By MICHAEL SLOVANOS
POPULAR theology does not necessarily equate to accurate theology. That is certainly the case with probably the most widespread, modern doctrine in the western church – dispensational premillennialism, a from of eschatology (prophecy study) also known more simply as “last days/end times prophecy teaching”.
This particular teaching promotes the view that prophetic passages in both the Old and New Testaments are primarily fulfilled at an undetermined but “nearby” time most likely in the current period of history, some 2000 years from the time of Christ and the writing of the New Testament.
But a lesser-known group of historical researchers focusing on the 1st century AD period after Christ’s time on earth have developed the completely opposite view that biblical prophecy was largely or completely fulfilled around the time of the Roman destruction of the Jerusalem temple in AD70.
This view is called preterism. It is based on scriptural accounts but also on the historical writings of historians such as Josephus, Tacitus and Cassius Dio and others. It also aligns with Covenant or Reformed theology.
Those who advocate the “futurist” scenario of prophetic fulfilment point to the formation of modern Israel in 1948 as a “prophetic marker for the end times”. Israel’s Jewish refugee migrants flooding in from Europe were seen as “God’s chosen people returning to their promised land” in accordance with Old Testament prophecies. The futurists tend to ignore or discount the historical writings up to and around the destruction of the Jerusalem temple.
Historically, futurist dispensationalism is inextricably tied up with Zionism to produce a belief known as Christian Zionism.
Around the time of the 1968 “Jesus Revolution” in America (that curiously coincided with the Bohemian-revival aka the “Hippy Revolution”) Christian churches worldwide were flooded with “end times” messaging in the form of books and movies referencing Israel’s “miraculous victory and return to the Wailing Wall” after the 1967 Six-Day War and an imminent “rapture” of the church to be followed by a “great seven-year tribulation”.
The late Hal Lindsey’s New York Times best-seller in 1970 titled “The Late Great Planet Earth” predicted an imminent rapture and tribulation period to be followed by the return of Christ to Jerusalem, from where the Messiah would rule the planet for 1000 years. “Left Behind” was the title of an entire series of movies and books describing the expected sudden “disappearance” (rapture) of Christians from the earth.
The roots of this teaching are commonly traced to John Nelson Darby, a mainstream Church of Ireland priest who joined the rapidly growing Plymouth Brethren movement in the early 1800s. However, as noted in a review of a Darby biography by author Crawford Gribben, “after his death in 1882, Darby’s successors revised and expanded his arguments, and Darby became known as the architect of the most influential system of end-times thinking among the world’s half-a-billion evangelicals. This “dispensational premillennialism” exercises extraordinary influence in religious communities, but also in popular culture and geopolitics.”
That is an accurate summary of the profound effects of this teaching not only within Christendom but on US and global geopolitics. But it was probably the controversial Midwest lawyer, former Confederate soldier, lawyer and preacher Cyrus Scofield (born in Michigan in 1843) who was responsible for the early mass marketing of this teaching into the 20th century.
The rise of dispensationalism through the 1800s co-incided with the rise of the Zionist movement initiated by the atheist Jewish lawyer and journnalist Theodore Herzl. It wasn’t entirely coincidental, however, because the idea of a Jewish restoration is traced as far back as Puritan groups in the 1580s – long before Darby’s writings.
Puritans, some of whom lived in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, saw Jewish re-entry to England after their expulsion in 1290 by Edward 1, as a step on the path to their eventual return to Palestine in line with millennialist eschatology, which would hasten the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and thus the final judgment.
Fast forward to the 1860s, it appears that Scofield, after his post-Civil War escapades and conversion, first came under the influence of the dispensationalist movement through protestant church leaders in Dallas, Texas. He later left his pastoral post and traveled to New York where he met the Zionist Samuel Untermeyer, a New York criminal lawyer and member of the literary society called the Lotos Club, which for some unknown reason, Scofield attended.
Church leaders in New York with whom Scofield associated, most notably Frank Ely Gaebelein, were also advocating the Jewish homeland narrative and eventually suggested that Scofield produce a Bible commentary based on dispensationalism. The first Scofield Reference Bible was published in 1909 by Oxford University Press – a remarkable feat for the failed lawyer-turned preacher from Kansas.
So, much of the 20th Century saw the rise and entrenchment of dispensationalist teaching via Scofield’s Bible reference notes in many Protestant evangelical seminaries. But the teaching spread, even among Catholics and other mainstream denominations. “The return of the Jews to the Promised Land” became not only a Christian but secular narrative.
Today, the belief that the modern state of Israel is a God-ordained phenomenon signalling an imminent second coming of Christ is held widely, probably by a majority of evangelical Christians worldwide, regardless of the fact that Judaism, the religion of the Jews denies the historical Christ but awaits a future Messiah. We should note however, the irony that a majority of Israeli Jews identify as secular.
Nevertheless, leading US evangelicals like Jack Hibbs, continue to give unconditional support to Israel while vigorously defending the teaching of the imminent rapture and second coming appearance of Christ.
