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Description: Semantic Agreement Between Christians discusses positive ways today’s Bible believers can dialogue and consciously gravitate towards a first and second century understanding of the social world as it existed in the convulsions and death throws of the Second Jewish Commonwealth. Intramural discussions about context, definitions, distinctions, and terminology can indeed spark a renaissance of self-understanding among God’s New Testament people. By engaging in thoughtful and respectful conversations, believers can deepen their understanding of the scriptures and their faith. These discussions allow for a more nuanced exploration of theological concepts, biblical interpretation, and the application of biblical principles in our lives. They can also lead to a greater appreciation for the diversity within the body of Christ and a recognition of the richness and depth of God’s Word. It is important, however, to approach these discussions with humility, open-mindedness, and a commitment to speaking the truth in love.
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When we talk about Christians who are “Futurists,” “Preterists,” or “Atavists,” we’re referring to how they understand Bible prophecies and the timing of certain events.
Futurists are Christians who believe that most of the prophecies in the Bible, like the Second Coming of Jesus, the kingdom of God, judgment day, and the end of the world, haven’t happened yet. They think that what the first Christians expected to occur in their own time, 2,000 years ago, is still going to take place in the future. Futurist eschatology is represented in the conventional Four Views of Christianity and our interest on this forum is to interact and dialogue in a dignified way with these Christians, not about Preterism, in general, but Atavist views, specifically [click here].
Preterists, on the other hand, believe that most or all of the Bible prophecies already came true between the years AD 66 and 70. This was a period of about 42 months. For them, the destruction of Jerusalem during this time was the same as the removal of ‘heaven and earth’ talked about in the Bible. They believe we are now living in what the Bible calls the ‘new heavens and earth.’
Atavists have a different view. They believe that the fourth kingdom mentioned in the Bible was the Hasmonean Kingdom of Judea, which later changed into the Herodian Judea, supported by the Romans. They think this kingdom continued as a joint Judeo-Idumean government from AD 66 to 70. Atavists understand the Second Coming of Jesus as something that could be seen in the sky, marking His presence and the end of that time period, which they call the Second Jewish Commonwealth. Atavists also believe that the events at places like Herodium, the Forest of Yardenit, the Fort of Machaerus, and Masada show the defeat of what they call the Sea Beast, which happened after Jerusalem was destroyed. They think the capture and tying up of Satan in the Bible matches the time of Judea Capta, when the Second Temple society fell apart, and some Jewish Zealots kept trying to fight back.
Finally, Atavists believe that the rise and fall of Gog and Magog in the Bible talks about the short time of Israel’s independence under Simon Bar Kokhba in the second century. After this, they believe the nation was completely destroyed. In the Atavist view, chapters 21 and 22 of the Book of Revelation describe a real, physical place that God has prepared for all Christians after this life (perhaps many Preterists would disagree here). They also believe in eternal punishment in a lake of fire and brimstone and that Christianity will always exist and grow, like a mountain that eventually fills the whole earth.
It’s important to remember that this is just a short description, and there’s a lot more to each of these views. If anyone feels like their beliefs have not been correctly described here, they should reach out so that the information can be changed or fixed.