A Refutation of Preterism (Part Two)

“Let those in Judea flee into the mountains…”

In Matthew 24:15-21 we read the following:

“Whenever, then, you may be perceiving the abomination of desolation, which is declared through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let him who is reading apprehend!); then let those in Judea flee into the mountains. Let him who is on the housetop not descend to take away the things out of his house. And let him who is in the field not turn back behind him to pick up his cloak. Now woe to those who are pregnant and those suckling in those days! Now be praying that your flight may not be occurring in winter, nor yet on a sabbath, for then shall be great affliction, such as has not occurred from the beginning of the world till now; neither under any circumstances may be occurring.”

It’s common among preterists to claim that the scenarios referred to by Christ in this passage do not make sense outside of a first-century context. However, there’s no good reason to believe this. In modern-day Israel, many of the houses in the old city of Jerusalem have retained many of the features of first-century Israel (including a flat roof on which people can walk and perform other activities). It is just as possible today for people to navigate across the old city by walking on the housetops as it was in Christ’s day (however, it should be noted that Christ’s point is not that anyone will, in fact, be on their roof when the event referred to in v. 15 takes place; rather, he’s simply giving instructions on what to do if one happens to be on one’s roof, in order to emphasize the urgency of the situation).

Concerning Christ’s words about the difficulty with which pregnant and nursing mothers will have at this time, this would be just as true today as it would’ve been in antiquity. It would be no less challenging for a pregnant or nursing mother to quickly escape the city of Jerusalem and “flee into the mountains” today than it would’ve been 2,000 years ago. Similarly, escaping from the city and the surrounding area in the winter or on a Sabbath would only increase the difficulty of the escape because of the added restrictions that these times pose. The winter in Israel is the rainy season, which increases the hazards of navigating the Judean hills and mountainous terrain to which Christ exhorted people to flee (the creeks and rivers would provide an obstacle not present during other seasons).

As far as fleeing the city of Jerusalem on the Sabbath, it should be noted that there was never a written prohibition against travelling on the Sabbath (Christ traveled and did sacred work on the Sabbath and he, of course, kept the law of God completely). However, in present-day Jerusalem, normal business/communication is shutdown on this day, creating additional travel restrictions that would not be in force on the other six days of the week (and which would pose a real problem to the observant Jew). In addition to all public offices, banks, and most stores and businesses being closed, public transportation (i.e., trains and buses) do not operate on the Sabbath.[[1]]

“This generation”

But what about what Christ declared in Matt. 24:32-34? In these verses we read the following:

“Now from the fig tree learn a parable: Whenever its bough may already be becoming tender, and the leaves sprouting out, you know that summer is near. Thus you, also, whenever you may be perceiving all these things, know that He is near–at the doors. Verily, I am saying to you that by no means may this generation be passing by till all these things should be occurring.”

The point of Christ’s “fig tree” parable is simply this: just as one could know that summer was near when the bough of a fig tree became tender and the leaves began sprouting, so one can know that Christ’s return is near when one begins perceiving all the things of which Christ prophesied in the Olivet Discourse (understood in this way, the term “near” implies that the coming of Christ will be occurring within the lifetime of those who will be “perceiving all these things”). But what about verse 34? Wouldn’t a “futurist” interpretation of the Olivet Discourse make Christ mistaken for saying that “this generation” wouldn’t be “passing by till all these things should be occurring?”

When I was a preterist, I considered Matt. 24:34 to be a “knock-down argument” against the futurist interpretation. If “all these things” referred to by Christ didn’t occur before the generation to which his disciples belonged passed away, then Christ would’ve been mistaken (or so I thought). Since I didn’t believe Christ was mistaken, I concluded – like all consistent preterists – that everything concerning which Christ prophesied in the Olivet Discourse was fulfilled in the first century. However, what I failed to consider at this time was the fact that the words “this generation” don’t necessarily refer to the generation that was alive on the earth when Christ was speaking to his disciples. Instead, the words “this generation” can simply be understood to mean, “the generation of which I’m speaking.”

According to this understanding, “this generation” simply refers to the generation that Christ believed would “be perceiving all these things” (v. 33). In other words, the generation that sees the commencement of the “beginning of pangs” (v. 8) – and which will later perceive “the abomination of desolation…standing in the holy place” (v. 15) – will be the same generation that sees the celestial signs referred to in v. 29, and the subsequent eon-concluding coming of Christ referred to in v. 30. Thus, the generation that Christ referred to as “this generation” in v. 34 is the generation that will be alive on the earth when “all” of the things of which he prophesied in this discourse “should be occurring.” And since all of the things of which Christ prophesied in this discourse have not yet occurred, it follows logically that the generation which will see “all these things” take place was not in existence when Christ spoke to his disciples on the Mount of Olives.

Consider the following argument:

1. Christ’s ”coming on the clouds of heaven with power and much glory” is part of the “all things” that Christ believed would be occurring before the “passing by” of the generation that he had in view in Matt. 24:34.

2. The coming of Christ on the clouds of heaven with power and much glory has not yet occurred.

3. The generation of which Christ was speaking in Matt. 24:34 has not yet passed by.

Preterists, therefore, have it completely backwards when they attempt to use Matt. 24:34 to support their position. Rather than starting with the assumption that the generation that Christ had in view must’ve been the one to which his disciples belonged (and then concluding that the coming of Christ referred to in Matt. 24:30 must’ve already occurred), we ought to start with the premise that the coming of Christ referred to in Matt. 24:30 has not yet occurred, and then conclude that the generation which Christ had in view has not yet passed by (and, therefore, wasn’t the generation to which his disciples belonged).

Preterists sometimes point to Christ’s use of the pronoun “you” in verses 33-34 (and which also occurs throughout the Olivet Discourse) and claim that Christ must have believed that the disciples to whom he spoke would witness the occurrence of the events being foretold in this discourse. However, as noted earlier (in my remarks on Matt. 10:23), it was not uncommon for prophets to address their contemporaries as if they would be among those to witness the fulfillment of a prophecy being revealed to them, even when the actual fulfillment of the prophecy would not be occurring until thousands of years later (see, for example, Deut. 18:14-19 [cf. Acts 3:19-26; 7:37] and Deut. 30:1-6). Thus, as with the “this generation” argument, this argument also fails to provide evidence for a past fulfillment of the prophecies found in Christ’s Olivet Discourse.

“For days of vengeance are these”

Another common strategy used by preterists involves an appeal to Luke’s version of the Olivet Discourse. In Luke 21:20-24, we read:

“Now whenever you may be perceiving Jerusalem surrounded by encampments, then know that her desolation is near. Then let those in Judea flee into the mountains, and let those in her midst be coming out into the country, and let not those in the country be entering into her, for days of vengeance are these, to fulfill all that is written. Yet woe to those who are pregnant, and to those suckling in those days; for there will be great necessity in the land and indignation on this people. And they shall be falling by the edge of the sword and shall be led into captivity into all nations. And Jerusalem shall be trodden by the nations, until the eras of the nations may be fulfilled.”

According to the preterist position, the same time period that Christ had in view in this passage is in view in Matthew 24:15-22 as well (for preterists believe that both passages are prophecies concerning the siege of Jerusalem in A.D. 70). Although some would disagree that the above passage refers to the same time period as that which we find prophesied in Matthew 24:15-22, I think it’s reasonable to believe that these passages are, in fact, parallel. In any case, let’s assume, for the sake of argument, that these passages are referring to the same general time period (which, again, is what preterists would agree with). If that’s the case, it follows that the preterist interpretation of Luke 21:20-24 runs into the same exact problem as their interpretation of Matt. 24:15-22. For, as already noted, the celestial signs preceding Christ’s coming “on the clouds of heaven with power and much glory” will occur “immediately after the affliction of those days” (Matthew 24:29-30). Since the celestial signs that will be occurring at this time will be seen by those who will witness the coming of Christ referred to in Matthew 24:29-30 and Luke 21:25-27 – and since this event did not occur in 70 A.D. – we must conclude that the events being foretold by Christ in Luke 21:22-24 have not yet occurred.

