Greek Mello - A Dangerous Word To Futurists And Partial Preterists

[WorldWithoutEnd]

Greek: Mello

By Donald Hochner

This is the first of five articles examining the Greek words as used in the Bible. I want to share with you why the full Preterist position is consistent with the Scripture, especially these passages that speak of things about to come. We are going to look into the lexicons with the Greek word "mello" (with its root words) which means "to be about to be, to be the point of doing" (Analytical Greek Lexicon, p. 262; Arndt, p. 500; Thayer, p. 396). I think this word "mello" is one of the most neglected English translations (NASB, KJV, NIV, etc.) of the eschatological passages in the NT. I was shocked to find out about this. The English translators may be guilty of removing or distorting God's Holy Word (Deut. 4:2). I believe it is because of the futurists' views that have affected or influenced translations of the Bible. This is pure eisegesis.

I am going to show you some eschatological passages. I am using NASB and you will see "[about]" which is in Greek text. I would recommend you to check some books in Greek and English with the interlinear translation, "The New Englishman's Concordance and Lexicon" and "Young's Literal Translation of the Holy Bible." These books may be very helpful for you. You will see why.

1. Matt. 3:7 & Luke 3:7 - "But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath [about] to come?" In this context, John the Baptist was preaching to the Jewish people. He warned the Jewish religious leaders about God's wrath to come shortly and it happened in 66-70 AD (3 1/2 years). The Old Covenant temple and the city of Jerusalem were destroyed by the Roman armies. Many Jewish people had been completely scattered or killed and all these things were fulfilled in 70 AD. See Daniel 12:7-13 and Luke 21:5-36.

2. Matt. 12:32 - "And whoever shall speak a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever shall speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this (Old Covenant) age, or in the (New Covenant) age [about] to come." Why did Jesus say it shall not be forgiven, either in this age OR the age about to come? He is speaking of sins committed in the time before the destruction of the Jewish temple before 70 AD ("this age") and afterward ("the age to come"). We will study the Greek word "age" which is "aion" in Part Five.

3. Matt. 16:27, 28 - "For the Son of Man is [about] to come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and WILL THEN RECOMPENSE EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS. Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who shall not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom." These passages are the most clear and straightforward from the mouth of Jesus Christ, otherwise He is a false prophet. This is why I believe Jesus returned in the glory of His Father with the angels to take the Kingdom away from God's enemies and give it back to His Father who now is all in all.

4. Matt. 24:6 - "And you will [about to] be hearing of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end." Jesus was speaking to His disciples in their GENERATION (Matt. 24:34).

5. Luke 21:36 - "But keep on alert at all times, praying in order that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man." In this verse the NASB translators did not delete the Greek word "mello." Notice the word "you" several times in this chapter where Jesus was speaking to His disciples, not to us or future third parties.

6. Acts 17:31 - "Because He has fixed a day in which He [is about to] judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof all men by raising Him from the dead." Paul made it very clear that God was ABOUT to judge the world in his generation. This is a strong case for the Preterist view of Scripture.

7. Acts 24:14, 15 - "But this I admit to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect I do serve the God of our fathers, believing everything that is in accordance with the Law, and that is written in the Prophets; having a hope in God, which these men cherish themselves, that there shall [about to be] a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked." Again, Paul made it very clear. He was expecting everything that written to be fulfilled very soon in his lifetime including the resurrection. Throughout the NT, we have seen the proclamation of the fulfillment of Israel's promises for the gospel going "to the Jews first, then the Greek"; the on-going Post-Pentecost transition from the Old Covenant to the New which is a pervasive and emphatic testimony for first century imminence of the time of the end.

8. Acts 24:25 - "And as he was discussing righteousness, self-control and the judgment [about] to come, Felix became frightened and said, "Go away for the present, and when I find time, I will summon you." Notice Felix became frightened.

9. Acts 26:22, 23 - "And so, having obtained help from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, stating nothing but what the Prophets and Moses said was going [about] to take place; that Christ was to suffer, and that by reason of His resurrection from the dead He should be the first to proclaim light both to Jewish people and to the Gentiles." Notice Paul said the writings of the Prophets and Moses were about to be fulfilled.

10. Rom. 8:18 - "For I consider that sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is [about] to be revealed to us." Read the whole context in Rom. 8:18-25.

11. Rom. 8:38, 39 - "For I am convinced that neither death, not life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things [about] to come, nor powers, nor height, not depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Notice things present (Mosaic Age) and things about to come (Messianic Age) are associated with death, life, angels, etc. which shall not able to separate us from the love of God.

