+ 70-1070AD

70-1070AD J.S. Russell's Position on the Millennium, the Neglected Third Way of Preterism

By Duncan McKenzie, Ph.D.

70AD-ONGOING Christendom = "The Stone that became a Great Mountain" (Daniel 2:31-45) = The Kingdom of the Heavens

Here are a few related Scriptures.

70-1070AD Last Day-MILLENNIUM = Middle Age(s) = Sabbath Day of the Lord = the Last Day

THIS VIEW IS BEING RECONSIDERED IN THE LIGHT OF EQUATING
"THE DAY OF THE LORD" WITH "THE 1,000 YEARS" OF REV 20:1-10
AS 2 PETER 3:8 SEEMS TO HINT TOWARD.
I PLAN TO UPDATE SOME OF ITS WORDING.
I am not completely satisfied with my efforts here and post this in the hope of cajoling along further study by others more qualified.

70AD Rapture-Return accompanies the arrival of Christ with the New Jerusalem

I see room for a circa 70AD rapture of the sort Ed Stevens & Walt Hibbard describe from 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17 that accompanies the John 14:1-3 reality that Jesus brings the New Jerusalem with Him at His Return.
(And Rev 21-22's "New Jerusalem" is Hebrews 12:22's "Heavenly Jerusalem" which is Galatians 4:26's "Jerusalem which is above" which is the home Jesus goes away to prepare for us in John 14:1-3. I think we are agreed here, right? Interesting how at Mt. Sinai the leading men and Moses are called upward to meet the LORD at His coming to the Hebrews).
It was an interesting night when I happened through Ardmore, OK one Wednesday night to visit Don Preston's church. Don was trying his best to shoot down the idea of any rapture while preaching through the Greek of 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17. But the more evidence from the biblical Greek expressions around the term "parousia" that he brought out, the more he had to honestly admit how it is employed to speak of the ancient practice of local dignitaries meeting together up the road outside their town to welcome and accompany a visiting higher dignitary that final leg of journey. He also had to admit honestly that "air" in v17 is used in ancient Greek for "the atmosphere above." It was so ironic because, as he was quoting commentaries he was expressing his amazement at how the commentators often would occasionally end up providing better evidences for the positions they were straining to refute than the ones they were trying to promote. And here I was witnessing him doing the very same thing. May God bless Don Preston, he is a good guy, however, afterall. So I see a rapture occurring as Jesus is beginning His final descent of Return, (although I have not proved it here but merely mentioned it). And Don Preston inadvertently provided me with more support for my long-held position.
1 Thessalonians 4:14-17
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.16For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
John 14:3
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
*Feel FREE to claim as your own anything I write - while I retain the right to do the same the same with it.*
And this is love: that we keep Christ's commandments ~ 2 John 6

70-1070AD Day of Judgment = 1 Day with Lord = 1000 Years = Day of the Lord = Day of God -- 2 Peter 3:2-14

2 Peter 3:2-14 ~ (written around 63AD, about the same time as Revelation, when those first Christians wondered at its meaning)
You should remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles. 3 Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, 4 and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? ... the present heavens and earth by His word are being reserved for fire, kept for THE DAY OF JUDGMENT and destruction of ungodly men.

8 But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that WITH THE LORD ONE DAY IS AS A THOUSAND YEARS, AND A THOUSAND YEARS AS ONE DAY. 9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. 10 But THE DAY OF THE LORD will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. 11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of THE DAY OF GOD, on account of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! 13 But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.

14 Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, 15 and regard the patience of our Lord to be salvation;
NASB

DAY OF JUDGMENT = 1 DAY WITH THE LORD = 1000 YEARS = 1 DAY = DAY OF THE LORD = DAY OF GOD

Revelation 20:1-10
And I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a THOUSAND YEARS, 3 and threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he should not deceive the nations any longer, until the THOUSAND YEARS were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time.

4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of the testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a THOUSAND YEARS. 5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a THOUSAND YEARS.

7 And when the THOUSAND YEARS are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, 8 and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore. 9 And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them. 10 And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
NASB


The problem I see here is that non-preterist folk are so consentrated on the 1000 year time frame that they miss a simple phrase that put this verse in a symbolic frame work. "as is" is not to be taken literal.
It's a comparison showing God's patience.
Not that he's literally going to hang around for 1000 years for his final judgement.
If the 1000 in Revelations is to be taken literal and the starting piont is A.D.70, then the final judgement, (or 3rd appearing), has already happened.
This make no sense whatsoever.


I strongly recommend Parousia: The New Testament Doctrine of Our Lord's Second Coming by J. Stuart Russell

Russell visits virtually every Bible passage dealing with the Lord's Second Coming; many, many of which refer directly to the long anticipated "Day of the Lord" / "Day of God" / "Day of Judgment" / "The Last Day" / "The Lord's Day."

I also recommend one consider again the article here: J.S. Russells Position on the Millennium, the Neglected Third Way of Preterism

70AD-ONGOING Inner-Man & Outer-Man: the 2 Parts of Resurrection

IF "resurrection" is the answer to "death,"
THEN we might gain some insight into the meaning of "resurrection" by reviewing some facts about "death."
FACT: God warned Adam that he would "die" the "day" he ate from the Tree of Knowledge of Good & Evil. "Day" had already been defined in this context by saying "there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day," etc., (Gen 1:31), the period between &quo