Rather than being a prophecy concerning the events of 70 A.D., I believe that Luke 21:20-24 actually foretells a yet-future event that was first prophesied in the book of Zechariah. In Zech. 13:8-9 and 14:1-4, we read: 

“And it will come to be that in all the land, averring is Yahweh, two divisions in it shall be cut off and shall decease. Yet the third shall be left in it. And I will bring the third into the fire. And I will refine them as silver is refined. And I will test them as gold is tested. It shall call in My Name, and I shall answer it. I will say, ‘My people is it.’ And it will say, ‘Yahweh is my Elohim.’ Behold, a day is coming for Yahweh, and your loot will be apportioned among you. Yet I will gather all nations to Jerusalem for battle, and the city will be seized, and the houses rifled, and the women, they shall be ravished. And half the city will go forth into deportation. Yet the rest of my people, they shall not be cut off from the city. Then Yahweh will go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fights in a day of attack. And His feet will stand in that day on the Mount of Olives, Which is adjoining Jerusalem on the east.” 

The striking similarities between the above passages from Zechariah 14 and Luke 21 cannot be mere coincidence. Both passages describe Jerusalem as coming under siege and being occupied by the enemy forces coming against it. In Zechariah 14:2 those coming against Jerusalem are explicitly said to be “all the nations,” whereas in Luke 21:20 the involvement of all nations at this time can be inferred from the verses that follow. Both passages foretell that many of Jerusalem’s citizens will be forcefully removed from the city. Both passages also end with a description of events that will take place at the conclusion of the eon, when Christ returns to establish the kingdom of God on the earth. Given these shared prophetic facts, a reasonable conclusion to draw would be that both passages are referring to the same future time period.

Moreover, it’s clear from Zechariah’s prophecy that the event being described will take place during the future day of the Lord. In this passage the day of the Lord is referred to as “a day coming for Yahweh,” and is then repeatedly referred to in the remainder of the chapter as “that day” (significantly, this “day” includes events which will clearly take place during the eon to come; see Zech. 14:8-21). From this fact alone we can conclude that the events prophesied by Christ in Luke 21:20-24 (which we’re explicitly told by Christ will involve “indignation”) will take place during the earlier part of the day of the Lord – specifically, during the final 3½ years of Daniel’s 70^th week. It is the same period referred to by Christ as “the day in which the Son of Mankind is unveiled” (Luke 17:22-37).

But if (as I believe to be the case) Luke 21:20-24 is a prophecy that refers to the same future time as Matt. 24:15-22, why would Christ refer to the “abomination of desolation” in Matt. 24:15 (and Mark 13:14), and refer to “encampments” (or “armies”) surrounding Jerusalem in Luke 21:20? Answer: I believe Christ was simply providing his followers with another sign to look for that is distinct from, but related to, the setting up of the abomination of desolation in the holy place. Apparently, around the time that the abomination of desolation will come to be standing in the holy place, there will be military forces surrounding Jerusalem (perhaps in anticipation of what's about to occur in the temple, and the negative response it will inevitably provoke from the Jewish people). 

That Luke 21:20-24 (and thus Zech. 14:1-2) refers to the future 3½ years of “great affliction” is further confirmed by what Christ said concerning Jerusalem’s being “trodden down by the nations, until the eras of the nations may be fulfilled” (Luke 21:24). The word translated “eras” in this verse is kairoi, which is the plural form of the word kairos’ (“seasons,” or “appointed times”). When we compare Christ’s words in v. 24 with what John wrote in Revelation 11:1-2, we find just how long the “eras” during which the nations will tread the city of Jerusalem will last: “And a reed like a rod was given me, and one said, “Rouse, measure the temple of God and the altar and those worshiping in it. And the court outside of the temple cast outside, and you should not be measuring it, for it was given to the nations, and the holy city will they be treading forty-two months.”

Here we discover that the “eras” or “seasons” during which Jerusalem will be trodden down by the nations will constitute a period of 3 ½ years. This same period of time is also in view in Rev. 12:6, where it’s said to be the number of days that the “woman” (i.e., the Jewish remnant) will be nourished in the wilderness after fleeing the city and surrounding area. In Rev. 12:14 this same period of time is referred to as “a season, and seasons, and half a season” (with the words translated “season” and “seasons” being kairos’ and kairoi, respectively), and likewise refers to a period of time lasting forty-two months, or 3 ½ years. We also know that this will be the exact period of time during which the “wild beast” will have authority to “do what it wills,” which will involve blaspheming God as well as violently persecuting and “conquering” the saints (Rev. 13:5-7).

Not only is the forty-two month time frame prophesied in Rev. 11:1-2 inconsistent with the “ongoing fulfillment” view that’s commonly applied to Luke 21:24 (according to which the “eras of the nations” have lasted nearly 2,000 years), but it’s contrary to the past fulfillment view of preterists as well. We know from history that Titus controlled Jerusalem completely after only six months of siege, from February to August of 70 A.D. (and, of course, no coming of Christ ”on the clouds of heaven with power and much glory” occurred “immediately after” this period of time). 

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[1] See, for example, the information and advice provided on the following tourism webpage: https://www.touristisrael.com/shabbat-in-jerusalem/11023/. Another point to consider is that, if this is how things are now (when there is no temple) imagine how much stricter it will become after a third temple begins to be built in Jerusalem, and the sacrificial system is reinstituted. The zeal for Torah-keeping (both written and oral) among the Jews dwelling in Israel at this time will probably be more intense than it has ever been since the first century.  

A Refutation of Preterism (Part One)

Introduction

According to the doctrinal position known as “Preterism,” most – or all – of the events prophesied by Christ in his “Olivet Discourse” (as recorded in Matthew 24-25) were fulfilled in the events leading up to and surrounding the Roman siege of Jerusalem (and destruction of the second temple) in A.D. 70. Some readers of my blog may find it surprising to know that, shortly after coming to believe the truth of Paul’s gospel and the salvation of all in the early 2000’s, I actually came to adopt this particular “eschatological” position. The reasons I had for holding to this view at that time were varied and, in some ways, rather complex. However, the reason I was originally drawn to the preterist position is pretty simple, and could be summarized as follows: After coming to believe in the truth of the salvation of all, I found myself drawn to books on the subject that were written by 19th century American Universalists (such as Walter Balfour, Thomas Whittemore, Hosea Ballou, Thomas Thayer and Sylvanus Cobb). And according to the view of these “early modern” believers in the salvation of all, every prophesied event in the New Testament except the salvation of all had already been fulfilled (or was in the process of being fulfilled). Given my admiration and appreciation for these early pioneers of the truth of universal salvation in the United States (as well as an understandable suspicion of anything smacking of “mainstream” Christian theology, and a desire to distance myself from it), it was only natural that I became sympathetic toward – and eventually came to adopt – their eschatological position.

Fortunately, I eventually came to suspect that something was amiss with how I was interpreting much of scriptural prophecy, and began to reevaluate what I believed on this subject. Around this time I was introduced to the writings of A.E. Knoch and others associated with the “Concordant Publishing Concern” (along with related groups/ministries), and came to realize that my prior method of interpreting scripture (if one could even call it a “method”) was inconsistent and arbitrary. After coming to adopt a more consistent method of interpreting scripture (which is commonly known as the “grammatical-historical method”), I began to seek to understand what an inspired author wrote according to the plain, ordinary and straightforward meaning of what was being communicated unless I had good reason to believe that figures of speech were being used, or that the speaker/author intended something to be understood in a way other than how it would normally or ordinarily be understood. In other words, I came to believe that we should approach scripture just as we approach other forms of non-fiction literature, and should seek to understand it in accord with the normal rules of communication.

