Dorothy Mae
Member
I think you are not stating the opposite position correctly. Jesus didn’t “come” in a spiritual sense. His threat to come again (make no mistake it was a threat) to the Jewish leaders who condemned him was a coming in Judgement same as he threatened to “come” to the church at Ephesus in judgement. “Coming on the clouds” is not a reference to the heavenly airline but God’s judgement on a people which is what he said to the leaders who condemned him. It happened in the OT as well, in Isaiah 19. It is also a final judgement when it’s in the clouds.Hello. Thank you for responding to my question. Since you're an administrator and you didn't delete my post, am I correct to assume that means it's okay (or at least tolerated) for me to ask questions about preterism that are meant to challenge that position? I'm honestly not trying to start trouble, I have genuine curiosities about this position and figured the best way to get answers would be to interact with people who hold that position.
That being said, I think you misunderstood my question. I'm aware of the differences between full and partial preterism and that this forum only discusses partial preterism. So I didn't mean to imply that preterists entirely deny the second coming of Christ. I'll rephrase my question. Here it goes: Jesus used the term "parousia" four times in the Olivet Discourse in Matthew's Gospel, chapter 24, verses 3, 27, 37, 39. All preterists understand these references to Jesus spiritually returning in the clouds in AD 70 in judgment on Jerusalem, much in the same way Yahweh rode on the clouds in Isaiah 19:1. Correct?
Given what I argued in my OP about the meaning of the word "parousia", upon what basis can this word be interpreted as having such a meaning? Is a spiritual arrival and presence within the semantic range of potential meanings of that word? Is it perhaps unequivocally used in that way in the Septuagint? What's the basis for interpreting that word in that way in Matthew 24? That's my question. Thanks.
Jesus has promised to “come” more than once such as “we will come to him and make our abide in him” but no one thinks that’s how we get the Second coming. It’s not merely spiritual but it’s also not in the body.