Reformed theologians such as John Owen and John Lightfoot along with many others, correctly understood the “elements” here not as the rocks and tress of the planet earth, but of the old-covenant law and the “Day of the Lord” occurring in A.D. 70. John Owen stated of our passage here, “Peter tells them, that, after the destruction and judgment that he speaks of, verse 13, ‘We, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth,’ etc. ‘They had this expectation. But what is that promise? Where may we find it? Why, we have it in the very words and letter, Isa. Lxv. 17. Now, when shall this be that God will create these ‘new heavens and new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness?’ Saith Peter, ‘It shall be after the coming of the Lord, after that judgment and destruction of ungodly men, who obey not the gospel, that I foretell.’ But now it is evident, from this place of Isaiah, with chap. Lxvi., 21, 22 that this is a prophecy of gospel times only; and that the planting of these new heavens is nothing but the creation of gospel ordinances, to endure for ever. The same thing is so expressed, Heb. Xii. 26-28. Let others mock at the threats of Christ’s coming. – he will come, he will not tarry; and then the heavens and earth that God himself planted, - the sun, moon, stars of the Judaical polity and church, - the whole old world of worship and worshippers, that stand out in their obstinacy against the Lord Christ, - shall be sensibly dissolved and destroyed. This, we know, shall be the end of these things, and that shortly.’”[17] And John Lightfoot agrees, “‘The heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat,’ &c. Compare this with Deut. 32:22, Heb. 12:26: and observe that by elements are understood the Mosaic elements, Gal. 4:9, Col. 2:20: and you will not doubt see that Peter speaks only of the conflagration of Jerusalem, the destruction of the nation, and the abolishing the dispensation of Moses.”[18] Galatians 4:9 9 But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Colossians 2:20 20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, Notice how both Owen and Lightfoot state clearly the old creation and the new in our passage “only” refer to the passing of two covenantal worlds by the “Day of the Lord” in A.D.70. The text is in no way discussing the passing and re-creating of the planet earth. Gentry[19] and Mathison both reason that since Peter is making some connections to the “beginning” of (Gen.1) that this passing of the elements and world must be discussing the destruction of the literal planet. And yet both of them claim in John’s vision of “…the first heaven and the first earth had passed away,..” in (Rev.21), that this is the old- covenant Mosaic creation passing in A.D.70 with the new taking its place! Mathison writes, “Revelation 21 introduces the vision of a new heaven and a new earth and the new Jerusalem. This fulfills Isaiah 65:17-25 and numerous other Old Testament prophecies. Revelation 21:2-22:5 describes the new Jerusalem coming down from heaven. In this vision, we see the original covenant purposes of God fulfilled. (Postmillennialism, ibid., p.157, emphasis added). Gentry states, “The heavenly Jerusalem is the bride of Christ that came down from God to replace the earthly Jerusalem (Rev.21:2-5) in the first century (Rev.1:1, 3; 22:6, 10). With the shaking and destruction of the old Jerusalem in A.D.70, the heavenly (re-created) Jerusalem replaced her…” And again, “The New Heavens and New Earth here (and many places elsewhere) has reference to the New Covenant era.[20] James Jordan reaches back to Genesis 1 as well, “…the distinction between an Edenic land and other lands is eliminated. In fact, since the Gentile lands are often pictured as the sea, “there is no longer any sea” (Rev.21:1). “We no longer have five environments with five different degrees of access to God (Heaven, Firmament-Heaven, Sanctuary, Land, World). Now all believers have the same access, and all unbelievers are outside. There are only two environments.” “The whole order of the first creation, with its Heavens-Sanctuary-Eden-World divisions, was going to be wiped out. A new creation had come. Thus, the cosmic model presented in Revelation 21-22 is different from anything found in the Old Testament. There are only two environments: inside the New Jerusalem and outside the New Jerusalem.” “It is sanctuary and land rolled together, and set up “on earth as in heaven,” so that it is four-square in shape like the heavenly Most Holy (21:16).”[21] Source : treeoflifeministries.info/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=92:mike-sullivan-&catid=35:preterist-eschatology-all-prophecy-fulfilled-by-ad-70&Itemid=77
Posted on: Sat, 12 Jul 2014 06:11:41 +0000
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