My Path to Preterism

DartmouthMy name is Daniel Morais.  I am the founder and creator of Revelation Revolution Foundation.  I am also the author of all the articles on this website.  I grew up in a Christian home in the southeast coast of Massachusetts.   Both of my parents took me and my siblings to church every Sunday in addition to religious education classes put on by our church every Tuesday evening or Saturday morning.  My parents instilled in all three of their children a strong sense of Christian values.  Through dinner table conversations my father taught us the basics of Christian theology.  Like many children growing up in a strong Christian home, I cannot pinpoint an exact moment when I embraced the Christian faith as my own.  Rather, my faith, love and devotion to Christ appears to have slowly grown over the years beginning as a young child.  By my early teenage years, I began to identify myself as a Christian and started reading and studying the Bible fairly regularly.  Around this time, I read Jesus: Who is He? by Tim LaHaye.  This book which discussed the evidence for the divine inspiration of the Bible and the historical reliability of the Gospel accounts spurred in me an interest in Christian apologetics.  After reading this book, I then read The Signature of God by Grant Jeffery.  Of course, both of these authors are prolific defenders of futurism; however, I do not recall eschatology being discussed in either of these books.  My interest in apologetics continued to grow, and while an undergraduate in college a friend bought me The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel, a book that I also quickly devoured.

Paul RevereI then moved to Boston to continue my studies.  There while studying for my doctorate, I often visited a popular church.  Several years later while doing research for this website, I read a particularly compelling article on the Book of Daniel.  Glancing at the top of the article, I was shocked to find that it was written by one of the leaders of the church that I had so often visited while living in Boston.  After earning my degree, I moved to Fort Worth, Texas where I soon started volunteering for Probe Ministries, a non-denominational Christian apologetics ministry near Dallas.  While there I coauthored radio broadcasts with Michael Gleghorn, a friendly, amiable research associate.  While doing research for Probe, I remember reading Matthew 24.  I had read Matthew 24 many times before, but this time something clicked.  I realized that I had been lying to myself concerning the timing of the second coming.  In the past I had tried to explain away Jesus’ seemingly inaccurate predictions concerning the time of his return by placing round pegs in square holes.  At that moment I understood that the imminent nature of the second coming was not just a seemingly inaccurate detail, but rather an underlying Biblical theme.   I did a quick internet search on Matthew 24 and an interesting preterist website came up.  I read the article and then proceeded to print out and read all the other articles on the site.  Up until that point, I had never read such deep and compelling Biblical scholarship.  I thought that the two or three guys that had written these articles must have been geniuses because I never heard or read anyone expound on the Bible in such a deep and convincing way.  Soon after, I read Revelation: Four Views where I found myself particularly taken by Kenneth Gentry’s preterist interpretation and commentary on Revelation.   I then read Before Jerusalem Fell, and at that point I think I became fully convinced of the accuracy of the preterist view of eschatology.

I then went on to purchase a copy of Josephus: The Complete Works, The Lives of the Twelve Caesars by Suetonius and The Histories by Tacitus.  I read all three books highlighting like crazy and writing notes to myself all over the margins.  Not long after reading the works of these three historians, I was told by Kenneth Gentry to look into Cassius Dio.  Taking his advice I did the same with Cassius Dio’s Roman History.  While reading the works of Josephus, Tacitus, Suetonius and Cassius Dio, I was amazed at how accurately and surprisingly literally many of the predictions concerning the end of the age had been fulfilled in and around the time of Israel’s first century war with Rome.  Years later, my research still continues to this day with equal vigor.  Almost every day I discover for myself new insight or evidence to confirm the preterist view of eschatology, and my faith grows deeper and deeper seemingly every day as a result.  My purpose and hope is that you too can have your faith in the Bible deepened and affirmed by reading the articles on this site as much as mine has been in researching and writing them.

