by
R.C. Sproul

Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1998, 250 pages.

This book deals with the Olivet Discourse of Jesus, recorded in its most complete form in Matthew 24-25, and in more abbreviated form in Mark 13 and Luke 21. The stated purpose of the book is “to evaluate moderate preterism and its view of eschatology” (page 24). In general, preterism believes that the kingdom is a present reality, in contrast to dispensationalism, which Sproul says “regards the kingdom as yet future” which “will not come until the parousia” (the second coming of Christ) (pages 23-24). But Sproul distinguishes between two distinct forms of preterism: 1) radical preterism, which holds that all future prophecies in the New Testament have already been fulfilled (including the parousia), and 2) moderate preterism, which holds that while many prophecies in the New Testament have already been fulfilled, some crucial prophecies have not yet been fulfilled. The principal concern of the book is to evaluate preterism, and in particular these two forms of preterism, in regard to the interpretation of such verses in the Olivet Discourse as Matthew 24: 34 (“Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled”), as well as other verses in the NT with specific time-frame references with respect to the coming of Christ, such as Matthew 10:23 (“Verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come”).

Throughout his book, Sproul interacts with a book first published in 1887: The Parousia: A Critical Inquiry into the New Testament Doctrine of Our Lord’s Second Coming, by J. Stuart Russell. Sproul regards Russell as “perhaps the most important scholar of the preterist school” (page 24), whose “chief concern was the time-frame references of NT eschatology, particularly with respect to Jesus’ utterances concerning the coming of the kingdom and to Jesus’ Olivet Discourse” (page 24). Sproul says that “the central thesis of Russell and indeed all preterists is that the NT’s time-frame references with respect to the parousia point to a fulfillment within the lifetime of at least some of Jesus’ disciples,” with some preterists holding to a “primary fulfillment in AD 70 (the destruction of Jerusalem) and a final fulfillment in the yet-unknown future” (page 25).

Sproul says that “whatever else may be said of preterism, it has achieved at least two things: (1) it has focused attention on the time-frame references of NT eschatology, and (2) it has highlighted the significance of Jerusalem’s destruction in redemptive history.” (page 25). In regard to the first of those achievements, Sproul feels that the failure of evangelical scholars to deal adequately with the time-frame references in NT prophecy has resulted in a wholesale attack on the trustworthiness of Scripture by radical critical scholars. The main problem is that Jesus’ predictions in the Olivet discourse “include not only predictions regarding Jerusalem and the temple, which did come to pass with astonishing accuracy, but also predictions of his own coming in glory, or his parousia.” The response to the predictions regarding the parousia on the part of radical critics is to say that Jesus was wrong, that His predictions did not come to pass. Futurist scholars, on the other hand, have, according to Sproul, gone through exegetical gymnastics to interpret the time-references in a manner that allows for an extended time period before their fulfillment. Preterists, however, take the time-references at face value and say that Christ’s parousia has occurred, in the short time frame predicted by Christ. They say that His prophesied parousia was fulfilled in a coming in judgment on Jerusalem in AD 70. This takes into account the heavily symbolic nature of apocalyptic language used in prophetic passages in the Bible, and shows how similar language in the OT was used to prophesy of other judgements on Israel which by common agreement had historical fulfillment (such as the Babylonian conquest of Judah in 586 BC). It also entails a close examination of other (non-Biblical) historical accounts of the details of the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 (such as by Josephus).

