Hyper-Preterism?

[newenglandsun]

What I mean by this is the belief that everything in Revelation has already happened and there is nothing else to fulfill. Of course I believe in the literal second coming of Christ, I just believe this was described in Acts 1:7. Is this an acceptable teaching or is it heresy?

 

[Richard_White]

I would say that such beliefs are hereticalto the true faith, because Jesus says in Revelation 22:20, “Yes, I am coming soon!”

 

[TRH1292]

The Catholic Church teaches there are things which are yet to come. A tribulation time, an anti-Christ figure, the Second Coming of Christ, the Final Judgement, and then our final place in the heavenly kingdom. So yes, denying any of those things is contrary to the faith. It would be Especially heretical to deny the Second Coming or Final Judgement.

So, yes, Hyper Preterism or Full Preterism is heretical and contrary to the Catholic Faith.

However, within bounds, Partial Preterism which sees a lot of allusions and fulfillment of biblical statements in the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 is an acceptable option which is held by many Catholics, such as Scott Hahn. I myself have some Preteristic interpretations of certain passages, so I am somewhat of a Partial Preterist.

 

[newenglandsun]

I would say that such beliefs are hereticalto the true faith, because Jesus says in Revelation 22:20, “Yes, I am coming soon!”

But my interpretation of that passage was that Jesus was talking about his coming judgment upon the Roman Empire that was persecuting Christians at the time.

Acts 1:10-11 - And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” (RSV Catholic Edition)

So I understand that passage in Acts to be talking about the physical return which I do hold to.

 

[TRH1292]

But my interpretation of that passage was that Jesus was talking about his coming judgment upon the Roman Empire that was persecuting Christians at the time.

Acts 1:10-11 - And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” (RSV Catholic Edition)

So I understand that passage in Acts to be talking about the physical return which I do hold to.

If you do in fact hold to a Literal Second Coming, Resurrection, Final Judgement, and the like, then there is nothing stopping you from holding that the Book of Revelation in it’s entirety has been fulfilled. I just don’t believe that is a very common position.

 

[newenglandsun]

The Catholic Church teaches there are things which are yet to come. A tribulation time, an anti-Christ figure, the Second Coming of Christ, the Final Judgement, and then our final place in the heavenly kingdom. So yes, denying any of those things is contrary to the faith. It would be Especially heretical to deny the Second Coming or Final Judgement.

So, yes, Hyper Preterism or Full Preterism is heretical and contrary to the Catholic Faith.

However, within bounds, Partial Preterism which sees a lot of allusions and fulfillment of biblical statements in the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 is an acceptable option which is held by many Catholics, such as Scott Hahn. I myself have some Preteristic interpretations of certain passages, so I am somewhat of a Partial Preterist.

Is there anything in Catechism or from a Catholic Encyclopedia about all the tribulation and anti-christ still coming? What would one make out of Augustine? Not that I would agree with his entire interpretation though I do think I hold to something similar and on the lines of that.

 

[newenglandsun]

If you do in fact hold to a Literal Second Coming, Resurrection, Final Judgement, and the like, then there is nothing stopping you from holding that the Book of Revelation in it’s entirety has been fulfilled. I just don’t believe that is a very common position.

Oh, okay. Yeah, I don’t think my position is too common either.

 

[TRH1292]

Is there anything in Catechism or from a Catholic Encyclopedia about all the tribulation and anti-christ still coming? What would one make out of Augustine? Not that I would agree with his entire interpretation though I do think I hold to something similar and on the lines of that.

I am not that familiar with the specifics of Augustine.

But here are the relevent Catechism passages: scborromeo.org/ccc/p1s2c2a7.htm

Particularly 675, 676, and 677.

Have you looked into this book?
amazon.com/Coming-Soon-Unlocking-Revelation-Applying/dp/193101826X/ref=sr_1_sc_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1379201518&sr=8-3-spell&keywords=unlockin+g+revelation

 

[newenglandsun]

I am not that familiar with the specifics of Augustine.

“After that He adds the words, 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 has life in Himself; so has He given to the Son to have life in Himself. John 5:25-26 As yet He does not speak of the second resurrection, that is, the resurrection of the body, which shall be in the end, but of the first, which now is. It is for the sake of making this distinction that He says, The hour is coming, and now is. Now this resurrection regards not the body, but the soul.” (City of God, Book XX)

“St. Augustine has perhaps more than any one else helped to free the Church from all crude fancies as regards its pleasures. He explained the millennium allegorically and applied it to the Church of Christ on earth. With the foundation of the Church the millennium began. The first resurrection is the spiritual resurrection of the soul from sin (City of God XX). Thus the number 1,000 is to be taken indefinitely.” (New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia)

Maybe I’m closer to a partial preterist then. Thanks for the book recommendation. As a poor college student right now, it might not be for a while until I can actually get around to reading it.