“Thus shall be the presence of the Son of Mankind”

The interpretive methodology referred to above proved devastating to the eschatological position to which I’d previously held. I was no longer able to just sweep prophetic passages under the rug of “highly figurative language” just because the event being prophesied didn’t fit with anything that had already occurred in history, or explain away portions of scripture that I’d found puzzling (such as nearly two-thirds of the book of Ezekiel) by appealing to some “allegorical meaning” that I figured it had to have. And so, when I arrived at Christ’s prophecy in Matthew 24:26-31, I couldn’t simply dismiss his inspired words as being some sort of “highly figurative” reference to the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70 (or any other historical event). In these verses we read the following:

“If, then, they should say to you, ‘Lo! in the wilderness is he!’ you may not be coming out; ‘Lo! in the storerooms!’ you should not be believing it. For even as the lightning is coming out from the east and is appearing as far as the west, thus shall be the presence of the Son of Mankind. Wheresoever the corpse may be, there will the vultures be gathered.

Now immediately after the affliction of those days the sun shall be darkened and the moon shall not be giving her beams, and the stars shall be falling from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. And then shall appear the sign of the Son of Mankind in heaven, and then all the tribes of the land shall grieve, and they shall see the Son of Mankind coming on the clouds of heaven with power and much glory. And He shall be dispatching His messengers with a loud sounding trumpet, and they shall be assembling His chosen from the four winds, from the extremities of the heavens to their extremities.”

That Christ had in mind a personal, bodily coming and presence is evident from the fact that he contrasted the event referred to in v. 27 and 30 with certain hypothetical statements of false teachers/prophets (who are represented as falsely claiming that Christ is present in some hidden location). Unlike what these false prophets are represented as claiming, Christ’s presence will not be hidden, or secret. Following the occurrence of the celestial signs referred to in v. 29, there will be no need for anyone to go to some secret location in the wilderness (or “in the storerooms”) to verify that Christ’s coming has, in fact, taken place. Instead, Christ’s presence will be just as visible as when ”the lightning is coming out from the east and is appearing as far as the west.” Christ’s coming on the clouds of heaven with power and much glory will be an obvious and undeniable fact when it takes place.

Further confirmation that the coming of Christ referred to in this passage will be an event involving the bodily presence of Christ and his physical return to earth is found in Acts 1:9-11:

And saying these things, while they are looking, He was lifted up, and a cloud took Him up from their eyes. And as they were looking intently into heaven at His going, lo! two men stand beside them in white attire, who say also, “Men! Galileans! Why do you stand, looking into heaven? This Jesus Who is being taken up from you into heaven shall come thus, in the manner in which you gaze at Him going into heaven.”

Christ ascended bodily into heaven and – according to the promise of the messengers – he will come “in the manner in which” the disciples gazed at him “going into heaven.” Now, let’s compare the words of the messengers with the following words of Peter in Acts 3:20-21 (which, in v. 12, we’re specifically told were directed toward “Israelites”):

“Repent, then, and turn about for the erasure of your sins, so that seasons of refreshing should be coming from the face of the Lord, and He should dispatch the One fixed upon before you, Christ Jesus, Whom heaven must indeed receive until the times of restoration of all which God speaks through the mouth of his holy prophets who are from the eon.”

Based on the words, “heaven must indeed receive him until,” some have erroneously assumed that this coming of Christ refers to the same event as that which we find referred to by Paul in 1 Thess. 4:16 (where we read that “the Lord himself shall be descending from heaven with a shout of command…”). However, as in Acts 1:11, the “heaven” referred to by Peter in v. 21 should be understood as including the atmosphere above the earth that is visible to humans (cf. Acts 2:2, 5, 19; 4:24; 7:55; 9:3; 10:12; 11:6; 22:6; etc.). Thus, in Acts 3:21, “heaven” should be understood as referring to (or at least as necessarily including) this relatively large expanse above the earth. Understood in this way, the coming of Christ which Peter had in mind here will not be fulfilled until after Christ has returned to earth (as prophesied in Zechariah 14:4).

In contrast with this fact, the “heaven” to which Paul was referring in 1 Thess. 4:16 is the location from which Christ will be descending, and is thus to be understood as distinct from the cloud-filled, atmospheric location to which we’re told Christ will be descending (and where all in the body of Christ will be meeting him after we’ve being snatched away from the earth). The location from which Christ will be descending prior to the “meeting in the air” should, therefore, be understood as the realm in which Christ is presently located (i.e., the “highest heaven,” where Christ is seated at the right hand of God).[1] Thus, there’s no good reason to equate the coming of Christ to which Peter was referring in Acts 3:20-21 with that which was being prophesied by Paul in 1 Thess. 4:15-17.

Peter’s prophecy that Christ will be dispatched from God and return to earth after Israel has repented echoes an earlier prophecy from Christ himself in Matthew 23:37-39 (which he declared shortly before his Olivet Discourse in chapter 24):

“Jerusalem! Jerusalem! who art killing the prophets and pelting with stones those who have been dispatched to her! How many times do I want to assemble your children in the manner a hen is assembling her brood under her wings-and you will not! Lo! left is your house to you desolate. For I am saying to you: You may by no means be perceiving Me henceforth, till you should be saying, ‘Blessed is He Who is coming in the name of the Lord!’”

According to Christ’s prophecy in this passage, it is not until after Israel has repented and come to embrace Jesus as the Messiah (thus recognizing him as the one who “is coming in the name of the Lord”) that they will be perceiving him again. Until this time comes, “heaven must indeed receive” Christ.

Other verses in which this future coming of Christ are referred to could be provided, but the above prophecies should suffice. There’s simply no good reason to understand the coming of Christ referred to by Christ in Matt. 24:30 and that which was referred to by the messengers in Acts 1:11 (and by Peter in Acts 3:20-21) as two separate events. And since the coming of Christ referred to in Acts 1:11 and 3:20-21 is clearly one that will involve Christ descending to the earth with the same immortal, glorified body with which he ascended to heaven, it follows that the coming of Christ prophesied in Matt. 24:30 has not yet occurred.

In light of these considerations, I think it’s reasonable to conclude that the coming of Christ “on the clouds of heaven with power and much glory” prophesied in Matt. 24:30 did not take place in A.D. 70. Instead, this event belongs just as much to the future as the event prophesied by Paul in 1 Cor. 15:51-52, Phil 3:21 and 1 Thess. 4:15-17 (i.e., Christ’s coming for the body of Christ, which – as I’ve argued elsewhere – will be occurring at least seven years before the eon-concluding return of Christ to earth that we find prophesied in Matthew 24).

Moreover, since Christ also prophesied that his “coming on the clouds of heaven with power and much glory” would be witnessed by those who see the preceding celestial/atmospheric signs referred to in verse 29[2] – and since these signs will be taking place “immediately after the affliction of those days” (v. 29) – it must further be concluded that the time of “great affliction” that Christ had in view in verses 15-22 is future as well. It would be unreasonable and absurd to believe that the “affliction of those days” was fulfilled in 70 A.D. while, at the same time, believing that the coming of Christ referred to in v. 30 is a yet-to-occur future event. Such an interpretation of Christ’s words would either entail that Christ was completely mistaken, or would empty the words “immediately after” of any intelligible, understandable meaning. Consider the following argument:

1. The coming of Christ referred to in Matthew 24:30 is a future event.

2. This future event (which will be witnessed by those who see the preceding celestial signs) will occur “immediately after” the days of “great affliction” referred to in Matt. 24:15-22.

