About the Cover
The picture of the Westminster Abbey being pulled apart on the cover is a symbol of the divided house of Reformed eschatology. On one side of the house is the amillennial camp, which says that there is only one future coming of Christ in the New Testament. On the other side is the partial preterist, postmillennial camp, which says that the eschatological imminent time texts of the New Testament “demand” a first century fulfillment. By gathering truth from each side of the Reformed “house divided,” Preterism constitutes the uniting and restoring of its house.
Although preterism in its systematized form is new, the doctrine is far from being a novel invention that appeared out of the blue. Combine the statements of a wide spectrum of respected Reformed scholars and you have preterism. Preterism has thus been transmitted to us from the divided house of traditional, Reformed eschatology. Preterists are simply putting the pieces together. Preterists today are the evidence that the Reformed church is reformed and always reforming.
INTRODUCTION AND RECAP OF WHEN SHALL THESE THINGS BE?
1. THE ARBITRARY PRINCIPLE OF HYPER-CREEDALISM
David A. Green
The Ecumenical Creeds: The First and Final Word / The Bitter Fruit of Hyper-Creedalism / Conclusion / Preterism and the Ecumenical Creeds: Introduction / Sola Scriptura / The Eternal Gospel / The Gospel in the Creeds / Arbitrary Creedalism / Why Do the Hyper-Creedalists Rage? / Summary and Conclusion
2. IF PRETERISM IS TRUE
David A. Green
Hill’s Premise / Simultaneous Defection of All Churches to an Alien Eschatology? / Consummation Missed and Not Noticed? / On the Incarnation / The Festal Letters / Early Church Unbelievably Deficient? / Knowledge Gained When Knowledge Lost? / Word Meanings Radically Changed? / Conclusion
3. OPENNESS FUTURISM
Edward E. Hassertt
Dr. Pratt versus Reformed Theology / Sawing off the Limb He is Sitting On / Predictions versus Threats / Haggai 2:21-23 / Pratt’s Three Failed Eschatons / Pratt and Openness Theology / House of Cards Divided / Conclusion
4. THE ESCHATOLOGICAL MADNESS OF MATHISON
OR
HOW CAN THESE THINGS BE?
Michael J. Sullivan
Old Testament Imminence / The Last Days / Double Fulfillments / All Things Written / Prophetic Telescoping / The Coming of the Son of Man / In Like Manner / The Rapture /The Creation Groaning / Death, Tears and Pain / All Israel will be Saved / The Millennium / Conclusion
5. CARROT AND STICK ESCHATOLOGY
Michael J. Sullivan
Revelation 11 / The Seven Letters / Irenaeus and Hegesippus / Honey, I Shrunk the Angels / The Lord’s Day / All the Tribes of the Earth / The Millennium / Conclusion
6. A CREEDAL OBJECTION TO WILSON’S CREEDALISM
Edward E. Hassertt
Wilson and Rome versus the Reformation / The Beam in Wilson’s Eye / Conclusion
7. THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD
David A. Green
Doctor Strimple’s Thirteen Arguments / An Exposition of First Corinthians Chapter Fifteen / Necessary Inferences / The Body / The Universality of the resurrection (1 Cor. 15:20-28) / If the resurrection is not Universal (1 Cor. 15:12-19; 29-34) / The Seed Analogy (1 Cor. 15:35-50) / The Universal Change (1 Cor. 15:51-58) / Summary and Conclusion
CONCLUSION