Kakakita ko lang nito sa Facebook feed ko, and honestly, it brings back so many memories. As a former SDA apologist for 24 years, memorize ko 'yang linyahan na 'yan. Palagi kong naririnig yan sa Daniel and Revelation Seminar noon mga 1990's kay Pastor Rudy Bautista Sr. at tumatak talaga sa isip ko yan. The narrative is always: "Historicism is the only true Protestant view, and Preterism (past) or Futurism (future) were just invented by the Jesuits (Ribera and Alcazar) to protect the Pope."
Gets ko kung bakit convincing 'to. It feels like you are part of a secret remnant fighting a massive conspiracy. Pero, let’s be honest and look at this biblically and logically. Does the "Jesuit Origin" claim hold water, or is it a logical fallacy distracting us from what the text actually says?
Here is a pastoral response specifically comparing the Historicist view (SDA) and the Partial Preterist view (Reformed/Biblical).
The "Genetic Fallacy": Huwag magpa-budol sa Conspiracy
Unang-una, 'yung argument sa photo is a classic example of the Genetic Fallacy. Ang logic nila is: "Preterism came from a Catholic Jesuit, therefore it is wrong."
Maling logic 'yan, mga kapatid. Truth is truth, no matter who says it. Even if a Jesuit mathematician said $2 + 2 = 4$, hindi ito nagiging mali dahil lang Katoliko ang nagsabi.
Besides, the claim isn't even historically accurate.
Historicism wasn't the only view: While Reformers like Luther called the Pope the Antichrist, many early Church Fathers (long before the Jesuits) understood Matthew 24 and parts of Revelation as referring to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70.
The Issue is Exegesis, not Conspiracy: The question shouldn't be "Who invented this view?" The real question is "Ano ba talaga ang sinasabi ng Bible?"
Historicism vs. Partial Preterism: A Comparison
Let’s differentiate the SDA view (Historicism) from the view that many of us in the Reformed/New Covenant faith hold (Partial Preterism).
A. The Historicist View (SDA)
Sa Historicism, ang tingin nila sa Daniel at Revelation ay isang mahabang timeline ng history from Babylon to the Second Coming.
The Problem: It is extremely Eurocentric. Puro Western Europe, Pope, French Revolution, at USA lang ang bida. Paano naman ang mga Christians sa Asia, Africa, or Middle East?
Newspaper Exegesis: Pinipilit i-match ang Bible verses sa headlines ng dyaryo. Kaya palaging nagbabago ang interpretation kapag may bagong events (e.g., from Turkey to Communism to Islam).
Failed Predictions: Ito ang dahilan kung bakit may 1844 disappointment. Kasi pinipilit nila na ang "days" ay "years" kahit walang clear biblical mandate for that context.
B. The Partial Preterist View (Biblical)
Sa Partial Preterism, sineseryoso natin ang Time Indicators. We believe that the prophecies in Matthew 24 and the majority of Revelation (chapters 1-19) were fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in AD 70.
Audience Relevance: Naniniwala tayo na when Jesus said "This generation will not pass away" (Matt 24:34), He meant that generation, not a generation 2,000 years later.
Symbolism vs. Literalism: We understand the apocalyptic language (stars falling, moon turning to blood) as Old Testament judgment language against a nation (Israel), not a literal sci-fi movie ending.
Why Partial Preterism is More Biblical than Historicism
Bilang isang pastor na galing sa SDA, here is why I shifted to Partial Preterism. Hindi dahil sa Jesuits, kundi dahil sa text mismo.
1. "Soon" means Soon.
Revelation opens with: "The revelation of Jesus Christ... to show his servants what must soon take place" (Rev 1:1).
Sa Historicism, ang "soon" ay naging 2,000+ years. Saan ka nakakita ng definition ng "soon" na inabot ng dalawang libong taon? That makes God a confusing communicator. Sa Partial Preterism, we honor God’s word: Soon meant it was about to happen to the original readers (the 7 churches in Asia Minor).
2. The Great Tribulation was about the Temple.
In Matthew 24, the context was the disciples asking about the destruction of the Temple buildings. Jesus warned them to flee Judea when they see the abomination of desolation.
Historicism: Applies this to the Dark Ages or the End Times.
