Dear Friends:

We are living in the revelation of the Book of Revelation.  However, some of the final battles and the alignment and reconciliation of nations around Israel have not been completed.  At this time, the fullness of the Gentiles and the fullness of the Jews are still to be culminated.  

My concern with the recent attempt to popularize Preterist theology is that it has nothing to do with our call at this time in history, but can only serve to introduce division and distraction in the Body.  I have witnessed this mindset of replacement theology in every decade that I can remember – the 70s, 80s, 90s and now in this millennium.  God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Perhaps this document will help many of you as you move forward and maneuver through these times of change.  Times will dictate that our paths become more and more narrow, but we will make into the fullness of the plan that Jesus Christ of Nazareth came and sacrificed Himself for.

  Chuck D. Pierce

 Preterist Interpretation of Revelation will Lead to Problems
By Dr. Robert Heidler and Dr. Chuck D. Pierce

From Robert Heidler: 

As one who has spent many years in a detailed study of the Bible in the original Greek and Hebrew languages, I am concerned by attempts to promote long-discredited Preterist theology by a few members of the current Apostolic movement.  The Preterist view teaches that the events described in the book of Revelation are not future events, but descriptions of events that took place within the first century. 

From my perspective, the Preterist view is an unfortunate distortion of dominion theology that violates every rule of Bible interpretation.

The Preterist interpretation of the Book of Revelation blatantly ignores the clear statements of the text that the book is a description of end time events.  There is nothing in the book of Revelation to even remotely suggest the Preterist view.  It is clearly an idea “read into the text.”

The Preterist view turns the graphic descriptions of end-time worldwide destruction into absurd exaggerations of local events.  It also ignores the many Old Testament prophetic passages which also describe these end-time events.

My primary problem with the Preterist view, however, is that it is a blatant example of replacement theology.  The Wikipedia article on preterism says this:  “Preterism is a variant of Christian eschatology which holds that some or all of the biblical prophecies concerning the Last Days or End Times refer to events which already happened in the first century after Christ’s birth. Because of its claims that Israel was supplanted by the Christian church at the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, Preterism has sometimes been identified as replacement theology.”

In the Preterist view, God has canceled every covenant with Israel.  There is no future or significance for the Jewish people or Israel as a nation.  There is no fulfillment of the Davidic covenant.  There is no reign of Messiah from a throne in Jerusalem.  All of God’s promises to Israel have been nullified.  Israel has been replaced by the church.  (For a more detailed examination of replacement theology, please see my Appendix One in my book, The Messianic Church Arising!) 

But in Jeremiah 31:35-36, God promised Israel: "This is what the LORD says, He who appoints the sun to shine by day, who decrees the moon and stars to shine by night. ‘Only if these decrees vanish from my sight,' declares the LORD, 'will the descendants of Israel ever cease to be a nation before me."'

In verse 37, Jeremiah goes on to say, "'Only if the heavens above can be measured and the foundations of the earth below be searched out will I reject all the descendants of Israel because of all they have done,' declares the LORD."

In Isaiah 44:21-22, the Lord appeals to Israel by saying, "O Israel, I will not forget you.  I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist.  Return to me, for I have redeemed you." 

In Romans 11, Paul deals with the question, "Did God reject His people?" Paul's answer is, "By no means!"  Paul clearly did not believe God’s promises to Israel were canceled!  So the Preterists do not agree with the prophet Jeremiah… or the apostle Paul!

If, as the Preterists say, these incredible promises of God to Israel have been nullified, what basis do we have to believe in His promises to us?

From Chuck D. Pierce:

Hyper-Preterist teaching usually begins when individuals in the Body begin to find error in teaching related to what we in the Western world call “The Rapture”.   This is not so much a reaction to the historic teaching on the rapture, but to the sometimes unbalanced popularization of the rapture resulting from such books as the “Left Behind” series.  I believe what is really being rejected by Preterists is the idea of escapism.  I have always rejected this as well, but I do know that there is Biblical revelation alluding to a “rapturous spirit.”  I believe the church will look like Stephen in the Book of Acts. We will be moving forward to transform and influence society and government and become more and more persecuted. Governments will clash. Therefore, as Stephen wore the “GLORY of GOD” as he ascended, so will we.

Usually Preterists start off with a heart to advance the Kingdom but disconnect somewhere along the way.  A demon force attaches off-balance knowledge to a deep root of Anti-Semitism, usually attached to an occult power from Free Masonry, in a leader of influence, to lead them into full blown replacement theology.  The result of this is that dominion teaching becomes skewed, eventually hindering the entire movement. Even though the leader doesn’t necessarily believe the gifts have ceased, the manifestation of the Holy Spirit eventually quits working in his or her life.

In the earlier apostolic development of the Church, this led well -meaning leaders into shepherding and a form of knowledge, denying the power of God.  Even then the prophetic gift in me prevented me from going with the apostolic development of that era. 

Preterist theology usually evolves from a teaching gift.  The gift of prophecy and Preterist teaching results in opposition, with the latter working against prophetic revelation.  Apostolic teachers in each decade seem to be prone to doctrines of demons which lead many into cognitive processes that negate supernatural power. 

The ultimate Preterist view leads to Universalism, that all mankind will experience salvation. The Preterist view also materializes because people get out of balance in their evangelistic call to the Arab people.  Whereas the bloodline of Ishmael has many redemptive opportunities, the bloodline of Esau revolts against the covenant of God.  The Arab people can only enter into the fullness of the blessing God has for them when they are willing to accept His Son who was sent to the Jew first, and then to the Gentile. They then must realize that there will come a time when their nation and blood will war against the nation of Israel. At that moment, they must choose to become “One New Man”, or else reject the fullness of God’s earthly plan of reconciliation.

God chose Israel as His firstborn nation and people.  God did not choose to first reveal Himself to America, or Germany, or any other nation.  The Jewish people are the Firstfruits of His work in the earth, and His promises to them will yet be fulfilled.  If we lose sight of this, we get out of His timing and stop co-laboring with Him to bring the earth into His plan of fullness.

I want to suggest you read the chapter in The Future War of the Church entitled “Foundations for Future Victory”, which explains the anti-Christ system.  In God’s Unfolding Battle Plan, I go further to explain the war of the nations in the chapter entitled “Will the Real Ruling Nation Rise”.  In God’s Unfolding Battle Plan, I also explain the difference between the Jews, Ishmael and Esau.