(KJV) Revelation 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and EVERY EYE SHALL SEE HIM, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
Those who are still looking for Christ's Return or Futurists like to use Revelation 1:7 as a prooftext to prove that Christ has not returned yet since there are no writings about anyone seeing the 2nd Coming of Christ.
Just how literal should we take the phrase "EVERY EYE SHALL SEE HIM"? Animals have eyes so should we include them? A fly has five eyes: two large compound eyes and three smaller simple eyes on top of its head. The compound eyes are made up of thousands of individual lenses, allowing flies to have a wide field of vision. So will all the lenses of all the eyes of all the flies in the world see Jesus when he returns? I know that it sounds silly but the world is full of silly people and sometimes you have to be silly in order to get your point across.
The words "EVERY" and "ALL" are often translated from the same Greek word "PAS". Therefore, the phrase "EVERY EYE SHALL SEE HIM" could also be translated as "ALL EYES SHALL SEE HIM"
Word Summary: pas: all, every
Transliteration: pas
Phonetic Spelling: (pas)
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: all, every
Strong's Concordance: every, all manner of
Including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole -- all (manner of, means), alway(-s), any (one), X daily, + ever, every (one, way), as many as, + no(-thing), X thoroughly, whatsoever, whole, whosoever.
PAS is USED 1,238 times in 1,071 verses in the New Testament.
In the KJV it is translated as ALL, ALL MANNER, EVERY, EVERY ONE, EVERY THING, WHOLE, WHOSEVER
Did you know that in the New Testament - "ALL" doesn't ALWAYS mean ALL and "EVERY" doesn't ALWAYS mean EVERY?
All scripture below is copied from the New King James Version unless noted otherwise.
3 PROBABLE EXAMPLES of when "ALL" DOESN'T REALLY MEAN ALL from the New Testament
1) Matthew 2:3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and ALL Jerusalem with him.
In order to know what King Herod was troubled about we must look at the context of the previous verses... Matthew 2:1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Matthew 2:2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
King Herod was troubled about a NEW King because he was the King and he didn't want any competition! Read more of the context to find out what King Herod did in order to eliminate the competition.
Are we to believe that ALL Jerusalem was troubled by this? I would bet that ALL Jerusalem didn't even know about it! Did King Herod get on TV, Radio or the Internet to announce his troubles so that ALL Jerusalem would know? I don't believe he did! Evidently what we have here is what is called a "figure of speech". For example - "Yesterday, I went to Wal-Mart and I had to wait ALL day in the check-out line."
2) Matthew 3:5 Then Jerusalem, ALL Judea, and ALL the region around the Jordan went out to him Matthew 3:6 and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.
Are we to believe that John the Baptist baptized ALL the people of Judea? I think you know the answer.
3) Matthew 4:24 Then His fame went throughout ALL Syria; and they brought to Him ALL sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.
Are we to believe that Jesus Healed ALL the sick people of Syria? I don't think so but he probably did Heal ALL that were brought to him for healing.
There are many examples in the New Testament where "ALL" really doesn't mean all.
3 PROBABLE EXAMPLES of when "EVERY" DOESN'T REALLY MEAN EVERY from the BOOK of REVELATION
1) Revelation 6:15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and EVERY bondman, and EVERY free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; Revelation 6:16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: Revelation 6:17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
Are we to believe that EVERY MAN whether they were free or a slave hid themselves in the mountains? That sounds like Hyperbolic (HYPE) Language to me in order to emphasize how bad the Wrath of the Lamb was going to be.
2) Revelation 16:3 And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and EVERY LIVING SOUL DIED in the sea.
EVERY LIVING SOUL DIED in the Sea? If that's true then there would be no men left to be scorched in Revelation 16:8 and none left to gnaw their tongues in Revelation 16:10... Revelation 16:8 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to SCORCH MEN WITH FIRE. Revelation 16:10 And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and THEY GNAWED THEIR TONGUES FOR PAIN, Revelation 16:11 And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.
3) Revelation 18:17 For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And EVERY SHIPMASTER, and ALL the company in ships, AND SAILORS, and AS MANY AS TRADE BY SEA, stood afar off, Revelation 18:18 And cried when they SAW THE SMOKE OF HER BURNING, saying, What city is like unto this great city!
Are we to believe that EVERY SHIPMASTER and SAILOR and EVERYONE that TRADED via the Sea actually SAW THE SMOKE of Mystery Babylon as she Burned? Again, this sounds like Hyperbolic Language to me.
So let's grab our Bibles and put on our thinking caps and see if we can figure out what "EVERY EYE SHALL SEE HIM" in Revelation 1:7 could possibly mean.
How could "EVERY EYE" of "EVERY HUMAN" possibly SEE Jesus return at approximately the same time? I can only think of one way that would be possible and that would be if Jesus returned at the End of the World or at the End of Time and EVERY EYE saw him at the Resurrection or shortly thereafter at the Great White Throne Judgment. THAT'S WHAT MOST FUTURISTS BELIEVE IS GOING TO HAPPEN! And then you have the opposite EXTREME where you have some Full Preterists teaching that NO ONE SAW HIM!
However, in order to see if "EVERY" or the Greek Word "PAS" in Revelation 1:7 should be taken LITERALLY we must look at the context just like we did previously in the verses that used EVERY and ALL. Let's start with Revelation 1:1-3... Revelation 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—THINGS WHICH MUST SHORTLY TAKE PLACE. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, Revelation 1:2 who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw. Revelation 1:3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of THIS PROPHECY, and keep those things which are written in it; for THE TIME IS NEAR.
From the context we have read thus far we can see that "THIS PROPHECY" was about "THINGS WHICH MUST SHORTLY TAKE PLACE" and that the angel said "THE TIME IS NEAR". So how is it possible that the PROPHECY is in the Future or Unfulfilled? The only way it can be possible is IF Scripture is Wrong and if it is wrong then we should RIP Revelation right out of our Bibles!
I don't believe the scripture is Wrong so let's see what else we can find about the timeframe for the Book of Revelation... (YLT) Revelation 1:19 'Write the things that thou hast seen, and the things that are, and THE THINGS THAT ARE ABOUT TO COME after these things; (Young's Literal Translation).
The Greek word MELLO is used in the original text and it means "TO BE ABOUT TO" or "FIXIN' TO" if you speak Southern.
Word Summary: mello: to be about to
Transliteration: mello
Phonetic Spelling: (mel'-lo)
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: to be about to
Strong's Concordance: to be about to
Notice in verse 1:19 above that John was NOT TOLD to write about things that were hundreds or thousands of years in the future. He was told to write about the things that he saw in the PAST, PRESENT and NEAR FUTURE. The first thing the Futurist SCOFFERS usually say when I show them what the scriptures say about the timeframe for the Book of Revelation is that "such and such hasn't happened yet so you are wrong".
Continuing with the timeframe for Revelation... Jesus said that He was Coming Quickly 4 times in the Book of Revelation including 3 times in the last chapter. Also in the last chapter the phrase that is in the 1st verse of Revelation - "TO SHOW HIS SERVANTS THE THINGS WHICH MUST SHORTLY TAKE PLACE" is repeated... Revelation 22:6 Then he said to me, "These words are faithful and true." And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel TO SHOW HIS SERVANTS THE THINGS WHICH MUST SHORTLY TAKE PLACE.
You can NOT find a verse in the Book of Revelation that indicates that any of the Prophecy is to be Fulfilled Hundreds or Thousands of Years in the Future. However, there are some things that continue FOREVER so they will never finish. For example, there's the EVERLASTING GOSPEL... Revelation 14:6 Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the EVERLASTING GOSPEL to preach to those who dwell on the earth to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people. This is evidence that there's NO END of the WORLD or END of TIME! If the World Ended the Preaching of the Gospel would End and therefore it's PREACHING would not be EVERLASTING. There's NO NEED for the Gospel to be Preached in Heaven is there?
