ed stevens

Advocates of the Collective Body resurrection view have accused the Individual Body View of being futurist because we teach that we get a new immortal body and go to heaven at physical death. However, we reverse those charges, and show that the Collective Body View has produced some very rotten fruit by teaching that we are in "heaven now," and have our "immortal bodies now," and have "perfection now," and that "sin no longer exists now," or that "temptation and sin will continue to plague us even in the afterlife." If you are confused by all those strange unbiblical ideas that the Collective Body View has produced, this podcast is for you. If you wish to have the free PDF written lesson outline for this podcast, simply email us to request it (preterist1@preterist.org). Be sure to mention the date of this podcast when you contact us.Support the show

This episode is a special treat. We play excerpts from one of Arthur Melanson's radio programs where he explains the meaning of Heb. 11:30-40, regarding the "better resurrection" at the first century Parousia, which perfected both the living and dead saints. In the second half of the session, I explain how this idea of perfection is dealt with in 1 Cor. 13:8-13, to show how the Collective Body View of these two texts is fatally flawed. This lesson directly relates to the session two weeks ago on Refuting Resurrection Errors, and takes it further. If you wish to have the free PDF written lesson outline for this podcast, simply email us to request it (preterist1@preterist.org). Be sure to mention the date of this podcast when you contact us.Support the show

Recently there has arisen a couple of false accusations against the Individual Body View of the Resurrection by the hyper-cessationist skeptic Chris Camillo and some of the advocates of the Collective Body View. Here we address both charges and expose their fallacies, and provide a clear explanation of some of the differences between the Individual Body and the Collective Body views of the resurrection. We refute the errors of the "heaven now" and "immortal body now" claims of the Collective Body view, and reverse the charges of "futurist" back on them. There is another podcast two weeks after this one, which takes all this further (Perfection Now, But NOT Here). Be sure to listen to it as well. If you wish to have the free PDF written lesson outline for this podcast, simply email us to request it (preterist1@preterist.org). Be sure to mention the date of this podcast when you email us.Support the show

We look at the early months of the Jewish rebellion (August through December AD 66). We notice how the Zealots quickly organized their government and prepared for the Roman attack. The Roman Legate in Antioch, Cestius Gallus, did not waste any time responding to the rebellion, but his attack on Jerusalem was mismanaged from start to finish. His retreat at the time when his troops were just about to break through the wall, only strengthened and emboldened the Zealot cause, thus prolonging the war, and wreaking total havoc on the Temple, Jerusalem, and the whole Jewish nation. God sent multiple prophets and signs to warn them in advance, but they did not listen and heed. If you wish to have the free PDF written lesson outline for this podcast, simply email us to request it (preterist1@preterist.org). Be sure to mention the date of this podcast when you email us.Support the show

We continue looking at the crucial events leading up to the outbreak of the Jewish revolt against Rome in late AD 66. We mention some of the major characters who played a significant role as the rebellion was beginning to take shape, and how the situation there in Judea at this time just before the war started was getting worse every day. There were signs in the heavens and on earth at this very time of Passover and Pentecost in AD 66. This is when the angelic armies were seen in the sky above Judea, as well as when the priests in the temple heard the incredible voices of a multitude in the unseen realm saying that they were leaving that place and going to another location within the unseen realm. Could this have been the resurrection of the dead out of Hades and their reception into heaven? This is another one of those podcasts you will want to listen to over and over again. If you wish to have the free PDF written lesson outline for this podcast, simply email us to request it (preterist1@preterist.org). Be sure to mention the date of this podcast when you email us.Support the show

If you are interested in considering some possible fulfillments of the Abomination of Desolation and the Man of Lawlessness, this podcast is for you. We look at how Gessius Florus, the Roman procurator over Judea in AD 66, attempted to rob the temple of all of its imageless coinage and force the Jews to bring in coins with Nero's deified image on them. This would have been an abomination of the temple, and easily explains why the Zealots and Priests revolted. One of the key players in that rebellion was Eleazar, the Captain of the Temple Guard, and son of the powerful High Priest Ananias b. Nedebaeus. Eleazar blew the shofar and rallied the citizens to block Florus' access to the temple. Eleazar then took control of the temple and did many other lawless things which suggest that he might have been the Man of Lawlessness. This is one podcast you will want to listen to over and over again. If you wish to have the PDF written lesson outline for this podcast, simply email us to request it (preterist1@preterist.org). Be sure to mention the date of this podcast when you email us.Support the show

The volume of Listener Feedback has been heavy in recent weeks, so we share some of the best of those questions and comments with you, and then give our response. We first correct a historical goof I made in last podcast, then reply to a FaceBook critic. Questions and comments deal with last week's story of the heifer giving birth to a lamb, the huge significance of the Neronic persecution, and several other issues related to the first century rapture. We look at the implications of 1 Cor 13:12 ("know all things" and "see face to face") for the saints who lived and remained until the Parousia. We show what impact the literal rapture idea has on our resurrection views, especially against the Collective Body View (CBV) of some preterists. The suggestion by some of our critics that the silence after 70 could be explained by all the remaining saints being confused by the Hellenizers is debunked. If you still have doubts about a first century rapture, this is one podcast you will want to listen to over and over again. Several of our listeners share their good explanations of how they came to understand the rapture idea. They explain it better than I do. If you wish to have the PDF written lesson outline for this podcast, simply email us to request it (preterist1@preterist.org). Be sure to mention the date of this podcast when you email us.Support the show