It is here that the differences between radical or full preterism, and moderate or partial preterism, come into play. The full-preterist view is that all specific eschatological events predicted in the New Testament, such as the second advent, the resurrection of the dead, the rapture, and the last judgment have already taken place. In contrast, the partial-preterist view is explained by Sproul when he says: “I am convinced that the substance of the Olivet Discourse was fulfilled in AD 70 and that the bulk of Revelation was likewise fulfilled in that time period “ (page 158)—but this does not exhaust all specific NT prophecies. Therefore, the central issue between full and partial preterists is: “What events prophesied in the Bible are as yet unfulfilled” (page 158). Sproul would then look to other NT passages, rather than to the Olivet Discourse, for those events which are yet to be fulfilled. Partial preterists then would acknowledge that in the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, there was “a” parousia or coming of Christ, but it was not “the” parousia. As Sproul says: “The coming of Christ in AD 70 was a coming in judgment on the Jewish nation, indicating the end of the Jewish age and the fulfillment of a day of the Lord. Jesus really did come in judgment at that time, fulfilling His prophecy in the Olivet Discourse. But this was not the final or ultimate coming of Christ” (page 158). Thus Sproul distinguishes between the end of the Jewish age, and the end of human history.

The partial-preterist view is summarized in a chart on page 170:

AD 70	Still Future
A coming (parousia) of Christ	The coming (parousia) of Christ
A day of the Lord	The day of the Lord
	The resurrection of the dead
	The rapture of the living
A judgment	The (final) judgment
The end of the Jewish age	The end of history

While futurist scholars would see part of the Olivet Discourse as having been fulfilled in AD 70, they would say that the remainder of the Discourse is yet to be fulfilled. In other words, they would say that Jesus began by speaking of events that would be fulfilled in AD 70, but then looked ahead to events that would not be fulfilled until the far-away future, at the end of human history. Preterist scholars would see substantially all of the Olivet Discourse as having been fulfilled in AD 70, but with partial preterist scholars recognizing other NT prophecies (outside the Olivet Discourse) as yet to be fulfilled.

To conclude, The Last Days According to Jesus is an intriguing book, which presents a different perspective on the interpretation of NT prophecies regarding Jesus’ second coming and eschatology in general. It is not “light” reading, but is yet very readable considering the complexity of the topic. It is written in Sproul’s lucid style, and is also enhanced by numerous charts and summaries. Regardless of your viewpoint toward these prophecy issues, you can profit from a reading of this book.

I would like to add that I (and others I have talked to) had always assumed that Sproul was amillennial in his understanding of Bible prophecy, although he has not been specific on the issue in the books I had read. Therefore, I was surprised to learn that he (at least now) is postmillennial. This was confirmed in the January 1999 issue of Tabletalk, the monthly magazine published by Sproul’s Ligonier Ministries. That issue is titled “Some of You Will Not Sleep,” and the theme is NT prophecy regarding the last days, and in particular the preterist view. In the opening article, Sproul says that in his eschatological pilgrimmage, he has fluctuated, at times being drawn to the amillennial position and at other times, the historic premillennial view (though he states he “has never been enticed by dispensational eschatology, despite its being the contemporary majority report among evangelicals”—page 6). However, despite having given little credence to postmillennialism in the past, he says: “Yet to my surprise, I have found myself more and more attracted to an orthodox post-mill position with its moderate preterist perspective” (page 6). So it would appear that the post-mill and preterist perspectives are ones that we will hear more about in upcoming days.

by
John Pollock

Ross-shire, Great Britain: Christian Focus Publications, 1962,1996, 206 pages.

The book is a biography of Hudson Taylor, the pioneering missionary to China, and his marriage to Maria Dyer. The book is relatively brief, and only carries Taylor through to the death of his beloved Maria. Taylor first went to China in 1853 at the age of 21; he married Maria (who had been born in China herself) in 1859, and she died of cholera in 1870 after only a dozen years of marriage. But oh what was accomplished by this wonderful couple in such a short time. Taylor ultimately “founded the China Inland Mission, in circumstances of extreme difficulty for a purpose which most of his contemporaries considered mad” (page 5). After Maria’s death, Taylor lived another 35 years, and remarried, dying in 1905. For that latter stage of his life, Pollock refers us to the official two-volume biography by Hudson’s son and daughter-in-law, Dr. and Mrs. Howard Taylor. But in the early portion of his career covered by Pollock’s book, Hudson went into areas of China where the gospel had not penetrated, and in doing so adopted native dress (even to the shaping of his hair into pigtails) and often put himself into situations that demanded that God and God alone would meet his financial needs. As a result, he found that much if not most of the opposition he experienced came from the missionary establishment, who had their own way of doing things, and found the Taylors to be at odds with their notions of what was proper. The Taylors were frequently vilified not only in China, but by the British press back home as well, and were subject to frequent back-biting campaigns seeking to undermine them.