12. 1 Cor. 3:21-23 - "So then let no one boast in men. For all things belong to you, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things [about] to come; all things belong to you, and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God." This is the same thing as in Rom. 8:38.

13. Eph 1:21 - "Far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named not only this age, but also in the one [about] to come." It is very important to understand the meaning of "this age" (Old Covenant) and "the age about to come" (New Covenant) because it is the Jewish interpretation of eschatology. You will see this in my article in Part Five.

14. Col. 2:16, 17 - "Therefore let no one act as your judge in regard food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day, things which are a mere shadow of what is [about] to come; but the substance belongs to Christ." These passages are the most important to understand the Old Covenant (Jewish festivals, ceremonial, promises, etc.) which was about to completed in Christ. Some futurists believe all these things were completed at the cross but it was not at the time of Paul's writing. So, obviously we don't pracitice these things for today because they were done away in 70 AD.

15. 2 Tim. 4:1 - "I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is [about] to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom." This verse would close the case against the Futurist's views. At Christ's return the wicked were judged and cast into eternal torment, the same same place where all other wicked go at death. The righteous inherited resurrection life back in the presence of God for the first time since Adam, the representative of the human race, lost it in the Garden. Resurrection life is Paradise restored (Rev. 2:7). Jesus (the tree of life) gave us the eternal life.

16. Heb. 1:13, 14 - "But to which of the angels has He ever said, "Sit at My right hand, until I make thine enemies a footstool for Thy feet?" Are they not all ministering spirits, send out to render service for the sake of those who will [about to] inherit salvation?" The enemies of Christ were the Jewish people (Luke 19:27, Rom. 11:28, Phil 3:2, 18, 19). Christ crushed the head of all enemies even Death, and sat down at the right hand of His Father to reign eternally, whose kingdom shall have no end. Notice all the saints since the Fall are ABOUT to inherit salvation (redemption) in heaven.

17. Heb. 2:5 - "For He did not subject to angels the world [about] to come, concerning which we are speaking." The Hebrew writer was discussing the Mosaic age that was "put into effect through angels" (Acts 7:53). The new covenant world would be in subjection to Jesus, not angels. Note that the writer wrote to the first century audience "concerning which we are speaking." They did not see everything subject in Jesus because the 70 AD judgment had not yet occurred.

18. Heb. 9:11 - "But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things [about] to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation." Read in Heb. 8:6-13, 9:8-12, 15. At the time of writing, the earthly temple was still there and Christ the High Priest had not yet been disclosed from the holy place in heaven. In the OT, the high priest sacrificed the animal and then brought the blood into the holy of holies on the Day of Atonement. When the high priest came out of the holy of holies, the actual atonement had been made. But the blood of bulls and goats did not take away sins (Heb. 10:4). Jesus already came out of the holy place and brought all of His elect into the glory of God in heaven. That is why all the elect, physical, Israel were saved by the time the Parousia took place at the destruction of the Temple as it is written in Rom. 11:5, 25-29 (c.f. Heb. 9:15, 28). Since then, all of God's elect are no longer subject to Death (condemnation) and Hades (separation from God's presence). I believe at death the elect shed their physical bodies, and continue living in their spiritual immortal bodies with God in heaven forever.

19. Heb. 10:1 - "For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things [about] to come and not the very form of things, can never by the same sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, make perfect those who draw near." The writer of Hebrews tried to remind the Jewish people about the promises of God which were about to be fulfilled in Christ.

20. Heb 10:27 - "But a certain terrifying exception of judgment, and the fury of a fire which will [about to] consume the adversaries." Again, the writer warned the Jewish people of their time to turn to Jesus Christ, otherwise they would face the wrath of God. Read Heb. 10:25-39. These verses are vivid.

21. Heb. 13:14 - "For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is [about] to come." Clearly, this verse is speaking of the New Jerusalem after the Old Jerusalem would be destroyed and rendered obsolete. Read Heb. 11:16, Rev. 21:1-7, 9-10.

22. 1 Peter 5:1 - "Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and partaker also of the glory that is [about] to be revealed." Peter understood and he was expecting the glory that was about to revealed. Remember, he was inspired by God. Read carefully in 1 Peter 1:4-13, 20; 2:6-8; 4:7.

