My response to Joel McDurmon and American Vision’s letter about Don Preston’s presence at Criswell’s Millennial Conference (see here: American Vision’s Letter to Criswell)
1) A Partial Preterist was invited – Kenneth Gentry, and yet McDurmon complains that a Partial Preterist needed to be there?
a. Gentry claimed the “last days” in the NT was a period of time from Christ’s first to second comings which would bring an end to the age and the millennium.
b. Perhaps Joel wanted to be there alongside Gentry to tell the audience that his and Gary DeMar’s view is that the “last days” in the NT was referring to the end of the OC age in AD 70 — thus demonstrating that Partial Preterism itself proves the millennium ended in AD 70 or that it does lead to Full Preterism?
2) To further demonstrate that we really didn’t even need a Full Preterist at Criswell to prove the millennium is a past event or was fulfilled by AD 70 – consider the following:
a. Gentry (Partial Preterist) correctly claims:
– That Rev. 1-19 and the judgment scenes were fulfilled by AD 70.
– The de-creation and new creation of Rev. 21:1-3 was fulfilled by AD 70.
– That the the judgment and resurrection of Daniel 12:1-3 was fulfilled by AD 70.
– That the parousia of Christ in Matt. 24:27-30 was fulfilled by AD 70 and that it is possible that all of Matt. 24 was fulfilled by AD 70 (as McDurmon and DeMar teach).
b. Beale (Amillennialist) correctly claims:
– That Rev. 20 recapitulates/repeats/is paralleled to the SAME judgment scene depicted in chapters 1-19.
– That the de-creation and new creation of Rev. 20:11 and Rev. 21:1 are the same event and ends the millennium.
– That the judgment and resurrection of Daniel 12:1-3 is the judgment and resurrection of Revelation 20:5-12 and is thus fulfilled after the millennium.
– That the judgment [resurrection implied] and coming of the Lord in Matt. 24-25 is the SAME event and source material for Paul in 1 Thess. 4-5.
* a and b necessitates or leads to the conclusion that the end of the millennium judgment and resurrection of Rev. 20 was fulfilled by AD 70. We proved this in our book, “House Divided Bridging the Gap in Reformed Eschatology a Preterist Response to When Shall These Things Be?” over and over and over again!
c. McDurmon’s tutor Talbot-Sam for his debate with Preston believes the millennium/thousand years in Rev. 20 was fulfilled by AD 70!. Well, at least last week – lol.
3) Joel’s own writings and poor performance in his debate with Preston was sufficient to “poison the well” for Partial Preterism! By all means AV and Joel McDurmon — please send Criswell the debate!
a. Joel of course gave the farm away in his debate with Preston and was unable to refute him.
b. No one at the conference could or even tried to refute Preston’s presentation.
4) Gary DeMar and AV loves taking and marketing Full Preterist funding so why is it wrong if Criswell was funded by a Full Preterist to have Don there — which is one of the scenarios Joel mentions. Gary DeMar SPEAKS alongside Full Preterists (and has with Don Preston) — even at Full Preterist conferences! DeMar has even said of Full Preterists, “… I’m willing to listen to what others say on an issue, especially on eschatology since it’s been a garbled mess for centuries. It’s conceivable that so-called eschatological heretics are seeing something I’m not seeing. They’re willing to take the risk. Many are not.” There is no question that Premillennialists, Postmillennialists and Amillennialists have been gridlocked and have been a “garbled mess for centuries” and that Full Preterism can unite them if they are willing to revise the creeds (which the creeds allow).
If DeMar speaks at Full Preterist conferences and is willing to hear them, explain to me how McDurmon and DeMar can object to Criswell having Don Preston present his view on the millennium?!? DeMar has even interviewed Full Preterists on his radio show and has quoted and referenced Preston’s material in his books!
5) American Vision and Joel McDurmon affiliate with Whitefield Seminary who actually had a Full Preterist instructor (Sam Frost) on staff at one time and is currently taking Full Preterist money and Full Preterist students (such as Larry Siegle) and is equipping them to become Full Preterist ministers of the gospel! The hypocrisy and lack of logic (from a man who wrote a book on it!) coming from McDurmon and American Vision is mind boggling!
What McDurmon and DeMar won’t tell Criswell, is that their hermeneutic converts more people to Full Preterism than any other! It was through reading Chilton, Gentry, DeMar, Kik, Bahnsen, etc… that I (and countless others) became Full Preterists!
As I mentioned from the start, Joel debating Preston would only serve to harden McDurmon’s heart. This will have to play itself out — with Lord willing Joel reaching the end of himself and his pride. Sin and pride make the mind and heart very illogical and well, a bit of a cry baby.
In Christ,
Mike Sullivan
