When approaching the sacred texts of the Bible, the serious student must first realize that this Book is composed of writings from some 40 authors over the course of about 1500 years. These books were penned by Hebrew writers (Luke excepted), to Hebrew audiences, in Hebraic thought, regarding Jehovah's promises to Old Covenant Israel. The layers of information run deep, and its terminology cannot be defined accurately by Webster's Dictionary. Until the Bible student realizes that one must allow the Bible to define its own terminology, and study to exegete what the text meant to the original audience, the true meaning of Scripture will never be contextually understood, because a word, phrase, or text cannot mean what it never meant, and a text without the context is a pretext. This is the fallacy of all biblical paradigms which do not recognize that all things have been fulfilled.

Jesus told the Pharisees that if they did not understand and believe the words of Moses and the prophets, they could not understand His words (Joh.5:47). Paul would later write (Acts 13:27) of these same people stating that because they didn't understand the voices of the prophets, they fulfilled the prophecies by killing Jesus. The fact that the same holds true even today cannot be denied, as the entirety of the Futurist paradigm rests solely upon a superficial, Hellenistic-based quasi-interpretation of the New Testament, devoid of its Hebraically-rooted framework in the Old Testament. Until the serious Bible student realizes that the NT is Holy Spirit's exegetical clarification of the OT, the true meaning of the Hebrew scriptures will never be properly understood, and thus, the words of Jesus and His apostles will always be misconstrued.

Peter, for instance, preached that Pentecost sermon from Psalms, Joel, and Deuteronomy 30-32; Paul clearly states that his eschatology is based solely upon the words of Moses and the prophets, (Acts 26:22-23); and, that his doctrine of the resurrection was nothing more than the hope of the promise made to Old Covenant Israel (Acts 26:6-8), Paul's "kinsmen according to the flesh," (Rom.9:3-5). Since Paul taught the same thing everywhere in every church (1Cor.4:17), then his dissertations on the resurrection, such as 1 Corinthians 15 and Romans 5-8, and his predictions of the day of the Lord (Rom.13:12/1Th.4:15-17;5:1-23) must be exegeted within that purview.

Throughout the course of this debate, I will be demonstrating the contrast of two vastly different hermeneutics in eschatology. The first is one which consistently ignores:

• audience relevance;

• verbatim texts;

• contextual time statements;

• the context, both near and remote;

This hermeneutic:

• builds ideologies on vague/ambiguous texts;

• employs the illegitimate transfer of context;

• inserts words, and/or whole phrases into the text;

• changes pronouns;

• redefines terminology;

• disregards common Hebrew literary devices such as inclusio , ellipsis, and prolepsis;

• literalizes Hebrew idioms, metaphors and hyperbole;

• ignores and/or changes the tenses of the original Greek words, thus, reconstructing the text(s) to accommodate presuppositional bias, thereby wreaking havoc on the Scriptures and corrupting the word of God.

This is the hermeneutic of the Futurist's Eschatology (FE). In short, FE cannot be supported without applying one or more of the above stated fallacies to every eschatological text.

The second hermeneutic is one which respects audience relevance and honors the Divine time statements; this hermeneutic acknowledges and exegetes the New Testament contexts in light of their Old Testament foundational contexts; thus allowing Holy Spirit to quote, cite, define, interpret, and apply His own prophetic terminology; and in short, the hermeneutic of Realized Eschatology (RE) always allows the biblical texts to speak for themselves. The hermeneutic of RE can be, and is supported without the need to redefine nor alter any of the original terminology, as it elucidates what each respective text actually says, and saysin context, and in light of what it meant to the original audiences as penned by the ancient writers.

Several other typical Futurist attributes will also be demonstrated, such as:

• projection;

• the inability to recognize and comprehend the parabolic teachings of Jesus and His apostles;

• every 'argument' against RE, when exegeted in context, will, without fail, refute FE;

• habitually dodging contextually-specific questions;

• inconsistent reasoning from one passage to another;

Futurists employ several logical fallacies as means of distraction, primarily the use of Straw Man arguments. A perfect demonstration of this can be seen when Steve Baisden argued in his 4^th Affirmative, "Death doesn't continue for the faithful. The faithful never die; they've been judged and resurrected from the dead as Jesus said (Joh.11:25-26/Joh.5:24-25/Joh.3:3-5/Rom.6:3-7)!" Terry responded by saying, "Steve is saying that the faithful don't die spiritually. In fact, they can't die spiritually. So, he is teaching the impossibility of apostasy and spiritual death for any once faithful disciples. These verses don't teach this false doctrine…"