23. Rev. 1:19 - "Write therefore the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall [about to] take place after these things." In Rev. 1:9-20, these passages are "The things which you have seen." In Rev. 2:1-3:22 are "The things which are," and then in Rev. 4:1-22:5 are "the things which are ABOUT to take place after these things." There are only three sections and notice the last section was about to take place in John's generation. Read Rev. 1:1, 3; 22:6, 7, 10, 12, 20. We must NOT attempt to explain away the statements of imminence. That is the rule of the interpretation. Some try to use 2 Peter 3:8 to interpret the overwhelming abundance of the statements of imminence. However, their hermeneutic is unacceptable.

24. Rev 12:5 - "And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is [about] to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and His throne." It is clearly about Jesus who was caught up to God and His throne in heaven, not on the earth. In John's vision, Jesus was about to rule with a rod of iron.

     Here is a quote from Eusebius, the Christian historian in the late third century. This is what he wrote about James, the brother of the Lord, when James was in trial with the Jewish leaders, "And he (James) answered with a loud voice, 'Why do ye ask me respecting Jesus the Son of Man? He is now sitting in the heavens, on the right hand of great Power, and is about to come on the clouds of heavens.' in Eusebius' Ecclesiastical History, p. 77 (emphasis mine).

     So, the Preterist view is consistent with the Scriptures. Let the Scriptures interpret the Scriptures. Check the Greek words and some historians, and you will find the preterist view has the strongest case against any other eschatological views. I don't know how the Futurists would defend themselves with these passages which I have shown. We ought to "be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth" (2 Tim. 2:15).

     The Reformed Futurists (Amillennialism, Postmillennialism or Historic Premillennialism) cannot defend their eschatological views with dispensationalism, Charismatic and Pentecostal churches, Arminianism, Judaism, Liberal Theologians and the cults because they have some holes. Once the Reformed churches come into the full Preterist view, they will be able to defend the truth against the the members of these false religions, and they will be able expose them with their errors. Reformed Preterists can make a big difference, no matter what others will think.

     What do you think all of this so far, especially after examining the Greek word "mello"? Hopefully this will help a lot and cause you to rethink the reasons for your eschatological view.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Donald Hochner

[WorldWithoutEnd]

 

HOW THE VERSES WOULD LOOK WITH MELLO ABOUT TO

II Timothy 4:1 "Then I solemnly witness before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, He being about to judge living and dead [at] His appearance and His kingdom."

Acts 24:25 "And [Paul] having reasoned concerning righteousness and self control, and the Judgment that is about to be, becoming afraid, Felix answered, For the present, go; but taking time later, I will call for you."

Hebrews 10:25-27 "...not forsaking the assembling together of ourselves, as [is the] custom of some, but exhorting, and by so much more as you see the Day drawing near. For [if] we [are] willfully sinning after receiving the full knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice concerning sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment and zealous fire being about to consume the adversaries [compare II Thess.1:1-10]."

Acts 28:6  "But they expected him to be about to become inflamed, or suddenly to fall down dead."

Acts 24:14-15  "But I confess this to you that according to the Way, which they say [is] a sect, so I worship the ancestral God believing all things according to that having been written in the Law and the Prophets, having a hope toward God, which these themselves also admit, [of] a resurrection being about to be of [the] dead, both of the just and unjust ones."

Matthew 16:27-28 "For the Son of man is about to come with His angels in the glory of His Father. And then He will give reward to each according to his action. Truly I say to you, There are some standing here who in no way will taste of death until they see the Son of man coming in His kingdom."

Acts 17:31 (exact form as Mtt.16:27 and Rev.1:19. Alfred Marshall's, The Interlinear Greek-English New Testament) "...because he set a day in which he is about to judge the inhabited earth in righteousness, by a man whom he designated, a guarantee offering to all having raised up him out of [the] dead."

I Peter 5:1,4  "I, a fellow elder, exhort the elders among you, I being also witness of the sufferings of Christ, and [being] sharer of the glory about to be revealed....And [at] the appearing of the Chief Shepherd, you will receive the never-fading crown of glory"

Hebrews 1:14 "Are they not all ministering spirits for service, being sent out because of the [ones] being about to inherit salvation

[kensington]

What do I think so far?  Well, there is no "NEW" information here.  Using the NASB didn't change a thing as I use it every single day when that I study Daniel and Revelation.  I still believe the Lord will come with a shout and we shall go to be with Him in the air, and then The Great Tribulation Period will be ushered in.  The Antichrist will arrive and step up to rule the world, and bring with him the mark for all those who follow him. He will seek to kill Christians who have been saved after the Rapture and to force them to take the mark. Those who take is will never see heaven.  144,000 Jews will be marked for the Lord and kept safe by God while the Antichrist hunts for them.  At 3 1/2 years into the Tribulation, the Antichrist will set up his image in the Temple to be worshipped and that is when the Jewish people will call him out as the deceiver.  Because if there is anything that the Jews have learned in 5000+ years.. it is... "Thou shall have no God before me". 