Hibbs’ congregation and many others would be shocked and disbelieving if you were to tell them that the second coming of Christ was a 1st century event along with “the rapture” and tribulation. They shouldn’t be because Christ himself in several biblical discourses near the time of his crucifixion circa AD33, is recorded as speaking of nearby apocalyptic events.
Probably the most frequently cited of these is Olivet Discourse of Matthew, chapter 24, in which his disciples query him about “the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age”. Some Bible versions mistankingly translate “end of the age” as “end of the world”, which is highly misleading and contributes to the futurist narrative.
Christ, speaking in the first person to the disciples, explains the various events and signs – wars and rumors of wars, nation rising against nation (ethnos i.e. race of people), kingdom against kingdom, famines and earthquakes, “the beginning of birth pains”.
All these events are historically verifiable in the four decades from Christ’s crucifixion until the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. Dispensationalists, however, claim that Christ wasn’t actually addressing those disciples specifically but the worldwide church some 2000 years in the future.
That claim is rather disingenuous because Christ uses the personal pronoun “you” more than 20 times in the chapter when describing what these disciples will see and what they should specifically do, for instance to flee Jerusalem when they see the temple being desecrated in the same manner it was when Jerusalem was beseiged by the Seleucid king Antiochus Ephiphanes IV.
Antiochus, reported the Greek historian Diordorus, “sacrificed a great swine at the image of Moses, and at the altar of God that stood in the outward court, and sprinkled them with the blood of the sacrifice”. The Roman general Titus, after breaching Jerusalem’s walls and defeating the Jewish rebels, performed a similar act in AD70.
But popular dispensationalist teaching has “the abomination that causes desolation” happening some time after the formation of modern Israel when the temple is rebuilt and the animal sacrifice – of supposedly a flawless red heifer – is performed. Today we see the bizarre spectable of fanatical Orthodox Jews with magnifying glasses scouring the hair of specially raised Texan red heifers in their search for the “flawless” animal.
The Christian US ranchers who partake in this craziness, perhaps take pride in being exclusive, God-ordained actors in what they see as a critical event that will trigger an “end times” apocalyptic scenario, maybe before their very own eyes! These Christian Zionists seem to forget the central message of the gospels, that Christ himself was the once and only sacrifice for the sins of mankind.
Preterist Floyd Brennan, a graduate of West Liberty University, West Virginia, recently posted a study examining the period known as the 3.5-year tribulation (Matthew 24:21), focusing on how historical events align with the apocalyptic imagery in the Book of Revelation.
Dispensationalists take the Book of Revelation along with the Olivet Discourse, as dealing with the far distant future, perhaps around the current time. However it’s clear that the author, the Apostle John, says the book deals with events to “soon come to pass” in a time that is “near”.
A major debate among historians and theologians is when this book was written. Some say it was during the reign of Domitian around 92-96AD while others suggest an earlier date in the time of Nero’s reign from AD54 to 68. Revelation 2:13 mentions “Antipas my faithful martyr”, who the Eastern Orthodox Church maintains was martyred during Nero’s reign, which supports the early authorship view.
Brennan’s study explores the tribulation’s prelude, reveals its fulfillment in the first century AD and uses historical accounts from Josephus and other sources to draw parallels.
Events before the tribulation include Christians fleeing to Pella: In AD 66, Cestius Gallus surrounded Jerusalem but unexpectedly withdrew, providing an opportunity for Christians to heed Jesus’ warning (Luke 21:20-21, Matthew 24:15-21) and escape to Pella.
“This event is seen as the moment of “silence in heaven for about half an hour” (Revelation 8:1), symbolizing a brief respite or divine pause allowing for their escape.
Brennan sees the Christians fleeing to Pella as the “144,000” singing a new song on Mount Zion (Revelation 14:1-3), “not as a rapture to heaven but as an escape to live out the new covenant, symbolizing the transition from the old Jerusalem to the “heavenly Jerusalem” (Galatians 4:26).”
The 3.5 year tribulation is interpreted as lasting from AD 66 to AD 70, culminating in the fall of Jerusalem. “This time frame corresponds with the “time, times, and half a time” or 42 months described in Revelation and Daniel, symbolizing intense persecution and divine judgment,” he writes.
References to famine and bloodshed are supported by Josephus’ accounts of how during the siege, severe famine and bloodshed were rampant. The grain was destroyed by fire, leading to severe famine, and the waters turned red with blood, literal fulfillments of Revelation’s judgments. “These events illustrate the “trumpet” and “bowl” judgments described symbolically in Revelation,” he says.
Key Figures and Symbolism:
- Nero as the First Beast: Nero, who persecuted Christians from AD 64 to his death in AD 68, is identified as the “beast from the sea” (Revelation 13). As the sixth emperor since Julius Caesar, Nero’s reign marked the sixth head of the beast. His death was the fatal blow to this head, initiating the transition to the next phase of tribulation.