3. The days of “great affliction” referred to in Matt. 24:15-22 did not occur in the first century (or at any subsequent time).

“…till the Son of Mankind may be coming.”

Notwithstanding the reasonableness of the view that the coming of Christ referred to in Matthew 24:30 remains a future event, many preterists believe that there are certain passages of Scripture which undermine this view. One of the passages of Scripture commonly appealed to by preterists in support of their position is Matthew 10:21-23. In these verses we read the following:

“Now brother shall be giving up brother to death, and father, child, and children shall be rising up against parents, and shall be putting them to death. And you shall be hated by all because of My name. Yet he who endures to the consummation, he shall be saved. Now, whenever they may be persecuting you in this city, flee into a different one, for, verily, I am saying to you, Under no circumstances should you be finishing the cities of Israel till the Son of Mankind may be coming.”

I think it’s reasonable to believe that, when Christ referred to “the consummation” and “the coming of the Son of Mankind” in these verses, he had in mind the same “consummation” and “coming” referred to later, in the Olivet Discourse (see Matthew 24:13 and 30). Thus, in these verses, Christ was declaring that he would return to earth before his disciples ran out of places to which to flee from persecution. That is, until the “consummation” and “coming of the Son of Mankind” to which Christ referred occurred, the disciples who would be in need of fleeing from persecution would always have more cities to which to flee. Thus, Christ’s words in v. 23 should be understood as words of comfort and reassurance to his disciples (and not necessarily as a “timeframe marker” whereby the disciples would know how near Christ’s return was based on how many cities were left for them to flee to). Jesus was promising his disciples that places of refuge would remain available until he returned (whenever that return occurred), and was not suggesting that they would inevitably run out of cities to which to flee before he returned.

Now, preterists assume that the “fleeing” to which Christ was referring in v. 23 would involve only the disciples to whom he was speaking at this time. This is, I believe, an invalid assumption. Christ was, of course, prophesying in these verses. And it was not uncommon for prophets to address their contemporaries as if they would be among those to witness the fulfillment of the prophecy being declared in their hearing, even when the actual fulfillment of the prophecy would not be occurring until hundreds or even thousands of years later (see, for example, Deut. 18:14-19 [cf. Acts 3:19-26; 7:37] and Deut. 30:1-6). So unless we’re already assuming that the “consummation” and “coming of the Son of Mankind” being referred to in these verses already took place in the first century (as preterists believe), there’s no good reason to believe that Christ’s words in v. 23 had exclusive reference to the disciples to whom he was speaking on this occasion. Apart from such an assumption, it would, instead, be reasonable to conclude that Christ was speaking to his disciples as representative of those who would be alive on the earth whenever the “consummation” and “coming” referred to in verses 22-23 actually took place. And this leaves open the possibility that the disciples whom Christ had in mind would belong to a future generation of people (as I believe to be the case).

Matthew 16:27-28

Another passage commonly appealed to by preterists in support of their understanding that a prophecy-fulfilling coming of Christ occurred in the first century is Matthew 16:27-28. In these verses we read that Christ declared the following to his disciples:

“For the Son of Mankind is about to be coming in the glory of His Father, with His messengers, and then He will be paying each in accord with his practice. Verily I am saying to you that there are some of those standing here who under no circumstances should be tasting death till they should be perceiving the Son of Mankind coming in His kingdom.”

In order to better understand these verses, we cannot simply stop reading at verse 28. We must continue reading the verses that immediately follow in chapter 17, as well (for the sake of brevity, I’ll be quoting only the next two verses; however, the reader is encouraged to read the remaining seven verses as well): 

And after six days Jesus is taking aside Peter and James and John, his brother, and is bringing them up into a high mountain, privately, and was transformed in front of them. And His face shines as the sun, yet His garments became white as the light.

It would also be helpful to compare what we read in the verses above with the parallel accounts found in Mark and Luke:

Mark 8:38; 9:1-2

“For whosoever may be ashamed of Me and My words in this generation, an adulteress and sinner, the Son of Mankind also will be ashamed of him whenever He may be coming in the glory of His Father, with the holy messengers."

And He said to them, "Verily, I am saying to you that there are some of those standing here who under no circumstances should be tasting death till they should be perceiving the kingdom of God having come in power." And after six days, Jesus is taking aside Peter and James and John and is bringing them up into a very high mountain, privately, alone. And He was transformed in front of them.

Luke 9:26-29

“For whoever may be ashamed of Me and of My words, of this one the Son of Mankind shall be ashamed, whenever He may be coming in the glory of Him and of the Father and of the holy messengers. Now I am saying to you, truly there are some of those standing here who under no circumstances should be tasting death till they should be perceiving the kingdom of God.”

Now it occurred about eight days after these sayings, taking along Peter and John and James also, that He ascended into the mountain to pray. And it occurred, in His praying, to the perception His face became different, and His vesture glittering white.

In each of the accounts above, we find that, approximately one week after Christ declared what he did concerning some of his disciples perceiving “the Son of Mankind coming in His kingdom” (or “perceiving the kingdom of God having come with power”), Peter, James and John were taken aside by Jesus to privately witness an extraordinary event atop “a high mountain.” We’re told that, while on this mountain, Jesus came to be “transformed” (or “transfigured”) in front of them. We’re also told that they perceived Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus.

In light of the clear sequential/chronological connection that exists between Christ’s prediction in Matt. 16:28 and the event described in the verses that immediately follow, it’s reasonable to conclude that what Peter, James and John perceived at this time was the event that Jesus had in mind when he referred to “the Son of Mankind coming in His kingdom” (and which, in Mark’s account, is referred to as “the kingdom of God having come in power”). In other words, it’s reasonable to understand the supernatural mountain-top experience we find described in Matt. 17:1-9 as having fulfilled Jesus’ prediction in Matt. 16:28.

This can, I believe, also be reasonably inferred from the fact that what Peter, James and John perceived while on the “high mountain” was explicitly referred to by Christ as a “vision.” In Matt. 17:9 we read, ”And, at their descending out of the mountain, Jesus directs them, saying, ‘Now you may tell no one of the vision till the Son of Mankind may be roused from among the dead.’” Unless this verse is the sole exception in Scripture, the Greek word translated here as “vision” (horama) always denotes a supernaturally-induced visual and/or auditory experience occurring apart from normal sensory input. It can occur either by day or by night, and often takes place while the recipient is in a trance or dreaming. The word appears numerous times in the book of Acts, and consistently denotes something that God supernaturally causes a person to experience in their mind (Acts 9:10-12; 10:3, 9-19; 11:5; 16:9; 18:9). Acts 12:9 is especially helpful in understanding what a “vision” is in the scriptural sense of the word. There, we read that Peter “did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.” Here, an objective event occurring in the physical world is contrasted with what Peter initially thought was a “vision.”

Significantly, in the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures (the Septuagint, or LXX), the term horama is used to describe supernatural visions of the future (see Dan. 7:1; 8:13; 10:1). And this is precisely what I believe the “vision” seen by Peter, James and John was – i.e., a vision of the future, after the kingdom of God has “come in power.” In other words, the mountain-top vision seen by Peter, James and John (which involved Jesus being transformed, and Moses and Elijah appearing with him) was the fulfillment of Christ’s prediction that “some of those” who were with him would “under no circumstances…be tasting death till they should be perceiving the Son of Mankind coming in His kingdom.” Christ’s reference to some not “tasting death” implies that every other Jewish believer who was alive in that day would die before they got to see what Peter, James and John saw on the mountain. Only Peter, James and John were privileged to see Christ as he will appear after he has returned to the earth and the kingdom of God has “come in power.” All other believers who were alive in that day would have to die before seeing this, and will not see it until after they’ve been resurrected by Christ “in the last day” (John 6:39-40).