Thanks for sharing... 

[RB]

What do you think all of this so far, especially after examining the Greek word "mello"?

Not much, and you proved not one thing, except that you do not trust the scriptures alone to give its interpretation of its own doctrine, but must labor to try hard to make the scriptures align with your own doctrine that you have been deceived into believing.  This is the hallmark of all who to false doctrine~if they cannot convince with the scriptures, then the next step is to change the scriptures and this they do by many different avenues, of which one of them you have taken to. If you desire for me to prove your eisegesis of God's word, then I will.  But, I can make this work much easier on both of us, by dealing with one scripture upon which your own house of cards would fall if proven wrong, and that scripture would be: Matthew 24:34, and the phrase....'THIS generation" which you quoted it partially in your first point, with a sleight of hand and cunning craftiness:

1. Matt. 3:7 & Luke 3:7 - "But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath [about] to come?"

I noticed how you said "about" to come, laboring to support your own personal doctrine, instead of the scriptures. Instead of studying Greeks words, maybe you should learn to rightly divide the word of God that has been given to us in own tongue, using the means that God has given to us to be used.

Nehemiah 8:8~"So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading."

No where do we ever read where God's teachers in the past, (in the scriptures) ever try to convince their hearers that the Hebrew word means this or that, as they were teaching the people...no where. They (as Jesus did before them) went into the synagogues and reason with them out of the scriptures...(not the very one that Moses had written) and taught the people and never once told the Gentiles hearers that the "originals said this or that, but they believed Psalm 12:6,7, and with all their strength and faith stood firm upon those scriptures that were passed down to them by scribes, believing that God did indeed preserved his words from THIS generation spoken of by David, whom he called ungodly, by the truth that he said the godly and faithful were ceasing, which only means that the ungodly and unfaithful were the men that he had reference to when speaking of THIS generation that God had protected his word from...and we by faith, believe that to be so; that even unto this very day, we have the pure word of God preserved for us. 

[WorldWithoutEnd]

What do you think all of this so far, especially after examining the Greek word "mello"?

Not much, and you proved not one thing, except that you do not trust the scriptures alone to give its interpretation of its own doctrine, but must labor to try hard to make the scriptures align with your own doctrine that you have been deceived into believing.  This is the hallmark of all who to false doctrine~if they cannot convince with the scriptures, then the next step is to change the scriptures and this they do by many different avenues, of which one of them you have taken to. If you desire for me to prove your eisegesis of God's word, then I will.  But, I can make this work much easier on both of us, by dealing with one scripture upon which your own house of cards would fall if proven wrong, and that scripture would be: Matthew 24:34, and the phrase....'THIS generation" which you quoted it partially in your first point, with a sleight of hand and cunning craftiness:

1. Matt. 3:7 & Luke 3:7 - "But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath [about] to come?"

I noticed how you said "about" to come, laboring to support your own personal doctrine, instead of the scriptures. Instead of studying Greeks words, maybe you should learn to rightly divide the word of God that has been given to us in own tongue, using the means that God has given to us to be used.

Nehemiah 8:8~"So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading."

No where do we ever read where God's teachers in the past, (in the scriptures) ever try to convince their hearers that the Hebrew word means this or that, as they were teaching the people...no where. They (as Jesus did before them) went into the synagogues and reason with them out of the scriptures...(not the very one that Moses had written) and taught the people and never once told the Gentiles hearers that the "originals said this or that, but they believed Psalm 12:6,7, and with all their strength and faith stood firm upon those scriptures that were passed down to them by scribes, believing that God did indeed preserved his words from THIS generation spoken of by David, whom he called ungodly, by the truth that he said the godly and faithful were ceasing, which only means that the ungodly and unfaithful were the men that he had reference to when speaking of THIS generation that God had protected his word from...and we by faith, believe that to be so; that even unto this very day, we have the pure word of God preserved for us.

And what exactly are you saying with this rant?

Here is the thing, the Greek word "mello" is in the original Greek manuscripts from which the English translations were translated from!

It has been mostly removed by some English translations and it has been altogether removed from other English translations.

This word exists in all the verses LISTED in the OP in the original Greek manuscripts!

Why did the English translators delete this word then?

