The question of whether a passage or prediction should be take literally or figurtively is a challenging one. AI: “Reading the Bible “literal or figurative” refers to how you interpret the words on the page. Literal means taking the text at face value, treating it as straightforward history or fact. Figurative means the text uses word pictures, symbols, or poetry to express a deeper spiritual truth.” This question is especially critical in the interpretation of Biblical prophecies about the future of Israel and the 2nd coming of Jesus. A friend suggested that I go through the Bible and show which passages are literal or figurative, so that is my goal.

The place to start is in the New Testament.

1) THE LUKE 21:22 RULE Luke 21:²⁰ “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that her desolation is near. ²¹ Then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those who are inside the city must leave, and those who are in the country must not enter the city; ²² because these are days of punishment, so that all things which have been written will be fulfilled. 34 Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all things take place.” Jesus is predicting the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple that would happen in 70 AD. He said it would happen within the generation of those he was speaking to. The Greek word genea always means a period of about 40 years or the people living in a 40 year period (such as we use when we speak of the baby boomers or X or Z generation). Jesus is referring to all things that have been written in the Old Testament since the New Testament had not been written when He said that. This puts a cap on the time limit for fulfillment of all Old Testament predictions. All Old Testament predictions had to be fulfilled by 70 AD. This is a rule that must be followed in interpreting any OT prediction such as the 70th week of Daniel (Daiel 9:24-27). Many say that 70th week prediction is yet to be fulfilled. Jesus in Luke 21:22 said that it had to be fulfilled by 70 AD (which it was b/c the end of the 70th week was the destrution of Jerusalem: Daniel 9:26 the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary”). Also the end event of the 70th week was the abomination of desolation of the temple. Jesus said that the events he predicted in Matthew 24 would be the fulfillment of Daniel’s prediction of the abomination of desolation. Matthew 24:¹⁵ “Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place—let the reader understand.” He then added that this Daniel abomination of desolation had to happen within that generation he was speaking to. Matthew 24:³⁴ Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all things take place.” Other OT prophecies predicted that Israel would in the future return to live in the Promised Land. Many say that happened in 1948 when Israel was granted statehood in Palestine and given a sigificant portion of the land of Israel by the United Nations. But Jesus said that prophecy had to be fulfilled by 70 AD. So that prediction cannot refer to 1948. You can see how this Luke 21:22 rule given by Jesus can really help determine if an OT predicton is to be taken literally or figuratively.

2) NEW TESTAMENT TIME STATEMENTS In the New Testament, some of the time statements on predictions help determine literal or figurative. For example: Matthew 24:²⁹ “But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. ³⁰ And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. ³⁴ Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.” Again, this a parallel to Luke 21 predicting the destructio of Jerusalem in 70 AD. That stars falling from the sky would have to happen within that generation, within the next 40 years. If this is to be taken literally, then Jesus is a false prophet b/c the stars did not literally fall within that generation. But could the passage be interpreted figuratively? Yes. The OT has many such predictions associated with the destruction of nations. Isaiah 13:1 The pronouncement concerning Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw. 9 Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, cruel, with fury and burning anger, to make the land a desolation; and He will exterminate its sinners from it. ¹⁰ For the stars of heaven and their constellations will not flash their light; The sun will be dark when it rises and the moon will not shed its light.” Isaiah was predicting the destruction of Babylon by the Assyrians in 612 BC. Is he predicting that in 612 BC the stars literally would quit shining and the sun would literally quit giving off light? If so then Isaiah was a false prophet b/c that did not happen in 612 BC. But such language is typical of predictions of the destruction of nations. So it is not surprising that Jesus predicted that the stars would fall by 70 AD. That had to be figurative languge. So what did that mean if it is figurative? AI: “In Old Testament prophecy, cosmic disturbances (darkening of the sun and moon, stars falling) are frequently used as apocalyptic language to describe the collapse of governments, empires, and earthly leaders. Just as the sun and moon provide, “light” and order, rulers and religious authorities provide societal stability. Stars “falling” often symbolize the downfall of kings, political powers, or covenant-breaking nations.” The book of Revelation predicts stars falling several times: Revelation 6:13; 8:10-11; 12:4. Many take that to be some event that has not happened yet and that will happen literally at the 2nd coming in our future. The book of Revelation was about events to happen “soon” after the time of writing. The book was written during the reign of the 6th emperor of Rome (Revelation 17:¹⁰ and they are seven kings; five have fallen (the first 5 emperors of Rome beginning with Julius Caesar had already died at the time of writing), one is (i.e. the emperor reigning at the time of writing: the 6th emperor Nero was reigning at the time of writing). Nero reigned from 54-68 AD so the book had to be written before 68 AD (probably around 63 AD). The theme of the book is the avenging of the blood of the apostles, prophets and Jewish saints (Christians) that was shed by the evil Jewish nation (Revelation 18:²⁰ Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced judgment for you against her (i.e. the spiritual prostitute Jerusalem in chapter 17).” The book is about the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD which would be “soon” after the time of writing. That prediction of the stars falling iin Revelation would have to be figurative as in Matthew 24 or else the apostle John was a false prophet. Bottom line, you can see how some of the time statements in NT predictions help determine literal or figurtive. BTW, these time statements would negte the teaching of some that Matthew 24 had a dual fulfillment: originally in 70 AD and then that event was a type of a final coming of Jesus in our future. Any fulfillment of Matthew 24 had to be within that generation.

3) THE IMMINENT 2ND COMING PREDICTED BY JESUS Another critical consideration in literal or figurative is understanding the time of the 2nd coming of Jesus. Jesus predicted a 2nd coming only 4 times in the synoptics: Matthew 10:23; 16:27-28; 24:29-34; 26:64. All 4 times he predicted his 2nd coming to be within the lifetime of his listeners. Matthew 16:27 even uses the word mello in that prediction: Matthew 16 ²⁷ `For, the Son of Man is about to (mello) come in the glory of his Father, with his messengers, and then he will reward each, according to his work.” (Young’s Literal Translation) The Greek word mello when used in the NT always refers to something that is “about to happen”, either about to happen in time or about to be at a location. Jesus even added: Matthew 26:²⁸ Verily I say to you, there are certain of those standing here who shall not taste of death till they may see the Son of Man coming in his reign.” That’s pretty plain. If here were not some still living when he returned then he is a false prophet! Or that there are some 2,000 year old people still alive today. In all 4 of those predictions Jesus said that his return (or 2nd coming) would be within the lifetime of those he was speaking to. He is a false prophet if he did not return within that generation (Matthew 24:34) as he predicted, which is exactly what the atheists, Jews, and Muslims say that he was. But he did return in that generation in 70 AD in judgment on the Jews, using the Romans to destroy Jerusalem and the temple and kill over a million of the evil Jews (according to Josephus). AD 70 was the 2nd coming of Jesus. There are no other predictions of a return or coming back that would not be within that generation. None. If the 2nd coming is still in our future, don’t you think there would be some verses in the synoptics where Jesus predicted that? Many say, “Yes he predicted an imminent 2nd coming, but he delayed it.” That would be a delay going on 2,000 years now! But nowhere in the NT is there a delay of the 2nd coming. On the contrary: Hebrews 10:37 For yet in a very little while, He who is coming will come, and will not delay.” There is not scriptural basis whatsoever for saying that Jesus delayed his prediction of an imminent 2nd coming.

