Power Point Show Pt. 1 MP3 audio Pt. 1
Power Point Show Pt. 2 MP3 audio Pt. 2
Scripture Reading: Acts 1:9-11
The AD 70 Doctrine: Realized Eschatology is Realized Apostasy!
-Part 1-
Intro.
1. AD 70 Doctrine (Realized Eschatology; “Covenant Eschatology”, Transmillennialism™): Created and popularized by Max King.
a. “Unlike traditional dogma, Transmillennialism™ sees Christ’s millennial reign in its first-century context, from the Old to the New Covenant, bringing about the transformation of the ages. It sees the thrust of the Bible’s speaking about how heaven comes to earth, not primarily about how one gets to heaven.” (The Transmillennial® View, Timothy R. King, Jan 15, 2002; www.presence.tv/cms/transmillennial_view.shtml)
b. The 40 year period of AD 30-70 was transitional, which fulfilled the end time prophecies and ushered in the “eternal days.”
“We are now in that world ‘which is to come’ ....instead of being in last days we are in eternal days world without end (Eph. 3:21).” (The Spirit of Prophecy, Max King, 81; emp. King’s)
c. This doctrine teaches that "out of the decay of Judaism arose the spiritual body of Christianity" (King, 200).
d. It says that God’s scheme of redemption was not complete until AD 70.
e. The final coming of Christ and the promised resurrection occurred in AD 70.
2. This doctrine has far-reaching consequences upon the faith of Christians. If it is true, then…
a. All who hope in the actual, bodily, personal return of Jesus are deceived (1 Ths. 4:16).
b. We cannot expect our bodies to be raised to immortality when Jesus comes (1 Cor. 15:22-23, 51-54).
3. Those holding it have erred, and are guilty of overthrowing the faith of others, as were Hymenaeus and Philetus, who also said "the resurrection is past already" (2 Tim. 2:16-18).
4. There is no middle ground; the AD 70 doctrine is “Realized Apostasy”!
I. WHAT IS REALIZED ESCHATOLOGY?
A. Eschatology: A Study of Last Things.
1. “By ‘eschatology,’ or doctrine of last things, is meant the ideas entertained at any period on the future life, the end of the world (resurrection, judgment;…) and the eternal destinies of mankind” (ISBE, James Orr, II:972).
2. “Realized” signifies accomplishment; Realized Eschatology is a doctrine of completed last things.
B. The Doctrine: All End Time Prophecy Fulfilled in AD 70:
1. The end times were realized and accomplished in AD 70 at the destruction of Jerusalem.
2. “…the fall of Judaism (and its far reaching consequences) is, therefore, a major subject of the Bible.” (The Spirit of Prophecy, Max R. King, p. 239)
3. What happened in AD 70 according to Realized Eschatology:
a. The promised second coming of Christ.
b. The resurrection was then accomplished.
c. The judgment day occurred.
d. Every spiritual blessing perfected and made available to the world.
4. AD 70 says to look beyond AD 70 for the personal coming of Christ and the bodily resurrection of mankind followed by a judgment is without Biblical authority:
a. “There is no scriptural basis for extending the second coming of Christ beyond the fall of Judaism.” (King, 105)
b. “...the end of the Jewish world was the second coming of Christ.” (King, 81)
c. “Prophecy found its complete fulfillment in the second coming of Christ, and now may be regarded as closed and consummated.” (King, 65)
II. THE PERSONAL, BODILY RETURN OF JESUS DID NOT HAPPEN IN AD 70.
A. Jesus did come in some Senses in the First Century, but not Bodily and Visibly.
1. He came in His kingdom (Matt. 16:28) with power (Mk. 9:1) on the day of Pentecost (Acts 1:4-5, 8; 2:1-4, 33).
2. When the Holy Spirit was sent to His apostles: “I will come to you.” (Jno. 14:18; cf. 15:26)
3. In judgment against Jerusalem, Matt. 24:29-30.
a. He authorized it, and brought it to pass (cf. Isa. 19:1).
b. Similar language of judgment against Rome, Rev. 1:7 (19:11-21).
B. The Coming of the Lord (“Day of the Lord”).
-AD 70 arbitrarily assigns only one possible application to the “coming of the Lord” regardless of its contextual usage [Cf. “laid hands on”: Arrest (Acts 4:3); Heal (Lk. 13:13); Commend (Acts 13:3); Impart miraculous gifts (Acts 8:17; 19:6)].