RB, if you are willing run all of these verses through over at biblehub and you discover "mello", "mellontos", etc is indeed contained in these verses in the original Greek text.

[WorldWithoutEnd]

Looking at 2 Timothy 4:1 comparing its many English translations (blue will mark those translations that deleted "mello", red will mark those translations that did not delete "mello" with underlines marking its translation):

Parallel Verses

New International Version
In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge:

New Living Translation
I solemnly urge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who will someday judge the living and the dead when he appears to set up his Kingdom:

English Standard Version
I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom:

Berean Study Bible
I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of His appearing and His kingdom:

Berean Literal Bible
I earnestly declare before God and Christ Jesus, the One being about to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom:

New American Standard Bible
I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom:

King James Bible
I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;

Holman Christian Standard Bible
I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge the living and the dead, and because of His appearing and His kingdom:

International Standard Version
In the presence of God and the Messiah Jesus, who is going to judge those who are living and those who are dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I solemnly appeal to you

NET Bible
I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom:

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
I charge you before God and our Lord Yeshua The Messiah, he who is going to judge the living and the dead at the revelation of his Kingdom:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I solemnly call on you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge those who are living and those who are dead. I do this because Christ Jesus will come to rule [the world].

New American Standard 1977
Isolemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom:

Jubilee Bible 2000
I charge thee, therefore, before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the living and the dead in his appearing and in his kingdom:

King James 2000 Bible
I charge you therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the living and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;

American King James Version
I charge you therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;

American Standard Version
I charge thee in the sight of God, and of Christ Jesus, who shall judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom:

Douay-Rheims Bible
I charge thee, before God and Jesus Christ, who shall judge the living and the dead, by his coming, and his kingdom:

Darby Bible Translation
I testify before God and Christ Jesus, who is about to judge living and dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom,

English Revised Version
I charge thee in the sight of God, and of Christ Jesus, who shall judge the quick and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom;

Webster's Bible Translation
I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;

Weymouth New Testament
I solemnly implore you, in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus who is about to judge the living and the dead, and by His Appearing and His Kingship:

World English Bible
I command you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdom:

Young's Literal Translation
I do fully testify, then, before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who is about to judge living and dead at his manifestation and his reign --


   

Original Greek / KJV Interlinear

diamarturomai oun egw enwpion tou qeou kai tou kuriou ihsou cristou tou mellontoV krinein zwntaV kai nekrouV kata thn epifaneian autou kai thn basileian autou

4:1 I charge [thee] therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;

[WorldWithoutEnd]

Here is a buyers list of English translations that have retained the Greek word "mello" (Strong's Greek #3195) in at least one or multiple verses of which are listed in the OP article. Some of the 24 listed verses in the OP, all English translations had the Greek word "mello" removed from their texts. 18 out of 24.

My rankings:

1. Young's Literal Translation
2. Weymouth New Testament
3. Berean Literal Bible
4. Darby Bible Translation
5. Holman Standard Christian Bible*
6. New International Version; Berean Study Bible; New American Standard Bible; GOD'S WORD® Translation; New American Standard 1977**

*Two Verses!
**One Verse Each!





3. Matt. 16:27, 28 - "For the Son of Man is [about] to come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and WILL THEN RECOMPENSE EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS. Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who shall not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom." These passages are the most clear and straightforward from the mouth of Jesus Christ, otherwise He is a false prophet. This is why I believe Jesus returned in the glory of His Father with the angels to take the Kingdom away from God's enemies and give it back to His Father who now is all in all.

Berean Literal Bible; Darby Bible Translation; Weymouth New Testament; Young's Literal Translation

4. Matt. 24:6 - "And you will [about to] be hearing of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end." Jesus was speaking to His disciples in their GENERATION (Matt. 24:34).

Berean Literal Bible; Weymouth New Testament; Young's Literal Translation

5. Luke 21:36 - "But keep on alert at all times, praying in order that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man." In this verse the NASB translators did not delete the Greek word "mello." Notice the word "you" several times in this chapter where Jesus was speaking to His disciples, not to us or future third parties.

New International Version; Berean Study Bible; Berean Literal Bible; New American Standard Bible ; GOD'S WORD® Translation; New American Standard 1977; Darby Bible Translation; Young's Literal Translation

6. Acts 17:31 - "Because He has fixed a day in which He [is about to] judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof all men by raising Him from the dead." Paul made it very clear that God was ABOUT to judge the world in his generation. This is a strong case for the Preterist view of Scripture. 