THE APOSTLES ALSO PREDICTED AN IMMINENT 2ND COMING The apostles also, based on Jesus’ teaching, taught an imminent 2nd coming. James 5:⁷ Therefore be patient, brothers and sisters, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. ⁸ You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.” Notice that this applied directly to those James wrote to. They were suffering at the hands of rich evil Jews and were told to be patient until the 2nd coming when they would get relief when a million evil Jews were killed in 70 AD. That coming, James said, was “near” at the time he wrote. 1 Peter 4:⁷ The end of all things is near.” The end of the physical earth was not near. Either Peter the apsostle was a false prophet or else he is referring to the end of the Jewish system and temple in 70 AD (which he was) in figurative language and not to the end of the world. 1 Corinthians 15:⁵¹ Behold, I am telling you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 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 imperishable, and we will be changed.” That chapter is about the resurrection. Paul is clearly sayiing that some of those he is writing to would still be alive (“not sleep) when the the righteous are given immortality, and that all the righteous, dead or alive, will be given that immortality. That could only be referring to Jesus’ 2nd coming when as Daniel 12:1-2 predicted, all the dead of the OT who were in hades waiting their final judgment would be raised, some to eternal life, some to eternal destruction. Paul later predicted in Acts 24:¹⁵ having hope toward God, which they themselves also wait for, [that] there is about to be (mello) a rising again of the dead, both of righteous and unrighteous.” (Young’s Literal Translation) I know that sounds heretical to say that the resurrection and 2nd coming happened in 70 AD, but examine all these passages before you charge heresy. It is interesting, however, that most Christians, even those that are not full preterists, believe that we go immediately to be with Jesus when we die, which I believe is true. That means that we can be with Jesus with a spiritual body without ever have our physical body raised from the grave. Why then would we need to ever have our physical body raised to be with Jesus in eternity? Of course, some say that at a future 2nd coming that our bodies will be raised from the grave and that we will be given some kind of eternal physical/spiritual body to live on earth. But if there is no future 2nd coming or resurrection, that that teaching is not Biblical. That also contradicts Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians 15 that the readers would be raised with an entirely spiritual not physical body. Finally Revelation predicts an imminent 2nd coming: Revelation 1:1,3  The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place…for the time is near. ⁷ Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. 22:⁶ And he said to me, “These words are faithful and true”; and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent His angel to show His bond-servants the things which must soon take place. ⁷ “And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.” Again, this teaching (which is called “full preterism” and is considered heresy by many) is based on plain, simple interpretation of the words of Jesus and the apostles. To me, it is more heretical to teach that Jesus’ predictions of an imminent 2nd coming did not happen just as he predicted, thus making him a false prophet or just mistaken. C.S.Lewis came to that conclusion, that Jesus was just mistaken in Matthew 10:23.

ROMANS 11:16 SO ALL ISRAEL WILL BE SAVED. So what does that full preterist view of the 2nd coming in 70 AD mean for literal or figurative? If the 2nd coming, the resurrection, and the judgment all occurred in 70 AD (and they did), then that helps interpret eschatological predictions. For example, Romans 11:²⁶ and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written: “The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.” ²⁷ “This is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins.” That passage has caused a lot of debate on what “so all Israel will be saved” means. But notice that “all Israel will be saved” when the deliverer (i..e Jesus) comes from Zion, which refers to the 2nd coming. If so, whatever “all Israel will be saved” means had to happen by the 2nd coming. If full preterism is true, and I believe that it is, the 2nd coming was in 70 AD and all Israel had to be saved by 70 AD. Many say it means that at some future 2nd coming that the nation nof Israel will be saved in some way, but that doesn’t fit the timing that it had to happen by 70 AD. What does it mean? Without going into a long discussion or Romans 11, it means that by the 2nd coming in 70 AD all the elect, the Jewish remnant who would accept Jesus as the Messiah, would be gathered. The apostles would have preached the gospel to the entire Roman Empire by 70 AD, converting the elect. Some Jews early on believed in Jesus (3,000 in Acts) but most Jews rejected him. But Romans 11 predicts that some of those Jews who rejected him early on would become jealous of the Gentiles being saved and then would change their disbelief into belief in Jesus before 70 AD and the 2nd coming. Thus over the 40 year period from 30-70 AD the full remnant would be gathered. So “all Israel” in Romans 9:26 is somewhat figurative, referring to spiritual Israel, the elect, the Jewish remnant who believed in Jesus by 70 AD instead of a literal nation of Israel interpretation.

ROMANS 8:18-21 AN IMMINENT GLORIFICATION OF THE SONS OF GOD Similar to this is Romans 8:¹⁸ For I reckon that the sufferings of the present time [are] not worthy [to be compared] with the glory about to be (mello) revealed in us;¹⁹ for the earnest looking out of the creation doth expect the revelation of the sons of God; ²⁰ for to vanity was the creation made subject — not of its will, but because of Him who did subject [it] — in hope, ²¹ that also the creation itself shall be set free from the servitude of the corruption to the liberty of the glory of the children of God.” (Young’s Literal Translation) This is a favorite passage of those who teach that at the 2nd coming the earth will be re-created or renewed into a Garden of Eden restoration. However, notice that whatever Paul is predicting was “about to be” (mello). If Paul is predicting an imminent re-creation of the earth then he was a false prophet b/c that did not happen soon after he wrote Romans. But that is not what he is predicting. He is predicting that at the 2nd coming in 70 AD which was “about to” happen that the true sons of God would be glorified (a constant theme in the NT). Probably they are the “creation” that would be set free from their spiritual corruption and given the liberty from the condemnation of sin. The physical earth being re-created is just not in that passage. So there is some figurative language here but the word mello helps us figure it out. As mentioned before, there are many other eschatological predictions associated with a supposedly still future 2nd coming: the return of Israel to their land, the end of the 70th week of Daniel 9, Gog and Magog invading Israel of Ezekiel 38-39, the battle of Armageddon of Revelation 20, the Great White Throne judgment of Revelation 20, the coming of some Antichrist, extreme natural disasters and celestial disturbances, etc. If the 2nd coming was in 70 AD and there is no”3rd coming” in our future then none of these things will happen in our future. They already happened!!!!!