Another thing that continues FOREVER is the Reign of the Saints in Heaven... Revelation 22:3 "And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. Revelation 22:4 They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. Revelation 22:5 There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And THEY SHALL REIGN FOREVER AND EVER." This is evidence that the 1,000 Year Reign of Christ and those who were Martyred is NOT a Literal 1,000 Years since their Reign lasts FOREVER... Revelation 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And THEY LIVED AND REIGNED WITH CHRIST FOR A THOUSAND YEARS.
For More Information on the timeframe for the Book of Revelation please read my article: TIME RESTRICTIONS OF THE BOOK OF REVELATION
Thus far I have shown that scripture proves that NOT every eye of everyone who has ever lived will see Christ Coming with the Clouds since it was IN THE PAST if the scriptures are correct and I believe they are. So let's look at the scriptures and figure out WHO was supposed to see Him Coming with the Clouds. Let's look at Revelation 1:7 again using the New King James Version:
Revelation 1:7 Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will SEE Him, even THEY WHO PIERCED HIM. And ALL THE TRIBES OF THE EARTH will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.
We see that the verse states that "THEY WHO PIERCED HIM" would see Him. It was actually a Roman soldier who pierced Jesus' side and it was probably Roman soldiers who pierced His hands and feet when they nailed Him to the cross... John 19:34 "But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out." However, it was the Jews who were responsible for His Death. On the Day of Pentecost the Apostle Peter said in Acts 2:22-23 "MEN OF ISRAEL, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know— Acts 2:23 Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, YOU HAVE TAKEN BY LAWLESS HANDS, HAVE CRUCIFIED, AND PUT TO DEATH;"
Also, in Revelation 1:7 we see that "ALL THE TRIBES OF THE EARTH" would mourn because of Him. I'm sure that "ALL THE TRIBES" refers to the tribes of Israel. Even though the word "ALL" is used it does NOT include the Indian tribes of North America.
The word "SEE" in Revelation 1:7 is translated from the Greek word OPTANOMAI.
Word Summary: optanomai: to appear
Transliteration: optanomai
Phonetic Spelling: (op-tan'-om-ahee)
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: to appear
Strong's Concordance: appear, look, see
A (middle voice) prolonged form of the primary (middle voice) optomai (op'-tom-ahee); which is used for it in certain tenses; and both as alternate of horao; to gaze (i.e. With wide-open eyes, as at something remarkable; and thus differing from blepo, which denotes simply voluntary observation; and from eido, which expresses merely mechanical, passive or casual vision; while theaomai, and still more emphatically its intensive theoreo, signifies an earnest but more continued inspection; and skopeo a watching from a distance) -- appear, look, see, shew self.
OPTANOMAI is used 58 times in the New Testament and in the KJV it is translated as appear (2), appeared (15), shewed himself (1), look (2), see (30) and seen (8). It is NEVER used to mean "understand" like in the example: Do you SEE what I mean? The only times it is translated as "see" which does not mean visually are Matthew 27:4 and Matthew 27:24...
(KJV) Matthew 27:4 Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? SEE thou to that.
(KJV) Matthew 27:24 When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: SEE ye to it.
OPTANOMAI is translated as SEE in all the verses that mention Christ being seen at His COMING and all of them mention Him Coming ON or IN or WITH the CLOUDS or a CLOUD...
(KJV) Matthew 24:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall SEE the Son of man COMING IN THE CLOUDS of heaven with power and great glory.
(KJV) Mark 13:26 And then shall they SEE the Son of man COMING IN THE CLOUDS with great power and glory.
(KJV) Luke 21:27 And then shall they SEE the Son of man COMING IN A CLOUD with power and great glory.
(KJV) Matthew 26:64 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye SEE the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and COMING IN THE CLOUDS of heaven.
(KJV) Mark 14:62 And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall SEE the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and COMING IN THE CLOUDS of heaven.
(KJV) Revelation 1:7 Behold, he COMETH WITH CLOUDS; and every eye shall SEE him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
So to argue that NO ONE saw Jesus visually at His 2nd Coming is to argue against scripture! Therefore, those who teach that NO ONE saw Christ during his 2nd Coming teach FALSELY! We need to figure out WHO saw Him and WHY there isn't any recorded history of anyone seeing Him.
The words COMING and COMETH in the 6 verses above are translated from the Greek word ERCHOMAI.
Word Summary: erchomai: to come, go
Transliteration: erchomai
Phonetic Spelling: (er'-khom-ahee)
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: to come, go
ERCHOMAI is a verb and it means to come or go which indicates movement from one place to another.
Jesus told Caiaphas, the high priest, "YOU WILL SEE THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE POWER, AND COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN."... Matthew 26:63 But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest answered and said to Him, "I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!" Matthew 26:64 Jesus said to him, "It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter YOU WILL SEE THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE POWER, AND COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN." The parallel verse to Matthew 26:64 is Mark 14:62... Jesus said, "I am. And YOU WILL SEE the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and COMING WITH THE CLOUDS of heaven." According to Wikipedia CAIAPHAS died in AD 46. If Caiaphas died in AD 46 then the only way that he could have seen Jesus Coming on the Clouds was during his own Resurrection... the Resurrection of the UNRIGHTEOUS most likely - (YLT) Acts 24:15 having hope toward God, which they themselves also wait for, that THERE IS ABOUT TO BE A RISING AGAIN OF THE DEAD, BOTH OF RIGHTEOUS AND UNRIGHTEOUS (Young's Literal Translation). Right after his Resurrection, Caiaphas would have seen "the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power" at the Great White Throne Judgment. Remember, what Jesus said to some Unbelievers... Luke 13:28 "There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, WHEN YOU SEE Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and YOURSELVES THRUST OUT. Luke 13:29 They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God." Jesus also said in Matthew 8:11... "And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob IN THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. Matthew 8:12 But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." So both the Righteous and Unrighteous would have seen Jesus when they were resurrected from Hades and taken to Heaven for the Great White Throne Judgment. If this happened in the Spiritual Realm then those who were NOT in the Spiritual Realm at that time would NOT have seen anything. You shouldn't have a problem believing that!
The Coming of Christ with Clouds in Revelation 1:7 is the same Coming of Christ on the Clouds AFTER the Tribulation in Matthew 24:30. The Mourning Tribes are also the same in both verses... Matthew 24:29 "Immediately AFTER THE TRIBULATION of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Matthew 24:30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then ALL THE TRIBES OF THE EARTH WILL MOURN, and THEY WILL SEE THE SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS of heaven with power and great glory. Matthew 24:31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." So we see in Matthew 24:30 that the TRIBES OF THE EARTH would SEE Him and it doesn't say whether they would be dead or alive. Jesus Revealed WHEN they would see him in Matthew 24:34... "Assuredly, I say to you, THIS GENERATION will by no means pass away till all these things take place." Christ's Coming was supposed to occur within THAT GENERATION! The parallel verses in the Gospels of Mark and Luke say the same thing... Mark 13:30 "Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place." Luke 21:32 "Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place." The phrase "this generation" occurs 16 times in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. It ALWAYS refers to the generation to whom Jesus was speaking!
The words "TRIBES" in Matthew 24:30 and "KINDREDS" used in the KJV in Revelation 1:7 are translated from the Greek word "PHYLE".
Word Summary: phyle - a clan or tribe
Transliteration: phyle
Phonetic Spelling: (foo-lay')
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Meaning: a clan or tribe
Strong's Concordance: kindred, tribe.
From phuo (compare phullon); an offshoot, i.e. Race or clan -- kindred, tribe.
The word "EARTH" used in both verses is translated from the Greek word "GE". It does NOT always mean the entire planet. It can mean COUNTRY or LAND.
Word Summary: ge - the earth, land
Transliteration: ge
Phonetic Spelling: (ghay)
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Meaning: the earth, land
Strong's Concordance: country, ground, land, world.
Contracted from a primary word; soil; by extension a region, or the solid part or the whole of the terrene globe (including the occupants in each application) -- country, earth(-ly), ground, land, world.