Berean Literal Bible; Young's Literal Translation

7. Acts 24:14, 15 - "But this I admit to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect I do serve the God of our fathers, believing everything that is in accordance with the Law, and that is written in the Prophets; having a hope in God, which these men cherish themselves, that there shall [about to be] a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked." Again, Paul made it very clear. He was expecting everything that written to be fulfilled very soon in his lifetime including the resurrection. Throughout the NT, we have seen the proclamation of the fulfillment of Israel's promises for the gospel going "to the Jews first, then the Greek"; the on-going Post-Pentecost transition from the Old Covenant to the New which is a pervasive and emphatic testimony for first century imminence of the time of the end.

Berean Literal Bible; Weymouth New Testament; Young's Literal Translation

8. Acts 24:25 - "And as he was discussing righteousness, self-control and the judgment [about] to come, Felix became frightened and said, "Go away for the present, and when I find time, I will summon you." Notice Felix became frightened.

Weymouth New Testament; Young's Literal Translation

9. Acts 26:22, 23 - "And so, having obtained help from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, stating nothing but what the Prophets and Moses said was going [about] to take place; that Christ was to suffer, and that by reason of His resurrection from the dead He should be the first to proclaim light both to Jewish people and to the Gentiles." Notice Paul said the writings of the Prophets and Moses were about to be fulfilled.

Young's Literal Translation

10. Rom. 8:18 - "For I consider that sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is [about] to be revealed to us." Read the whole context in Rom. 8:18-25.

Weymouth New Testament; Young's Literal Translation

11. Rom. 8:38, 39 - "For I am convinced that neither death, not life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things [about] to come, nor powers, nor height, not depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Notice things present (Mosaic Age) and things about to come (Messianic Age) are associated with death, life, angels, etc. which shall not able to separate us from the love of God.

Young's Literal Translation

12. 1 Cor. 3:21-23 - "So then let no one boast in men. For all things belong to you, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things [about] to come; all things belong to you, and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God." This is the same thing as in Rom. 8:38.

Young's Literal Translation

14. Col. 2:16, 17 - "Therefore let no one act as your judge in regard food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day, things which are a mere shadow of what is [about] to come; but the substance belongs to Christ." These passages are the most important to understand the Old Covenant (Jewish festivals, ceremonial, promises, etc.) which was about to completed in Christ. Some futurists believe all these things were completed at the cross but it was not at the time of Paul's writing. So, obviously we don't practice these things for today because they were done away in 70 AD.

Weymouth New Testament

15. 2 Tim. 4:1 - "I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is [about] to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom." This verse would close the case against the Futurist's views. At Christ's return the wicked were judged and cast into eternal torment, the same place where all other wicked go at death. The righteous inherited resurrection life back in the presence of God for the first time since Adam, the representative of the human race, lost it in the Garden. Resurrection life is Paradise restored (Rev. 2:7). Jesus (the tree of life) gave us the eternal life.

Berean Literal Bible; Darby Bible Translation; Weymouth New Testament; Young's Literal Translation

16. Heb. 1:13, 14 - "But to which of the angels has He ever said, "Sit at My right hand, until I make thine enemies a footstool for Thy feet?" Are they not all ministering spirits, send out to render service for the sake of those who will [about to] inherit salvation?" The enemies of Christ were the Jewish people (Luke 19:27, Rom. 11:28, Phil 3:2, 18, 19). Christ crushed the head of all enemies even Death, and sat down at the right hand of His Father to reign eternally, whose kingdom shall have no end. Notice all the saints since the Fall are ABOUT to inherit salvation (redemption) in heaven.

Berean Literal Bible; Weymouth New Testament; Young's Literal Translation

18. Heb. 9:11 - "But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things [about] to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation." Read in Heb. 8:6-13, 9:8-12, 15. At the time of writing, the earthly temple was still there and Christ the High Priest had not yet been disclosed from the holy place in heaven. In the OT, the high priest sacrificed the animal and then brought the blood into the holy of holies on the Day of Atonement. When the high priest came out of the holy of holies, the actual atonement had been made (Leviticus 16:16-18). But the blood of bulls and goats did not take away sins (Heb. 10:4). Jesus already came out of the holy place and brought all of His elect into the glory of God in heaven. That is why all the elect, physical, Israel were saved by the time the Parousia took place at the destruction of the Temple as it is written in Rom. 11:5, 25-29 (c.f. Heb. 9:15, 28). Since then, all of God's elect are no longer subject to Death (condemnation) and Hades (separation from God's presence). I believe at death the elect shed their physical bodies, and continue living in their spiritual immortal bodies with God in heaven forever.