Partial Preterism: Understands that this happened literally in AD 66-70 when Roman armies surrounded Jerusalem. Josephus (a historian) recorded the "Great Tribulation" of the Jews during that siege, which was exactly as Jesus predicted.
3. The Identity of the Antichrist.
SDAs are obsessed with the Pope being the Antichrist. But look at 1 John 2:18 and 2:22.
John said, "Even now many antichrists have come." (Nasa time na nila!)
Definition of Antichrist: "He who denies that Jesus is the Christ."
Historically, the Papacy affirms Jesus is the Christ (though they have theological errors). The spirit of Antichrist was prevalent in the 1st century (Gnostics and Judaizers who rejected the Messiah).
Pastoral Conclusion
Mga kapatid, 'wag tayong matakot sa label na "Jesuit teaching." That is a scare tactic used to keep people inside the Historicist box.
As believers under the New Covenant, we don't need to fear a future Great Tribulation or a Sunday Law persecution. Those prophecies regarding the "End of the Age" (the end of the Old Covenant Jewish Age) were fulfilled when the Temple fell in AD 70.
We are now in the Kingdom of God, expanding through the Gospel (Postmillennialism), waiting for the final resurrection and the actual Second Coming of Christ, not to escape via a secret rapture, but to consummate His victory.
Let’s read the Bible for what it says, not what a 19th-century prophetess told us it says.
Matthew 24 Deep Dive (SDA vs. Partial Preterist)
Alam natin 'to. Lumaki tayo sa SDA church na tuwing may lindol, giyera, o kahit anong headline sa balita, automatic: "Matthew 24 na! Malapit na ang Sunday Law!"
Pero teka lang. Did Jesus really intend for His disciples to look for signs 2,000 years into the future? Or was He warning them about something specific that they would face?
Let’s break down the Olivet Discourse. Ito ang comparison ng Historicist View (SDA) na nakalakihan natin vs. the Partial Preterist View (na mas consistent sa context and history).
The Comparison Table
| Key Passage / Concept | SDA View (Historicism) | Partial Preterist View (Biblical/Historical) |
| The Context (Matt 24:1-3) | Jesus is mixing the destruction of Jerusalem with the End of the World. The disciples were confused, so Jesus answered both. | Jesus answered the disciples' specific question about the Temple's destruction. The "End of the Age" refers to the end of the Jewish Age (Old Covenant), not the end of the physical planet. |
| "This Generation" (Matt 24:34) | Reinterpreted. Usually means the "generation that sees the signs" (future) or sometimes the "Jewish race." | Literal. It means the generation living then (approx. 40 years). Jesus spoke in AD 30; the Temple fell in AD 70. Pasok sa banga. |
| The Gospel Preached (Matt 24:14) | Still unfulfilled. We need to reach every tribe/remote island before Jesus comes. (Basis for mission pressure). | Fulfilled before AD 70. Paul said in Colossians 1:6 and 1:23 that the gospel had been proclaimed "in all creation under heaven" (the known Roman world/Oikoumene). |
| The Abomination of Desolation (Matt 24:15) | Applied spiritually/historically to the Papacy or the Sunday Law in the end times. | Luke 21:20 clarifies this. It refers to the Roman Armies surrounding Jerusalem to destroy it. |
| Great Tribulation (Matt 24:21) | The 1260 years of Papal persecution (Dark Ages) or the future "Time of Trouble" after probation closes. | The Siege of Jerusalem (AD 66-70). Josephus recorded that 1.1 million Jews died. Never has there been a tribulation like it for the Jewish nation specifically. |
| Sun, Moon, Stars (Matt 24:29) | Literal. The Dark Day of May 19, 1780, and the Falling of the Stars in 1833. | Symbolic/Apocalyptic. Old Testament language for the fall of a nation/government (see Isaiah 13:10 regarding Babylon). It means the lights are going out on the Old Covenant system. |
| The Transition (Matt 24:36) | No transition; it's all mixed together. | The Pivot. "But of that day..." (vs 36). Jesus shifts from the local judgment (AD 70) to the Final Judgment/Second Coming (unknown date). |
Why This Matters for Us
1. The "Acid Test" of a Prophet
Deut. 18:22 says if a prediction doesn't happen, the prophet is false. Kung ang "This Generation" (Matt 24:34) ay tumutukoy sa generation natin ngayon, then Jesus was wrong because the disciples died without seeing the end. But if Partial Preterism is true, Jesus passed the test perfectly. Lahat ng sinabi niya sa Matthew 24:1-34 nangyari exactly within that generation (AD 70). It validates His divinity!