Part two: https://thathappyexpectation.blogspot.com/2020/01/a-refutation-of-preterism-part-two.html

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[1] Concerning the heaven from which Christ will be descending at the time of the snatching away (which is not to be equated with either earth’s atmosphere or “outer space”), we read the following in Hebrews 8:1-5 and 9:23-24:

“Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man…Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.”

Moreover, if the “heaven” referred to by Peter in Acts 3:21 is to be understood as referring exclusively to the transcendent realm in which Christ is presently located at God’s right hand, then it would mean that Peter’s prophecy concerning the “times of restoration” was fulfilled when Christ appeared to Paul on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:3-6; 22:6-10; cf. 1 Cor. 15:8). But that’s clearly not the case. And given this fact, what we read in 1 Thess. 4:15-17 is perfectly consistent with the view that the coming of Christ for his body (which I believe to be imminent) is distinct from Christ’s eon-terminating return to earth, and will not involve the commencement of the “times of restoration of all which God speaks through the mouth of His holy prophets who are from the eon.” For at the time of the snatching away, there is no indication that Christ will descend any further than the highest point in which clouds may be found. 

[2] It’s common for preterists to claim that the prophecy concerning stars “falling from heaven” must involve figurative language. However, the term translated “stars” can also refer to comets or meteors (i.e., “falling stars” or “shooting stars”). Understood as a reference to this kind of literal atmospheric phenomena, it’s reasonable to conclude that, in conjunction with the darkening of the sun and the moon just prior to Christ’s coming, a great meteor shower will also take place.

Are Unbelievers Destined for “Everlasting Destruction?”

Introduction

In 2 Thessalonians 1:3-5 (Concordant Literal New Testament), we read the following:

We ought to be thanking God always concerning you, brethren, according as it is meet; seeing that your faith is flourishing and the love of each one of you all for one another is increasing, so that we ourselves glory in you in the ecclesias of God, for your endurance and faith in all your persecutions and the afflictions with which you are bearing -- a display of the just judging of God, to deem you worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering also…

The “brethren” to whom Paul wrote the letter from which the above passage is found were members of the ecclesia (or “church”) that existed in the city of Thessalonica. Like all of the ecclesias to whom Paul wrote, this ecclesia was comprised primarily of people from among the nations who once belonged to the pagan, idol-worshiping religious system of that day (1 Thess. 1:9). However, these believers had been called out of their idolatry to the worship of the living God through the heralding of the “evangel of our Lord Jesus Christ” (v. 8; cf. 1 Thess. 1:5; 2:2, 9; 3:2). This evangel is the “testimony” that they’d believed (v. 10), and consists of the truth that “Christ died for our sins” and “was roused from among the dead” (1 Cor. 15:3-4). Having been called by God through this evangel (2 Thess. 2:14), the Thessalonian believers thus became members of that company of believers that Paul referred to elsewhere as “the body of Christ” and “the ecclesia which is [Christ’s] body” (1 Cor. 12:12-13, 27; Eph. 1:22-23). As members of the body of Christ, they had been “sealed with the holy spirit of promise” (Eph. 1:13), and were thus destined to enter the “kingdom of God” referred to in v. 5.

At the time Paul wrote to these believers, they were undergoing persecution and affliction (vv. 4-6). And according to what we read in Paul’s first letter to them, it was their “own fellow tribesmen” who were afflicting them (1 Thess. 2:14). With a view towards comforting them in their affliction, Paul continued his letter to these believers as follows (vv. 6-8):

“…if so be that it is just of God to repay affliction to those afflicting you, and to you who are being afflicted, ease, with us, at the unveiling of the Lord Jesus from heaven with His powerful messengers, in flaming fire, dealing out vengeance to those who are not acquainted with God and those who are not obeying the evangel of our Lord Jesus Christ –“

The event that Paul had in view here (and which he went on to refer to as occurring on the “day” in which Christ “may be coming to be glorified in His saints and to be marveled at in all who believe”) should not be confused with the event that Paul previously described in his first letter to these believers (i.e., the coming of Christ that will involve those in the body of Christ being snatched away to meet the Lord in the earth’s atmosphere; see 1 Thess. 4:13-18). Rather, what Paul referred to as ”the unveiling of the Lord Jesus from heaven with His powerful messengers” should be understood as the coming of Christ that will involve his return to earth at the end of this eon (Matthew 24:3, 29-30; Rev. 1:7) and the subsequent establishing of the kingdom of God on the earth (Rev. 11:15; cf. 5:10). The eon-terminating coming of Christ referred to in 2 Thess. 1 will be the climax of the “coming indignation” referred to by Paul in his previous letter (1 Thess. 1:10; 5:9).

Now, we know that the unbelievers who were afflicting the Thessalonian believers when Paul wrote will not be present on the earth when Christ returns (for, as with everyone else who was alive at the time Paul wrote, they all died). Thus, when Paul wrote, ”if so be that it is just of God to repay affliction to those afflicting you…at the unveiling of the Lord Jesus from heaven with His powerful messengers,” we can conclude that he was providing a hypothetical scenario in which those afflicting the believers would be alive on the earth at this time. By writing as if those afflicting the believers to whom he wrote would be present for this event, Paul more forcefully drove home his point that the Thessalonian believers were, in fact, suffering for the kingdom of God (v. 5). 

Paul’s hypothetical scenario involving the unbelievers who were afflicting the Thessalonian believers can be understood as implying that the fate deserved by these unbelievers will be the justly-deserved fate of any unbelievers who, at Christ’s return, will be guilty of having afflicted believers. We can also infer from these verses (in conjunction with v. 10, below) that Paul believed that everyone in the body of Christ will be present for the spectacular event he had in view in this passage, and that believers will be accompanying Christ when he is unveiled from heaven at this time. In contrast with those to whom the Lord will be “dealing out vengeance” at the time of his return, those in the body of Christ will be enjoying “ease” (v. 7). 

“Everlasting destruction?”

Elsewhere on my blog, I’ve written in greater depth on the subject of when, in relation to the event described in this passage, those in the body of Christ will begin enjoying the “ease” to which Paul was referring in v. 7 (see, for example, the following study: http://thathappyexpectation.blogspot.com/2019/05/before-pangs-begin-defense-of-imminence.html). What I want to focus on for the remainder of this article, however, is the nature and duration of the judgment that we find described by Paul in verse 9.

In verses 9-10 we read the following:

“…who shall incur the justice of eonian extermination from the face of the Lord, and from the glory of His strength -- whenever He may be coming to be glorified in His saints and to be marveled at in all who believe (seeing that our testimony to you was believed) in that day.”

Now, there are some Christians (as well as others who would not consider themselves members of the Christian religion) who believe that this verse supports the doctrine of “annihilationism.” According to this view (which was, arguably, more commonly-held among Christians during the first few centuries of church history than it is today), the wicked will be permanently erased from existence at some point following Christ’s second coming. The vast majority of Christians today, however, see verse 9 as a key proof-text for the traditional Christian doctrine of “hell.” According to this widely-held understanding, those unbelievers who are still alive at the time of Christ’s second coming will find themselves irreversibly sentenced to a hopeless, God-forsaken place of “eternal conscious torment” with no possibility of relief or deliverance. After billions and billions of years of separation from all that is good and consistent with human happiness, these people will be no closer to an end of their suffering than they were the moment it first began. It is this disturbing and nightmarish scene that most Christians believe Paul had in mind when he wrote 2 Thess. 1:9.