1 AND 2 THESSALONIANS: THE 2ND COMING That brings us to another key eschatological prediction that is relevant to our literal or figurative discusison. 1 Thessalonians 4:¹³ But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as indeed the rest of mankind do, who have no hope. ¹⁴ For if we believe that Jesus died and rose from the dead, so also God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus. ¹⁵ For we say this to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶ For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ Then we who are alive, who remain, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. ¹⁸ Therefore, comfort one another with these words.” Is this a prediction of some kind of “rapture” of saints at the 2nd coming as many teach. To begin with, as many have noted, it looks as if Paul expects some of his readers to be alive at the 2nd coming (“that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord “). If so, was Paul mistaken or a false prophet? Before discussing what this passage meant, we need to fast forward to Paul’s 2nd letter to the Thessalonians where he discussed in further detail the 2nd coming. Timothy had taken the 1 Thessalonians letter but returned telling Paul that there was confusing about the 2nd coming that he had mentioned in the first letter, some even saying that the 2nd coming had already happened (2 Thess 2:1-2). He said that the 2nd coming would give relief to the Jewish Christians who were suffering persecution from the Jewish non Christians: 2 Thess 1:⁶ For after all it is only right for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, ⁷ and to give relief to you who are afflicted, along with us, when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels. This persecution was menetioned in the 1st letter: 1 Thess 2:¹⁴ For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, for you also endured the same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews, ¹⁵ who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out. They are not pleasing to God, but hostile to all people, ¹⁶ hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved; with the result that they always reach the limit of their sins. But wrath has come upon them fully.” This promised relief from their suffering would be meaningless to them if the 2nd coming was not in their lifetime, but it would be of great comfort if the 2nd coming was in 70 AD when Jesus would use the Romans to kill one million of their Jewish enemies. Then in 2 Thess 2, Paul goes on to say that the 2nd coming would not occur until 2 events happened: the apostasy would come and the man of lawlessness who would sit in the temple of God claiming to be God would be revealed. He then says that something or someone is restraining the man of lawlessnes but that the “mystery of lawlessness is already at work” (2 Thess 2:7) wherein the restraint would be removed, allowing the man of lawlessness to be revealed doing his false signs and wonders. That in turn would precede the 2nd coming and destruction of the man of lawlessness (probably the destruction of the demonic power behind the man of lawlessness). But the key here is that “the mystery is already at work” at the time of writing (51 AD). The man of lawlessness would sit in the temple, so the temple had to be still standing when he arose (it would not be standing if the 2nd coming was after 70 AD). The man of lawlessnes was probably Titus who destroyed and desecrated the temple in 70 AD. Paul said that the man of lawlessness was living at the time he wrote the letter and that the 2nd coming would destroy that man in some way. All this means that Paul is saying that the 2nd coming would occur within the lifetime that he was writing the letter. That fits the full preterism view of the 2nd coming.

1 THESSALONIANS 4:13-18 But how does that help us interpret 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 quoted above? If Paul clearly shows that the 2nd coming will be within their lifetime in 2 Thessalonians 2, which fits 70 AD, then surely 1 Thess 4:13-18 is referring to that same 2nd coming in 70 AD. After all, the 2nd letter is answering some of their confusion about the 1st letter. Most say 1 Thess 4 is predicting some kind of rapture of saints at the 2nd coming, but if the 2nd coming was in 70 AD, that did not happen and is not something that is going to happen in our future. But what does the passage mean if it was predicting something to happen in 70 AD? AI: “Many biblical theologians argue that the Apostle Paul intentionally structured this passage around the ancient Greco-Roman custom of an imperial adventus or parousia (a royal visit). In the ancient world, when a king, emperor, or high-ranking dignitary approached a city, the citizens would not just wait inside. Instead, they would march outside the city walls to meet (eis apantēsin) the dignitary. Once they met him, they would form an honor guard and joyfully escort him back into the city. Rather than the believers turning around and going back up to heaven with the King (the rapture idea), the royal protocol suggests they turn around and escort Him victoriously down to earth.” I think that explains how 1 Thess 4:13-18 is referring to the 2nd coming in 70 AD and how it is consistent with an AD 70 2nd coming in 2 Thessalonians 1-2. After all, the 2nd coming in 70 AD would usher in God and Jesus coming to earth to abide in God’s church. Revelation 21:² And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among the people, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them. John 14:³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I am coming again and will take you to Myself, so that where I am, there you also will be. ²³ Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will follow My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our dwelling with him.” Many think that John 14:2 “I am going there to prepare a place for you” refers to heaven, but the context shows that it is referring to the dwelling place of God and Jesus in believers here on earth, not in heaven. That indwellling of God in believers was finalized in 70 AD.

4) MESSIANIC PROPHECIES Another consideration deals specifically withe the many Messianic prophecies in the OT. There are two type of prophecy fulfillments. One is “predictive prophecy”, i.e predictions that predict one and only one event with only one fulfillment to be fulfilled by the Messiah. Micah 5:2 would be an example of that predicting that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem. That was used by Herod to ascertain where the new king of the Jews would be born. That prophecy had one and only one fulfillment. Many OT Messianic predictions are like that: the predictions about the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus in Isaiah 53, the predictions in Zechariah 9 and 12 about him riding into Jerusalem on a donkey and being pierced. These one time only fulfillments would be used to confirm that Jesus was the real Messiah and King of the Jews as predicted in the OT. These are what Paul used in Acts 17:1-3 in the synagogue to try to show the Jews that Jesus fulfilled all those predictions and was thus the Messiah. But even those predictions had some figurative language in them. For example, Ezekiel 34:23-24 predicted that in the Messianic Age God would place David as the shepherd of his flock. Ezekiel 37:24-25; Jeremiah 23:5-6 predicted that in the Messianic Age David would be king over Israel. But remember the Luke 21:22 rule: everything predicted in the OT had to be fulfilled by 70 AD. The unbelieving Jews still expect David to actually arise from the dead and be a shepherd and king of Israel some day, but it is pretty obvious that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Davidic predictions in Jeremiah and Ezekiel. So David is figurative for Jesus. Similar to that is Malachi 4:5 that Elijsh would come before the great and terrible day of the Lord (which was 70 AD). In Matthew 17 Jesus clearly said that the fulfillment of that prediction was in John the Baptist, so that is figurative language although unbelieving Jews still look for Elijah to arise from the dead and come sit at table with them during the Passover feast.

THE RETURN OF ISRAEL TO THEIR LAND Another such OT predictive prophecy passage that has some figurative language is the one mentioned earlier about Israel being restored to living in the Promised Land of Palestine. Ezekiel 36-37 and Amos 9:14-15 predicted that Israel’s fortunes would be restored and that they would be allowed to return to the Promised Land, never to be uprooted from the land ever again. But the Luke 21:22 rule says these predictions had to be fulfilled by 70 AD. Israel did not literally return to Palestine by 70 AD; instead they were scattered and driven away from Jerusalem. But we do believe that those predictions were fulfilled by 70 AD, but were fulfilled figuratively and not literally. They were not fulfilled in 1948 as many teach as that would violate Luke 21:22. Also those promises were only made to the remnant of believing Jews who would accept Jesus as the Messiah, and not to the whole unbelieving nation, which is Paul’s argument in Romans 9:1-4. He said that God fulfilled all His OT promises to Israel but the promises were only made to the remnant and not to the whole nation, most of whom did not believe in Jesus. So how was spiritual Israel’s fortunes restored and how did they return to the land? Figuratively. The believing remnant were given spiritual fortunes of eternal life and they were placed in the eternal safety of the hands of God, which would be the land return fulfillment. John 10:²⁶ But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep. ²⁷ My sheep listen to My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; ²⁸ and I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. ²⁹ My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. ³⁰ I and the Father are one.”

DAVID WILL BE KING Another such OT predictive passage that has some figurative language is Jeremiah 33:17-18 “For this is what the Lord says: ‘David will never fail to have a man to sit on the throne of Israel, nor will the Levitical priests ever fail to have a man to stand before me to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings and to present sacrifices continually'”. This would occur in the Messianic Age. The Luke 21:22 rule says that had to be fulfilled by 70 AD. It also predicted offering animal burnt offerings which the book of Hebrews clearly said would be done away with by 70 AD to be replaced with the offering of the body and blood of Jesus. So if Jeremiah 33:17-18 was to be fulfilled literally with Levites and burnt offerings, that would be a total contradiction and would take away from the high priesthood of Jesus and the offering of his body. So it must be figurative of the eternal high priesthood of Jesus and that the offering of his body was “once for all tiime”, continuing to. cleanse sinners forever (Hebrews 9-10). Even those who say that Jesus will return in our future do not say that Jeremiah 33:17-18 will be fulfilled literally.

