A Chronic Hysteresis
or Hyperpreterism: stuck on the starting line
Hyperpreterists take great delight in pointing out the inconsistencies in what they refer to as “partial” preterism. Matthew 25 is a good example. If we are going to (rightly) interpret Matthew 23 and 24 as referring to the destruction of centralised worship (the old age) and the beginning of a new age of righteousness, surely Matthew 25 is within the same context?
On this one, I agree with the hypers. Matthew 25 is fulfilled…
BUT (and a big one)
…this ‘Land’ judgment is a microcosm of the World judgment to come. In the prophets, judgments upon Israel always precede judgments upon the surrounding nations – like shockwaves. The Law-Word fell upon Christ in the garden, the Jews in the Land, and is now dividing the world.
The general resurrection is yet to be fulfilled. Once again, there are three resurrections:
Garden (Most Holy) – Christ
Land (Holy Place mediators) – firstfruits (first resurrection)
World (Gentile court) – end (second resurrection)
Hyperpreterism truncates Revelation 20 into the first century and so denies a future resurrection. The last few years have shown that many who hold this view end up swallowing universalism and some even deny the faith.
Covenants always end in judgment (assessment), a division between the sheep and goats, or the two goats at Atonement. Contrary to Obamanomics, in God’s economy, hope is a cactus, not a bailout where everyone is a sheep.
Hyperpreterism results in an endless cycle – a chronic hysteresis - and leaves little to spur us on to victory. The history of the Bible does contain repeated patterns, but there is always a progression from childhood to maturity. Our history will have an end, and it will be glorious victory.
Revelation 20-22 describes the final separation of sheep and goats before Satan and his willing minions (and by that stage, according to Chilton, they will be very epistemologically aware!) are expelled ez Azal forever.
Coupled with Covenant Creationism 1, hyperpreterism kicks the ends off the Bible. This turns the grave of human history into a rut. For hypers, AD70 is a handbrake and we are just spinning our wheels.
The Bible teaches postmillennial progression to full maturity and fruitfulness. At the final judgment, the entire creation will enter through the veil, and the Oikoumene judgment of Matthew 25 will be repeated on a global scale.
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1 This holds that the Genesis account is the creation of a Covenant, not the physical act of creation. But the creation was both physical and covenantal, and set down the pattern for later covenants. It also holds that the Noahic flood was only local, not global, seeing as the ‘flood’ in AD70 referred to by Jesus was only local. However, the end of Israel under Babylon is also referred to as flood, the Land being submerged under the Gentiles. AD70 was the end of the SOCIAL divide begun in Abram, when God divided the nations into Land (Israel) and Sea (nations) symbolically. The end of Temple worship ended circumcision and the Jew/Gentile bipolarity forever. See James B. Jordan, Israel’s Future Re-examined (in three parts). Orthodox preterism does not lead to the necessity of a ‘local flood’. See also James Jordan’s Creation in Six Days.
