ceinwyn

Boomeister:

I hear you, about the loss of your friend.

My mother died of Multiple Sclerosis a couple years ago, and although I did not pray for her, she had a caretaker who was all into the "natural" way of things. So she did reiki, and homeopathy, and all that stuff. Of course, my mom eventually passed away, seeming no better from all that natural care.

It just seems the same garbage to me, prayer, homeopathy, passing of hands over the body...anyways, I'm just happy I was there for her to say I loved her and that I'd miss her.

She was comfortable, however, in her last days, thanks to excellent medical care, brought about by doctors and scientists. Go figure.

Steven Carr

All before the Temple was destroyed, and then Matthew says the end will come unexpectedly when people are going about their normal business.

nermal

Preterism makes sense to one who believes in local gods, just as I said. But of course, it then forces the question: "What does that God have to do with me? I'm no Israelite."
The descriptions of what would take place in Revelations could be explained as the consequences of a local war--seas turning to blood, grass being destroyed, waters being poisoned, etc. But then, the only conclusion that can be drawn from such prophecies is that God not only isn't interested in the rest of the world, but holds no sway outside the world of the Israelites.
Perhaps because that is the turf of other Gods?

The Second Coming makes even better sense as hind-sighted prophecy, just as most of the old testament does. If the bible is read as the work of a people, trying to make some significance of their own existence as a people, in the face of their factual insignificance under the thumb of greater and more powerful forces, all the parts begin to fit together perfectly. No apologetics are necessary.

The Hebrew God is a local god. The bible literally screams this.

The new covenent, and the rejection of the old laws occur marvelously when the authorities in existence under the old laws were seen as corrupt lap-dogs of the Roman Empire. A "common man's" religion was in order, since the priestly authorities couldn't be trusted to administer the old religion. Explanations of the failure of the old order, and the suffering of the masses was needed. This would be easy to do, after the fact. Just write a book about the end of the "world" and the greater world to come. Inclusiveness was called for, since the diaspora found itself in many disparate societies.

In the face of futility, better to preach humility and introspective theism rather than the significance of the "great nation of Israel" and its exclusive and continually unfulfilled covenant with God.

If the preterist position is accepted for the sake of argument, then the question must be asked: On what basis do we assume the influence of this God extends past Israel? And if it does not, who created the universe?

Ed