13 thoughts on “My Path to Preterism

  1. Al

    Why do most Christians vehemently deny even the possibility of the Truth of Preterism? Is it because most Pastors and other prominent leaders have been taught “Futurism” all their lives and are essentially afraid to consider any other viewpoint that conflicts with that? The time element alone should give them pause! When confronted with the fact that the original twelve disciples believed that the “second coming” was imminent, most people state that the disciples “misunderstood” what Jesus was teaching them. My response to them is if they (the disciples) misunderstood that basic teaching, it begs the question as to what else did they misunderstand?

    Reply
    1. G.M.

      I believe these teachers of futurism today as you have said have been taught these teachings & will not let them go! But i think it’s deeper than that. The scripture says pride goes before a fall & the first thing that has to be removed is their pride. Although the old covenant has waxed away i believe God’s word is God’s word & if you read Ezekiel 14 you can see that men of the house of Israel set up idols in their hearts & the lord said he would speak to these men according to their idols. I find this very interesting.
      Are we not the new Jerusalem? The new house of Israel? Those of us who are true believers? Could Ezekiel 14 shed some light on the idols of futurism & other false teachings in people’s hearts today? Just a thought, buy all to real for me. I am example of this. One day i found my self asking God, lord what if i am wrong about everything i believe & have been taught?
      God’s message to me was to never let anyone get in between myself and his word!
      It was not too long after that it all changed, everything i thought was the truth! After the lord showed me many beautiful truths, i discovered Daniel & this site & here we are! Coincidence? I don’t believe their are any coincidences in God’s kingdom. Being led to Daniel’s site is clear conformation that what the lord has taught me is amazing & Daniel has made it so much more so with all of his research of 1st centry historical evidence & much more. We can confirm this threw all those historians he has covered. I find it interesting that his name is Daniel & how he is so gifted on how he puts all this wonderful information together beautifully! I trust Daniel & give much thought to his research & an open mind to let God himself make it clear. I am certainly much more mateur & grown up in the lord.

      Reply
  2. Mark Jones

    This is like the website I have been wanted to create myself. I am happy to have found it.

    I found my way to Preterism before knowing what Preterism was. Similar to yourself, I had problems resolving the futurist view with what I was reading in some parts of the Bible. I vaguely knew since I became a Christian many years ago of the view that Revelation was fulfilled in early first century but this view was never examined or taken seriously in any of the churches I had attended. However, having found time to study the Bible in more depth I resolved to obtain a consistent and accurate understanding of the Bible without any of the so-called discrepancies. At this point I decided to consider the possibility that Revelations was fulfilled in the first century. As I did so everything started to make a lot more sense.

    As I began to see the light for myself I also began find Preterist articles online. I also started studying the same historical books you did alongside the Bible and, too, saw the many parallels that confirmed to me that this is, indeed, the truth.

    I have been a Preterist for a few years now; however, there are still things I am learning that bolster my confidence in the correctness of this view. Your website has provided many such examples.

    Thank you and God bless you and your work here. If I can be of help in any way, please let me know.

    Reply
    1. Mark Jones

      I forgot to mention also how much my faith has been reinvigorated as I now read the Bible and see how God has, indeed, acted throughout history as he said he would (rather than promises that seem to have been vaguely fulfilled, delayed, or never fulfilled at all, as one must contend with in the futurist and dispensationalist viewpoints.

      I think some Christians are reluctant to let go of the futurist view because they get some kind of assurance from believing that the future, in detail, is mapped out for them and letting go of that makes them feel as though they are cast adrift on an ocean without rudder or sail.

      This is not how I feel. The Bible and all fulfilled prophecy provides guidance on how God *will* act in the future. The specific details might not be the same but the principles are. Not to mention that satan nor the workers of evil have many original plans. Further “beast” world systems may try to arise but God will deal with them all in the same way.

      I also am able to clearly discern evil for what it is rather than just looking for a resemblance to specific outward signs or manifestation, or overlooking it when it doesn’t (e.g. I don’t overlook, or ignore, or excuse the behaviour of certain governments or rulers, or certain signs that evil is being commtted, because I am convinced they are fulfilling or not fulfilling some facet of end-time prophecy).