Steve clearly elucidated that death doesn't continue for the faithful disciple, i.e., as long as one remains faithful, he will never die. Terry built a Straw Man by accusing Steve of saying the faithful "can't die spiritually," and teaching "the impossibility of apostasy and spiritual death." Terry then bashes the false doctrine of "the impossibility of apostasy…" creating the illusion that he refuted Steve's argument, thus giving a rebuttal to an argument Steve didn't make. Terry insults the intelligence of his audience by expecting them to be gullible enough to believe his misrepresentation of Steve's argument.

I want to thank brother Benton for his willingness to engage in this debate.

My proposition:

"The scriptures teach that the Second Coming of the Lord was to occur during the first century AD."

Defining my proposition:

By "The Scriptures" I mean the 66 books of the Bible;

By "teach" I mean the scriptures clearly elucidate emphatic and unequivocal promises/prophecies;

By "Second Coming" I mean after His Ascension, Christ's only promised coming-appearance (Heb 9:28) at the resurrection of the just and unjust, and the judgment of the good and bad;

By "of the Lord" I mean Jesus Christ, the Son of God;

By "was to occur" I mean, was Divinely predicted and promised;

By "during the first century AD" I mean the time period of AD 1 - AD 100, primarily in/by the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70, as opposed to yet in our future.

My 4 questions:

1) To which age do you apply Isaiah 65:20-25? (E.g., Mosaic age? Christian age? Eternity/Heaven?)

2) Ezekiel 37 predicted the reunification of both houses of Israel (the divided kingdom) into one house under one King/Shepherd at the time when Jehovah would make an everlasting covenant with them. Was this prophecy fulfilled in the first century?

3) Is Christ's coming at "the end" in 1Cor.15:24 synonymous/parallel with Mat.25:31-46, 1Th.4:14-17 and 2Th.1:7-9?

4) True/False: On the day of Atonement when the high priest slew the sacrificial animals and entered the Holy of Holies with the expiatory blood, the atonement process was not completed until after the high priest came out of the tabernacle? (Lev.23:26-32/Lev.16).

Proof of my proposition:

The Sacred Cow of the Futurist's Eschaton hinges on the mythological end of time (EOT) and dissolution of the material universe. Without an EOT, there cannot be a future-to-us second coming; nor can there be a 'final' Judgment, nor an out-of-casket corpse-revivifying resurrection of all who have lived on the Earth since Creation.

• Since Terry avers that the law of Moses (LOM) was fulfilled and ended at the cross; and:

• Since the EOT did not occur at the cross;

• Then by default, Terry's own assertion corroborates the fact that the EOT is nowhere predicted in the LOM.

Positing the end of the LOM at the cross, or AD 70 becomes a moot point when faced with the indisputable fact that the EOT has not occurred. It can't be argued that the LOM predicted the EOT, and that the LOM ended at the cross. This is simple logic!

• The fact that Peter is quoting from the LOM in 2Pet.2-3;

• Which fact is indisputable since he says he is reminding his readers of " the words which were spoken by the holy prophets" (2Pet.3:1-2); and:

• Since the EOT is not predicted in the LOM;

• Then it's indisputable that Peter is not and cannot be predicting the EOT in 2Pet.3.

If the scriptural/exegetical/hermeneutical support for the EOT can be demonstrated, it must be from the NT, and from some text other than 2 Peter 3.

• Since Peter said, "And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things," (2Pet.3:15-16);

• Then it's unquestionable that Peter's Day of The Lord (DOTL) coming like a thief in the night is Paul's DOTL coming like a thief in the night.

• Since Peter's DOTL is not an EOT prediction;

• Then Paul's prediction of the DOTL coming like a thief in the night (1Th.4-5/2Th.1-2) likewise can't be predicting an EOT coming-appearance of the Lord.

Thus, by basic exegesis and simple logic, married to Terry's own assertion that the LOM ended at the cross, 3 of the most coveted texts cited by Futurists are shown to be completely inadequate in supporting FE.

Quashing the EOT theory:

Not only does the LOM not predict the EOT, in reality, it says just the opposite, repeatedly!

Jer.31:35-36:

"Thus saith the LORD, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The LORD of hosts is his name: If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the LORD, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever ."

Tell us Terry, did, or can the seed of Israel cease from being a nation? If not, then neither can the sun, moon, and stars cease to exist, which means there can be no EOT.

Jer.33:19-22:

" And the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah, saying, Thus saith the LORD; If ye can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, and that there should not be day and night in their season; Then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant, that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne; and with the Levites the priests, my ministers. As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured: so will I multiply the seed of David my servant, and the Levites that minister unto me."

Can/could Jehovah's covenant with David be broken, so that there would not be a Son to reign upon his throne? If not, then neither can God's covenant of day and night be broken, which means there can be no EOT.

Psa.89:

"I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant, Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations," (Psa.89:3-4);

" He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end," (Luk.1:32-33);

" Also I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth. My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him . His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven," (Psa.89:27-29);

If the days of heaven cease at your imaginary EOT, what happens to Jehovah's covenant with His Firstborn? Jehovah's whole thrust of the eternality of the Messiah, His house, kingdom, reign, dominion, the Messianic age and His throne, being juxtaposed to the continuity of the sun, moon, and heaven, is to reinforce the fact that, "of the increase of His government and peace, there shall be no end," (Isa.9:6-7). Since it's unquestionable that Messiah is eternal, then so are the sun, moon, stars and the days of heaven! If the material universe will someday burn up and cease to exist, then, because the scripture cannot be broken, consistency demands that the Messiah will also at some point cease to exist.

"My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David. His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me. It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven," (Psa.89:34-37);

"Howbeit the LORD would not destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that he had made with David, and as he promised to give a light to him and to his sons for ever," (2Ch.21:7).

Psa.102:15-18:

"So the heathen shall fear the name of the LORD, and all the kings of the earth thy glory. When the LORD shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory. He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer. This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be created shall praise the LORD..."

In this prophecy, the Psalmist posits the New Creation in the generation to come, when the Lord would build up Zion. Is this prediction fulfilled, Terry, or are we still awaiting Zion to be built up inclusive of Gentile salvation? If Zion was built up in the 1^st century, then the Lord appeared in His glory in the 1 ^st century. If the Lord hasn't appeared in His glory, then Zion remains in ruins and there's no Gentile salvation.

Psa.102:19-20:

"For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did the LORD behold the earth; To hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death..."

Isa.61:1-3:

"The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD , and the day of vengeance of our God ; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion , to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified. "

In Luke 4:16-29, Jesus entered the Nazareth synagogue and from the scroll of Isaiah, He read the above underlined portion of this prophecy and said, " This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears." After reminding them of when Elijah and Elisha passed by Israel to bless the Sidonian widow, and Naaman, the leper of Syria, they understood that Jesus was invoking"the day of vengeance of our God" upon their generation. This is why they became wroth and thrust Him out of the city to a cliff intending to kill Him. Since the context of Psalms 102 is parallel with Isaiah 61:1-3, and since Jesus applied a contemporaneous fulfillment, then it's beyond question that the generation to whom Jesus spoke was the prophetic generation to come, upon whom these prophecies would come to fruition. This identifies the the 1 ^st century generation as those who would see the Lord appear in His glory.

Isaiah 40:1-10:

This prophecy predicted the coming of John Baptist as the voice to prepare the way of the Lord (v.3). Isaiah predicted this would be when when the iniquity of Jerusalem would be pardoned, and, "the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and, all flesh shall see it together," (v.5/cf.-Rev.1:7).

Notice that according to this prophecy (vs.9&10), John would preach the gospel to the cities of Judah: "O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him ."

Jesus conflates this prophecy with Daniel 7:13-14, saying, "For, the Son of Man is about to come in the glory of his Father, with his messengers, and then he will reward each, according to his work ," (Mat.16:27). Luke records Jesus' words as, " For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory , and in his Father's, and of the holy angels, " (Luk.9:26). Both synoptics posit this during the lifetime of Jesus' contemporary audience.

Jesus said, "When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations..." (Mat.25:31-32).

Unless Terry can demonstrate another building-up of Zion yet in our future, then the appearing of the Lord in His glory, i.e., the 2^nd coming, was fulfilled in the 1 ^st century.

Since there's no EOT prediction in the LOM, then the last days predictions of the OT cannot be referring to the last day (s) of the Christian age.

"Elders who are among you, I exhort, who am a fellow-elder, and a witness of the sufferings of the Christ, and of the glory about to be revealed a partaker, " (1Pet.5:1).

"But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem..." (Heb.12:22-28).