- Titus as the Beast from the Abyss: Following Nero, Titus, who led the final siege of Jerusalem, is seen as the beast that rises from the abyss when the two witnesses are killed, marking the tribulation’s climax. Titus effectively replaced Nero, symbolizing the continuation of Roman imperial power and oppression.
- Jerusalem as the Harlot: Jerusalem, having rejected Jesus as the Messiah, is symbolized as the “harlot” in Revelation, representing apostate Judaism that led to its own destruction.
- The Two Witnesses: Peter and James are considered the two witnesses who preached during the tribulation. James was martyred in Jerusalem, and the story of Peter’s journey to Rome and martyrdom there is likely an invention of the Roman church to support their claim of Peter being the first Pope. Their ministry coincides with the time when Christians were kept safe in Pella.
The Fall of the Temple and the Chief Priests:
- Crushing of the Chief Priests: The chief priests, who accused and slandered Jesus, are metaphorically identified as “Satan” or “the devil” in the New Testament context. The Hebrew word “Satan” means “accuser,” and “diabolos” (devil) translates as “slanderer,” fitting descriptions for these men’s actions towards Jesus. In this context, Satan does not always refer to the same entity even in the Old Testament, often symbolizing opposition or adversary. Their power and influence ended with the temple’s destruction, fulfilling prophecies about the end of the old covenant system.
Brennan concludes that Revelation’s prophecies were fulfilled within the first century AD, around the 3.5-year tribulation period. It connects historical figures like Nero and Titus with the apocalyptic beasts, the flight to Pella with divine protection, and the fall of Jerusalem with the end of the old covenant’s significance.
“We now live under the new covenant as described in Galatians 4, a time of grace and spiritual fulfillment, where the promises of God are realized in Christ, offering hope and a new identity to all believers.”
What Brennan does not mention is the reports of the historians Josephus and Tacitus, of an event that appears to be a fulfillment of what Jesus described as his appearance in the clouds of heaven, an event otherwise known by the Greek word parousia, meaning the extended visit of a conquering general or king.
Christ is quoted in Matthew 24:30 as saying: “At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth (i.e. “land” or “known inhabited world”) will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”
In May AD66 Josephus recorded the following in The Wars of the Jews 6.5.3: “[O]n the twenty-first day of the month of Artemisius [Jyar], a certain prodigious and incredible phenomenon appeared; I suppose the account of it would seem to be a fable, were it not related by those that saw it, and were not the events that followed it of so considerable a nature as to deserve such signals; for, before sunsetting, chariots and troops of soldiers in their armor were seen running about among the clouds, and surrounding of cities.”
Tacitus, the Roman historian, recorded in The Histories Book 5: “Prodigies had occurred, which this nation, prone to superstition, but hating all religious rites, did not deem it lawful to expiate by offering and sacrifice. There had been seen hosts joining battle in the skies, the fiery gleam of arms, the temple illuminated by a sudden radiance from the clouds. The doors of the inner shrine were suddenly thrown open, and a voice of more than mortal tone was heard to cry that the Gods were departing. At the same instant there was a mighty stir as of departure.“
Later historians, including the 4th century Chistian historian Eusebius, confirmed the writings of these supernatural occurrences, in Ecclesiastical History, Book 3, Chapter 8, Sections 1-6: “Thus were the miserable people won over at this time by the impostors and false prophets;95 but they did not heed nor give credit to the visions and signs that foretold the approaching desolation. On the contrary, as if struck by lightning, and as if possessing neither eyes nor understanding, they slighted the proclamations of God.
2 “At one time a star, in form like a sword, stood over the city, and a comet, which lasted for a whole year; and again before the revolt and before the disturbances that led to the war, when the people were gathered for the feast of unleavened bread, on the eighth of the month Xanthicus, at the ninth hour of the night, so great a light shone about the altar and the temple that it seemed to be bright day; and this continued for half an hour. This seemed to the unskillful a good sign, but was interpreted by the sacred scribes as portending those events which very soon took place.”
Other quotations concerning this time can be found at this website http://fulfilledtheology.ning.com/forum/topics/historical-records-with-some. There is no reason to seriously doubt the writings of these historians. Neither Josephus nor Tacitus were followers of Christ, so they had no reason to write accounts for the approval of the church as it existed.
Translations can be disputed but such disputes usually involve minor issues. It is known that some brief references by Josephus to Christ were embellished by later historians to “clarify” who he was referring to.
Much later in history, a medieval Jewish historian named Yosippon, confirmed these events: “Moreover, in those days were seen chariots of fire and horsemen, a great force flying across the sky near to the ground coming against Jerusalem and all the land of Judah, all of them horses of fire and riders of fire.” Sepher Yosippon A Mediaeval History of Ancient Israel translated from the Hebrew by Steven B. Bowman. Excerpts from Chapter 87 “Burning of the Temple” cited in http://fulfilledtheology.ning.com/forum/topics/historical-records-with-some