ISAIAH 65-66 AND 2 PETER 3. Another such OT predictive passage that has figurative language is Isaiah 65:17-25 and 66:18-24 predictions of a new Jerusalem and a new heavens and new earth. Again, the Luke 21:22 rule says this had to be fulfilled by 70 AD and it was. The New Jerusalem established in the New Testament was the church. AI: “In the Book of Revelation 21, the New Jerusalem is described as a city “prepared as a bride adorned for her husband”. Because the New Testament identifies believers and the Church as the Bride of Christ, the city symbolizes the people of God united with Him eternally. Also in the Book of Hebrews, the Apostle Paul refers to the corporate community of believers as the “city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem”. 2 Peter 3 is is the predicted fulfillment of the destruction of the old heaveans and earth (the Jewish system) and replacement with the new heavens and earth (the Messianic church system) in 70 AD. 2 Peter 3:¹³ But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.” Where was that promise found? Isaiah 65 and 66. If it was a promise written in the OT, then Luke 21:22 said that it had to be fulfilled by 70 AD, and it was. Many Bible scholars have said that 2 Peter 3 is not talking about a literal destruction of the old heavens and earth. Some of the confusion is 2 Peter 3:¹² looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat!” What are the “elements” of the old heavens and earth that would be burned up? Is that the elements like oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, etc. that make up the earth? The Greek word for “elements” is stoicheion: Element, principle, rudiment. In the New Testament it never is used to refer to the earth elements. It is used 5 times in addition to 2 Peter 3:10,12. All 5 tiimes it refers to the elemental teachings of the world or of. Judaism (Galatians 4:3; 4:9; Colossians 2:8,20; Hebrews 5:12). It refers to the elemental teachings of Judaism in 2 Peter that would be destrooyed and removed in 70 AD (Hebrews 8:13, written in 60 AD, said that the law was about to disappear in 70 AD). Again, a lot of figurative language but understandable.

ANALOGY PROPHECIES Another type of fulfillment besides “predictive” prophecy is simply analogies. In Matthew 15 Jesus said that Isiah predicted the hardness of the hearts of the Jews Jesus was teaching and quoted Isiah 29:13. That prediction is not a one and only one time prediction about the evil Jews such as Micah 5:2. It is simply an analogy. The Jews in Isaiah’s tiime were evil just liked the Jews in Jesus’ time, so you could say that Isaiah’ prediction was being fulfilled in Jesus’ time. These analogies were never meant to be used to identify the Messiah.

5) FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE IN THE OLD TESTAMENT. Those are 4 guidelines to interpreting prophecies to be literal or figurative. There are several common sense interpretation of figurative language through out the Old Testament. There are several categories of obvious figurative language just as in our English language studies. AI: “Figurative language is woven throughout the entire Old Testament. While found in historical narratives, it is heavily concentrated in three primary literary genres: Poetic Literature (the Psalms, Song of Solomon), Wisdom Literature (Proverbs, Ecclesiastes), and Prophetic Literature (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel). Specific types of figurative language appear across these sections in various forms: Metaphors and Similes: Example: “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer…” (Psalm 18:2). Example: “He shall mount up with wings like eagles…” (Isaiah 40:31). Personification (Giving non-human things human traits): Frequently used in the Book of Proverbs to describe abstract concepts. Example: “Wisdom cries aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the markets” (Proverbs 1:20). Anthropomorphism (Giving human traits to God): Used throughout the Old Testament to help humans understand a transcendent deity. Example: “The eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth…” (2 Chronicles 16:9). Hyperbole (Deliberate Exaggeration): Found in poetic war songs and lamentations to emphasize intensityExample: “They were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions” (2 Samuel 1:23).

6) SHADOWS AND TYPES Shadows and types in the Bible are considered to be figurative language, called typology. AI: “A type is an actual person, event, or institution in the Old Testament that acts as a “pre-echo” or prophetic picture of a greater reality in the New Testament. A shadow (from the Greek word skia) refers to an imperfect, insubstantial outline of a future reality.

• The Shadow vs. The Substance: The New Testament uses shadow imagery to show that Old Testament practices (like dietary laws, Sabbath days, or the Levitical priesthood) were merely the outline. The “substance” or reality (soma) is Christ. This is famously outlined in Colossians 2:16-17.
• The Type and Antitype: A type (like the Old Testament Passover lamb) points forward to the “antitype” or fulfillment (Jesus Christ, the ultimate sacrifice). For example, Romans 5:14 identifies Adam as a “type” (typos) of the one who was to come, Jesus.
• Hebrews as a Primary Source: The Book of Hebrews relies heavily on this figurative language. It describes the earthly tabernacle and its rituals as “copies and shadows of what is in heaven” (e.g., Hebrews 8:5 and Hebrews 10:1).

In biblical interpretation, while these are figurative models, they are believed to represent real historical events or objects that God specifically designed to point toward Christ

7) REVELATION IS FULL OF FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE The book of Revelation is full of figurative language. [But why describe the predicted events in such figurative language?Won’t that make it harder to understand? Why so much figurative language? John wrote about real events that would happen soon, but in figurative language. In 13:18 he talks about the mark of the beast, 666 (using a numbers for letters system perhaps), but he says that those readers with insight could calculate exactly who he was talking about, probably Nero. John would not want to name Nero. 

• Symbolic numbers in Revelation.
• Other times, the numbers are symbolic, such as 4 (the earth number, the 4 directions, the 4 living creatures of ch 4 who execute God’s wrath on earth); or 7 (the complete number, the 7 churches, stars, Spirits, seals, angels, plagues, bowls of wrath, heads),, or 10 (10. Horns, 10 kings), or 12 (12 gates, pearls, foundations, apostles of the church in ch 22).

Big symbolic numbers. The 1,000 year reign of Revelation 20. 

• Some bigger numbers are multiples of these symbolic numbers. 1,000 is 10X10X10. 
• The 1,000 years in ch 20 has been used to teach a 1,000 year reign of Christ on earth when he returns, but it only refers to the 40 year period from Acts 2 (30 AD) to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. 
• Why do I say that? 22:7,8 says that at the end of the 1,000 years that Gog and Magog (as predicted in Ezekiel 38-39) will surround the “beloved city” which has to be Jerusalem. If this is an event soon to take place based on Rev 1:1-3 and Rev 21:4-7, then this has to be the Romans (God and Magog) surrounding Jerusalem in 70 AD. 
• There is a 200 million man army (Rev 9:16) attacking (200X10^6), which is Rome. Surely a figurative number.
• There is the 144,000 who are sealed for protection (Rev 7, 14). There are the 12,000 of ch 7 (12X1000). Figurative numbers although the JW’s took the 144,000 to be a literal number of faithful members, the only ones to go to heaven. The rest, the “great multitude of every nation in Ch 7, will live on earth in paradise forever. All JW members of course.

Symbolic animals. 