I think Pollock’s prologue sums the story up rather well, and I will just quote it here:

This book is a tale of courage and adventure in old Imperial China, this lost world of pigtails and mandarins and dragon-roofed temples. It is the story of a Yorkshire lad of obscure origin, indifferent education and miserable health who dared the seemingly impossible in the teeth of opposition, western and oriental. More, it is the epic of the love of Hudson Taylor and Maria Dyer—their discovery of each other when it was almost too late, the astonishing attempt of others to stifle and smash their love; and then the flowering of marriage at its highest and best (page 5).

This is a wonderful story of a courageous man, who showed what God could accomplish with only a little. Against western and oriental opposition, Taylor changed the way that missionaries work. It is a great story.

by
Sharon James

Evangelical Press: Durham, England, 1998, 237 pgs.

The book is an account of the life of Ann Judson, wife of Adoniram Judson. Born Ann Hasseltine in 1789 in the New England town of Bradford, Ann was converted from nominal Christianity into a vital spirituality and a true faith in 1806 during the Second Great Awakening, and formally joined the Congregationalist church. She later accepted a proposal of marriage from Adoniram Judson, who was shortly to leave for Asia as one of America’s first overseas missionaries. They married in 1811, and in 1812 they sailed for India. Ann therefore became the first female to leave the “shores of America to spend her life among the heathen” (p. 37). This was an honor Ann shared with childhood friend Harriet Atwood, who was converted during the same revival, and who also married a missionary, Samuel Newell. The Newells sailed with the Judsons as partners in this new missionary venture. As the author says, “America was sending abroad the first of what was to become, to date, the mightiest missionary force in Christian history (p. 43). Unhappily, Harriet died before they reached their ultimate destination of Burma. As Ann wrote in her diary: “Harriet is dead. Harriet, my dear friend, my earliest associate in the Mission, is no more…she is gone, and I am left behind, still to endure the trials of a missionary life” (p. 59). Also before reaching their destination, the Judsons severed their links with their sending agency, the Congregationalist Church of America, due to a change in the Judsons’ convictions concerning infant baptism. This change resulted from intensive study on the subject during the voyage, and they both determined that only believers’ baptism could be supported by the Bible, and they became Baptists. This was a traumatic event as Ann recorded in her diary: “It is painfully mortifying to my natural feelings, to think seriously of renouncing a system which I have been taught from infancy to believe and respect, and embrace one which I have been taught to despise…(but) contrary to my prejudices and my wishes, am compelled to believe, that believers’ baptism alone is found in Scripture” (p. 55). Fortunately, they were able, after resigning from the Congregationalist Church, to obtain Baptist support for their mission.

At this point it should be noted that in this biography, “Ann is allowed to speak for herself. Sharon James has skillfully woven together extracts from her Memoir and other first-hand accounts with linking narrative in a way that brings Ann’s story alive for today” (quoted from cover notes ).

The scope of the story of the Judsons and their missionary service in Burma is difficult to summarize in a review. There is just so much to say, and so many memorable events that occurred in a relatively short period of time. The Judsons arrived in Burma in 1813, and Ann died in 1826, only 13 years later, at the young age of 37. But what transpired in those 13 years makes for an incredible story and a testimony to the love, grace, and faithfulness of God. Their labors were intensive, their trials painful, and their faith tested in the fires of persecutions. As Ann labored alongside her husband in both evangelism and translation work, she did not challenge traditional Bible teaching concerning male leadership, but saw her primary role as evangelizing and teaching women.