Weymouth New Testament

20. Heb 10:27 - "But a certain terrifying exception of judgment, and the fury of a fire which will [about to] consume the adversaries." Again, the writer warned the Jewish people of their time to turn to Jesus Christ, otherwise they would face the wrath of God. Read Heb. 10:25-39. These verses are vivid.

Berean Literal Bible;  Holman Christian Standard Bible; Darby Bible Translation; Weymouth New Testament; Young's Literal Translation

21. Heb. 13:14 - "For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is [about] to come." Clearly, this verse is speaking of the New Jerusalem after the Old Jerusalem would be destroyed and rendered obsolete. Read Heb. 11:16, Rev. 21:1-7, 9-10.

Weymouth New Testament

22. 1 Peter 5:1 - "Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and partaker also of the glory that is [about] to be revealed." Peter understood and he was expecting the glory that was about to revealed. Remember, he was inspired by God. Read carefully in 1 Peter 1:4-13, 20; 2:6-8; 4:7.

Berean Literal Bible; Holman Christian Standard Bible; Darby Bible Translation; Weymouth New Testament; Young's Literal Translation

24. Rev 12:5 - "And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is [about] to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and His throne." It is clearly about Jesus who was caught up to God and His throne in heaven, not on the earth. In John's vision, Jesus was about to rule with a rod of iron.

     Here is a quote from Eusebius, the Christian historian in the late third century. This is what he wrote about James, the brother of the Lord, when James was in trial with the Jewish leaders, "And he (James) answered with a loud voice, 'Why do ye ask me respecting Jesus the Son of Man? He is now sitting in the heavens, on the right hand of great Power, and is about to come on the clouds of heavens.' in Eusebius' Ecclesiastical History, p. 77 (emphasis mine).

Berean Literal Bible; Weymouth New Testament; Young's Literal Translation

[Shawn_CR]

What do you think all of this so far, especially after examining the Greek word "mello"?

Not much, and you proved not one thing, except that you do not trust the scriptures alone to give its interpretation of its own doctrine, but must labor to try hard to make the scriptures align with your own doctrine that you have been deceived into believing.  This is the hallmark of all who to false doctrine~if they cannot convince with the scriptures, then the next step is to change the scriptures and this they do by many different avenues, of which one of them you have taken to. If you desire for me to prove your eisegesis of God's word, then I will.  But, I can make this work much easier on both of us, by dealing with one scripture upon which your own house of cards would fall if proven wrong, and that scripture would be: Matthew 24:34, and the phrase....'THIS generation" which you quoted it partially in your first point, with a sleight of hand and cunning craftiness:

1. Matt. 3:7 & Luke 3:7 - "But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath [about] to come?"

I noticed how you said "about" to come, laboring to support your own personal doctrine, instead of the scriptures. Instead of studying Greeks words, maybe you should learn to rightly divide the word of God that has been given to us in own tongue, using the means that God has given to us to be used.

Nehemiah 8:8~"So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading."

No where do we ever read where God's teachers in the past, (in the scriptures) ever try to convince their hearers that the Hebrew word means this or that, as they were teaching the people...no where. They (as Jesus did before them) went into the synagogues and reason with them out of the scriptures...(not the very one that Moses had written) and taught the people and never once told the Gentiles hearers that the "originals said this or that, but they believed Psalm 12:6,7, and with all their strength and faith stood firm upon those scriptures that were passed down to them by scribes, believing that God did indeed preserved his words from THIS generation spoken of by David, whom he called ungodly, by the truth that he said the godly and faithful were ceasing, which only means that the ungodly and unfaithful were the men that he had reference to when speaking of THIS generation that God had protected his word from...and we by faith, believe that to be so; that even unto this very day, we have the pure word of God preserved for us.

There are a few things wrong with this statement.

First Id like to comment on your statement when you said "The Antichrist will arrive and step up to rule the world, and bring with him the mark for all those who follow him"
Why is it that so many don't believe the antichrist has come? When the bible and apostles  taught that the antichrist had come. Even now are there many AntiChrists among us.
1Jn_2:18  Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
1Jn_2:22  Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
1Jn_4:3  And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
2Jn_1:7  For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

Teaching that the AntiChrist will come instead of has come is in complete contradiction to scripture and what the Apostles taught.

Also I love how so many use the rapture, which is of course no where in the Bible. I do however know and understand where you get it, meaning that we will be Raised up together with Christ to meet him in the air(Spirit)? The thing is that this has already happened, as taught by the apostles and defined in scripture quite well. I mean Paul himself said we have been raised up with Christ and are now sitting with Christ in Heavenly places. That we have already been delivered from Darkness and translated into the Kingdom.