Despite the differences between the two views summarized above, it should be noted that both views affirm (1) that the final destiny of every individual ultimately hinges on a decision they must make – or a conversion experience they must have – before they die (or before Christ’s second coming occurs), and (2) that many people will never be saved. But what, exactly, makes 2 Thess. 1:9 appear to support the commonly-held Christian belief that some will never be saved? Well, here is how 2 Thess. 1:9 reads in the New King James Version:

“These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power…”

Note that it’s not the term “destruction” that makes this verse appear to teach that some will never be saved (for this term, by itself, needn’t be understood as referring to an irreversible condition). Rather, what makes this verse so important to those who deny that all mankind shall be saved is the use of the term “everlasting” (or, in some translations, “eternal”). It is the use of this term that gives the “destruction” in view the appearance of permanence and finality. Moreover, the fact that the same term used in 2 Thess. 1:9 to describe the duration of the “destruction” of certain unbelievers is later used to refer to the “comfort” or “consolation” given to believers (2 Thess. 2:16) is thought to further support the idea that the fate of unbelievers will be final and irreversible.

The biggest problem with this understanding of 2 Thess. 1:9 is that it contradicts what Paul affirmed elsewhere concerning Christ’s death for our sins (1 Cor. 15:3-4) and his giving himself a “ransom for all” (1 Timothy 2:6). The fact that Christ died for our sins as a ransom for all guarantees that all shall ultimately be saved. Because of Christ’s death, it’s not a matter of if a certain sinner will be saved and reconciled to God; rather, it’s a matter of when a certain sinner will be saved and reconciled to God. If a person is given the faith to believe the truth concerning what Christ did on his or her behalf when he died on the cross (and what God did for Christ by raising him from the dead), he or she will be saved before those who die in unbelief, and will enjoy life during the coming ages, or “eons,” of Christ’s future reign. Those sinners who aren’t given the faith to believe during this lifetime will miss out on the salvation that believers will enjoy. However, because Christ died for the sins of all (including the sins of those who die in unbelief), it follows that everyone must ultimately be saved and reconciled to God.

Consider the following arguments:

1. Everyone for whom Christ gave himself a ransom shall be saved.

2. Christ gave himself a ransom for all mankind (1 Tim. 2:5-6).

3. All mankind shall be saved.

1. Everyone whom God wills to be saved shall be saved.

2. God wills that all mankind be saved (1 Tim. 2:3-4).

3. All mankind shall be saved.

1. Everyone of whom God is said to be the Savior shall be saved.

2. God is said to be the Savior of all mankind (1 Tim. 4:10).

3. All mankind shall be saved.

Not only are the premises of these arguments supported by scripture, but so is the conclusion. Concerning Paul’s revelation of the ultimate outcome of Christ’s death for our sins, see, for example, Romans 5:12-19, 1 Corinthians 15:22-28, Ephesians 1:9-10, Colossians 1:19-20 and Philippians 2:8-11 (for an examination of these and other related passages from Paul’s letters, see my blog article, “The Ultimate Outcome of Christ’s Death, According to Paul”). Since – according to these and other passages – all mankind shall ultimately be saved as a result of Christ’s death for our sins, the “destruction” (or “extermination”) that some unbelievers will suffer on the day of Christ’s return (according to what Paul wrote in 2 Thess. 1:9) cannot be understood to involve a permanent, “everlasting” fate.

Now, in order to avoid the conclusion of the above arguments, most Christians would deny the validity of the first premise of each argument. Consider the following objection: “Only those who confess with their mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in their heart that God raised him from the dead will be saved; see Romans 10:9.” One problem with this sort of objection is that we’re not told in this verse that “only” those who meet the condition(s) specified in this verse will be saved (or that the salvation in view is “eternal salvation”). But for the sake of argument, let’s assume that this is the case, and that one must confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (and must believe that God raised him from the dead) in order to be “eternally saved.” According to what we read in Phil. 2:10-11, every intelligent being in the universe will eventually confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (and we can infer that it will also be universally believed that God raised him from the dead).

At this point, many Christians would object that the only people who will be saved are those who meet the conditions specified in Rom. 10:9 before they die. However, as I pointed out in part two of my last study, most Christians believe that every human who dies in infancy and early childhood (as well as many who die in a mentally handicapped condition) will be saved despite not having met the conditions referred to in this verse before they died. Thus, most Christians have either not thought through what they believe very carefully, or – if they have – are simply being inconsistent here. For the exception that most Christians are willing to make for infants/young children (and many mentally handicapped people) completely invalidates their objection that one must meet the specified condition(s) referred to in Rom 10:9 before they die.

Notwithstanding these considerations, most Christians will still find themselves unable to accept the conclusion of the arguments presented above. And one of the main reasons that many Christians would give for their inability to accept the conclusion that all mankind shall be saved is that their understanding of verses such as 2 Thess. 1:9 do not allow them to accept this conclusion. But this approach, I believe, gets it completely backwards. Rather than attempting to make the verses referenced above fit with an interpretation of 2 Thess. 1:9 that leads to the view that most people will never be saved, the more reasonable (and God-glorifying) approach would be to conclude that, on the basis of what Paul revealed elsewhere concerning the final outcome of Christ’s death, the traditional understanding of verses such as 2 Thess. 1:9 is erroneous.

Let’s consider these two approaches, as expressed in two opposing lines of reasoning. The first line of reasoning is reflective of how most Christians seem to approach Scripture:

1. There are verses in Scripture that some have argued reveal that all mankind shall ultimately be saved (e.g., Rom. 5:18-19).

2. However, according to verses such as 2 Thess. 1:9, some people will never be saved.

3. Any verses that are believed by some to reveal the ultimate salvation of all mankind have been misunderstood by those holding to this view.

In contrast, here is an argument that reflects how I believe we ought to approach Scripture:

1. There are verses in Scripture that some have argued reveal that certain people will never be saved (e.g., 2 Thess. 1:9).

2. However, according to verses such as Romans 5:18-19, all mankind shall ultimately be saved.

3. Any verses that are believed by some to reveal that certain people will never be saved have been misunderstood by those holding to this view.

What I want to do now is demonstrate that 2 Thess. 1:9 has, in fact, been greatly misunderstood by those who believe that it supports the traditional Christian view that some will never be saved. To begin, I think it would be helpful to first determine what, exactly, Paul had in mind when he referred to “salvation” in this letter (for I think most would agree that the “extermination” or “destruction” referred to in 1:9 should be understood in contrast with the “salvation” for which believers are destined). After referring to the unbelievers who will be on the earth at Christ’s advent as “those who are perishing, because they do not receive the love of the truth for their salvation” (2 Thess. 2:10), Paul wrote the following concerning believers in verses 13-14: “Now we ought to be thanking God always concerning you, brethren, beloved by the Lord, seeing that God prefers you from the beginning for salvation, in holiness of the spirit and faith in the truth, into which He also calls us through our evangel, for the procuring of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thess. 2:13-14).

Notice the contrast: unbelievers will be “perishing” (and thus fail to receive the salvation that Paul had in view) while believers (who are said to have been preferred by God “from the beginning for salvation”) will procure “the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” This salvation is later referred to as “an eonian consolation” (CLNT) or as “comfort age-during” (YLT) that God is giving believers (v. 16). The word translated “eonian” in the CLNT and “age-during” in YLT is the Greek adjective aiónios. As I’ve argued in greater depth elsewhere, the term aiónios is derived from, and inseparably connected with, the noun aión (“age” or “eon”). This being the case, the adjective aiónios basically means “lasting for, or pertaining to, an age/eon (or ages/eons).” A more literal English translation of this expression would thus be “age-lasting,” “age-during” or simply “eonian” (which is the adjective form of the noun “eon”).