To begin with, they showed incredible patience as six years passed before they saw their first convert. Then they were trapped in the capital of Burma when war broke out in 1824 between Britain and Burma. Although they were Americans, not British, all English-speaking people were suspected of being spies. This resulted in Adoniram being arrested, tortured, and imprisoned in horrid conditions. Adoniram’s imprisonment began in June, 1824, when he and another missionary were thrown into the feared “Death Prison.” He would not know freedom until February, 1826. During this period, Ann gave birth to a daughter, faithfully carried on the mission work (even though she was ill herself much of the time), and tirelessly interceded with government officials to procure better conditions and treatment for her husband, as well as coming into the prison to care for him as often as she was allowed. Her faithful ministry continued even though her own life was in considerable danger. Without her intervention and care, Adoniram would almost surely have died. And Adoniram was not the only prisoner to owe his survival to Ann: “One of his fellow-prisoners, an Englishman, later described the ‘ministering angel,’ who supplied him and other prisoners with food and clothes, and who constantly interceded on their behalf” (p. 159). As the tide of war turned in Britain’s favor, Adoniram obtained a temporary release from prison, and when he rushed to their home, he found Ann in severe distress, having contracted cerebral spinal meningitis a month before. Upon seeing Ann’s emaciated, pale, shrunken form lying there, he later described it as follows: “There lay the devoted wife, who had followed him so unwearily from prison to prison, ever alleviating his distresses.” His final freedom a few months later was obtained when Britain made release of the Judsons one of the terms of peace. The Judsons recovered from their illnesses, and with peace established, turned their attention to evangelizing that portion of Burma which was under British rule. But, as the author said: “The cost of these years, however, was higher than Ann realized, and the mission was about to lose one of its most valuable resources.”

While Adoniram was away on a six-month negotiating trip to obtain freedom to evangelize the portion of Burma controlled by the Burmese government, Ann contracted a serious fever and died in October 1826. According to the doctor, the death while immediately due to the fever, was ultimately a result of the privations and long-protracted sufferings that she had long endured, especially during Adoniram’s imprisonment. Now Adoniram had only baby Maria as a link with the one he had loved ever since he set eyes on her back in Bradford, so many years before. But six months later, Maria also succumbed to illness at the age of 2 years, 3 months.

However, Adoniram did come through the crisis, and continued a vital ministry in Burma until his death in 1850. Eight years after Ann’s death, he married Sarah Boardman, the widow of another missionary. And after Sarah’s death, he would marry yet again. “But there was always the certainty that Ann, and then Sarah, had gone before to glory, and that one day there would be a reunion more glorious than could ever be imagined” (page 199). As he wrote to his third wife, Emily: “Heaven will be brighter to me for thy presence. Thou wilt be with Ann and Sarah. We shall all join in the same song of love and praise, and how happy shall we be in beholding each other’s faces aglow with heavenly rapture, as we drink in the life-giving, joy-inspiring smiles of Him whom we shall all love above all” (page 199).

This is a wonderful story. The Judsons were central figures in a crucial church-planting endeavor in its early years, and were founders of the Burmese church. Their careful translation of the Scriptures into Burmese is still the standard version in that land. Ann was the model of a missionary wife, and a passionate advocate of female education. Although none of her own children lived past the toddler stage, many of the Burmese converts regarded her as their spiritual mother. Due to the publication of Ann’s Memoir in 1829, she was the childhood heroine of both Adoniram’s second and third wives. Her writings demonstrate “an overwhelming awareness of the majesty of God and her own unworthiness. This emphasis on human sinfulness and the sovereignty of God was superseded later in the century when older Calvinist orthodoxies fell out of favor,” but to the Judsons, “what happened to them was of secondary importance. A sovereign God could use them as long as he wanted, and then raise up others in their place. Their religion was God-centered, not man-centered” (page 203).

by
Denise Marie Siino

Grand Rapids: Fleming H. Revell, 1999, 230 pages.