1. Coming of the day of the Lord: A Day of Judgment (Zeph. 1:14-18).
a. Against Jerusalem in the OT, Joel 2:1-2, 10-11.
b. Against Babylon, Isa. 13:1, 6-11.
c. Against Jerusalem in the NT, Mal. 3:1-3; 4:5-6; Matt. 23:37-39; 24:3, 29-31.
d. The last Day of Judgment when this universe will be destroyed, 2 Pet. 3:4-13.
1) The world that then existed…that now exists, 3:5-7.
2) Reserved for fire: Day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men, 3:7.
3) The day of the Lord, 3:10-12.
4) New habitation of righteousness: Heaven, 3:13. “We live in the new heavens and new earth that has come.” (The Transmillennial® View, Timothy R. King, Jan 15, 2002)
* -AD 70 “spiritualizes” away this passage, denies it actual, literal future fulfillment, and says it was fulfilled in AD 70 when the “world” of Judaism was removed in favor of the “eternal days” that now exist.
2. Bodily and visible return of Jesus, Acts 1:9-11.
a. Were looking and a cloud received Him out of their sight, 1:9.
b. Looking into heaven, 1:10.
c. This same Jesus…will come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven, 1:11.
d. Jesus was not bodily and visibly seen in the coming of the kingdom (Matt. 16:28), in the sending of the Holy Spirit (Jno. 14:18) or in His judgment against Jerusalem (Matt. 24:29-30).
* e. Jesus will be bodily and visibly seen when he returns from heaven! 1 Ths. 4:16-17
3. Bodily resurrection when Jesus (bodily and visibly) returns, 1 Cor. 15.
a. AD 70 denies a future, bodily resurrection of the dead; this passage destroys the error.
b. They must change the meaning of resurrection in 1 Cor. 15 into the resurrection of Christianity out of Judaism:
“Thus, out of the decay of Judaism arose the spiritual body of Christianity (emp., jrp) that became fully developed or resurrected by the end-time. Hence, this is the primary meaning of Paul's statement (emp., jrp), ‘It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body and there is a spiritual body’” (The Spirit of Prophecy, King, 199-200).
c. REFUTATION:
1) Context: Bodily death, burial and resurrection of Christ, 15:3-4.
2) Resurrection appearances of Christ: Bodily resurrected Jesus seen by many, 15:5-8.
3) Bodily resurrection of Christ preached, 15:12.
4) No bodily resurrection of the dead refuted by Christ’s bodily resurrection, 15:13-20.
5) Bodily resurrection of Christ the beginning of the resurrection which will be completed when He bodily and visibly returns, 15:21-26.
6) If there is no bodily resurrection then conversion, devoted sacrifice and separation from the world is futile! 15:29-34
7) How the dead are raised: Bodily, 15:35-49.
8) Our future bodily resurrection is victory “through our Lord Jesus Christ”, 15:57.
9) Our faithful and steadfast labor is not in vain, 15:58.
d. AD 70 doctrine renders future hope in resurrection false and futile!
4. Jesus promised a bodily resurrection and judgment of the dead (not AD 70), Jno. 5:28-29.
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-PART 2- Power Point Show Pt. 2 MP3 audio Pt. 2
Scripture Reading: 1 Ths. 4:13-18
III. OVERLAPPING OF THE OLD AND NEW COVENANTS UNTIL AD 70.
“Christianity is a fulfillment of the prophecies, types and shadows of the law and not merely a ‘fill-in’ between Judaism and another age to come. Abraham had two sons, and there was no gap between them. They overlapped a little, but Isaac ‘came on’ when Ishmael ‘went out.’ The son born of the spirit was given the place and inheritance of the son born of the flesh. Hence, this simple allegory (Gal. 4:21-31) establishes the ‘Spirit of Prophecy,’ confirming prophecy’s fulfillment in the spiritual seed of Abraham through Christ (Gal. 3:16, 26-29), and beyond the fall of Jerusalem these prophecies cannot be extended.” (The Spirit of Prophecy, 239, his emp.)
A. If there was an Overlapping of the Covenants, then…
1. Spiritual adultery occurred from AD 30-70 with God’s approval, Rom. 7:1-6.
2. The cross is not the focal point in the removal of the old covenant, Col. 2:13-15.
a. At the cross the old covenant was wiped out, taken out of the way and nailed to the cross (2:14).
b. Triumph over sin occurred at the cross, not AD 70!