The Coming of Christ of Revelation 1:7 and Matthew 24:30 are the SAME Coming of Christ as Luke 21:27... "Then THEY WILL SEE THE SON OF MAN COMING IN A CLOUD with power and great glory." Luke 21:28 Now when these things begin to happen, LOOK UP and lift up your heads, BECAUSE YOUR REDEMPTION DRAWS NEAR." Earlier in Luke 21 Jesus said "THERE WILL BE FEARFUL SIGHTS AND GREAT SIGNS FROM HEAVEN"... Luke 21:11 And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and THERE WILL BE FEARFUL SIGHTS AND GREAT SIGNS FROM HEAVEN. Luke 21:12 BUT BEFORE ALL THESE THINGS, THEY WILL LAY THEIR HANDS ON YOU AND PERSECUTE YOU, DELIVERING YOU UP TO THE SYNAGOGUES AND PRISONS. YOU WILL BE BROUGHT BEFORE KINGS AND RULERS FOR MY NAME'S SAKE." Did the FEARFUL SIGHTS AND GREAT SIGNS FROM HEAVEN in Luke 21:11 occur AFTER the GREAT PERSECUTION of the SAINTS by Nero but BEFORE the JEWISH-ROMAN WAR?
Read what the Jewish Historian JOSEPHUS wrote in Book 6, Chapter 5, Paragraph 3 in the WARS OF THE JEWS...
..."while they did not attend nor give credit to the signs that were so evident, and did so plainly foretell their future desolation, but, like men infatuated, without either eyes to see or minds to consider, did not regard the denunciations that God made to them.
1) Thus there was a star resembling a sword, which stood over the city, and a comet, that continued a whole year.
Josephus doesn't say WHEN the star appeared and how long it was visible. If it resembled a sword it could also resemble a cross. Remember that a star appeared at the time of Christ's 1st Coming... Matthew 2:1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, Matthew 2:2 saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen HIS STAR in the East and have come to worship Him." Maybe the STAR that Josephus wrote about was a sign of Christ's 2nd Coming or His PAROUSIA (Presence). Of course this is just speculation.
2) Thus also before the Jews’ rebellion, and before those commotions which preceded the war, when the people were come in great crowds to the feast of unleavened bread, on the eighth day of the month Xanthicus, [Nisan,] and at the ninth hour of the night, so great a light shone round the altar and the holy house, that it appeared to be bright day time; which lasted for half an hour. This light seemed to be a good sign to the unskillful, but was so interpreted by the sacred scribes, as to portend those events that followed immediately upon it.
8th of Nisan, 3826 = Sat, 20 March 0066
This event may have been WHEN the PAROUSIA or PRESENCE of the Lord began and may have been the Fulfillment of Zechariah 14:7... (Brenton's Septuagint) Zechariah 14:1 "Behold, the DAYS OF THE LORD COME, and THY SPOILS SHALL BE DIVIDED IN THEE. Zechariah 14:2 And I WILL GATHER ALL THE GENTILES TO JERUSALEM TO WAR, AND THE CITY SHALL BE TAKEN, and the houses plundered, and the women ravished; and HALF OF THE CITY SHALL GO FORTH INTO CAPTIVITY, but the rest of my people shall not be utterly cut off from the city. Zechariah 14:3 And THE LORD SHALL GO FORTH, AND FIGHT WITH THOSE GENTILES as when he fought in the day of war. Zechariah 14:4 And his feet shall stand in that day on the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave asunder, half of it toward the east and the west, a very great division; and half the mountain shall lean to the north, and half of it to the south. Zechariah 14:5 And the valley of my mountains shall be closed up, and the valley of the mountains shall be joined on to Jasod, and shall be blocked up as it was blocked up in the days of the earthquake, in the days of Ozias king of Juda; and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with him. Zechariah 14:6 And it shall come to pass in that day that there shall be no light, Zechariah 14:7 and there shall be for one day cold and frost, and that day shall be known to the Lord, and it shall not be day nor night: but TOWARDS EVENING IT SHALL BE LIGHT. Zechariah 14:8 And in that day living water shall come forth out of Jerusalem; half of it toward the former sea, and half of it toward the latter sea: and so shall it be in summer and spring. Zechariah 14:9 And THE LORD SHALL BE KING OVER ALL THE EARTH: in that day there shall be one Lord, and his name one" This event and the 2 that follow occurred around the time of the Feast of Unleavened Bread just before the Jewish-Roman War began. For more information on Zechariah 14 read the following articles by my friend Robert Cruickshank: ZECHARIAH 14
3) At the same festival also, a heifer, as she was led by the high priest to be sacrificed, brought forth a lamb in the midst of the temple.
4) Moreover, the eastern gate of the inner [court of the] temple, which was of brass, and vastly heavy, and had been with difficulty shut by twenty men, and rested upon a basis armed with iron, and had bolts fastened very deep into the firm floor, which was there made of one entire stone, was seen to be opened of its own accord about the sixth hour of the night. Now those that kept watch in the temple came hereupon running to the captain of the temple, and told him of it; who then came up thither, and not without great difficulty was able to shut the gate again. This also appeared to the vulgar to be a very happy prodigy, as if God did thereby open them the gate of happiness. But the men of learning understood it, that the security of their holy house was dissolved of its own accord, and that the gate was opened for the advantage of their enemies. So these publicly declared that the signal foreshowed the desolation that was coming upon them.
5) Besides these, a few days after that feast, on the one and twentieth day of the month Artemisius, [Jyar,] a certain prodigious and incredible phenomenon appeared: I suppose the account of it would seem to be a fable, were it not related by those that saw it, and were not the events that followed it of so considerable a nature as to deserve such signals; for, before sun-setting, chariots and troops of soldiers in their armor were seen running about among the clouds, and surrounding of cities.
21st of Iyyar, 3826 = Sun, 2 May 0066
Some see this event as being when EVERY EYE SAW HIM. I don't believe Christ was SEEN until He came to Gather the Elect AFTER the Destruction of Jerusalem. This event was definitely a SIGN of the Coming Jewish-Roman War and it is similar to the way Jesus described His COMING (Parousia) in Matthew 24:27: "For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the COMING (Parousia) of the Son of Man be." The parallel verse (Luke 17:24) says... "For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in HIS DAY."
6) Moreover, at that feast which we call Pentecost, as the priests were going by night into the inner [court of the temple,] as their custom was, to perform their sacred ministrations, they said that, in the first place, they felt a quaking, and heard a great noise, and after that they heard a sound as of a great multitude, saying, "Let us remove hence."
Some claim that this event is when the Resurrection and Rapture occurred but I believe scripture teaches that those occur at the END of Christ's PAROUSIA in the LAND and NOT at the Beginning. In order to put the Rapture/Resurrection in AD 66 you must interpret the Great Tribulation of Matthew 24:21, Matthew 24:29, Mark 13:19 and Mark 13:24 as the Persecution of Christians by Nero which began in AD 64 after the Great Fire of Rome was blamed on the Christians. However the Gospel of Luke reveals that the Great Tribulation that Jesus spoke of was the WRATH upon the Jews during the War... Luke 21:23 "But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! For there will be GREAT DISTRESS in the LAND and WRATH UPON THIS PEOPLE. Luke 21:24 And THEY WILL FALL BY THE EDGE OF THE SWORD, AND BE LED AWAY CAPTIVE INTO ALL NATIONS. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled."
For more information on the Great Tribulation(s) please read my article: The Great Tribulation(s)
The word "REDEMPTION" in Luke 21:28 is translated from the Greek word APOLYTROSIS.
Word Summary: apolytrosis: a release effected by payment of ransom
Transliteration: apolytrosis
Phonetic Spelling: (ap-ol-oo'-tro-sis)
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Meaning: a release effected by payment of ransom
Strong's Concordance: DELIVERANCE, redemption.
From a compound of apo and lutron; (the act) ransom in full, i.e. (figuratively) riddance, or (specially) Christian salvation -- deliverance, redemption.
According to Strong's APOLYTROSIS can be translated as DELIVERANCE. Since Christ was talking to His Disciples before His Crucifixion & Resurrection, the Disciples would not have yet received the Forgiveness of Sins or Salvation under the New Covenant. However, by the time that Paul wrote Galatians and Peter wrote 1 Peter the Believers had been REDEEMED from the CURSE of the LAW - WITH THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF CHRIST...
Galatians 3:13 CHRIST HAS REDEEMED US FROM THE CURSE OF THE LAW, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE"),
1 Peter 1:17 And if you call on the Father, who without partiality JUDGES ACCORDING TO EACH ONE'S WORK, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; 1 Peter 1:18 knowing that YOU WERE NOT REDEEMED WITH CORRUPTIBLE THINGS, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 1 Peter 1:19 but WITH THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF CHRIST, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.
The Coming of Christ of Revelation 1:7 and Matthew 24:30 and Luke 21:27 are the SAME Coming of Christ as Matthew 16:27-28... "For the Son of Man will COME (Erchomai) in the glory of His Father WITH HIS ANGELS, and THEN HE WILL REWARD EACH ACCORDING TO HIS WORKS. Matthew 16:28 Assuredly, I say to you, THERE ARE SOME STANDING HERE WHO SHALL NOT TASTE DEATH TILL THEY SEE THE SON OF MAN COMING (Erchomai) IN HIS KINGDOM."
Scripture Reveals WHEN Christ would "REWARD EACH ACCORDING TO HIS WORKS"...
1) For the JUST - They would be at REPAID AT THE RESURRECTION... Luke 14:13 But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. Luke 14:14 And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for YOU SHALL BE REPAID AT THE RESURRECTION OF THE JUST." The Apostle Paul was expecting to receive the CROWN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS... 2 Timothy 4:8 Finally, there is laid up for me the CROWN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His APPEARING.
2) For the LIVING JUDEANS who KILLED & PERSECUTED CHRIST and His CHURCH - They would be REPAID during the DAY OF THE LORD which resulted in the DESTRUCTION of their Temple, the City of Jerusalem (Mystery Babylon) and their Country (Judea) in the Jewish-Roman War.
For Proof that Mystery Babylon is the Old Covenant Jerusalem of the 1st Century - Please Read my article: WHO IS MYSTERY BABYLON IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION?
3) For the DEAD - it was at the Great White Throne Judgment... Revelation 20:11 "Then I saw a GREAT WHITE THRONE and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. Revelation 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And THE DEAD WERE JUDGED ACCORDING TO THEIR WORKS, by the things which were written in the books. Revelation 20:13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And THEY WERE JUDGED, EACH ONE ACCORDING TO HIS WORKS. Revelation 20:14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. THIS IS THE SECOND DEATH. Revelation 20:15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire." The Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:26: "THE LAST ENEMY THAT WILL BE DESTROYED IS DEATH." What "DEATH" was cast into the Lake of Fire? Evidently, it wasn't physical death since Believers are still dying... The "DEATH" that was cast into the Lake of Fire was NOT Physical Death but Death in Hades. When people died before Christ's Resurrection they went to Hades to await The Great White Throne Judgment. When people die now they don't go to Hades to await Judgment. Hades was thrown into the Lake of Fire in Revelation 20:14. I believe that when people die now, they are judged immediately and the Believers go to Heaven and the Unbelievers go to the Lake of Fire... Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:10, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad." Paul also said in Romans 14:10, "But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? FOR WE SHALL ALL STAND BEFORE THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST." I don't think that I have to convince anyone that the Great White Throne Judgment was After the Resurrection. I believe EVERY EYE will see Jesus but it will not be at the same time but Everyone must stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
What does COMING IN HIS KINGDOM mean?
The English word "in" is translated from the Greek word "en" which can also be translated as "with".
Word Summary: en: in, on, at, by, WITH
Transliteration: en
Phonetic Spelling: (en)
Part of Speech: Preposition
Meaning: in, on, at, by, with
Strong's Concordance: about, after, as.
A primary preposition denoting (fixed) position (in place, time or state), and (by implication) instrumentality (medially or constructively), i.e. A relation of rest (intermediate between eis and ek); "in," at, (up-)on, by, etc. -- about, after, against, + almost, X altogether, among, X as, at, before, between, (here-)by (+ all means), for (... Sake of), + give self wholly to, (here-)in(-to, -wardly), X mightily, (because) of, (up-)on, (open-)ly, X outwardly, one, X quickly, X shortly, (speedi-)ly, X that, X there(-in, -on), through(-out), (un-)to(-ward), under, when, where(-with), while, with(-in). Often used in compounds, with substantially the same import; rarely with verbs of motion, and then not to indicate direction, except (elliptically) by a separate (and different) preposition.
Perhaps the word "with" would be a better translation in this verse. It reads true to me... Matthew 16:28 Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming WITH His kingdom." Can I use another scripture to justify the change? Answer: YES I CAN!
1 Thessalonians 3:12 "And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you, 1 Thessalonians 3:13 SO THAT HE MAY ESTABLISH YOUR HEARTS BLAMELESS IN HOLINESS BEFORE OUR GOD AND FATHER AT THE COMING OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST WITH ALL HIS SAINTS." The Kingdom includes Believers (SAINTS) and a King (JESUS) and the Father and the Heavenly Beings. Did you notice that Paul said that "HE (Jesus) MAY ESTABLISH YOUR HEARTS BLAMELESS IN HOLINESS BEFORE OUR GOD AND FATHER"? I believe that occurred in Heaven at the Great White Throne Judgment. In Matthew 16:28 Jesus said that SOME of those to whom He was speaking would STILL BE ALIVE when he came with or in His kingdom.
So either Christ came when he said he was going to or He LIED or some of those He was talking to are STILL ALIVE! Which one do you believe?
The word "COMING" in 1 Thessalonians 3:13 is translated from the Greek word PAROUSIA.
Word Summary: parousia: a presence, a coming
Transliteration: parousia
Phonetic Spelling: (par-oo-see'-ah)
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Meaning: a presence, a coming
Strong's Concordance: coming, presence.
From the present participle of pareimi; a being near, i.e. Advent (often, return; specially, of Christ to punish Jerusalem, or finally the wicked); (by implication) physically, aspect -- coming, presence.
PAROUSIA means PRESENCE and the first time that it is used in the New Testament is in Matthew 24:3. It is translated as COMING... (NKJV) Matthew 24:3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your COMING, and of the end of the age?" The Disciples asked for the SIGN of His Coming or Presence which seems like an odd question to me. If I were expecting a visitor the sign of their presence would be their vehicle coming down my driveway or them ringing my doorbell. Their presence would be obvious. So evidently the Disciples were NOT expecting to be able to SEE Jesus at His PAROUSIA so they asked Him for a sign of it.
The next use of the word PAROUSIA is in Matthew 24:27... "For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the COMING of the Son of Man be. Matthew 24:28 For wherever the CARCASS is, there the EAGLES will be gathered together." Jesus reveals that the obvious SIGN of His Parousia is CARCASSES or Dead Bodies and the EAGLES around them. Eagles is translated from the Greek word AETOS.
Word Summary: aetos: an eagle
Transliteration: aetos
Phonetic Spelling: (ah-et-os')
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Meaning: an eagle
Strong's Concordance: eagle.
From the same as aer; an eagle (from its wind-like flight) -- eagle.
Some versions such as the ESV, NASB, NIV, NRSV and others have translated aetos as "VULTURES". I believe that is a bad translation. The use of the Greek word "aetos" or the English word "eagles" may have been slang and refer to the Roman soldiers. The Greek word AETOS is only used 4 (KJV) or 5 (NASB) times in the New Testament and the only times that it is translated as VULTURES in the ESV, NASB, NIV, and NRSV is in Matthew 24:28 and Luke 17:37 which is the parallel verse to Matthew 24:28... (ESV) And they said to him, “Where, Lord?” He said to them, “Where the corpse is, there the VULTURES will gather.”
The Apostolic Bible Polyglot is a Greek-English Interlinear of the Greek Septuagint and New Testament coded to Strong's numbers. Greek words which appear in the Septuagint but not in the New Testament are inserted with decimal points, such as G1135.3. AETOS (Strong's G105) appears in the Apostolic Bible Polyglot (ABP) 33 times (28 times in the Old Testament & 5 times in the New Testament) and it is ALWAYS translated as eagle or eagles. The words vulture or vultures only appear in the Old Testament 5 times and the Strong's number that is associated with it is G1135.3.
Free printable PDF's of the Apostolic Bible Polyglot may be downloaded and printed editions may be purchased at www.apostolicbible.com.
So Jesus was PRESENT but NOT visible when the Roman Army (EAGLES) were gathered around the CARCASSES of the Judeans. This occurred during the Jewish-Roman War of course which was the WRATH OF THE LAMB, the judgment upon the Living in Judea for shedding innocent blood and rejecting the Messiah... JESUS SAID - Matthew 23:29 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, Matthew 23:30 and say, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.' Matthew 23:31 "Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Matthew 23:32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers' guilt. Matthew 23:33 Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell? Matthew 23:34 Therefore, indeed, I SEND YOU PROPHETS, WISE MEN, AND SCRIBES: SOME OF THEM YOU WILL KILL AND CRUCIFY, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, Matthew 23:35 that ON YOU MAY COME ALL THE RIGHTEOUS BLOOD SHED ON THE EARTH, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. Matthew 23:36 Assuredly, I say to you, ALL THESE THINGS WILL COME UPON THIS GENERATION." JESUS ALSO SAID... Luke 19:41 Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, Luke 19:42 saying, "If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. Luke 19:43 For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, Luke 19:44 and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and THEY WILL NOT LEAVE IN YOU ONE STONE UPON ANOTHER, BECAUSE YOU DID NOT KNOW THE TIME OF YOUR VISITATION."
The Gospels of Mark and Luke never use the Greek word "PAROUSIA". Instead of COMING in Luke 17:24 the phrase "HIS DAY" is used and this is what Luke wrote about it... Luke 17:25 But first He must suffer many things and be REJECTED BY THIS GENERATION. Luke 17:26 And as it was in the DAYS OF NOAH, so it will be also in the DAYS OF THE SON OF MAN: Luke 17:27 They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and THE FLOOD CAME AND DESTROYED THEM ALL. Luke 17:28 Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; Luke 17:29 but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom IT RAINED FIRE AND BRIMSTONE FROM HEAVEN AND DESTROYED THEM ALL. Luke 17:30 Even so will it be in THE DAY WHEN THE SON OF MAN IS REVEALED. Luke 17:31 "IN THAT DAY, he who is on the housetop, and his goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away. And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back. Luke 17:32 Remember Lot's wife. Luke 17:33 Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. Luke 17:34 I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed: the one will be TAKEN and the other will be left. Luke 17:35 Two women will be grinding together: the one will be TAKEN and the other left. Luke 17:36 Two men will be in the field: the one will be TAKEN and the other left." Luke 17:37 And they answered and said to Him, "WHERE, LORD?" So He said to them, "WHEREVER THE BODY IS, THERE THE EAGLES WILL BE GATHERED TOGETHER." The Generation that had rejected Jesus as the Messiah was coming to its END. "HIS DAY" wasn't for just a day. It was also called "DAYS OF THE SON OF MAN" (17:26) and they did not end until AFTER the Temple, Jerusalem and the Nation of Judea were Destroyed! The ones who were "TAKEN" had their lives taken in the war. This context does not describe them being taken to Heaven as some Futurists claim!
I have already mentioned the 3 SIGNS that Josephus wrote about that occurred around the time of the Feast of Unleavened Bread in AD 66. There was a very important event that occurred after these signs but before the SIGN where chariots and troops were seen among the clouds and the surrounding of cities...
EVENT: Roman Procurator Gessius Florus marches to Jerusalem with Roman soldiers and Kills about 3,600 Jews including women and children
HEBREW DATE: 16 Iyyar 3826
DAY OF WEEK: Tuesday
GREGORIAN DATE: April 27, 66
SOURCE: Wars Of The Jews, Flavius Josephus, Book 2, Chapter 14, Paragraphs 6-9
6. "Moreover, as to the citizens of Jerusalem, although they took this matter very ill, yet did they restrain their passion; but FLORUS acted herein as if he had been hired, and BLEW UP THE WAR INTO A FLAME, and SENT SOME TO TAKE SEVENTEEN TALENTS OUT OF THE SACRED TREASURE, and pretended that Caesar wanted them. At this the people were in confusion immediately, and ran together to the temple, with prodigious clamors, and called upon Caesar by name, and besought him to free them from the tyranny of Florus. Some also of the seditious cried out upon Florus, and cast the greatest reproaches upon him, and carried a basket about, and begged some spills of money for him, as for one that was destitute of possessions, and in a miserable condition. Yet was not he made ashamed hereby of his love of money, but was more enraged, and provoked to get still more; and instead of coming to Cesarea, as he ought to have done, and quenching the flame of war, which was beginning thence, and so taking away the occasion of any disturbances, on which account it was that he had received a reward [of eight talents], HE MARCHED HASTILY WITH AN ARMY OF HORSEMEN AND FOOTMEN AGAINST JERUSALEM, that he might gain his will by the arms of the Romans, and might, by his terror, and by his threatenings, BRING THE CITY INTO SUBJECTION.
7. But the people were desirous of making Florus ashamed of his attempt, and met his soldiers with acclamations, and put themselves in order to receive him very submissively. But he sent Capito, a centurion, beforehand, with fifty soldiers, to bid them go back, and not now make a show of receiving him in an obliging manner, whom they had so foully reproached before; and said that it was incumbent on them, in case they had generous souls, and were free speakers, to jest upon him to his face, and appear to be lovers of liberty, not only in words, but with their weapons also. With this message was the multitude amazed; and upon the coming of Capito’s horsemen into the midst of them, they were dispersed before they could salute Florus, or manifest their submissive behavior to him. Accordingly, they retired to their own houses, and spent that night in fear and confusion of face.
8. Now at this time Florus took up his quarters at the palace; and ON THE NEXT DAY HE HAD HIS TRIBUNAL SET BEFORE IT, and sat upon it, when the high priests, and the men of power, and those of the greatest eminence in the city, came all before that tribunal; upon which Florus commanded them to deliver up to him those that had reproached him, and told them that they should themselves partake of the vengeance to them belonging, if they did not produce the criminals; but these demonstrated that the people were peaceably disposed, and they begged forgiveness for those that had spoken amiss; for that it was no wonder at all that in so great a multitude there should be some more daring than they ought to be, and, by reason of their younger age, foolish also; and that it was impossible to distinguish those that offended from the rest, while every one was sorry for what he had done, and denied it out of fear of what would follow: that he ought, however, to provide for the peace of the nation, and to take such counsels as might preserve the city for the Romans, and rather for the sake of a great number of innocent people to forgive a few that were guilty, than for the sake of a few of the wicked to put so large and good a body of men into disorder.
9. Florus was more provoked at this, and CALLED OUT ALOUD TO THE SOLDIERS TO PLUNDER THAT WHICH WAS CALLED THE UPPER MARKET-PLACE, AND TO SLAY SUCH AS THEY MET WITH. So the soldiers, taking this exhortation of their commander in a sense agreeable to their desire of gain, did not only plunder the place they were sent to, but FORCING THEMSELVES INTO EVERY HOUSE, THEY SLEW ITS INHABITANTS; so the citizens fled along the narrow lanes, and the soldiers slew those that they caught, and no method of plunder was omitted; THEY ALSO CAUGHT MANY OF THE QUIET PEOPLE, AND BROUGHT THEM BEFORE FLORUS, WHOM HE FIRST CHASTISED WITH STRIPES, AND THEN CRUCIFIED. Accordingly, THE WHOLE NUMBER OF THOSE THAT WERE DESTROYED THAT DAY, WITH THEIR WIVES AND CHILDREN, (for they did not spare even the infants themselves,) WAS ABOUT THREE THOUSAND AND SIX HUNDRED. And what made this calamity the heavier was this new method of Roman barbarity; FOR FLORUS VENTURED THEN TO DO WHAT NO ONE HAD DONE BEFORE, THAT IS, TO HAVE MEN OF THE EQUESTRIAN ORDER WHIPPED AND NAILED TO THE CROSS BEFORE HIS TRIBUNAL; WHO, ALTHOUGH THEY WERE BY BIRTH JEWS, YET WERE THEY OF ROMAN DIGNITY NOTWITHSTANDING."