The salvation that Paul described as “an eonian consolation” in 2 Thess. 2:16 is elsewhere referred to by Paul as “zōēn aiónion,” or “life eonian” (Rom. 5:21; 6:22-23; Gal. 6:8; 1 Tim. 1:16; 6:12; Titus 1:2; 3:7). The ages, or eons, that Paul had in view by his use of this expression (as well as the expression “eonian consolation”) are referred to by Paul in Eph. 2:7 as “the oncoming eons” during which God shall “be displaying the transcendent riches of His grace in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.” These “oncoming eons” (which I believe will be two in number) are the future eons of Christ’s reign. It is during these coming eons that believers will be living and reigning with Christ. But this salvation that believers will be enjoying (and which unbelievers will not be enjoying) during the eons of Christ’s reign does not pertain to time beyond the eons of Christ’s reign. And this, in turn, means that the believer's eonian salvation does not pertain to “eternity.” For, according to Paul’s prophecy in 1 Cor. 15:22-28, we know that Christ’s reign (and thus the eons during which Christ shall be reigning) is eventually going to end. And this means that the span of time expressed by the adjective aiónios cannot be endless. 

Consider the following argument:

1. The Greek adjective aiónios (“eonian”) does not refer to a span of time that goes beyond the span of time during which Christ shall be reigning.

2. According to what is revealed in 1 Corinthians 15:22-28, Christ is not going to be reigning over the kingdom for an endless duration of time (his reign is only “until” a certain point, at which time he will give up the kingdom to his God and Father so that God may be “All in all”).

3. Thus, the span of time expressed by the term aiónios cannot be endless in duration.

In further support of this understanding of the adjective aiónios (and to tie it in with what Paul wrote in 2 Thess. 1:9), let’s now consider John 3:14-17, and compare it with Christ’s words in John 8:51, 10:28 and 11:26. In John 3:14-17 we read the following in the CLNT:

“And, according as Moses exalts the serpent in the wilderness, thus must the Son of Mankind be exalted, that everyone believing on Him should not be perishing, but may be having life eonian. For thus God loves the world, so that He gives His only-begotten Son, that everyone who is believing in Him should not be perishing, but may be having life eonian. For God does not dispatch His Son into the world that He should be judging the world, but that the world may be saved through Him.”

The salvation that Christ had in view in this passage does not refer to anyone’s final, “eternal destiny.” It does not involve anyone being saved from a fate of “eternal duration.” Again, the expression translated “life eonian,” above (and usually translated “eternal life” in most Bibles) – zōēn aiónion – refers to life that will be enjoyed during the future eon(s) of Christ’s reign. Thus, the salvation that is in view in the words “that the world may be saved through Him” is a salvation that involves the receiving of “life eonian.” And since the salvation in view here refers to “life eonian,” the “perishing” that Christ had in view should also be understood as an eonian (rather than an “eternal”) fate. That is, it is a fate that pertains to one or more of the eons, or ages, of Christ’s future reign.

Concerning the nature of this “perishing,” Christ declared in John 8:51: “Verily, verily, I am saying to you, If anyone should be keeping My word, he should under no circumstances be beholding death for the eon.” 

Similarly, in John 10:27-28 we read, “My sheep are hearing My voice, and I know them, and they are following Me. And I am giving them life eonian, and they should by no means be perishing for the eon…” 

And in John 11:26 Christ declared, “And everyone who is living and believing in Me, should by no means be dying for the eon. Are you believing this?”

In each of these verses, the singular noun aión (“age” or “eon”) is used, and is preceded by the words “eis ton” (“for the”). The fact that the noun aión was used by John in each of these verses is completely obscured in most Bible versions (since they tend to use the expressions “never see death” and “never perish”). Here, for example, is how John 11:26 reads in the English Standard Version (which is representative of how most Bibles translate these verses): “…everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

According to the ESV’s translation of this verse, Jesus declared something which, when understood in a literal and straight-forward sense, is completely false. It’s simply not the case that those who kept Christ’s word and believed in him during his earthly ministry never died. Everyone who kept Christ’s word and believed in him during his earthly ministry eventually died (and they’re still just as dead today as they were on the day that they died). Since Christ did not teach what is false, we can conclude that it’s the translation – and not what Christ actually said on these occasions – that is at fault here. The problem that the above erroneous translation creates is resolved with a more accurate translation.

In each of these verses, it is “for the eon” (eis ton aióna) that believers will “under no circumstances be beholding death” and will “by no means be dying.” Christ had a certain eon in view when he spoke the words he did in these verses (i.e., the “age to come” or “coming eon”). That is, the “eon” for which believers “should by no means be perishing” is the eon that will begin when Christ returns to earth and commences his reign. Shortly after his reign begins, Christ is going to resurrect those who believed in him. And in the words of Revelation 20:4, these resurrected saints will then “live and reign with Christ a thousand years.” It is during this time that those who believed in him during this lifetime will “under no circumstances be beholding death” and will “by no means be dying.” Instead, they will enjoy “life eonian” during Christ’s reign.

The “perishing” that Christ had in view in John 3:16 should, therefore, be understood as being “for the eon,” and will be concurrent with the “life eonian” that Christ had in view.  Now, with this in mind, recall that, in 2 Thess. 2:10, Paul referred to the unbelievers who will be on the earth at Christ’s advent as “those who are perishing, because they do not receive the love of the truth for their salvation.” The Greek word translated “perishing” here (apollumi) is the same word used in John 3:14-16 and 10:28, and I submit that the “perishing” in view in each of these verses will be occurring during the same time period – i.e., “for the eon” (with “the eon” being the first eon of Christ’s reign). This throws light on the meaning of what Paul wrote in 2 Thess. 1:9, where the “destruction” (or “extermination”) that certain unbelievers will undergo at Christ’s return is described as “eonian.” It will last for the coming eon of Christ’s reign.

The nature of the “extermination” of 2 Thess. 1:9

  

So what will the fate that we find described in 2 Thess. 1:9 as “eonian extermination” (or “destruction age-during”) actually involve? The word translated “extermination” in the CLNT (and “destruction” in most other translations) is the noun olethros. In the LXX translation of the Hebrew Scriptures (with which Paul would’ve been familiar), most of the uses of olethros refer to the termination of the existence of Israel’s national enemies through a divine judgment (Jer. 25:31; 48:3, 8; 51:55; Ez. 6:14). The verb form of this word was also used to refer to the termination of human life (Ex. 12:23; Josh. 3:10; 7:25; Jer. 2:30).

A verb form of olethros occurs three times in the Greek Scriptures, and with each occurrence an event involving the termination of human life is in view:

“Yet it shall be that every soul whatsoever which should not hear that Prophet shall be utterly exterminated from among the people” (Acts 3:23).

“Nor yet be murmuring even as some of them murmur, and perished by the exterminator” (1 Cor. 10:10).

“By faith [Moses] has the passover made and the pouring of blood against the door jambs, lest the exterminator of the first-born may come into contact with them” (Heb. 11:28).

In addition to its use in 2 Thess. 1:9, the noun olethros appears three more times in Paul’s letters:

“…give up such a one to Satan for the extermination (olethron) of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus” (1 Cor. 5:5).

“Now whenever they may be saying "Peace and security," then extermination (olethros) is standing by them unawares, even as a pang over the pregnant, and they may by no means escape” (1 Thess. 5:3).

“Now, those intending to be rich are falling into a trial and a trap and the many foolish and harmful desires which are swamping men in extermination (olethron) and destruction” (1 Tim. 6:9).

