WHO or WHICH is most important?

[Shulem]

...false prophets who claimed that Jesus was coming in the last forty years, such as Hal Lindsey...

I so remember that! I purchased it back in the day (LAST DAYS) and recall TV commercials promoting his new book:





Christian False Prophecy!

[bill4long]

[bill4long]

[Limnor]

I lean toward a partial preterist view within a telescoped fulfillment of prophecy as a way to understand those verses.

“You never go full preterist.” SGT Lincoln Osiris, United States Army

That is an apologetic fallback that would not have been well received by the apostles who formed the Christian church and established the beliefs concerning the Second Coming. The JW’s are having to rebrand and walk back their predictions and the Mormons had to do the same after Joseph Smith died and time (latter days) continued ever onward.

May I suggest you simply 86 the cult and move on?

I find partial preterism interesting for reasons beyond the “this generation” passages.

For one, the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple was an event that Jesus appears to discuss in detail. That makes me think at least some fulfillment occurred in the first century.

I also find the abrupt ending of Acts interesting. Luke ends with Paul under house arrest in Rome and says nothing about Paul’s death, Peter’s death, Nero’s persecution, or the destruction of the Temple. Additionally, Josephus mentions some unusual accounts of armies or chariots in the sky. While his mention of those things might be exaggeration, they have caught my eye, and could even suggest a “rapture” prior to the destruction of the temple.

All that said, I don’t think partial preterism explains everything. I still see things that seem to point beyond the first century, which is why I find a telescoped or dual-fulfillment approach compelling.

As for “86 the cult and move on,” I appreciate the suggestion, but I’m interested in understanding the texts and the history of interpretation whether or not we agree on the conclusions. I don’t place my faith in a complete understanding of those things.