      Also, personally, actually *not* knowing so many precise details of future events (as futurists often declare they do) just makes life a little bit more exciting! More importantly, my faith is testing in a positive way – to trust God that he is the same today as he was yesterday and always will be – and will not let evil be victorious. Because of this, I search the scriptures even more thoroughly to more fully understand who God is – his holy nature and omnipotent power.

      Sadly, I also think many futurist’s faith may be weakened by the signs and world events they are looking for never appearing. However, for me, I can expect and prepare for events similar to those that happened in the first century but I am not necessarily looking for the exact specific details described there because, as I said, evil is rarely that novel or creative in its expression. Using the examples of all Biblical history and the examples God’s promises fulfilled in extra-Biblical history, I am that much more prepared for any events that may happen in my future.

      Reply
      1. Mark Jones

        “Not to mention that satan nor the workers of evil have many original plans.”

        Should read “Not to mention that neither satan, nor the workers of evil, have many original plans.”

        Reply
  3. Colin

    I am hoping that you may consider putting all these wonderful teachings together in a nice big book.

    Reply
  4. MICHAEL CARMAN

    I DON’T LIKE THE NAME PRETERIST. BUT I HAVE BEEN ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE SINCE READING THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY BY MAX KING ABOUT 40 YEARS AGO. THIS WEBSITE IS A BLESSING TO ME. THANKS

    Reply
  5. G.M.

    Daniel, You certainly have been called by God & are fulfilling his plan & to help those of us who are coming in to the real biblical truth & that the preterist view is the truth.
    God is drawing many of his true elect of whom i am sure are sencing that there’s something missing in their lives. It’s all in his plan & purpose. God bless you & bless the name of Jesus Christ for ever & ever! Amen!

    Reply
  6. G.M.

    Hello Daniel, i wanted to leave this comment for you also. I believe these teachers of futurism today have been taught these teachings & will not let them go! I do believe that many of these teachers do mean well & God knows their hearts & intent just like he knew mine. That means there is hope & mercy. The scripture says pride goes before a fall & the first thing that has to be removed is their pride. Although the old covenant has waxed away i believe God’s word is God’s word & if you read Ezekiel 14 you can see that men of the house of Israel set up idols in their hearts & the lord said he would speak to these men according to their idols. I find this very interesting.
    Are we not the new Jerusalem? The new house of Israel? Those of us who are true believers? Could Ezekiel 14 shed some light on the idols of futurism & other false teachings in people’s hearts today? Just a thought, but all to real for me. I am example of this. One day i found my self asking God, lord what if i am wrong about everything i believe & have been taught?
    God’s message to me was to never let anyone get in between myself and his word!
    It was not too long after that it all changed. Everything i thought was the truth! After the lord showed me many beautiful truths, i was led & discovered this site & here we are! Coincidence? I don’t believe their are any coincidences in God’s kingdom. Being led to your site. is clear conformation for me that what the lord has taught me is amazing & Daniel you have made it so much more so with all of your research of 1st centry historical evidence & much more. We can confirm this threw all those historians you have covered. I find it interesting that your name is Daniel & how you are so gifted on how you put all this wonderful information together beautifully! Truly the lord is in this. I trust you Daniel & give much thought to your research & an open mind to let God himself make it clear. I am certainly much more mateur & grown up in the lord.
    Gof bless you & may he receive all the glory!

    Reply
  7. Eve Gershom

    Amen and God bless you all! I started on independent research on the book of Revelation about five years ago. It was a REVOLUTION! I read through the book along side Josephus’s War of the Jews; and checked my translation against others and Strong’s Concordance. With no group think or “pastors” to guide me but my love for God, ergo for the truth, I arrived at the same conclusion. I checked historic facts against every Wikipedia article and then found this website and a few preterist YouTube videos, as well as reading Tacitus and Pliny the younger’s letters to the emperor Trajan (an eye opener). It is so amazing. After forty years of being a Christian I experienced the freedom that the truth really does bring! Because it all made sense! “Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD.” Isaiah 1:18

    Who says nothing good ever came out of cyber space? 🙂

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *