IS PRETERISM SPIRITUALLY DEPRESSING? (4)

PMT 2015-047 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

As I continue considering the question whether preterism is depressing, I come to my fourth article in answering a reader’s concern. It is at this point that we actually get to the reason that Rick sees preterism as potentially depressing. I have summarized this portion of his concern as follows:

Does preterism discount our eternal hope in a glorified estate? If the new Jerusalem and the new heavens and new earth have already begun, what comfort is that since so much in the world is in such bad shape? Such thinking has almost ruined the writer’s faith.

I can now see why he is depressed. And now he is making me depressed too. He has been reading hyperpreterists. Hyperpreterists see the world and history continuing forever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever. World without end, amen. Thus, they have no final removing of sin from the universe. God will always and forever have a fallen, sinful universe.

However, the historic, orthodox preterist believes in a future physical return of Christ, a future bodily resurrection, a future great judgment, the end of world history, and a physical new creation. He believes in the blessed hope of the Christian faith in eternity.

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But we also believe these are spiritually anticipated now. For instance, Jesus and Paul both teach that we are spiritually resurrected when we are saved, as we may see in the following texts:

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.” (John 5:24)

“He raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:6)

We also believe that the future physical new creation has begun spiritually in Christ now.

“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” (2 Cor 5:17)

“Neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.” (Gal 6:15)

These spiritual realities are advance notices of the final, consummate, physical realities which we who are redeemed will enjoy in the eternal realm. Theologians call this relationship between current spiritual realities and future final realities a “now but not yet” theology. Eternity is intruding into history and beginning to impact it.

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Reformed studies covering baptism, creation, creeds, tongues,

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See more study materials at: www.KennethGentry.com

It so happens that John’s Rev focuses on the spiritual new creation in Rev 21–22 rather than the consummate new creation. But this does not mean he denies a final, consummate new heavens and new earth. It just happens not to be his concern.

Orthodox preterists do not believe history is all there is and all there ever will be. We see new covenant history as a mixed reality, a blending the present age with the age to com. A reality that points to our future, consummate, glorious hope in Christ.