After Nero waged war against the Christians, things begin to go badly for him. There was a conspiracy against him, a pestilence that killed 30 thousand in Rome, and a hurricane just south of Rome that destroyed many crops and fruit trees. The situation in Judea was getting worse by the day. Armed groups of bandits, Zealots, and assassins were plundering the countryside, forcing many to flee from their ancestral homesteads. Numerous signs in the heavens and on earth were occurring more frequently now. Many of the Jews sensed that something bad was about to happen. In Jerusalem, some were lamenting the worsening situation, as if it was already doomed to destruction. While the high priest was leading away a heifer to be sacrificed, she gave birth to a lamb right there in the temple courtyard. We suggest some possible interpretations of this very strange event for both Jews and Christians. If you wish to have the PDF lesson outline that is available for this podcast, simply email us to request it (preterist1@preterist.org). Be sure to mention the date of the podcast for which you would like to receive the PDF.Support the show

Over two decades ago, Max King suggested that the reason why the Christians after AD 70 did not mention the Parousia, was because they had been confused by the Hellenizers into misplacing the eschaton. Twenty years ago, Dr. Charles Hill debunked that idea historically. Here in this lesson, we look at some of the biblical evidence which further refutes King's Hellenization theory, to show that an actual rapture of the Elect saints is the best explanation for the silence of the Christians about the Parousia after AD 70. If you wish to have the PDF lesson outline that is available for this podcast, simply email us to request it (preterist1@preterist.org). Be sure to mention the date of the podcast for which you would like to receive the PDF.Support the show

Critics of the Literal Rapture view have suggested that the SILENCE of Christians after AD 70 about the occurrence of the Parousia, was merely because they were ALL either killed in the Neronic persecution or fell away into apostasy by the time of the Parousia, so that there were no Christians after AD 70 who understood the fulfillments. We will show from the Biblical expectation statements why this theory simply does not hold up under more careful Biblical and Historical examination. If you wish to have the PDF lesson outline that is available for this podcast, simply email us to request it (preterist1@preterist.org). Be sure to mention the date of the podcast for which you would like to receive the PDF.Support the show

Questions about the Nicolaitans, trustworthiness of Scripture, historical documentation for the Parousia and Rapture, value of the rapture for understanding scripture, Romans 8:18-19 and redemption of your bodies, 2 Thess. 1:10 and expectations of pre-70 saints, Philippians 3:20-21 and bodily change, Matt. 24:37ff is not talking about a rapture, Historical Challenge to the rapture by Kurt Simmons, and Apostle John did not live beyond AD 70. If you wish to have the PDF lesson outline that is available for this podcast, simply email Ed to request it (preterist1@preterist.org). Be sure to mention the date of the podcast for which you would like to receive the PDF.Support the show

All the Church Historians bemoan the silence and absence of true orthodox Christians in the first two or three decades after AD 70. Where did all those pre-70 saints go? None of them reappear after 70 to claim the fulfillment of the Parousia. What about the supposed Christians who fled to Pella before the war? Why does history seem to indicate that they were still around after 70? If you wish to have the PDF lesson outline that is available for this podcast, simply email Ed to request it (preterist1@preterist.org). Be sure to mention the date of the podcast for which you would like to receive the PDF.Support the show

Why is it that for a whole generation after AD 70 we hear nothing from, nor anything about the seven churches mentioned in the book of Revelation? What happened to those churches? If you wish to have the PDF lesson outline that is available for this podcast, simply email Ed to request it (preterist1@preterist.org). Be sure to mention the date of the podcast for which you would like to receive the PDF.Support the show

Futurists use the historical situation of Laodicea and Smyrna to suggest that Revelation could not have been written before AD 70. We will show how they have misinterpreted both Scripture and History, and that history and archaeology both show that these churches were alive and well at the time John wrote Revelation in AD 62. If you wish to have the PDF lesson outline that is available for this podcast, simply email Ed to request it (preterist1@preterist.org). Be sure to mention the date of the podcast for which you would like to receive the PDF.Support the show

Christians were the victors in that persecution. What about those who fled to Pella? When was Apostle John killed by the Jews? If you wish to have the PDF lesson outline that is available for this podcast, simply email Ed to request it (preterist1@preterist.org). Be sure to mention the date of the podcast for which you would like to receive the PDF.Support the show

One of the first things our Futurist critics ask for is historical evidence showing that all these things occurred in the first century. We provide that documentation from first century historians. If you wish to have the PDF lesson outline that is available for this podcast, simply email Ed to request it (preterist1@preterist.org). Be sure to mention the date of the podcast for which you would like to receive the PDF.Support the show

When Futurists grasp the TIME of fulfillment, they immediately want to know HOW these things were fulfilled in the first century. So this lesson looks at the NATURE of fulfillment. If you wish to have the PDF lesson outline that is available for this podcast, simply email Ed to request it (preterist1@preterist.org). Be sure to mention the date of the podcast for which you would like to receive the PDF.Support the show

When we compare Apostle Paul's sequencing of these three events with the sequence found in Matthew 24, there seems to be an inconsistency. See if you can spot the problem and tune in to see how we resolve it. If you wish to have the PDF lesson outline and Chronological chart that are available for this podcast, simply email us to request it (preterist1@preterist.org). Be sure to mention the date of the podcast for which you would like to receive the PDF.Support the show

Most futurists and even some preterists are confused about the identity of the Great Tribulation. We will discuss the linkage between the Neronic persecution and the Great Tribulation. If you wish to have the PDF lesson outline and Chronological chart that are available for this podcast, simply email us to request it (preterist1@preterist.org). Be sure to mention the date of the podcast for which you would like to receive the PDF.Support the show

One of the most overlooked events affecting the Christians right before the Jewish War, was the Great Fire in Rome and the Neronic persecution afterwards. This was the great tribulation upon the Church. If you wish to have the PDF lesson outline for this podcast, simply email us to request it (preterist1@preterist.org). Be sure to mention the date of the podcast for which you would like to receive the PDF.Support the show