Matthew 24:20 in a futurist paradigm

[Faber]

Thanks for all the responses so far. It seems the majority of futurists see a double fulfillment there. Do you see more double fulfillments within the Olivet Discourse, at least prior to verse 30 (which I don't think anybody could reasonably place in the first century)?

If v. 1-26 had already been fulfilled in AD 67-70, why look for a double fulfillment?

[seanD]

Thanks for all the responses so far. It seems the majority of futurists see a double fulfillment there. Do you see more double fulfillments within the Olivet Discourse, at least prior to verse 30 (which I don't think anybody could reasonably place in the first century)?

To be honest with you, I don't really see how a preterist can interpret anything from Matthew 24 as pertaining to the pre-70 era. Even wars and rumors of wars and earthquakes, famines... etc., have no special meaning in that era. IMO it fits much better into a 21st century scope where such technology exists that makes sense as actual signs of something special. There's always been these signs in every generation even before the first century, yet NO generation has had the means to observe these signs like we do, which makes our generation unique in the perspective of such naturally occurring signs.

With that said, I think Luke's (21) version fits the first century a little better up to vs. 24, or at least gave them some guidance in what do in that situation. He gives a better and more clearer version of what happened during the 70 AD war (though even with Luke, there are some inaccuracies in comparison to the war which I won't get into).

I would be willing to argue double fulfillment only as a byproduct of helping first century Christians to avoid that situation.

[Darfius]

What is your exegesis of Colossians 2:16 as it pertains to Paul's view of the Sabbath?

It is a refutation of the legalism of the Pharisees. Following the law does not make you righteous, but that does not absolve one of following the law.

Scripture Verse: Luke 11

You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.

© Copyright Original Source

Christ came to fulfill and uphold the Law, not set it aside, except insomuch as He gives us something better by giving us a Spirit that can follow the Law perfectly as He did. And He also gave us the freedom to know that if we accidentally fail to follow some part of the Law, we are not condemned, but rather grace is allotted while we repent and correct our course.

[Rushing Jaws]

I tend to find preterism to be a rather non-intuitive way of interpreting Scripture, but there is one passage in particular that makes futurism very difficult for me...

Matthew 24:20: "Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath."

Since most Christians agree that rules that would prohibit movement on the Sabbath are no longer in effect, this would make little sense applied deep into the future. It's easy enough to understand this within a AD 70 paradigm; Craig Keener points out in his IVP Commentary that it was impossible to secure an animal for transport on the Sabbath in Jerusalem at that time.

As best as I can tell, here are the possibilities I can think of that would preserve a futurist paradigm:

1) This passage refers to AD 70 but switches to the end times later on (a sermon I heard on the Olivet discourse in church last month argued this, though the pastor used Mark 13, not Matthew 24).

2) The Sabbath is, in fact, binding on Christians.

3) This refers to Jews who will convert in the end times and who still choose to follow the Sabbath, sort of like how some Jewish Christians still saw circumcision as important in Paul's letters.

Anything else I'm missing here?

Possibly this - the chapter has in view both the near future of the Jewish War, and also

[Rushing Jaws]

It is a refutation of the legalism of the Pharisees. Following the law does not make you righteous, but that does not absolve one of following the law.

Scripture Verse: Luke 11

You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.

© Copyright Original Source

Christ came to fulfill and uphold the Law, not set it aside, except insomuch as He gives us something better by giving us a Spirit that can follow the Law perfectly as He did. And He also gave us the freedom to know that if we accidentally fail to follow some part of the Law, we are not condemned, but rather grace is allotted while we repent and correct our course.