So with this event we have about 3,600 Judeans who were slain by Roman Soldiers (EAGLES) which is evidence that the PAROUSIA had begun according to Jesus... Matthew 24:27 "For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming (PAROUSIA) of the Son of Man be. Matthew 24:28 For wherever the CARCASS is, there the EAGLES will be gathered together.
There was another very important event that occurred during the PAROUSIA... on the LAST DAY OF THE AGE to be exact and that was the RESURRECTION of the Righteous/Just and the Unrighteous/Unjust... 1 Corinthians 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so IN CHRIST all shall be made alive. 1 Corinthians 15:23 But each one in his own ORDER: (1st Resurrection) CHRIST the firstfruits, (2nd Resurrection) afterward THOSE WHO ARE CHRIST'S AT HIS COMING (Parousia). 1 Corinthians 15:24 Then comes THE END, WHEN HE DELIVERS THE KINGDOM TO GOD THE FATHER, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. 1 Corinthians 15:25 For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. 1 Corinthians 15:26 THE LAST ENEMY THAT WILL BE DESTROYED IS DEATH.
1 Corinthians 15:23 doesn't say anything about the Resurrection of the Unrighteous/Unjust and some want to put their resurrection years later. However, Paul stated that there was ABOUT TO BE a resurrection of BOTH the righteous and the unrighteous... (YLT) Acts 24:14 "And I confess this to thee, that, according to the way that they call a sect, so serve I the God of the fathers, believing all things that in the law and the prophets have been written, Acts 24:15 having hope toward God, which they themselves also wait for, that THERE IS ABOUT TO BE A RISING AGAIN OF THE DEAD, BOTH OF RIGHTEOUS AND UNRIGHTEOUS" (Young's Literal Translation). The Greek word MELLO is used in the original text and it means "TO BE ABOUT TO" or "FIXIN' TO" if you speak Southern.
The Apostle Paul also said that Jesus was ABOUT TO JUDGE LIVING AND DEAD... (YLT) 2 Timothy 4:1 "I do fully testify, then, before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who is ABOUT TO JUDGE LIVING AND DEAD at his manifestation and his reign" (Young's Literal Translation). Here again, the phrase "about to be" is translated from the Greek word MELLO. The LIVING UNBELIEVING JUDEANS were judged during the PAROUSIA and the DEAD were judged at the Great White Throne Judgment. So those UNBELIEVERS were JUDGED TWICE and they also DIED TWICE!
Jesus also indicated that the Righteous and Unrighteous would be raised and judged at the same time... John 5:28 Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which ALL WHO ARE IN THE GRAVES WILL HEAR HIS VOICE John 5:29 AND COME FORTH—THOSE WHO HAVE DONE GOOD, TO THE RESURRECTION OF LIFE, AND THOSE WHO HAVE DONE EVIL, TO THE RESURRECTION OF CONDEMNATION.
Martha knew that the Resurrection was at the LAST DAY... John 11:24 Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again IN THE RESURRECTION AT THE LAST DAY." John 11:25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live." Jesus had already revealed that He would RAISE the Believers "AT THE LAST DAY"... John 6:38 "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. John 6:39 This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of ALL HE HAS GIVEN ME I should lose nothing, but should RAISE IT UP AT THE LAST DAY. John 6:40 And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that EVERYONE WHO SEES THE SON AND BELIEVES IN HIM MAY HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE; and I WILL RAISE HIM UP AT THE LAST DAY." Some of the Believers were still ALIVE on the Last Day so don't assume that Jesus was only talking about RAISING the Dead. Remember when Jesus told his Disciples that he would come for them but they would all be DEAD? I don't remember it that way either! - John 14:3 "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I WILL COME AGAIN AND RECEIVE YOU TO MYSELF; that where I am, THERE YOU MAY BE ALSO." Do I need to tell you WHERE Jesus prepared a place for His Disciples? I didn't think so.
Furthermore, the Prophet Daniel put the Resurrection and Judgment of BOTH the Just & Unjust at the same time... Daniel 12:2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, SOME TO EVERLASTING LIFE, SOME TO SHAME AND EVERLASTING CONTEMPT.
In 1 Corinthians 15:24 (above) we read that the END comes "WHEN HE (Christ) DELIVERS THE KINGDOM TO GOD THE FATHER". The Kingdom includes the King and His ELECT so they had be GATHERED TOGETHER and DELIVERED to the FATHER... Matthew 24:29 "IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE TRIBULATION of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Matthew 24:30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and THEY WILL SEE the Son of Man COMING on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Matthew 24:31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER HIS ELECT from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." The word COMING in Matthew 24:30 is translated from the Greek word ERCHOMAI.
The parallel verses in the Gospel of Mark say... Mark 13:24 "But in those days, AFTER THAT TRIBULATION, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; Mark 13:25 the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Mark 13:26 Then THEY WILL SEE the Son of Man COMING in the clouds with great power and glory. Mark 13:27 And then He will send His angels, and GATHER TOGETHER HIS ELECT from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven." The word COMING in Mark 13:26 is translated from the Greek word ERCHOMAI.
The parallel verses in the Gospel of Luke say... Luke 21:24 "And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. Luke 21:25 "And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; Luke 21:26 men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Luke 21:27 THEN THEY WILL SEE the Son of Man COMING in a cloud with power and great glory. Luke 21:28 Now when these things begin to happen, LOOK UP and lift up your heads, BECAUSE YOUR REDEMPTION DRAWS NEAR." The word "COMING" in Luke 21:27 is translated from the Greek word ERCHOMAI.
ERCHOMAI is a verb and it means to come or go which indicates movement from one place to another. The Gathering of the Elect was an Erchomai within the Parousia or a Coming within a Coming. Therefore, it could be said that the 2nd Coming was 2 Comings but it includes only 1 PAROUSIA of Jesus Christ and 1 GATHERING OF THE ELECT. It sure would be less confusing if the translators had translated PAROUSIA as PRESENCE instead of COMING!
Jesus revealed WHEN the GATHERING OF THE ELECT was going to occur. It was going to be "IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE TRIBULATION" (Matthew 24:29 & Mark 13:24) and BEFORE THAT GENERATION had passed away (Matthew 24:34, Mark 13:30 & Luke 21:32)... The Gospel of Luke doesn't use the phrase "after the/that tribulation" but confirms that the tribulation in Matthew & Mark was the Jewish-Roman War of the 1st century by stating "they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations" in Luke 21:24. Also, the Gospel of Luke does not use the phrase "gather together his elect" but uses the word "REDEMPTION" in Luke 21:28 to describe the same event. Why would Jesus tell His Disciples to "LOOK UP" if NO ONE was going to be able to SEE HIM? Was He a practical joker and just wanted everyone to get a crick in their neck? Answer: NO! Luke 21:28 is WHEN Jesus Gathered Together His ELECT (Dead & Living) and DELIVERED them to the Father! "REDEMPTION" in Luke 21:28 is translated from the Greek word APOLYTROSIS.
Word Summary: apolytrosis: a release effected by payment of ransom
Transliteration: apolytrosis
Phonetic Spelling: (ap-ol-oo'-tro-sis)
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Meaning: a release effected by payment of ransom
Strong's Concordance: DELIVERANCE, redemption.
