musterion
Well-known member
Unbelievers, and many believers, have long wrestled with a simple question: If God is in charge, why does He not "do something" about all the evil in the world?
The thinking is, by letting evil continue God is either too weak to stop it or He doesn't want to, which the world equates with "God must NOT be good after all."
Futurism, at least as represented by much of dispensationalism, can be summed up in the words of Robert Anderson (paraphrased): the world is currently under a silent Heaven because of grace. When God speaks again - and He will - it will not be in grace but in wrath, so the Kingdom reign of Christ is on hold, for now. His enemies have not yet all been put under His feet. The ultimate expression of human and demonic wickedness is yet to bloom...we ain't seen nothing yet.
Is God's putting a stop to it all as good as a done deal? YES, because we have His Word on it. That is why there's no need for surprise -- we've been told what to expect. That's why there's no need for fear -- we know God will recompense all more than adequately. Faith and patience are called for, not the uncertainty and resentment many of us are prone to.
But God has not yet brought all this to pass. That is why God is, for now, letting this evil world run its (humanly speaking) increasingly uncontrollable course. In a nutshell, that is dispensationalism's answer to the problem of evil.
Now let us ask the other question. What is the answer to the problem of evil according to preterism and those influenced by aspects of preterism?
If, as preterism says, the prophecies regarding the kingdom reign of Christ have already been fulfilled, then we are already living under the righteous kingdom rule of Christ. TOL's only professed preterist, Tetelestai, insists that this is the case.
But if Christ is omnipotently ruling and reigning over all the world, why is this world be increasingly perilous, iniquitous and evil? Why does the world not even know He is its King?
If you are a preterist but believe He someday (in the future!) WILL deal with it all, is that not inconsistent? HOW do you distinguish what's been fulfilled from what is yet to happen?
Whether you accept it or not, you have dispensationalism's answer to that question. It's pretty simple and straightforward, leaving the Word of God exactly as it lays: the world does not know Christ as King (yet) because He hasn't returned yet.
What is preterism's answer? How does one harmonize this awful world system with the kingdom rule and reign of Christ?
The thinking is, by letting evil continue God is either too weak to stop it or He doesn't want to, which the world equates with "God must NOT be good after all."
Futurism, at least as represented by much of dispensationalism, can be summed up in the words of Robert Anderson (paraphrased): the world is currently under a silent Heaven because of grace. When God speaks again - and He will - it will not be in grace but in wrath, so the Kingdom reign of Christ is on hold, for now. His enemies have not yet all been put under His feet. The ultimate expression of human and demonic wickedness is yet to bloom...we ain't seen nothing yet.
Is God's putting a stop to it all as good as a done deal? YES, because we have His Word on it. That is why there's no need for surprise -- we've been told what to expect. That's why there's no need for fear -- we know God will recompense all more than adequately. Faith and patience are called for, not the uncertainty and resentment many of us are prone to.
But God has not yet brought all this to pass. That is why God is, for now, letting this evil world run its (humanly speaking) increasingly uncontrollable course. In a nutshell, that is dispensationalism's answer to the problem of evil.
Now let us ask the other question. What is the answer to the problem of evil according to preterism and those influenced by aspects of preterism?
If, as preterism says, the prophecies regarding the kingdom reign of Christ have already been fulfilled, then we are already living under the righteous kingdom rule of Christ. TOL's only professed preterist, Tetelestai, insists that this is the case.
But if Christ is omnipotently ruling and reigning over all the world, why is this world be increasingly perilous, iniquitous and evil? Why does the world not even know He is its King?
If you are a preterist but believe He someday (in the future!) WILL deal with it all, is that not inconsistent? HOW do you distinguish what's been fulfilled from what is yet to happen?
Whether you accept it or not, you have dispensationalism's answer to that question. It's pretty simple and straightforward, leaving the Word of God exactly as it lays: the world does not know Christ as King (yet) because He hasn't returned yet.
What is preterism's answer? How does one harmonize this awful world system with the kingdom rule and reign of Christ?
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