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Title: The Great Tribulation Past or Future?: Two Evangelicals Debate the Question by Thomas Ice, Kenneth L. Gentry ISBN: 0-8254-2901-3 Publisher: Kregel Publications Pub. Date: October, 1999 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $12.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 4 (5 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: A Much-Needed Comparison
Comment: Evangelical Christianity's fascination with eschatology shows no signs of waning in the near future. Major political and social events continue to fuel the interest in "end-times" speculation, whether the Persian Gulf War, 9/11, or the war in Iraq. A significant indicator of evangelicalism's interest in eschatology is the infamous "Left Behind" series of books by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins. This series of books has become something of a phenomenon in the publishing industry, and their popularity has not been limited to the evangelical world.
Through this series LaHaye and Jenkins have helped popularize an interpretive theological system known as Dispensational, and an eschatology of Pretribulationism. This eschatological framework undergirds the fictional story of the books, and may represent the "end-times" views of a majority of conservative evangelicals. Indeed, many of them have never heard of any other option, and those that have may likely consider other eschatological options as heresy!
_The Tribulation: Past or Future?_ provides a helpful introduction to another view of eschatology known as preterism or moderate preterism. Kenneth Gentry presents and defends the view that the events described by Christ in Matthew 24 are an example of fulfilled prophecy through the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. Gentry looks carefully at the internal evidence of this text (and others) in an attempt to practice genuine hermeneutics rather than forcing a particular interpretive scheme upon the text. Ice presents and defends the futurist view, particularly Dispensational Pretribulationism, arguing that the events described in the Olivet Discourse are yet future and unfulfilled. The format of the book is a back and forth presentation and response by the authors that allows them to both build the strongest case for their views, and to respond to common criticisms.
Written on a popular level, the reader need not have any formal theological training prior to engaging the text. Even so, this book can also serve as an introductory textbook in systematic theology at Bible colleges. Readers will find this book a helpful resource that provides food for thought in today's popular "end-times" speculation. Those who enjoy this volume will also benefit from a review of Gary DeMar's _Last Day's Madness_ (American Vision, 1997), as well as R.C. Sproul's _The Last Days According to Jesus_ (Baker, 1998).
Rating: 3
Summary: If the second coming is future so is the tribulation
Comment: Is the second coming in the future? YES. So the tribulation is future also. It is clear from (matthew 24) (revelation) and (daniel) and (pauls writings like 2 thess 2) that a tribulation is BEFORE the second coming. THE TRIBULATION IS CLIMAXED BY THE SECOND COMING. So if the second coming is future so is the tribulation. Is the antichrist in the future? Is the resurrection in the future ( 1 corinthians 15) Is the rapture future ( 1 thes 4:17) ( 1 corinthians 15:51) YES to all!!! So the tribulation before the second coming is future also. I believe in pretrib as well. Ice is right, cool.
Rating: 4
Summary: Great Book for interested readers.
Comment: I hope this review is helpful to those who read this review. The book is very intelligently written from both authors. They both state their cases (futurism and preterism) very clear. They then each of them have a rebuttal to the other ones stated case. I would have rated this book higher if it had a rebuttal to the rebuttal. For instance, I would have like to seen Ice's rebuttal of Gentry rebuttal to Ice's stated case, and Gentry's rebuttal to Ice's rebuttal of Gentry's stated case. I believe that would have answered even more questions that inquirer's have.
With that being said, I will attempt to review the book. Ice seems to make many claims that just do not seem to be answering anything. He will seemingly make a claim about one of Gentry's assertions, but then never really answers why he believes it is wrong. He will make a claim that really never is in contradiction with what a preterist believes.
Ice seems to spiritualize the time text, (Matthew 24:34 which is what really should be taken literally) and because he does this he must take everything else literal (the sign of the son of man, coming on great clouds of glory, sun moon and stars,trumpet sound, angels gathering together) and not symbolically. This seems to be the driving force behind this Medicine Bottle Eschatology (push down and turn). You either have to take the time text and spitiualize it and take everything else (at least between Matthew 24:1 and verse 34) literally, or you take the time text Matthew 24:34 and the second person plural of the YOU's (who is hHe speaking to) all through this text, literally and spitualize those events that need to be symbolized. You cannot have the time text, and the events themselves both be literal at the same time, nor can you have them both be spiritualized (or taken symbolically) at the same time. One has to be literal (i.e. time text), then that commands the other to be spiritualized (or taken symbolically, i.e. those events between Matthew 24:1-34 that would not make sense if we take the time text literally).
To take literal these events and to spiritualize the time text is to force the text to read unnatural. It is natural to read it with the time text being taken literal. This is where Ice fails miserably. He must hold to his view until he takes the time text seriously, then and only then will he see that he must abolish his futuristic view of this passage. As long as he does not take the time text literally he is NOT forced to change his view of a futuristic tribulation.
I once read a book titled "The Destruction of Jerusalem; an absolute and irresistable proof of the divine orgin of Christianity" Ice has stated that there is no meaningful purpose if the all this is past. I beg to differ, this little book the destruction of Jerusalem is proof positive that it has meaningful purpose.
I will state one meaningful purpose, I will not have to go through "The great tribulation" according to Gentry's position and I will according to Ice's position. Gentry's position does not to say that we won't have certain tribulations come our way. We do indeed. But that the GREAT TRIBULATION is past. I take great comfort in that.
One last thing. I could never make sense out of the futurist view when I was a futurist, now I can make sense out of many passages of Scripture concerning this debate being a (partial)
preterist.
May God bless all of you!
Soli Deo Gloria
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Title: Before Jerusalem Fell: Dating the Book of Revelation by Kenneth L. Gentry ISBN: 0915815435 Publisher: American Vision Pub. Date: October, 1998 List Price(USD): $25.95 |
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Title: The Last Days According to Jesus by R. C. Sproul ISBN: 080106340X Publisher: Baker Book House Pub. Date: December, 2000 List Price(USD): $14.99 |
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Title: The Beast of Revelation by Kenneth L., Jr. Gentry ISBN: 0915815419 Publisher: American Vision Pub. Date: March, 2002 List Price(USD): $19.50 |
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Title: Last Days Madness: Obsession of the Modern Church by Gary Demar ISBN: 0915815354 Publisher: American Vision Pub. Date: November, 1999 List Price(USD): $25.95 |
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Title: Postmillennialism: An Eschatology of Hope by Keith A. Mathison ISBN: 0875523897 Publisher: P & R Press Pub. Date: February, 1999 List Price(USD): $14.99 |
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