From a compound of apo and lutron; (the act) ransom in full, i.e. (figuratively) riddance, or (specially) Christian salvation -- deliverance, redemption.
According to Strong's APOLYTROSIS can be translated as DELIVERANCE. Since Christ was talking to His Disciples before His Crucifixion & Resurrection, the Disciples would not have yet received the Forgiveness of Sins or Salvation under the New Covenant. However, by the time that Paul wrote Galatians and Peter wrote 1 Peter the Believers had been REDEEMED from the CURSE of the LAW - WITH THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF CHRIST... Galatians 3:13 CHRIST HAS REDEEMED US FROM THE CURSE OF THE LAW, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE"),
1 Peter 1:17 And if you call on the Father, who without partiality JUDGES ACCORDING TO EACH ONE'S WORK, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; 1 Peter 1:18 knowing that YOU WERE NOT REDEEMED WITH CORRUPTIBLE THINGS, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 1 Peter 1:19 but WITH THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF CHRIST, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.
Other than the TRIBES of Israel, who else was supposed to see Jesus at his 2nd Coming?
Answer #1: All of those who were EAGERLY WAITING for his APPEARING... Hebrews 9:28 so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. TO THOSE WHO EAGERLY WAIT FOR HIM HE WILL APPEAR A SECOND TIME, APART FROM SIN, FOR SALVATION.
The word "APPEAR" is translated from the Greek word OPTANOMAI.
The SALVATION that is mentioned in Hebrews 9:28 is NOT about the forgiveness of sins just as the verse states. The Believers had already received forgiveness... Ephesians 1:7 "In Him WE HAVE redemption through His blood, THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS, according to the riches of His grace." Also Colossians 1:13 states... "He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, Colossians 1:14 in whom WE HAVE redemption through His blood, THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS." The word "SALVATION" is translated from the Greek word SOTERIA and it also means DELIVERANCE which would have been a better word to use in Hebrews 9:28 because when most read the word "SALVATION" they automatically associate it with the Forgiveness of Sin.
Word Summary: soteria: deliverance, salvation
Transliteration: soteria
Phonetic Spelling: (so-tay-ree'-ah)
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Meaning: deliverance, salvation
Strong's Concordance: deliver, save
Feminine of a derivative of soter as (properly, abstract) noun; rescue or safety (physically or morally) -- deliver, health, salvation, save, saving.
The Kingdom Bible translates SOTERIA as DELIVERANCE: (TKB) Hebrews 9:28 so Christ also, being offered once to bear the sins of many; and to those who are looking for Him, He will be seen out from the second time, apart from sin for DELIVERANCE.
The word SALVATION (SOTERIA) should also have been translated as DELIVERANCE in Romans 13:11... "And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our SALVATION is nearer than when we first believed." They were already Believers but they were about to be SAVED or DELIVERED from this Sinful World to Heaven. The Kingdom Bible translates it correctly again... (TKB) Romans 13:11 So that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our DELIVERANCE closer than when we believed.
What is the SALVATION or DELIVERANCE in Hebrews 9:28 about? I can SEE it but unfortunately many people can't see it because of their interpretation of 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17. They CAN'T SEE it because they have a MENTAL BLOCK when it comes to the Living Saints being RAPTURED or taken to Heaven! 1 Thessalonians 4:15 "For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that WE WHO ARE ALIVE AND REMAIN UNTIL THE COMING OF THE LORD will by no means precede those who are asleep. 1 Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And THE DEAD IN CHRIST WILL RISE FIRST. 1 Thessalonians 4:17 THEN WE WHO ARE ALIVE and remain shall be CAUGHT UP TOGETHER WITH THEM IN THE CLOUDS TO MEET THE LORD in the air. And thus WE SHALL ALWAYS BE WITH THE LORD." Remember that the End of the Age (Old Covenant Age) comes when He (Christ) Delivers the Kingdom which includes both, Living & Dead Saints, to the Father (1 Corinthians 15:24). Then they would "ALWAYS BE WITH THE LORD" in HEAVEN!
This is the Same MYSTERY that Paul spoke of in 1 Corinthians 15:51: "Behold, I tell you a MYSTERY: WE SHALL NOT ALL SLEEP, but we shall all be changed— 1 Corinthians 15:52 IN A MOMENT, IN THE TWINKLING OF AN EYE, AT THE LAST TRUMPET. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and WE SHALL BE CHANGED." When Paul said that "WE SHALL NOT ALL SLEEP" he meant that some of them would NOT DIE! If the LIVING ELECT were changed from the Physical Realm to the Spiritual Realm "IN THE TWINKLING OF AN EYE" then no one would have seen them ascend to the clouds. If an Unbeliever had been looking directly at a Believer at the time they changed the Unbeliever would have seen them disappear but we don't know if any Believers & Unbelievers were together when the change occurred. Some Christians had escaped to Pella not long after the war began so they probably stayed together and may not have been around many Unbelievers. What if they had left Pella and were enroute to Judea after the end of the war but before the Resurrection when they were changed... Who would have missed them? What if Jesus came like a "THIEF IN THE NIGHT" and the change occurred at 3 AM when most people were sleeping? There probably weren't that many Christians by the end of the war. Many had been killed by Nero and other persecutors and many had probably fallen away from the faith because of persecution and many may have been killed in the war because they did not flee Judea. After all Jesus did say in Luke 18:7 "And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? Luke 18:8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, WHEN THE SON OF MAN COMES (Erchomai), WILL HE REALLY FIND FAITH ON THE EARTH?" We will probably never know what happened this side of Heaven so all we can do is speculate about it but the speculation must not go against what the scriptures say!
Remember that Paul said that Jesus Christ would come WITH ALL HIS SAINTS... 1 Thessalonians 3:13 "so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father AT THE COMING (Parousia) OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST WITH ALL HIS SAINTS." Paul said that the MYSTERY was that He (Christ) would "GATHER TOGETHER IN ONE ALL THINGS IN CHRIST, BOTH WHICH ARE IN HEAVEN AND WHICH ARE ON EARTH—IN HIM"... Ephesians 1:7 IN HIM WE HAVE REDEMPTION THROUGH HIS BLOOD, THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS, according to the riches of His grace Ephesians 1:8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, Ephesians 1:9 having made KNOWN TO US THE MYSTERY OF HIS WILL, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, Ephesians 1:10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might GATHER TOGETHER IN ONE ALL THINGS IN CHRIST, BOTH WHICH ARE IN HEAVEN AND WHICH ARE ON EARTH—IN HIM.
Question: How could Believers from both Heaven and Earth be Gathered Together if the Believers on Earth were LEFT BEHIND? There's no evidence that they were gathered together on earth.
Paul said that WE (He and the Saints in Ephesus) had "AN INHERITANCE" and they "WERE SEALED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT OF PROMISE" who was "THE GUARANTEE OF OUR (their) INHERITANCE UNTIL THE REDEMPTION OF THE PURCHASED POSSESSION"... Ephesians 1:11 IN HIM ALSO WE HAVE OBTAINED AN INHERITANCE, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, Ephesians 1:12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. Ephesians 1:13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, YOU WERE SEALED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT OF PROMISE, Ephesians 1:14 WHO IS THE GUARANTEE OF OUR INHERITANCE UNTIL THE REDEMPTION OF THE PURCHASED POSSESSION, to the praise of His glory.
THEY (the Believers) were the "PURCHASED POSSESSION" waiting to be REDEEMED... 1 Corinthians 6:19 "Or do you not know that YOUR BODY IS THE TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WHO IS IN YOU, whom you have from God, and YOU ARE NOT YOUR OWN? 1 Corinthians 6:20 For YOU WERE BOUGHT AT A PRICE; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, WHICH ARE GOD'S." You can read about those who were REDEEMED and in HEAVEN in the Book of Revelation. The 24 Elders were already REDEEMED and in Heaven before the Wrath of the Lamb (Jewish-Roman War) had begun... Revelation 5:9 And they sang a new song, saying: "You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And HAVE REDEEMED US TO GOD by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation". In chapter 14, the 144,000 who had been sealed or protected from the Wrath of the Lamb in Chapter 7, are in Heaven having been REDEEMED from the earth... Revelation 14:3 "They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand WHO WERE REDEEMED FROM THE EARTH." For more information about this read my article: WAS HEAVEN OPENED AT CHRIST'S ASCENSION OR A.D. 70?