• Other figures like the sea beast of ch 13 are taken from OT predictions (Daniel 7 names the next 4 kingdoms: Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greeks, Romans) using lion, leopard, and bear, the same figures used to describe the sea beast Rome in ch 13 (the iron beast in Daniel 2,7). Rev 13:² And the beast that I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion.”
• There is also an earth beast which is the Jewish false prophets. 
• The dragon in ch 12 and ch 20, which John tells us is Satan. 
• The 4 living creatures in ch 4 (the same figure in Ezekiel 1). 
• The 4 horsemen of ch 6 which represent conquest, war, famine, and death. This is taken from Zechariah 6.

Apparently the Holy Spirit just wanted to describe these imminent events more powerfully than just literal language, the same way we use “it’s raining cats and dogs” to describe heavy rain. 

I’m sure I missed something but I hope this is helpful for those who are digging deeper into Bible study. I truly believe that the Bible is basically undersstandable. I don’t believe there are any predictions, OT or NT, that are to be fulfilled in our future. That should give us comfort when we hear the false teachers misusing scripture.

I just started watching a TV series of 10 episodes. It was one of those where the murder case investigation kept going for the full 10 episodes with the “who dunnit” only coming in episode 10. I was tempted to skip the first 9 episode and just watch the 10th episode to see who committed the murder. There would be a lot of twists and turns and suspense if I watched the first 9 episodes so I thought that if I knew how it ended, I could just relax and watch the 9 episodes without being stressed out over ever bad thing that happend to the star deetective of the showw during those 9 episodes.

Of course that made me think of doing a new blog article on this!

First of all, the whole Bible and Bible history is a long series of many episodes with a lot of twists and turns. The creation; God decides to destroy everyone but spares Noah; God chooses Abraham and then the patriarchs who end up in slavery in Egpypt; Moses delivers Israel from slavery and Joshua takes them into the Promised Land; after many years of judges Saul, David, and Solomon are the first 3 kings of Israel; the kingdom divides and both the northern and southern kingdoms are carried into captivity; the southern kingdom Judah is allowed to return to Palestine after 70 years of captivity to rebuild the temple that the Babylonians destroyed; 400 years of silence with no prophets after Malachi; John the Baptist prepares the way for Jesus; Jesus dooes 3 years of teaching and miracles; Jesus is crucified and then raised from the dead and ascends to heaven; the apostles preach the gospel to the whole Roman Empire and establish many churches; all the 27 books of the New Testament are written before 70 AD.

But the final episode of the Bible is when Jesus is crucifed for our sins and raised. He would then return in 70 AD to judge the wicked Jews who rejected him as the Messiah and would destroy the temple, ushering in the consummation of the new covenant, removing the old covenant and the old Jewish system. The first 9 Bible story episodes would have one big question: how is God going to save or justify sinners and still be the Just judge of the world who must punish sin. There would be many predictions of a Messiah but even the prophets who made the predictions didn’t understand what they were predicting. There would be a lot of suspense as the Jews would continually disobey God and you would wonder if God would just wipe them out and forget the whole thing. But then we read the last episode and see how that Jesus provided immortality and eternal life to those who believe in him. But the final episode of the Bible is when Jesus is crucified for our sins and raised. He would then return in 70 AD to judge the wicked Jews who rejected him as the Messiah and would destroy the temple, ushering in the consummation of the new covenant, removing the old covenant and the old Jewish system. The first 9 Bible story episodes would have one big question: how is God going to save or justify sinners and still be the Just judge of the world who must punish sin. There would be many predictions of a Messiah but even the prophets who made the predictions didn’t understand what they were predicting. There would be a lot of suspense as the Jews would continually disobey God and you would wonder if God would just wipe them out and forget the whole thing. But then we read the last episode and see how that Jesus provided immortality and eternal life to those who believe in him. A lot of people just skip all those history episodes leading up the final epeisode and then they accept Jesus. That’s finae. I personally have enjoyed reading and studying all those episodes leading up to the final revelation of the mystery of how God would save us though the death of Jesus.

I guess I am just saying that we are so blessed to be able to know how the Bible story, the scheme of redemption, was brought to completion. In the last chapter of the Bible, Revelation 22, everything that was lost in the Garden due to sin was restored in the tree of life and waters of eternal life available in the church, the New Jerusalem. Those living during the first 9 episodes of Bible history would not have ever known the ending, but we do.

So, for what it’s worth, that skipping those episodes to the final ending episode sounds good, but I think I’ll just watch them all b/c I’ve got a feeling it will all end well. Of course I said that about the last episode of season 4 of the series Unforgettable and just as Al is proposing to Carrie, he is shot in the chest and the final episode ends not knowing if he lives or dies. Season 5 was cancelled so I’ll never know. I’m glad the Bible doesn’t end like that!

Has science disproved free will? Here is their case: AI: “Neuroscientists like Robert Sapolsky and Sam Harris point to experiments showing that the brain commits to an action before the conscious mind makes a decision. The Readiness Potential: Classic experiments (famously by Benjamin Libet) showed a subconscious electrical buildup in the brain called the “readiness potential” occurring fractions of a second before a person consciously decides to move. Predictable Decisions: More modern neuroimaging studies have shown researchers can predict simple decisions people will make up to \(7\)-\(10\) seconds before the subjects are consciously aware of deciding.”

What might be the consequences if science could disprove free will? The first one usually mentioned i a change in our judicial system. AI: “End of Retributive Justice: If all actions are predetermined by past events or brain chemistry, the idea that a criminal “chose” to do evil vanishes. The moral justification for punishment as “just deserts” disappears. The legal system would shift entirely to a public health and utilitarian model. Prisons would transition from punitive facilities to places of incapacitation (to protect society) and rehabilitation (to alter future behavior).” Would that mean shorter sentences and punishment for sex offenders and murderers?

The more disturbing consequences might be this from AI. “Redefining “Good” and “Evil”: Without free will, morality ceases to be about personal virtue and instead becomes a measure of social utility. “Good” actions are simply those that promote societal flourishing, while “bad” actions are treated as symptoms of a malfunctioning brain or poor conditioning.
Shifting Blame: Moral outrage and indignation would lose their logical foundation. While society would still need to condemn harmful behaviors to discourage them, holding individuals personally and emotionally accountable for their flaws would become irrational.”

In other words, this would do away with the concept that sin is a free will choice that God will hold us accountable for. It’s funny how we always go back to the Garden for the fundamentals of created life as God made it. Heterosexual marriage between one man and one woman. The roles of the husband as the breadwinner and spiritual leader of the family, loving and caring for his wife. The role of the wife. in submission to her husband as his helper and the predominant raiser of their children. Free will. God could have made humans as robots who would never disobey him, but He chose to give them free will to choose whether to obey or disobey Him. God wanted humans who could freely choose to love him and not be programmed to love him even if that meant that He gave them the ability to not love and obey Him. Eat of the tree of life and live forever in the Garden. Eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil and die both spiritually (immediately) and physically (eventually). Did Eve’s neurons fire in her brain that made her choose to disobey God? No. She saw the fruit, it looked good to her, she listened to the devil’s lie that God didn’t want her to eat of that bad tree b/c it would make her as knowledgable as God. She chose of her own free will to eat the fruit of the bad tree. God then held both Adam and Eve accountable for their free will choice. God didn’t say, “I guess your neurons made you choose to disobey so I won’t punish you.”