3. The old covenant was not done away in Christ before AD 70 as Paul said, 2 Cor. 3:14.
4. Two priesthoods were in force at the same time (AD 30-70), Heb. 7:11-14.
5. Peace was not made between Jews and Gentiles by the cross, and not until AD 70, Eph. 2:13-18. (“Now”, 2:13)
6. No freedom in Christ from the law until AD 70, but Gal. 5:1 (4:21-31).
IV. OTHER CONSEQUENCES OF AD 70 ERROR.
A. AD 70 Doctrine: God’s Scheme of Redemption was not Accomplished until AD 70.
1. Says the following things were not accomplished until AD 70:
a. Second coming of Christ (as per 1 Cor. 15:23).
b. Resurrection of the dead (as per 1 Cor. 15).
c. Judgment day of the Lord (as per 2 Pet. 3:10; et al.).
d. Establishment of the new covenant.
e. Completeness in Christ (adulthood, adoption, redemption).
f. Kingdom fully established.
g. Reception of the eternal inheritance.
2. “…whenever faulty interpretation creates a time period that doesn't exist in the Bible, more error will follow by attributing to that period something that cannot belong to it.” (King, 81)
B. If God's Scheme of Redemption was not Complete until AD 70, then Grave Consequences Necessarily Follow.
1. Error concerning Redemption:
a. Complete forgiveness of sins not obtained before AD 70. Acts 2:38-41; 22:16; Rom. 6:17-18
-“When would ungodliness be turned away from Jacob, or their sins be taken away? When Christ, the deliverer, came OUT OF SION. When did Christ come out of Zion? Not at his first coming, but his second coming" (The Spirit of Prophecy, 63; emp., King’s).
b. Not mature or made full in Christ until AD 70. cf. Col. 2:10 (1:27-28)
2. Errors concerning the Word of God:
a. None of the New Testament has relevant application to people who live after AD 70!
b. God does not speak to us now in the Son, Heb. 1:2 (2 Tim. 3:16-17).
3. Error concerning the Kingdom:
a. Kingdom was not fully established until AD 70. Heb. 12:28
b. Yet, no part of the kingdom was missing before AD 70:
1) King (Lk. 1:32-33; Jno. 18:37; 1 Tim. 6:15).
2) Its territory (Mk. 16:15; Lk. 17:20-21).
3) Its subjects (Acts 10:34-35).
4) Its law (Jas. 1:25).
4. Error concerning Resurrection:
a. No marriage and no death after AD 70? Lk. 20:34-36
b. “We are now in that world ‘which is to come’ ....instead of being in last days we are in eternal days world without end (Eph. 3:21).” (Ibid., 81; emp. King’s)
5. Error concerning Worship:
a. Should the Lord’s Supper be eaten? 1 Cor. 11:26 (No longer proclaim his death? Or, no longer eat the supper?)
b. Must stop all songs and prayers referring to the return of Jesus; those who don’t are offering false worship.
6. Error concerning Heaven and Hell:
a. Heaven is now; on earth. If this is true, then explain 1 Pet. 1:3-5; Rev. 20:11.
b. Hell is no longer real. If heaven is figurative of one’s present existence on earth with God, then what about hell? (Mk. 9:47-48)
V. COMFORTING CHRISTIANS CONCERNING CHRIST’S COMING, 1 Ths. 4:13-18.
A. His Future Return is our Sure Hope, 4:13.
B. Bodily Resurrection yet to Come, 4:14.
C. Every Christian will Fully Participate in the Events of Christ’s Return, 4:15.
D. The Lord Himself will Descend from Heaven and the Dead Saints Raised, 4:16.
E. Living Christians will be Caught up with them in the Clouds to Meet the Lord, 4:17.
F. In this Manner, Christians will always be with the Lord, 4:17.
G. A Comforting Truth, not a Cunning Deception, 4:18 (2 Pet. 3:13).
Conclusion
1. We have a living hope of a future, bodily, visible return of Jesus Christ, 1 Pet. 1:3-5; cf. 1 Cor. 15:19-20.
2. We will all stand before the Lord’s judgment seat, 2 Cor. 5:10.
3. Realized Eschatology is Realized Apostasy that causes souls to be lost.