The writer of Hebrews mentions "THE GOOD THINGS THAT ARE ABOUT TO COME" in the Next Verse... (LEB) Hebrews 10:1 For the law, possessing a shadow of THE GOOD THINGS THAT ARE ABOUT TO COME, not the form of things itself, is never able year by year by means of the same sacrifices which they offer without interruption to make perfect those who draw near (Lexham English Bible).
The Greek word MELLO is used in the original text and it means "TO BE ABOUT TO" or "FIXIN' TO" if you speak Southern.
The Kingdom Bible also translates the verse correctly: (TKB) Hebrews 10:1 For the Law having a shadow of GOOD THINGS ABOUT TO COME, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers complete.
What were the GOOD THINGS that were ABOUT TO COME? Answer: Read on and Find Out!
Answer #2: (SAME as #1) All of those who were EAGERLY WAITING for the REVELATION of our Lord Jesus Christ... 1 Corinthians 1:7 so that you come short in no gift, EAGERLY WAITING for the REVELATION of our Lord Jesus Christ, 1 Corinthians 1:8 who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
(KJV) 1 Corinthians 1:7 So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the COMING of our Lord Jesus Christ:
The words "REVELATION" in the NKJV and "COMING" in the KJV are translated from the Greek word APOKALYPSIS.
Word Summary: apokalypsis: an uncovering
Transliteration: apokalypsis
Phonetic Spelling: (ap-ok-al'-oop-sis)
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Meaning: an uncovering
Strong's Concordance: appearing, coming, manifestation, revelation.
From apokalupto; disclosure -- appearing, coming, lighten, manifestation, be revealed, revelation.
John the Revelator said in 1 John 3:2 - "Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that WHEN HE (Christ) IS REVEALED, WE SHALL BE LIKE HIM, FOR WE SHALL SEE (Optomai= Strong's G3700) HIM AS HE IS." The people who were supposed to SEE JESUS, SAW HIM and NOW those BELIEVERS REIGN with Him FOREVER! The Righteous & Unrighteous who were Resurrected and those who were caught up to meet the Saints and the LORD in the Air - SAW HIM! They may have been in the Spiritual Realm when they saw Him. Remember that the spirit who was working in the sons of disobedience is described as "THE PRINCE OF THE POWER OF THE AIR" so the "Air" may refer to the Spiritual Realm... Ephesians 2:1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, Ephesians 2:2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to THE PRINCE OF THE POWER OF THE AIR, the SPIRIT who now works in the SONS OF DISOBEDIENCE, Ephesians 2:3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others." So if the only people who saw Jesus were taken to Heaven for the Great White Throne Judgment then that would explain why there's no records or history of anyone seeing Jesus at His 2nd Coming!
The writer of Hebrews said in verses 10:23-25... "Let us hold fast the confession of OUR HOPE without wavering, for He who PROMISED is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you SEE THE DAY APPROACHING." So there was a DAY APPROACHING and the Hebrews were HOPING for something that was PROMISED to them. What could it be?
I believe I have found the answer... Hebrews 10:34 for you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that YOU HAVE A BETTER AND AN ENDURING POSSESSION FOR YOURSELVES IN HEAVEN. Hebrews 10:35 Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has GREAT REWARD. Hebrews 10:36 For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, YOU MAY RECEIVE THE PROMISE: Hebrews 10:37 "FOR YET A LITTLE WHILE, AND HE WHO IS COMING (Erchomai) WILL COME AND WILL NOT TARRY."
HOOT! THERE IT IS! The PROMISE they were waiting for was "AN ENDURING POSSESSION IN HEAVEN" and "FOR YET A LITTLE WHILE, AND HE WHO IS COMING (Erchomai) WILL COME AND WILL NOT TARRY." It was the SAME PROMISE that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were waiting for... Hebrews 11:8 "By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. Hebrews 11:9 By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; Hebrews 11:10 FOR HE WAITED FOR THE CITY WHICH HAS FOUNDATIONS, WHOSE BUILDER AND MAKER IS GOD." They DIED without receiving the PROMISE... Hebrews 11:13 "THESE ALL DIED IN FAITH, NOT HAVING RECEIVED THE PROMISES, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth." What was that PROMISE again? Answer: The Promise of a HEAVENLY COUNTRY (NO, it's NOT America or anywhere on planet earth)... Hebrews 11:16 "But now they desire a better, that is, A HEAVENLY COUNTRY. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for HE HAS PREPARED A CITY FOR THEM." Keep reading Hebrews to learn about other old testament saints who died without receiving the PROMISE... Hebrews 11:39 "And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, DID NOT RECEIVE THE PROMISE".
The writer of Hebrews states that "THEY SHOULD NOT BE MADE PERFECT APART FROM US"... Hebrews 11:40 "God having provided something better for us, that THEY SHOULD NOT BE MADE PERFECT APART FROM US." I have got some news for you... No one is MADE PERFECT this side of Heaven. I see the evidence of it EVERY Day when I look in the mirror! "BUT WAIT!" says those with a MENTAL BLOCK - "those Believers who were ALIVE at Christ's 2nd Coming were LEFT BEHIND!" That's just another False Teaching by many Preterists! Let the Word of GOD be TRUE and Every Man a LIAR!
LOCATION! LOCATION! LOCATION!
No, I'm not talking about real estate. The phrase "CAUGHT UP" is used 4 times in the KJV and NKJV of the New Testament. EVERY TIME it is used there is a CHANGE OF LOCATION and the Destination is ALWAYS the Same...
1) 2 Corinthians 12:2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one was CAUGHT UP to the third HEAVEN.
2) 2 Corinthians 12:4 how he was CAUGHT UP into PARADISE and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
3) Revelation 12:5 She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was CAUGHT UP TO GOD and His throne.
4) 1 Thessalonians 4:17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be CAUGHT UP together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus WE SHALL ALWAYS BE WITH THE LORD.
I don't know why people can't SEE the ELEPHANT in the ROOM... They Must Have a MENTAL BLOCK!
John 14:3 "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I WILL COME AGAIN AND RECEIVE YOU TO MYSELF; that where I am, THERE YOU MAY BE ALSO." Where is Christ's Throne? Is it in Heaven or on Earth? Answer: Jesus is on His Throne in Heaven with the Father on His Throne and THEY REIGN OVER the EARTH with the SAINTS!... (TKB) Revelation 5:9 "So they sung a new song, saying, You are worthy to take the book, and to open the seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation; Revelation 5:10 and have made us to our God, a kingdom and priests; and WE WILL BE REIGNING OVER THE EARTH" (The Kingdom Bible). If you think Jesus came back down to earth after the Great White Throne Judgment then show me your evidence from scripture. Some Preterists claim that Jesus NEVER left but that's NOT Scriptural! Was He NOT at the Great White Throne Judgment? Answer: YES! See Matthew 25:31-46.
The DELIVERANCE came at the END of the Old Covenant Age (THIS AGE) when Jesus DELIVERED the Believers (Kingdom) to GOD the Father in HEAVEN... 1 Corinthians 15:24 Then comes the end, WHEN HE DELIVERS THE KINGDOM TO GOD THE FATHER, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power.
Thank you for reading this article. I hope that it was beneficial to you.
Full Preterism is the belief that all prophecy has been fulfilled. I first heard of it 20 years ago but refused to look at it because it was so different than any thing I had heard before. I invite you to take a serious look at it and you will understand the Bible better than you ever have!
Some scriptures are hard to understand and people have different opinions about their meanings. This is true for Dispensationalists, Amillenialists, Post Millenialists as well as for Full Preterists. Keep that in mind when you do your research. Here's a good place to start your research:
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