Free will has been a foundation teaching of the Bible, Judaism, and Christianity since the beginning. God has always held people responsible and aaccountable for their sinful choices. BTW that is one of the reasons Calvinism is such a dangerous doctrine. TULIP basically takes away from the ability of sinners to make free will choices. You are either in the arbitrarily selected group whom God has predestined to be saved or you are out of luck! Then there is the false idea that one’s genetics make you guy or an alcoholic, and therefore you are not really accountable. I mean, they say, “how could a loving God hold you accountable for being gay if you were “born that way”?” Even if someone was born genetically drawn to the same sex, which hasn’t been proven scientifically, he/she would still have the free will to choose not to practice same sex relations. If I am born genetically drawn to the opposite sex, I still have to choose to be faithful to my wife or not. Ultimately it’s not genetics but free will.

It seems that science’s attempt to disprove free will is just another atheistic attempt to keep us from believing in a God who created us, gave us free will, and who will hold us accountable for our sins. As Joshua told the Israelites, “But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15). God said, “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live.” — Deuteronomy 30:19 (ESV)

I have struggled with a serious question lately: “If Jesus was with us today, would He be turning some tables over as He visited our churches in the U.S?” The first century church met in houses, owned no property or buildings, had no building expenses, and was based on community life with many fellowship gatherings. When they took up a collection, the money was spent on helping the poor, the widows, the orphans, families whose breadwinners were in prison or in the mines for their faith, burying the dead, and helping with famines and plagues. They had no local paid preachers or staff. They would provide the evangelists who traveled to different churches with food and a place to stay, but only for short periods. The Didache (100 AD) said that if an evangelist stayed more than 3 days that they were preaching for money and to send them on their way. Modern churches hire preachers and staff for 3years or 30 years instead of 3 days. The early church was focused on spreading the gospel to the lost instead of their own selfish needs or wants. They were more focused on mutual edification than hiring people to do their work for them. They met as close knit loving communities and didn’t constantly hop and shop churches to find a preacher they liked to hear or a style of worship on Sunday morning that they like.

Today, the church in the U.S. spends on average 75-80 % of the money they collect on buildings and staff and another 10% on internal programs for themselves. U.S. churches collect an estimated $70 billion to $125 billion in member donations annually, so that’s about $80 billion dollars they spend on buildings and staff each year instead of the needs that God would want the money spent on. Today most churches are more focused on that once a week assembly rather than the 24/7 interaction of the members. The bigger churches break down into small groups, which is good, in order to accomplish what the house churches did in the first century, which makes you wonder why not just skip the millions of dollars spent on the big church system and just do the house churches instead for 0 dollars. What about churches being the “pillar and ground of the TRUTH” ( 1 Timothy 3:15). I am not talking about minor issues of truth that are not heaven/hell issues, like using instrumental music or how often you take the Lord’s Supper. I am talking about core truth, the biggest of which for us is the LGBTQ issue. That issue is the core of Basic Bible truth on gender and marriage, and central to all Biblical truth. So how is the U.S. church doing on that truth? Membership: About 54% of U.S. religious congregations allow an openly gay or lesbian couple to be full-fledged members. Leadership: 30% of churches permit openly gay or lesbian individuals to hold volunteer leadership roles. What about the truth that Jesus is the Son of God? National surveys (like Ligonier Ministries’ State of Theology) reveal that even among self-identified Evangelicals, nearly 30% agree that “Jesus was a great teacher, but he was not God”.That’s your church attending evangelicals, not the atheists or agnostics who deny the deity of Jesus. What about the truth of the resurrection of Jesus, a doctrine that all Christianity stands or falls with? A study by Lifeway Research found that roughly 23% of professing Christians outright disagree or are unsure about the bodily resurrection. Another survey on professing Christians found that only 45% strongly believed Jesus physically rose from the dead. That’s professing Christians, not atheists and agnostics. Many liberal preacher training seminaries openly deny the miracles and resurrection of Jesus. AI: “At progressive or mainline institutions affiliated with denominations like the United Church of Christ, PCUSA, or the Episcopal Church, a significant portion of professors and students may interpret the resurrection and miracles theologically or symbolically, rather than as literal, physical events. For example, in a widely publicized interview, the president of Union Theological Seminary openly stated she does not believe in a literal, bodily resurrection.”

So, back to our original question. “If Jesus was with us today, would He be turning some tables over as He visited our churches in the U.S?” Why did He turn the tables over? AI: “Jesus turned over the tables in the Temple to protest the exploitation of the poor and the corruption of the sacred space. Merchants and money changers were taking advantage of worshippers by charging unfair exchange rates and exorbitant prices for sacrificial animals.” Are U.S. churches misusing the money they collect in the name of Jesus? Are they promoting a man made church business model that is not even in the Bible, one that is a terrible steward of God’s money that they collect? Are they teaching false doctrine that corrupts the purity of the bride of Christ? I ask this question specifically about churches in the U.S. b/c churches in many foreign, often persecuted, churches are practicing the first century church model a lot better than U.S. churches. AI: “In regions like the Middle East, North Africa, and China, underground churches deliberately eschew bank accounts and paid, full-time staff for operational security. Leadership falls to local believers acting as shepherds without a formal or public title. Demographers and missionologists estimate that the vast majority—frequently cited as 80% to 90%—of Chinese Christian house churches operate without officially paid, full-time preachers or pastors. Because these congregations exist outside the state-sanctioned Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM) system, they rely heavily on bivocational (tentmaking) lay leaders who work regular secular jobs.”

Do I think that Jesus would be “inspecting” churches today to see if they are carrying out His desires for His church” Yes and I think Jesus would be turning a lot of church tables over if He were with us today. So what do I do with that thought? Do I have the authority that Jesus had to enable me to start turning tables over? No, but I do let my voice be heard by the leaders and the members of any church that I am associated with.

The apostle John inspected the 7 churches of Asia quite closely in Revelations chapters 2 and 3. He pointed out their strong and weak points, harshly criticizing some. I’m not an apostle with apostolic authority but I think we can use John ‘s example to examine our churches today. What do you think??????

John 5:² Now in Jerusalem, by the Sheep Gate, there is a pool which in Hebrew is called Bethesda, having five porticoes. ³ In these porticoes lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, limping, or paralyzed. ⁵ Now a man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. ⁶ Jesus, upon seeing this man lying there and knowing that he had already been in that condition for a long time, *said to him, “Do you want to get well?” 

BTW the present tense verb “there is” a pool, Bethesda, in Jerusalem shows that the gospel of John was written before the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. After 70 AD, that pool would have been unrecognizable. AI: “The Pool of Bethesda, along with surrounding structures, was largely destroyed or heavily damaged during the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. While the stone cisterns remained, the porticoes (roofed colonnades) and adjacent buildings were likely destroyed, and the site was later replaced by a Roman healing sanctuary (Asklepieion) dedicated to Serapis around 135 AD.” But the date of the writing of the gospel of John is not the main topic of this blog article.

The main topic is “Why did Jesus ask the man ‘Do you want to get well’.” Why would Jesus ask him that? Surely, a man who had been crippled for 38 years would want to walk. I don’t know why Jesus asked him but there is a thought that we can get from speculating on this topic. AI: “Based on the biblical accounts, people Jesus healed almost always actively sought him out, expressed their need, or showed faith, indicating a desire for healing. While the Bible emphasizes that he healed everyone who came to him with faith, Jesus sometimes asked, “Do you want to be made well?” (John 5:6), suggesting a purposeful alignment of his power with their willingness. Most individuals or those bringing them (e.g., the paralytic, the blind men, the woman with the issue of blood) broke through barriers to reach Jesus, demonstrating a clear desire to be healed. When Jesus healed the man at the Pool of Bethesda, who had been sick for 38 years, he specifically asked if he wanted to be made well (John 5:6), highlighting that even in long-term illness, a conscious desire for change is relevant.” (a Lois Robinson blog article). The key phrase is “a desire for change”. The lame man had to have a desire to change his illness and condition or Jesus would not have healed him.

