ABSTRACT: Charles Meeks like many other Full Preterist writers / teachers of Full Preterism lack in a foundation of consistent, coherent, or unified theology that has been acquired over years of scholarly driven research and development. They often have little theological background and even less historical knowledge of Christianity and even take pride in telling people they just get their belief from the Bible alone, as if they are some Andreas Karlstadt or Thomas Munzer and less a Luther.[1] Attempts made by FP to systemize their theology has yet been accomplished in over 70 years of its existence. But then it never can be. Meeks attempt to provide 10 clues as to how to understand the Heaven and Earth in the NT and writes 20 observation as to why Revelation was written pre-AD 70. This paper examines his arguments to demonstrate the fundamental issues that undermine the FP paradigm credibility of not only the written works but of the authors / teachers of FP.
There are two principles that drive the FP movement born from out of the roots of Max King and his disciples from the churches of Christ.[2] The fist being a rejection of the church’s teaching for the last 2000 years from either the Catholic or Protestant perspective.[3] The second is based on the idea of the first, each person must study the bible for themselves to arrive at the truth and not depend on the interpretations of others, including other FP. The end result is a movement plagued with in-house fighting and disagreements with over 17 different “official” forms of FP starting with the split of IBV or CBV.[4] Each vying for attention and notoriety with their YOU Tube Channels and blogs that are designed to spread their messages along with a plethora of books and websites. There is no official credited University that teaches FP as a viable option of Eschatology or recognized degrees offered in FP theology. FP does not have one viable Greek or Hebrew scholar who supports their position of interpretations or any type of PhD backing. It remains on the backs of the unlearned. Having years of bible study under your belt does not equal “qualified,” if one never learned the proper rules of hermeneutics or exegesis, the system of study remains flawed form its inception. Any number of posts will reveal this failure when compared to the work of scholars.
Essentially full preterism is a view that teaches that all prophecy of the OT and New Testament were fulfilled by AD 70 and there is nothing yet to be revealed or fulfilled. The bible was not written to us, and we are simply reading someone else’s mail. Time statements dictate the nature of the events prophesied as an excuse as to why no one acknowledged their fulfillment in the first century or after. The bible is a piece of literature to be interpreted with the “audience relevance” hermeneutic, and prophetic language is not to be taken literally is what creates the false paradigm of Full Preterism.
These two works of Charles Meeks are being used to demonstrate the incoherence, and inconsistencies created by a lack of education or biblical scholarship. This paper is written from the Pre-Mill / Post Trib view.
10 Clues to Understanding the New Heaven and New Earth
Meeks prefaces his work with a brief exposition of the 4 differing views[5] of what is the new heaven and earth. His main thesis is to demonstrate the NT testament and specifically the Revelation is to be understood as symbolic or metaphorical. Meeks acknowledges the tension exist between what is to be understood literal verses metaphorical. He argues that since Rev uses OT “Hebraic apocalyptic language” the context of the OT passages should indicate the Rev quotation is not to be taken literally. Yet they identify the language of Rev 19 as language being used to describe real events with the siege of Jerusalem. He affirms then that the “New Heaven and New Earth can be understood as a Hebraic metaphor for the New Covenant in Christ.” Which is intended to negate the idea that any reference of the NHE should be understood literally.
The usage of heaven and earth in Rev 5:13 demonstrates the FP principle “New Heaven and New Earth can be understood as a Hebraic metaphor for the New Covenant in Christ” as invalid as it speaks to all of life that lives upon the created earth and IN heaven. Each verse but be understood within its usage and context and “blanket application” or “illegal transference of meaning” is rejected by scholars and recognized as form of scriptural manipulation as the “spiritual” meaning can be applied to make any passage say what the interpreter desires. What Meeks failed to do was prove why any NT reference is not to be taken literally.
In clue one, Meeks follows his “principle” and fails to note that “heaven” is the realm in which God lives, and the air above the earth is also called the heavens. “new heaven and earth” are being used to indicate that the creation of the earth and the heaven above it is what’s being made new (Rev 21:1). The Greek word καινός, means to be made like new. “being made like new” would be a restoration to the newness of creation in Gen 1, unblemished by mans corrupting force upon it. (Rom 8.)
In the sister verse of math 5:17, 18, which is Luke 16:17 tells us, “it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of the Law to become void” which tells us Mat is using “heaven and earth” as hyperbole or as a Hebrew idiom, in much the same way we would say, “when pigs fly.” The law will pass away when the terms of the OC are fulfilled by Christ who kept the law perfectly, thus a new covenant was written in his blood with the completion of the old.
In Clue 3 Meeks makes the same assumption that heaven and earth will pass away but not the real heaven and earth but the temple which is being called the “heaven and earth.” The heaven and earth in Math 24:34, 35 is equated with the temple. If the “heaven and earth” means the “temple” then the verse should read, “until the temple passes away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law of Moses until all is accomplished. This point becomes a repeat of the same error as in clue 2. The law of Moses ended on the cross when we were given a new High priest in the heavens above and all sin was atoned for by a single sacrifice.
