As I continue a study of the question of anti-Semitism and preterism, I come now to another biblical reply to this scurrilous charge. I will consider some direct quotes from the OT and Revelation themselves. Revelation has John speaking strong words against apostate Judaism. He clearly writes of synagogues as a “synagogue of Satan” (Rev [...]
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Dispensationalism charges preterism with anti-Semitism. This is because preterists believe that two series of events from the first century are foundational to NT prophecy and the future development of human history. The first set of events involve the birth, life, work, death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ. The second includes the destruction of Jerusalem, the [...]
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In Malachi 4:5 we have the last word God speaks to Israel before Christ’s incarnation. Malachi presents an eschatologically significant matter that dispensationalists and other evangelicals have debated for years. That brief reference reads: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord” (Mal [...]
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A distinctive feature of dispensationalism is that the millennial kingdom is fundamentally Jewish in character, even to the point of rebuilding the temple, setting up David’s tabernacle, re-instituting the Jewish sacrificial system, and exalting the Jews over elect Gentiles. As a result, the millennium reduces Gentile Christianity to the lowest social level. Note the following [...]
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We must recall that Jesus called first century Israel under its unbelieving authorities an “adulterous generation” (Mt 12:39//; 16:4//). That charge harkens back to OT Israel’s unfaithfulness through idolatry. Thus, the first century temple system about which John is writing, is controlled by a corrupt, Messiah-denying high priesthood and has now become an idol linked [...]
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I have been surveying the biblical evidence for the corruption of the Jewish temple and system of worship for several blogs. In this one I will being to show how it can appear as an idol in the Book of Revelation. The Temple system has become for Israel an idol substituting for a right relationship [...]
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In this blog I am continuing my analysis of the corruption of Jewish worship which was a large issue leading up to the destruction of the temple in AD 70. We see Christ standing against the Temple and its rulers in the Gospel record. On several occasions before Christ’s coming, the temple undergoes cleansings because [...]
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The Book of Revelation focuses on the great redemptive-historical change legally-established by Christ and historically-effected in the destruction of the temple in AD 70. Revelation casts apostate first-century Israel in a negative light. Israel is a “synagogue of Satan” (Rev 2:9; 3:9). Israel’s capital is a “Sodom and Egypt” (Rev 11:8). These are the obvious [...]
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Twenty-five years ago Tommy Ice and I engaged in debates over eschatology. Tommy is a dispensational premillennialist. I’m not. One would think that in 25 years of debates (nine in all) and numerous books and articles by me and other non-dispensationalists that Tommy would get what I believe about eschatology right. A friend sent me [...]
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by Gregg Strawbridge In the 2005 national ETS and SBL meetings there were several seminars devoted to “replacement theology” and specifically on the place of Israel and the politics of “land.” In both cases I personally engaged several of the respondents, such as Timothy Weber1, Walter Kaiser, Bruce Longenecker, Claudia Setzer, and a few others [...]
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KINGDOM LEAVENThe Parable of the Leaven reads: "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid i...
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