The book tells of the ordeal of Ray Rising, who served as a missionary to Colombia with Wycliffe Bible Translators/Summer Institute of Linguistics, stationed at the facility at Lomalinda. On March 21, 1994, he was kidnapped by Colombian guerrillas associated with FARC (The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia). Ray’s function with WBT and SIL involved his electronics background, as he worked to install telephone communication links between Bogota and Lomalinda. His crime in the eyes of the guerrillas was simply that he was part of Lomalinda, which they saw as “nothing more than an American base with nice homes, running water, and electricity—an oasis of capitalist wealth in their midst” (page 24). During his time in Lomalinda, Ray had built many close relationships with ordinary Colombians, and had especially reached out to the poorest and most needy in the immediate and surrounding vicinities. He befriended boys and girls of all ages, “sometimes becoming a father to the fatherless” (page 24), and lending both emotional and even financial support when needed. But to the guerrillas, he became a target to help them somehow accomplish their political and social purposes.

The book is of particular interest to my church (Community Bible Chapel, Richardson, TX) due to our involvement with Wycliffe and SIL, especially through Herb and Grace Fuqua of our body who were with Wycliffe in Colombia at the very time this kidnapping occurred. So our body was kept informed of Ray’s situation, with periodic reminders to pray for him all during the time of his captivity. And a long time of captivity it was until his release in June 1996---810 days. Ray spent that time in the jungle, as he was kept on the move from one temporary camp to another, with several exchanges of the men and women serving as his captors. As notes on the bookcover state:

Guerrilla Hostage is the triumphant story of one man’s faith, a family’s hope, and God’s never-ending love. Ray Rising never gave in to despair, fear, and loneliness during his 810 days in captivity. Instead, this missionary grew closer to his Lord. He boldly established relationships and shared his faith with the Colombian guerrillas who held him hostage. If you love a gripping story, experience for yourself the shadowy jungles, the overwhelming obstacles, and the ultimate triumphs of Rising’s ordeal, and with him learn how to live a life of integrity despite harsh and frightening circumstances.

But don’t think that means that Ray never experienced any dark nights. At times he had trouble with his nerves, found himself breaking into periods of weeping, and even feared a breakdown. Yes, he was mortal. But the point is that he persevered through the worst of times, and remained faithful. On one occasion, a girl was offered to him, and although he had felt the urges of temptation, he summoned up the resolve to refuse that offer.

And Ray remained cognizant of God’s presence. He was always quick to see God’s hand not only in the largest, but also the smallest, of mercies. One particularly memorable moment occurred on Christmas Eve. Normally, he was not allowed to listen to the radio. However, through some unusual circumstances, on that occasion he found himself within listening range of a radio broadcast and to his shock realized that the voice on the radio was that of his wife in an interview concerning Ray’s capture. He was stunned:

How great a God he served , that he would allow Ray to hear his wife’s voice on Christmas Eve. His prayers had not bounced off the walls of heaven, as he had so often felt. God had heard them, every one, and had expressed his love and compassion in a way that let Ray know God had not forgotten him. The rest of Christmas Eve and all of Christmas Day, Ray’s spirits soared. For months, Jorge (one of his Colombian captors) had railed at him about his wife forgetting he existed and finding another man, and although Ray didn’t believe him, he was elated to hear Doris express her love for him (page 113).

And not only did God show his love to his faithful servant, but Ray showed his (and God’s) love toward his captors, as he was constantly witnessing at every opportunity, and showed true concern for their souls.

In June 1996, Ray was unexpectedly released by his captors, after 810 days in captivity. And so ends a marvelous story of one man’s faithfulness in the midst of severe tribulation, and of the greatness of the God he served.