Of these three occurrences, I think its usage in 1 Thess. 5:3 may provide the greatest insight into its meaning in 2 Thess. 1:9 (while, arguably, the other two occurrences are more ambiguous in meaning and open to interpretation). In 1 Thess. 5:1-3 we read,

Now concerning the times and the eras, brethren, you have no need to be written to, for you yourselves are accurately aware that the day of the Lord is as a thief in the night -- thus is it coming! Now whenever they may be saying "Peace and security," then extermination is standing by them unawares, even as a pang over the pregnant, and they may by no means escape.

We know that the time period Paul had in view here is “the day of the Lord,” when God’s “wrath” or indignation (i.e., the “indignation” referred to later in v. 9, and previously in 1:10) will be manifested. This is significant, since the context in which Paul used olethros in 2 Thess. 1:9 also concerns this future period of divine indignation (for the day on which Christ will be unveiled ”from heaven with His powerful messengers” will be the climax of this future period of time). We also know that many of the various prophesied cataclysms that will be occurring during the day of the Lord will, either directly or indirectly, result in people being killed (see, for example, Revelation 6:3-4, 7-8; 8:11; 9:15-18, 11:13; 14:18-20; 16:18-21; 18:8; 19:21). Although the termination of human (and animal) life will not be the only expression of God’s indignation during this future period of time, it will undoubtedly be the most widespread and common. Thus, if Paul had in mind the most common and widespread expression of God’s indignation that will be occurring during the day of the Lord when he used the term olethros in 1 Thess. 5:3, then we can understand the term to refer to the “destruction” or “extermination” of human life. And given the fact that the context in which olethros is used in 2 Thess. 1:9 also concerns the day of the Lord, it’s reasonable to understand the term as referring to the same thing.

This understanding of what Paul had in mind by his use of olethros in 2 Thess. 1:9 is consistent with the verses from John’s Account that we looked at earlier. As the reader will recall, the “perishing” to which Christ referred in John 3:14-17 and 10:28 (and with which he contrasted “life eonian”) is, in 8:51 and 11:26, referred to as “beholding death for the eon” and “dying for the eon.” What makes the connection between what Christ and Paul declared even stronger is the fact that, in 2 Thess. 2:10, Paul referred to certain unbelievers who will be on the earth at Christ’s advent as “those who are perishing, because they do not receive the love of the truth for their salvation.”

Another point that could be made is that, when Paul wrote “in flaming fire, dealing out vengeance” in 2 Thess. 1:8, he likely had in mind the following prophecy from Isaiah 66:15-16:

“For behold, Yahweh will come in fire, and his chariots like the whirlwind, to render his anger in fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.  For by fire will Yahweh enter into judgment, and by his sword, with all flesh; and those slain by Yahweh shall be many.”

Significantly, both the term translated “vengeance” and the expression translated “in flaming fire” in 2 Thess. 1:8 appear in the LXX translation of Isaiah 66:15 (which further strengthens the connection between these verses, and increases the likelihood that Paul had Isaiah 66:15 in mind). And since the clear purpose of the judgment described in Isaiah 66:15-16 will be the extermination of those whom Yahweh will be rebuking with “flames of fire,” it’s reasonable to believe that Paul considered this to be the same fate that awaits the unbelievers he had in mind in 2 Thess. 1:8-9.

Some have appealed to the meaning of the term translated “from” in 2 Thess. 1:9 (apo) as supporting one position over another. Here, again, is v. 9 from the CLNT:

“…who shall incur the justice of eonian extermination from the face of the Lord, and from the glory of His strength…”

Just like the English proposition “from,” the Greek term apo can express the idea of separation, source or cause. So did Paul mean that “the face of the Lord” and “the glory of his strength” will be the source (or cause) of the “eonian extermination?” Or, did Paul mean that the “eonian extermination” will involve people being separated from “the face of the Lord” and “the glory of his strength” on the day of Christ’s return? An example of apo clearly meaning source or cause is Acts 3:19, where we read, “Repent, then, and turn about for the erasure of your sins, so that seasons of refreshing should be coming from the face of the Lord…” Significantly, in this verse we find the term apo connected with the expression “the face of the Lord,” just as in 2 Thess. 1:9. If, in 2 Thess. 1:9, apo is to be understood to mean that “the face of the Lord” and “the glory of his strength” will be the source or cause of the eonian extermination, then it simply means that Christ’s presence and glory is what will result in the death of the unbelievers Paul had in view. So this understanding of apo is perfectly consistent with the view that the “extermination” or “destruction” in view will involve literal death.

But what about the position that apo should be understood as signifying separation here (rather than source or cause)? Rather than undermining the view that the “eonian extermination” will involve people being killed, this understanding of apo is equally consistent with this view. For those who are going to be killed when Christ returns (for example, the kings of the earth and their armies, as referred to in Rev. 19:19-21) will, by virtue of being killed at this time, necessarily be separated and removed from Christ’s presence (for, according to what Scripture reveals concerning death, those who die cease to exist). Even if those who are to be exterminated won’t be in (or near) Christ’s presence when they’re killed, their being killed (and thus ceasing to exist) will necessarily put them in a condition that makes it impossible for them to be in Christ’s presence (at least, as long as they remain dead). Consider, for example, 1 Kings 13:34, where we read of the house of Jeroboam being destroyed “from the face of the earth.” Although we find the idea of “separation” being expressed here, the separation involved the house of Jeroboam being killed (1 Kings 15:28-29). See also Psalm 104:3, where the same idea is expressed. Thus, we need not assume that being separated from “the face of the Lord” and “the glory of his strength” requires that those separated continue to exist in some location, or that they’re placed at any particular distance from Christ.

Conclusion

So what will be the ultimate fate of those unbelievers who, in accord with Paul’s words in 2 Thess. 1:9, will be undergoing “eonian extermination” (or “age-lasting destruction”) as a result of Christ’s coming at the end of this eon? Well, given that these unbelievers are most likely going to be killed at Christ’s return, they will end up being among “the rest of the dead” referred to in Rev. 20:5 (who we’re told “do not live until the thousand years should be finished”). But after these thousand years are finished, we read that there is going to be an event that will involve everyone belonging to this category of people (i.e., “the rest of the dead”) appearing before a “great white throne” to be judged by God (this judgment will, evidently, determine who will, and who won’t, get to enjoy the “allotment” referred to in Rev. 21:1-7). Since everyone who died before this judgment takes place must be restored to life in order to be judged, the “eonian extermination” which the unbelievers referred to in 2 Thess. 1:9 are destined to undergo will necessarily come to an end when the time comes for them to be judged.

For those who are to be judged at the “great white throne” judgment, the worst-case scenario after being judged will involve being cast into “the lake burning with fire and sulfur, which is the second death” (Rev. 20:15; 21:8). However, as I’ve argued in greater depth elsewhere, being cast into the lake of fire will involve mortal humans literally dying a second time, and remaining lifeless for the remainder of Christ’s future reign. Thus, as will be the case for everyone who is to be “exterminated” at Christ’s return, the condition of everyone who is to be cast into the lake of fire will involve utter oblivion (since consciousness depends on life). But this unconscious, lifeless condition will not be permanent. At the end of his eonian reign, Christ is going to abolish death, the “last enemy,” by vivifying everyone who, at this time, will be either dead or mortal (1 Cor. 15:22-26). Thus, not only is everyone who is destined for “eonian extermination” going to be delivered from death when the time comes for them to be judged at the “great white throne,” but everyone who is going to be returned to a lifeless condition following this judgment will, at the end of Christ’s reign, be permanently saved from death by being vivified in Christ. And, having received the same kind of “indissoluble life” that Christ himself presently enjoys, they will be subjected to Christ and become part of the “all” in whom we’re told God shall be “All” (1 Cor. 15:27-28).