In clue 4 Meeks makes the correct point that Isa 65 is not about the new heaven and earth in Rev 21, 22 but the paradigm in which Jesus dwells in a new world after his coming, for the 1000 years in which the old and new live side by side in the resurrection age. This is where it is understood that “lion will lay down with the lamb.” The FP has this 1000 years lasting between 33AD and 70 as if Jesus ruled over the Roman empire with a rod of iron.
Clue 5 is generated in the ignorance of NOT knowing futurist eschatology (and the lack of FP eschatology) The judgment of “Armageddon” (Zech 14:16) is not the final judgment of the GWT. At his coming he defeats the nations that have come against Jerusalem (Rev 19), and he rules over the nations that survived “Armageddon.” For a thousand years. At the end of this mill satan is released, he gathers a second army, fire comes down and destroys the world of the ungodly (2 Peter 3.) Then the GWT judgment takes place of all men who have ever lived and there are no men living upon the earth under the curse. The unjust are sent to the LOF and the just enter the New Jerusalem, the city that comes down out from heaven to the remade new earth.
In Clue 6 you have three problems. 2 Peter 3 is to be taken literal since the earth was literally flooded and the world that exited then came to an end. In the same way fire will end the world of the ungodly (Rev 20:9) So in Genesis the world of the ungodly destroyed not he world itself and then remade. In the same fire destroys the “surface of the earth” burning up the works of men and new life comes from it as it is “remade to be like new.” So, the earth does abide forever, Christ rules forever, and using Gen 8:21 is bad hermeneutics, “that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” … I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth… And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.” God never said he would not destroy all flesh, he said he would never destroy all flesh by a flood.
Now Meeks misleads people to think στοιχεῖον only means elements of the old covenant, when it’s used to refer to the basic elements of a religious teaching, writing, or even of counting. In 2 Peter 3 στοιχεῖον is meant to be understood as the elements that are used to create the “works of men” done upon the earth such as buildings and such.
When Peter talked about the “end of all things.” He was writing from Rome and was facing his last days upon the earth. This was the “end of all things” he spoke about. Peter was living in Rome and speaking to gentile churches of Asia and was not concerned with Jerusalem’s destruction as the FP might have you believe. This is why we charge FP imposing their presuppositions into a text with out doing proper exegesis.
Clue 7 I have to chuckle. LIFE in the new heaven and earth is “curse” free. We no longer suffer under frail bodies who experience pain and suffering. In the New heaven and Earth those things are no more but in the FP paradigm they go on forever. Instead, we live forever enjoying the water of life that’s been poured out freely for us to enjoy.
In Rev 22;6 the word θεραπεία does not imply they need of healing because of sin. It implies the bringing the nations back together, unifying, healing the rift between them.
All these immense statements of Revelation were never taken before as time statement by the Greek Christians? Why?
Clue 10, Josephus was written after the wars were completed. There is no Jewish literature or scripture that makes the “temple” heaven and earth. The NHE are ushered in after the end of time.
“And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. …. 5And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever. – THUS, the end of time.”
What Meek’s uses as his conclusion is a “theological abortion” of Biblical proportions. In their attempt to make all scriptures fit AD 70 they create a paradigm of such gross magnitude of incompetence so the whole thing should be aborted.
Just as Daniel was shown the end of the Jewish age so John is shown the end, or the consummation of the end of days in which the restoration of all creation is revealed to us. We are given the knowledge of events that will usher in the time of our redemption of sin and death upon the physical creation. In this final view we see man living with God face to face just as Adam did in the garden. This is the hope of the believer. In the FP world sin continues forever, death never comes to its end or sin nor are all his enemies made in subjection to him. And they call this fulfilled hope?
I find it most curious that Christians seem to find hope in the destruction of the planet, thus eliminating unsaved friends and future progeny from knowing Jesus—and a shiny new earth in which even carnivorous animals take up vegetarianism.
Charles Meeks
And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. Gen 1:30
[1] Roderick Edwards FACEBOOK Post
[2] In his later years King created the “Transmillenial View” and turned to a form Universalism.
[3] Stone, Campbell of the restoration Movement built their church on the bedrock of rejecting the creed and other traditional principles of the church in favor of attempting to go back and create a church based on the model of the Act’s church of the first century.
[4] IBV is the Individual Body View that believe a literal bodily resurrection (Rapture) took place in ad 70. The CBV denies any type of bodily resurrection and argues that the resurrection is 1) Regeneration of the believer, 2) Saints coming out of Hades into heaven in AD 70. 3) The NT Church were transferred into the New Covenant realities in AD 70 as a corporate body.
[5] 1. NHE is the other realm of “heaven itself. 2) renewed future earth perhaps like the Garden of Eden. 3)
A literal 1,000-year period 4) The New Heaven and New Earth refers to the new covenant world in which Jesus is ruling forever from heaven.
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