Why Hyper-Preterism is “Cancer”

Review Paul's responses to Hymenaen preterism in 2 Timothy 2

Introduction

Discussions on the end times, like many theological back-and-forth disputes, often elicit mixed responses. Naysayers with limited knowledge of the topic usually speak with impunity or think it is a trifling subject. Others, however, may pretend to have a rudimentary understanding or admit to having none at all. Oftentimes, these attitudes, even from professing Christians, stem from being taught by ministers who seemingly have no substantive ability or even the ardor to teach about the gospel essentials of the eschaton. Go figure!

True biblical churches will have a credible and detailed statement of faith on the gospel truths concerning the last days. In these assemblies, the ministers are not ashamed and will regularly teach full sermons on the Parousia, the one general resurrection of the dead, and the final judgment. These truths will edify and equip the saints. Apart from a sound biblical exegesis of these doctrines, false teachers will infiltrate these assemblies, thereby leading to the confluence of blasphemers and believers in God's church. God forbid!

Hyper-Preterism

One of the most serious heresies that has emerged since the 1970s is hyper-preterism. To understand what this is, first we will define “preterism.” The Latin term, praeteritum, [in the Nominative Singular] means: “past,” “past times,” or “bygone times.” Thus, as an eschatological position, “preterism,” affirms “end-time events” as having already occurred in the past. When the adjective, “hyper” is added to the term, hence: “hyper-preterism,” we encounter an extreme form of past fulfillment. This is where the position clearly becomes a serious departure from the New Testament (NT) teaching. In this heretical form, some of the doctrinal commitments of hyper-preterism include the following:

• The Second Coming of Christ has occurred.

• The Resurrection has occurred.

• The Final Judgement has occurred.

• The New Heaven and the New Earth have emerged.
  

Implications

One may wonder at such radical affirmations. The immediate question thus becomes, “When?” The hyper-preterist answer is that these, and indeed, all end-time events have transpired in the Fall of Jerusalem between AD 66-70. So, given this theological position, as of this moment, there can be no further, future bodily coming of Jesus Christ, no future resurrection of the dead, no future emergence of a New Heaven and a New Earth, and no future, final judgement. In this incredible scenario, the eschatological doctrines, which, have been believed by Christians of all persuasions throughout the centuries, have thus been “spiritualized and actualized.”

Most notably, a devastating implication of full hyper-preterism is its attack on Christology. Specifically, hyper-preterists will give lip service to the eternal Son becoming "flesh" (John 1:14), but do not believe He remains incarnate forever. In practice, these heretics, like the Jehovah's Witnesses (JW), do not believe that Christ arose in his numerically identical body (Luke 24:36–43). Therefore, hyper-preterism is not merely a trivial matter of the end times or adiaphora. Instead, hyper-preterism is the bastardization of eschatology because it impugns the apocalyptic judge of all humanity—the Son.

In response, a simple reading of the apostle's high Christology, as noted in the Greek New Testament (GNT), specifically Colossians 2:9, will provide the much-needed retort to the anti-Christ, hyper-preterists. The original reads, "ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ κατοικεῖ πᾶν τὸ πλήρωμα τῆς θεότητος σωματικῶς" ("For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily").

Exegetically, θεότητος or "Godhead," emphasizes the divine Deity. Paul's use of the Greek verb κατοικεῖ ("dwelleth"), a timeless present, linguistically emphasizes what continuously abides in the prepositional phrase "in Him" [ἐν αὐτῷ]. As a final point, "bodily" or σωματικῶς, a modifier, clearly highlights the incarnation. Thus, Paul defended the coessential divinity of the incarnate Son and emphatically declared that Christ remains incarnate forever.

Getting back to the hyper-preterist denial of all end-time prophecies, the NT has a vastly different perspective on these matters.