Jesus has the cure for all our spiritual needs but a sinner must want to change his sinful condition. I teach Bible to teens at a Christian school. I give them the evidences that prove that there is a God and that Jesus was raised from the dead. I give them the words of Jesus that can save them of their sins and give them the hope of eternal life But so often, I find out that they are out drinking, partying, some drugs, sex, and that my teaching is, at least for now, not accomplishing much. I am sowing the seed for future change, but it is discouraging that behind the scenes most don’t have “a desire for change” now. They are content with their sinful ways and don’t want to be healed.

Why would they not want to be healed now? Ephesians 2 sheds some light on this questions: 2:1 And you were dead in your offenses and sins, ² in which you previously walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. ³ Among them we too all previously lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the rest.” They are just “living in the lusts of their flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and mind”, and enjoying it. If they knew they were going to die soon, they might want to change and get ready to meet their Maker, but as for now, they don’t want to change. They are not just indulging in their lusts, they are enslaved to them. They have been indulging their lusts so long that they are addicted to them. Titus 3:³ For we too were once foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another.”

I have so many things that need to be changed in my life, but do I really have a desire to change? To be a better husband, to conquer worldly thoughts and lusts, to overcome some of my worldly addictions. Jesus has given the Spirit it help us change, to help us have “life and have it more abundantly”, to have peace of mind and eternal joy, to bear the fruit of the Spirit. But do I really want to go “all in” and abandon my lusts and worldly addictions and change to a Spirit filled life?

So, “do you want to get well”?  

This image was from soulselfliving.com and I try to look at this everyday.

One of my friends was trying to help her friend who is suffering with depression. Her friend doesn’t even want to get out of bed every day. I was trying to give advice but the only thing I could think of was this image: “Let go and let God”. I’m a “what if” and “worst case scenario” type worrier and pessimist. I wanted to tell this depressed person: “Look, your life and circumstances are depressing to you, but worst case scenario, you die. So accept that. What do you accomplish by being depressed and miserable until you die, whenever that will be. Why not just enjoy living until you die? Why not just turn it all over to God? He will either change your circumstances or help you find peace of mind and strength to handle your circumstances, to make something good from them. But in the meantime, you won’t be in bed depressed. What will that accomplish? As Jesus said, ‘Matthew 6:²⁷ And which of you by worrying can add a single day to his life’s span? ‘ This is not about being saved from your sins This is about trusting God to be with you every moment. Hebrews 6:5 for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever abandon you,” ⁶ so that we confidently say, “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. what will man do to me?” Worst case scenario again: All that can happen is that your circumstances might kill you or someone might kill you. If you believe in Jesus, you will live even if you die physically. John 11:²⁵ Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; the one who believes in Me will live, even if he dies, ²⁶ and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die.” Death is inevitable. So why not just turn things over to God, trust in Jesus as your friend and savior and just try to enjoy life every day until you do die? Get out of bed and find happy things to do. Go help people who are hurting or struggling in the name of Jesus.?

So there you go. BTW do I practice what I preach? Not as much as I should. That is why I look at this image above every day and try to turn things over to God. It seems that when I do, I an feel a sense of relief exhaling from my mouth and my whole body. I hope if you are struggling with depression or unhappiness that you will try this.

” Main views on the end times generally divide into four primary schools of interpretation regarding the timing of prophecy: Preterism, Futurism, Historicism, and Idealism. These views are often intersected with millennial viewpoints—Premillennialism, Postmillennialism, and Amillennialism—which determine the nature and timing of Christ’s return and reign.” AI

Preterism

• Definition: From the Latin preter (past), this view holds that most or all prophecy was fulfilled in the first century AD, particularly surrounding the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD.
• Full Preterism: Teaches that all prophecy, including the second coming (Parousia), the resurrection of the dead, and the final judgment, was completed in 70 AD.
• Partial Preterism: Believes most prophecies (e.g., the tribulation, the rise of the “Beast,” often identified as Nero) were fulfilled in 70 AD, but maintains that a future second coming, resurrection, and final judgment are still to occur.

Other Major Views

• Futurism: Interprets Revelation 4–22 as largely future events, including a literal seven-year tribulation and millennial kingdom, a dominant view in modern evangelicalism.
• Historicism: Views Revelation as a symbolic panoramic map of church history, from the first century through to the end of time.The Reformation leaders considered the sea beast in Revelation to be the Pope.
• Idealism (Symbolic): Interprets the imagery as symbolic of the ongoing, timeless battle between good and evil rather than specific historical or future events. 

Millennial Perspectives

• Premillennialism (Historic & Dispensational): Jesus returns before the millennium to rule on earth.
• Postmillennialism: The world is progressively christianized, bringing about the kingdom before Jesus returns.
• Amillennialism: The 1000-year reign is symbolic of Christ’s current reign in heaven and through the Church, with no future literal earthly kingdom. 

Here is a great chart on full preterism.’

Full preterism is based on Jesus’ 4 predictions that He would return within the lifetime of those he was speaking to: Matthew 10:4; 16:27-28 (where it even says that He is “about to come” (mello which always in the NT means “about to be” and it also says that some whom he was talking to would still be alive when he would come); 24:30-34 he would come before that generation he was talking to would pass away (generation: genea which in the NT always means a 40 year period or the people living in a 40 year period, just like we use the word for baby boomer generation, Gen Z, etc.); 26:64. There are no other predictions by Jesus of any other “coming” after that generation. The apostles and other NT writers also predicted an imminent 2nd coming: James 5:7 the coming of the Lord is near. Hebrews 10:37 He who is coming will come in a very little while and will not delay. Jesus did return in 70 AD using the Romans to judge the Jews and to destroy the temple and the city of Jerusalem. That was his “2nd coming”. There would also be a resurrection of the dead of the OT at the end of the Jewish age in 70 AD as predicted by Daniel 12:1-3. Paul even said that resurrection was “about to happen” (mello again) when he spoke. Peter said that the “end of all things was at hand” in 1 Peter 4:7. If he was predicting an imminent end of the world, then he was a false prophet since that did not happen. What he was predicting was the end of the Law of Moses and the end of the “old heavens and earth” (which is the Jewish system). Hebrews 8:13, written in 60 AD, said that the old covenant was “ready to disappear”, and it did disappear in 70 AD when the temple was destroyed. There has been no temple, animal sacrifices, or priesthood since 70 AD so the Law of Moses and the Jewish system ended in 70 AD. The new covenant of Jesus and the “new heavens and earth” would take the place of the old covenant after 70 AD (Hebrews 12:25-29; 2 Peter 3). The Jews were God’s holy nation and chosen people in the old covenant but that kingdom was taken from them and given to a new spiritual nation, the church (Matthew 21:43) which is made up of Jew and Gentile Christians. The old covenant priesthood was replaced by the priesthood of all believers (1 Peter 2:6-9) who offer up spiritual sacrifices and not animals. Jesus predicted that the kingdom was at hand but he also said that kingdom would not be a physical kingdom like the kingdom of David (John 18:36). It would be a spiritual kingdom, the church, established in Acts 2 and full consummated in 70 AD. There was a transition period from 30-70 AD as the transition was made from the old to the new covenant, just like we have a transition period between the election of a president and the inauguration. The people living in that 40 year transition period already had spiritual blessings, but immortality would only be officially given in 70 AD when Jesus destroyed death (1 Corinthians 15). The book of Revelation was about things to happen “soon” after the time of writing (Rev 21:1-3; 22:5-10). It was written during the reign of the 6th emperor of Rome. Rev 17 says 5 emperors had fallen, i.e. died, and “one is” at the time of writing. That 6th emperor would be Nero who died in 68 AD so the book was written before 70 AD. The book is predicting the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. The theme is God avenging the blood of the apostles, prophets, and saints that was shed by the ungodly, rebellious Jewish harlot nation all through their history (Rev 18). The famous “1000 year millennium” of Rev 20 was just figurative of the 40 year period from 30 AD to 70 AD that ended when the devil was released to get God and Magog (the Romans) to surround and destroy the holy city of Jerusalem (Rev 20).

