The Regeneration post AD 70

[beforetime]

Jesus promised his disciples in the regeneration they would sit on thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel. I understand that prior to the Parousia this took place before the regeneration period by the Gospel message.

This begs the question how did the Apostles do any kind of judging post AD 70 as Jesus predicted they would with only a few remaining of those promised?

[Tyler]

beforetime: "Jesus promised his disciples in the regeneration they would sit on thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel. I understand that prior to the Parousia this took place before the regeneration period by the Gospel message.

This begs the question how did the Apostles do any kind of judging post AD 70 as Jesus predicted they would with only a few remaining of those promised?"

"Through THEIR word" (John 17:20). You and I will be "judged" on how we received "their word."
Note Matthew 10:40 "He that receives you receives me, and he that receives me receives him that sent me."

The only Jesus you and I know comes from the words of His Apostles.
True, we are not informed on the work of many of "the twelve" who were sent by Jesus, but we have the words that form "apostolic doctrine" in the New Testament (Acts 2:42).

How are you going to "receive" Peter's words in Acts 2:38?
These words were spoken at Pentecost via the "Spirit of the Father," Matthew 10:20.
You and I have the written words of an apostle in 2014 over 1900 years later. Are they still valid?
If not, explain John 17:7-20.

I believe Jesus amplifies apostolic "judgment" in Matthew 25:31-46.
"The least of these my brethren" can only be seen as his apostles, not "all Jews" as believed by premillennial teachers, i.e., John Hagee, the late Jerry Falwell, and a host of lessor lights.

The "King" in Matthew 25 is Jesus. He will "separate" the righteous sheep from the unrighteous goats in how they obeyed "their word." If not, we must see this text as "saved by works" and blow Ephesians 2:8-9 out of the water.

"Neither pray I for these (apostles) alone, but for them (you and me) also which shall believe on me (Jesus) through THEIR word" (John 17:20).
I cannot find another scripture that specifically tells me how to believe on Him.

[SteveGTampa]

I lean towards Duncan Mckenzie's explanation of the Parousia which closely resembles JS Russell's explanation. When I 1st became a preterist I was basically a full preterist but eventually became a partial preterist in the same vein as Ken Gentry... but now I believe the Parousia occurred at the AD 70 destruction of Jerusalem("the 1st resurrection", Rev 20:5) and there is more to come. Without going into too much detail and too many verses: look at Daniel 12 verses 1 and 2:

"At that time Michael shall stand up,
The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people;
And there shall be a time of trouble,
Such as never was since there was a nation,
Even to that time.
And at that time your people shall be delivered,
Every one who is found written in the book.
2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,
Some to everlasting life,
Some to shame and everlasting contempt.

There appears to have been a resurrection at the AD 70 destruction of Jerusalem. It also appears to be Daniel's people, the Israelite's, included in that resurrection...just and unjust alike.

Now look at Revelation 20: 4 and 5:

4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a[a] thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.


So here is what I now believe: The Parousia occurred shortly after the AD 70 destruction of Jerusalem which included a resurrection and gathering (aka the rapture) mentioned in 1st Thessalonians chapter 4. This resurrection was the "1st resurrection" mentioned in Rev. 20:5. So if there was a 1st resurrection in AD 70 there must be a second resurrection in our future. This also included the 1st century Christians who stayed faithful to the end. That is why Jesus told them they would sit on thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel. (John 18:36 Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world.") I know preterists have a tendency to spiritualize a lot of what happened at AD 70. Maybe some of it was, such as the New Jerusalem coming down from heaven. But I believe the rapture, resurrection etc was not just spiritualized but the living Christians were bodily changed and taken up into heaven at 70 AD. However, post AD 70 Christians must wait for the 2nd resurrection that will occur in our future and also the final judgement where Satan is destroyed in the lake of fire where the beast(fallen angels over Rome pre-70AD) and false prophet already are(Rev 20:10).