The Second Coming of Christ

One bedrock belief of the NT is the doctrine of Christ’s Second Advent. In many passages this is delineated as an event to coincide with the resurrection and the last judgement. For example, in Acts 1:11, we see the bodily nature of the expectant return to be like the physical ascension of Jesus after the resurrection.

And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven (Acts 1:9-11, KJV).

The words, “this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven” are all-important here. The way or manner in which Jesus ascended is what is expected in His return. This cannot be restricted to any historical judgments or to the sending of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. This is laid up as an expectation of a bodily return. This kind of final second advent of Christ has not occurred in history yet.

This is what we find in other passages that speak of the return of Jesus at the end of time. In the famous passage from Paul, we read:

But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, KJV).

The words, “the coming of the Lord,” are further described as “the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God.” This final coming of Christ will usher in a resurrection from the dead and a transformation of those living at the time. Note the descent language that echoes Acts 1:11. This is a locus classicus of the Second Coming of Christ in Paul’s epistles. No return of Christ in this manner, which results in a physical resurrection and a complete transformation of those living at the time, has occurred in history.

The Resurrection of the Just and the Unjust

Hyper-preterism advocates insist that the resurrection has already taken place. No doubt the language of ‘resurrection’ is used in the Bible to depict regeneration or being born again. But the resurrection of the last day is another matter altogether. Let us examine a passage where our Lord develops His teaching on the matter. In John 5, we read:

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation (John 5:24-29, KJV).

What is evident here is that Jesus speaks of spiritual salvation in terms of obtaining life. This is the sense of the following words: “He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” This is a present reality.

With a look to the future task of Christ as judge, however, we see the future orientation of an actual resurrection of the dead. Look at the way our Lord frames this coming expectation: “And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.” This simultaneous resurrection of those in their graves is coordinated with the final judgement. This has not transpired in history.

Moreover, In John 6, we read:

For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day (John 6:38-40, KJV).

Also,

This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day (John 6:50-54, KJV).

In this section the Lord speaks of the ultimate aim of salvation to coincide with the resurrection of the body. This is noted repeatedly to be “on the last day.” One must note that the Lord uses third person singular in His statements. We cannot reduce this to mere spiritual rebirth or to some group occurrence such as that mentioned in Matthew 27:52-53. This is the eschatological end of time when the last judgement will occur at the physical resurrection of the dead.

The Hyper-preterist view of the bodily resurrection typically is one of denial. They often claim that the Bible does not speak of a future [from our modern perspective of the 21^st century] physical resurrection. Thus, they have slipped in a ‘spiritualized’ explanation of the resurrection to maintain their heresy. The Apostle Paul dealt with this in his letter to Timothy:

But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some (2 Timothy 2:16-18, KJV).

This is the beginning of a heretical, spiritual cancer that was causing great harm in the church in Paul’s day. Likely, the problem Paul is addressing was not that the general resurrection had occurred physically, but that it was perceived by these heretics as having occurred spiritually. No doubt, the assertions that an actual physical resurrection had occurred were self-evidently false, and thus could, no doubt, have been refuted.

Paul was convinced that a physical resurrection would occur on the last day. In this affirmation, he aligns himself with the teachings of the Lord Jesus. In Acts, Luke quotes Paul as saying:

But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets: And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust. And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men (Acts 24:14-16, KJV).

Paul clearly believed that a resurrection of the just and the unjust was a future physical expectation. This has not occurred in history, and it cannot be subsumed as a mere spiritual happening, without a denial of the clear biblical teaching concerning the physical resurrection awaited in the last day. This was the expectation of the believers, illustrated in the hope for Lazarus: [John 11:24, says, “Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”]

Paul's responses to Hymenaen preterism in 2 Timothy 2 is an excellent template for how believers today can do the same. To reiterate, Hymenaeus and Philetus believed that the resurrection had passed "already" (v. 18). In response, the apostle called them out by name (v. 17). Knowing all too well about the dangers, Paul referred to their teaching as "canker" (v. 17), meaning it spreads and harms others. As proof, he said their doctrine had overthrown the "faith of some" (v. 18). Today, biblically incompetent ministers would, as the old idiom goes, attempt to sweep the matter under the rug, thus avoiding church discipline. Paul, on the other hand, delivered Hymenaeus "unto Satan" (1 Timothy 1:20).

The Final Judgement

Various passages make it clear that we will all give an account to God at the final assize. Perhaps one of the most clear is in Matthew 25:

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: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal (Matthew 25:31-46, KJV).

At the end of this passage, we see the result of God’s judgment, where the eternal destinies are revealed: The eternal punishment and the eternal blessing.

The resurrection of the last day is to serve as the occasion of the final judgement. In Revelation 20, the scene is presented in these stark terms:

And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11-15, KJV).

This is the final judgement. There can be no doubt. The language of the dead standing before God, and that the sea, and that death and the grave gave up their occupants for judgement, cannot be but a physical resurrection of all people. The respective ends of each individual are based on the determinations of God. The only hope was that one’s name was written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Thus, this passage is coordinated with Matthew 25, the judgement of the sheep and the goats. This has not transpired.

Other passages link the final judgement with the Second Coming of Christ. The general resurrection and judgement are in view in Paul’s charge to young Timothy: “I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine” (2 Timothy 4:1-2, KJV). The Bible envisions these events as coincidental: Jesus, at His return, will judge the quick [transformed] and the dead [resurrected]. Harmony is established in this one verse.

The New Heaven and the New Earth

The final destination of the redeemed in many people’s minds is often seen as heaven in a very otherworldly manner. However, unlike in most funeral sermons that place the deceased as entering their final destination, the Bible teaches a true physical resurrection and the entering of saints into a new or renewed world. The New Heaven and the New Earth are mentioned in Revelation as the final place of existence.

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful (Revelation 21:1-5, KJV).

Also,

And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof. And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal. And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel. And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass. And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it. And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life (Revelation 21:5-27, KJV).

This is the final destiny of the redeemed, where they will inhabit a city in a renewed world. It will be an eternal existence without the possibility of any uncleanness or impurity entering therein, and thus will be an eternally secure eternity. No doubt, the imagery of precious elements is designed to pique one’s imagination. Yet, note these tantalizing words: “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9, KJV).

Anyone who would suggest that we are currently living in this realm depicted by the Apocalypse is seriously deluded. Clearly, this has not happened yet!

Remember, while God has an appointed day when all His sheep will draw their last breath on earth, there is a future day when the elect will never die again because Christ conquered death. Specifically, after death, Christ arose in his numerically identical body (Luke 24:36–43). Consequently, there will be a bodily resurrection of the sheep at the last day (Philippians 3:21), when God's particular people will embrace the full redemption of the body (Romans 8:23). Basically, when the New Heaven and New Earth merge, glorified saints will be rid of sin and will never experience death again. Most notably, they will enjoy fellowship with the Triune God for all eternity. All of this takes place at the Parousia, revealing why the saints anxiously await the blessed hope and appearing of Christ at His visible, personal, bodily, and future return.

Conclusion

This brief presentation has sought one main purpose. Namely, to refute the falsehood of the Hyper-preterist theological position that insists that all future prophecies [when they were originally penned] have been completely fulfilled by the year AD 70. These beliefs include the expected “end of History” events such as the Return of Christ, or the Second Coming, the resurrection of the saved and the lost in a resurrection like unto the physical resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Judgement of the entire humanity that has ever existed at the throne of God, and the emergence of a New or Renewed Heaven and Earth as the final abode of the righteous. Hyper-preterists claim that these have transpired and thus they are outside the biblical boundaries of the church’s expectation of the Grand Assize at the end of History as we know it. We can only conclude that the extreme or hyper-preterism of many individuals that has impacted churches of various denominations is an antichristian position that should be resisted. Even so, Come Lord Jesus!