Now go back and look at the details in the chart above. It should make more sense now. Why does it matter? It probably doesn’t for most sincere Christians. They love Jesus and live for him regardless of their views on eschatology. But understanding preterism helps confirm our faith in all the NT eschatological predictions. It helps us defend Jesus when Jews, Muslims, and atheists say that he is a false prophet b/c his predictions of an imminent 2nd coming did not come to pass. It keeps us from being mislead by false teachers saying that our current events are the fulfillment of prophecy. Jesus said in Luke 21:21-25 that “all things that are written (i.e. written in the OT) would be fulfilled within that generation (Luke 21:32) which would be at the destruction of the temple in 70 AD. Thee are no future predictions in the Bible of things to happen after 70 AD.

Whether. you believe full preterism is correct or not, at least I hope that you better understand what it is now and how logical it is.

2 Peter 1:1 Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: ² Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, ³ for His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. ⁴ Through these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world on account of lust.” Those saved in Christ have the precious and magnifient promise of eternal life, but it is conditonal. Hebrews 6:4-6 discusses the fate of those “who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, ⁵ and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, ⁶ and then have fallen away.” It says that it is impossible “to restore them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.” Sounds like you can fall from grace, doesn’t it? That refutes Calvinism’s “P” perserverance of the saints (i.e. it is impossible to fall from grace if you are the elect).

So how do we make sure that we receive those magnificent promises? Hebrews 6:¹¹ And we desire that each one of you demonstrate the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, ¹² so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and endurance inherit the promises.” The Greek word for “diligence” is spoudé: Diligence, earnestness, zeal, effort. It is the same word that Peter then introduces the need to zealously, earnestly, diligently, make every effort to attain the qualities in the growth “ladder” that will keep one from being “ineffective or unfruitful”. 2 Peter 1:⁵ Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence (spoudé), in your faith supply (epichorégeó: To supply, to provide, to furnish abundantly) …. (and then he gives the qualities). Here is a great image from plumblineministries.org

The progression of these qualities can be looked at in two ways. 1) The “progressively successive view”. You need to achieve success in each step, beginning with the first step, in order to proceed to the next step. You must learn to walk before you can run. You must pass Math 101 before you can take Math 102. In this view, the first thing you should make effort to add to your initial saving faith is moral excellence, (i.e. stopping your patterns of sinful behavior and doing virtuous things). Once you have success in moral excellence, you should add the next step which is knowledge of Christ and His will (i.e getting to know Christ in a more personal relationship than just initial knowledge of how to be saved). Once you have success in that step, add self-control (which can be difficult and takes great effort). Once you have success in that step, add perseverence (i.e. proving that your faith is real by being faithful under trials over a long period of time). Once you have success in that step, add godliness (i.e. becoming more Godlike in your devotion and reverence to God). Once you have success in that step, add brotherly love (philadelphia: Brotherly love, love of brothers, mutual affection between others in your new spiritual family). Once you have success in that step, add love (agapé: Love: affection that doesn’t depend on affection from the recipient, the kind that as a Christian you have for your enemies, the kind that Jesus had when he died for sinners). It is plausible that a Christian would first learn to have affection for fellow believers before he grows to be able to love his enemies which is much harder to do! So there is some merit to this first view. 2) The “soup view”. These qualities are just ingredients to put in a soup of virtues that will make you effective and fruitful and it doesn’t matter in what order you add them. A soup recipe might say, “add peas, corn, ground beef, potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, broth; stir the ingredients and heat for one hour at 325 degrees”. It wouldn’t matter what order you put the ingredients in a bowl. So this 2nd view just lists the virtues but it doesn’t matter what order you attain them You might become very loving toward your spiritual family long before you learned to control your temper or lustful thoughts. This view has merit also!

It doesn’t matter which view is correct. What matters is that we zealously, sincerely make “every effort” to add these virtues to our initial saving faith so that we won’t be “ineffective or unfruitful” Christians. Jesus said that we, as branches on a fruit tree, must bear fruit or we will be cut off and burned (John 15). The parable of the soils had a 3rd soil where the seed was sown among the thorns. A plant grew but b/c of the weeds (worries, riches, and pleasures of this world) the plant was unfruitful. It was only the 4th good soil that produced fruit (some good soil plants produced more fruit than others). Colossians 1:10 mentions bearing fruit in every good work. Galatians 5:22-23 lists the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control).

Peter then adds, 2 Peter 2:⁹ For the one who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. ¹⁰ Therefore, brothers and sisters, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choice of you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; ¹¹ for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.” The Greek word for “short-sighted” is muópazó: To be short-sighted, to see dimly but it means “near-sighted” (can’t see far off). “By choosing this rare word (used only once in the NT), Peter invokes the plight of spiritual nearsightedness: a believer whose vision is restricted to present impulses and earthly concerns, forfeiting the larger horizon of salvation history and future glory.” (AI) The problem with his spiritual eyesight is that he has forgotten his former purification from sin and has lost the gratitude he should have for Jesus’ dying for him. All Christians are excited when they first got saved and want to show gratitude to Jesus by zealous Christian living. But often as time goes on we often are more focused on earthly things and lusts instead of eternal life. We lose our “diligence” and don’t give our best “effort” to grow spiritually. We become complacent spiritually. We “stumble’, maybe even fall from grace. BTW another refutation of Calvinism in these 3 verses. In Calvinism, “U” is “unconditional election”, i.e. a certain number, the elect, have been chosen, preordained, predestined, and called. There are no conditions to be met on their part. The Spirit will come upon them and enable them to believe and find out that they are the elect. They can’t fall from grace after that. If Calvinism were true, there would be no “be diligent to make certain about His calling and choice of you” and there would be no “practice these things so you will never stumble”. In Calvinism, His calling would be certain without any effort of our part. It doesn’t sound like Peter is preaching Calvinism, does it?

So as you finish reading this article, look at those virtues on that ladder. In the progressively successive view, are you stuck on the 3rd step and can’t go higher b/c you are not growing in the virtue on that 3rd step? In the soup view, which one(s) of the virtues are really weak in and need to make more effort to grow in that virtue? Make a more diligent effort. Ask the Spirit to help you.