite #3: Famines, Pestilences, and Earthquakes

7b and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

Again, the deaths due to pestilences and famines prior to 70 AD cannot compare with those that have occurred in this century. 10 million peasants starved to death under Stalin. We are all aware of the tremendous devastation that has occurred in this century due to earthquakes, due to the modern trend of building multi-storey apartments and offices. Just recently, for instance, thousands died in Turkey alone due to a horrible earthquake.

Prerequisite #4: Worldwide Persecution

9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.

Notice here that Jesus said we will be hated of ALL nations for His name’s sake. This did not happen prior to 70 AD, because there were geographic regions of the world that the gospel had not yet reached. However, these words of Jesus are nearing fulfillment. To quote the 1997 report of the Cardinal Mindszenty Foundation, "More Christians have been martyred for their faith in this century alone than in the previous nineteen centuries combined. More than followers of any other faith, Christians around the world are suffering brutal persecution."

According to an article in the December 23, 1998 issue of the Ottawa Citizen entitled "Persecution's Top-10 list, "Today Christians are routinely persecuted in about 40 countries around the world."

Prerequisite #6:WidespreadBetrayal

10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.

Betrayal always occurs when there is persecution. History does not record the persecution of Christians on the scale that it is occurring today.

Prerequisite #7: False Prophets Will Deceive Many

11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

Think of the multitudes that have been deceived by false religions since 70 AD! According to Adherants.com, an online service providing religious statistics, Sunni Islam claims 875 million adherants; the Jehovah’s Witnesses claim 12 million; the Mormons, 10,600,000; the Bahais 6,600,000; and the church of Scientology, 1 million.

Prerequisite #8: Widespread Iniquity and Lack of Love

12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

Full preterists quote a few Bible verses, such as Paul saying that no one stood with him in his trial, as evidence that the love of many grew cold before 70 AD. They also mention the terrible persecution of Nero. However, spurred on by the example of martyrs such as Paul, Christianity grew and blossomed until it eventually became the official religion of the Roman empire. Prior to 70 AD, we do not see the great apostasy which Thessalonians chapter 2 tells us must occur before Jesus returns. Instead, we see Christianity rapidly expanding.

13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

Prerequisite #9: The gospel must be preached to all nations.

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.

In Robertson’s Word Pictures, we read that this means the gospel must first be “Heralded in all the inhabited world.”
Click to expand...

http://www.thingstocome.org/Critique.html

convicted1 · Oct 4, 2011

mandym said: ↑

http://www.thingstocome.org/Critique.html
Click to expand...

I guess I would be labelled a partial Preterist, but all that you mentioned, have already been taking place, and even before AD 70. So,I don't think this has helped you out. I do believe that Jesus is coming again, but this didn't really refute anything that the full-Preterists believe.

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Nine Things Which Must Happen Before Christ Returns

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