Eph 2:6  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
Col_1:13  Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

You also said "we shall go to be with Him in the air", referencing 1Th4:17. The thing is that the word air also means spirit, as used in Eph 2:2  "Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:" Here Paul calls the power of the air, the spirit. The fact that Paul taught throughout the new testament teachings the difference between carnal/natural and spiritual is evident. But so many carnal minded people today can not understand that Jesus never intended to return in the natural/carnal, but in the Spirit. Jesus himself said his kingdom was not of this World(natural/carnal).

Joh 4:24  "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." -Jesus
Luk 17:21 "Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you." -Jesus
Joh_18:36  Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence

And again you take the symbolic numbers used throughout the bible literally(carnally). The carnal mind can not understand the spiritual(God) for the are enmity one to the other. The dead letter killeth but the spirit brings for life.

2Co 3:6  Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

Jesus said the Apostles would not die until all things had been fulfilled, he said they would see his return. He taught that the fields was already white and ready to harvest, it was already time. He said they would not have time to go over all the cities of Israel until he returned, so he urged them to hurry. He taught that the law would not be changed in the least until ALL things had been fulfilled, yet the law was clearly changed, which was taught by Paul in Hebrews and Col. The apostles taught that we have been delivered from darkness and translated into this Kingdom, that we have been raised up together with Christ to sit with him in Heaven. That we have not come unto mount Sinai , but that we have already come to Mount Sion, the the city of the living God, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men ALREADY made perfect. This is where I am, where are you?

[Wycliffes_Shillelagh]

Why did the English translators delete this word then?

It wasn't always deleted. Observe...

The KJV translates Strongs G3195 in the following manner: shall (25x), should (20x), would (9x), to come (9x), will (7x), things to come (4x), not tr (3x), misc (33x).

A lot of the "misc" there isn't a single word-for-word translation, but it often combines with other words to alter the meaning.

When it's used as a participle (mellontes), it becomes something like "who is eminent" as a predicate adjective, which is awkward to translate into English, as it has to become sort sort of separate sub-clause in the middle of the main sentence.  The other option is to make it an epithet - "Jesus, the Christ, the Eminent, who is..."

Jarrod

[PeteWaldo]

Matthew 16:28 Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.

I would agree that this is an important literal verse that contains a very literal quote. It leaves no room to dance around it. But this is not an argument in favor of preterism but rather for amillennialism. While I believe that preterism will eat at the body of Christ as gangrene, as the scriptures would seem to indicate, that verse really does deliver a serious death blow to premillennialism. As someone who approaches all bible prophecy uniformly through the church tradition of amillennial historicism, it is my further understanding that I am my brother John's companion in THE tribulation and in THE kingdom of Jesus Christ:

Revelation 1:9 I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ....

The article "the" appears in the Koine Greek for both terms (thus the NKJV puts it before "tribulation").

I find it amazing how the church can remain so blinded to Islam in Bible prophecy, particularly in this day and age, by two eschatologies that began to be popularized in the 19th century. Yet when we approach New Testament prophecy through the church tradition of amillennial historicism we can easily paint a bulls eye on Muhammad's back as THE false prophet of the book of Revelation and his Islamic kingdom "beast" as the final foe of God's people. Who'd a thunk it!

Any surprise then to learn that Muhammad's followers are taught that to confess that Jesus is the Son of God or even to pray in Jesus' name would be to commit the single most "heinous" and ONLY unforgivable sin in Islam ("shirk"). Any surprise then to further learn that each and every one of the 1.5 billion followers of Muhammad - 1/4 of mankind - must deny the crucifixion of Christ, and thus the saving grace of His shed blood, as another article of their faith in Muhammad alone.

[Tertullian]

1. Matt. 3:7 & Luke 3:7 - "But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath [about] to come?" In this context, John the Baptist was preaching to the Jewish people. He warned the Jewish religious leaders about God's wrath to come shortly and it happened in 66-70 AD (3 1/2 years). The Old Covenant temple and the city of Jerusalem were destroyed by the Roman armies. Many Jewish people had been completely scattered or killed and all these things were fulfilled in 70 AD. See Daniel 12:7-13 and Luke 21:5-36.

The better I know the Bible, the more thoroughly I see it to teach, what to us is, preterism.  "Mello" does mean "about to be" but English translations so often render just "to be", shedding the meaning of soon.