Just a reminder of the upcoming formal debate between popular radio Bible teacher Steve Gregg and Don K. Preston. The debate will be held in Denver, Colorado, September 6-8, 2013.
This promises to be a high quality, friendly and important debate, and event you do not want to miss! We will be posting more information about venue in the coming weeks. In the meantime, make your plans to be with us!
Here are the propositions to be discussed:
Resolved: The Bible teaches that the Second Coming of Christ, the resurrection and Judgment occurred at the time of the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70
Affirm: Don K. Preston
Deny: Steve Gregg
#1f497d;”> Steve Gregg will affirm:
Resolved: The Bible teaches that the Second Coming of Christ, the resurrection and the Judgment will occur at the end of the current Christian age.
Affirm: Steve Greg
Deny: Don K. Preston
As you can see, this is an important debate. So, make your plans now to be with us!
Dan 9 prophesied the Messiah would be cut off after the 69th “seven”. Then, a “covenant with many” is made for a final “seven”, and “in the half of the seven” sacrifices in the physical temple are cut off.
What if the final “seven” symbolizes seven DECADES, i.e. 70 years ? Sacrifices were cut off, in the Jerusalem temple, in 66 AD, when Zealots took over the city & temple complex. That was about 35 years after the Crucifixion. And the seven-decade period from 30-100 AD was the time of the Apostles, during which all NT Scripture was written.
So perhaps the final “seven” of Dan 9 represents seven DECADES, of the Apostolic Church age, after which Prophesy & Vision was “sealed” in the Biblical tradition.
3 John describes schismatics openly insulting the authority of John. Surely, no one would have done so before 70 AD; Rev 2 describes “false Apostles” & “Nicolatians”, who falsely ASSUMED Apostolic authority, e.g. of Nicholas (Acts 6), indirectly lying about the Holy Spirit. But, they did not OPPOSE Apostolic authority. So, inexpertly, John 3 implies a late date, when John seemed old & senile, so that some, e.g. Diotrephes, thought they could usurp the Church, founded by the then-deceased Apostles (save John). Indeed, there were several “Gaius … Bassus” proconsuls of Ephesus & Asia Minor from 80-100 AD. The Gnostic Cerinthus was also active during that period (perhaps Diotrephes was Cerinthus’ pupil?).
So, late dates for 1-3 John seem sound. But, Dan 9 says “Vision & Prophets” would be sealed by the end of the 70th “seven”. If that “seven” was seven DECADES, then the OT & Church tradition could both be correct.