2. Freedom from Fear-Mongering
Sa SDA, ang focus palagi ay "Are you ready for the Time of Trouble?" It creates anxiety. Sa Partial Preterism, we realize the "Great Tribulation" (judgment on unbelieving Israel) is past. We are not waiting to be hunted down; we are waiting to rule and reign and expand the Kingdom (Postmillennialism).
3. Biblical Consistency
Notice how SDAs interpret the "Sun and Moon" literally (1780 Dark Day), but interpret the "stars" falling as meteors? Yet in the text, stars fall to the earth. If literal stars fell to earth, sunog tayong lahat. Partial Preterism respects the genre of Apocalyptic Literature. Just as Joseph’s dream had sun, moon, and stars bowing to him (symbols of family/rulers), Matthew 24 uses cosmic deconstruction language to show the end of the Jewish Temple system.
Pastoral Takeaway
Mga kapatid, when you teach this, expect resistance. Sanay ang mga tao sa sensationalism. But bring them back to the audience relevance.
Tanungin mo sila: "If I wrote you a letter warning you to 'flee to the mountains' (Matt 24:16), would it make sense if I meant your great-great-grandchildren?"
Syempre hindi. Jesus was warning His friends to save their lives. And history tells us, the Christians did listen. They fled to Pella before the Romans destroyed Jerusalem. They were saved by prophecy!
Ganon din tayo ngayon. We are saved not by guessing the date, but by trusting the King who is already on the throne.
Sagot sa mga Tanong: SDA Objections to Partial Preterism
Objection 1: "Sabi sa Revelation 1:7, 'Every eye shall see him.' Paanong nangyari 'yan noong 70 AD eh hindi naman nakita ng buong mundo si Jesus?"
Response:
Classic text proofing 'yan. Let's look at the Greek. Ang word na ginamit diyan for 'earth' is ge, which can mean 'land' or 'region', specifically the Land of Israel.
Notice the phrase: 'Make them who pierced him wail.' Sino ba ang nag-pierce kay Jesus? The Roman soldiers and the Jewish leaders of that time. Kung future pa 'yan (2,000+ years later), patay na 'yung mga nag-pierce sa Kanya.
Revelation 1:7 is a quote from Zechariah 12:10. It was a prophecy about the judgment on Jerusalem. 'Every eye' refers to the people of the land (the Jews) witnessing the destruction of their city and realizing, 'Hala, totoo pala si Jesus, at hinuhukuman na Niya tayo ngayon.' It was a visible judgment, not necessarily a global video call.
Objection 2: "Pero Pastor, sabi sa Matthew 24:3, 'End of the World.' Eh andito pa tayo, so hindi pa tapos ang mundo!"
Response:
Good point, pero lost in translation tayo dyan. Sa King James (na favorite ng SDA), 'End of the World' ang nakalagay. Pero sa Greek, ang word ay synteleia tou aionos which means 'Consummation of the Age.' Anong 'Age'? Not the physical planet, but the Old Covenant Age (Jewish Age).
Noong 70 AD, nung nasira ang Temple, tinapos na ni God ang Old Covenant system ng animal sacrifices at priesthood. We are now living in the 'Age to Come' or the Kingdom Age. So yes, the 'world' (Jewish system) ended, but the planet remains for the Kingdom to grow.
Objection 3: "Paano 'yung Acts 1:11? 'This same Jesus... shall so come in like manner.' Literal na katawan 'yun!"
Response:
Agree ako dyan! As a Partial Preterist, I still believe in a Final Second Coming (future) na bodily return ni Jesus to resurrect the dead and judge the world.
Ang confusion ng SDA (at marami sa atin dati), pinaghahalo nila ang Judgment Coming (AD 70) at ang Final Coming (Future).
Matthew 24 talks about Jesus 'coming on the clouds.' In the Old Testament (Isaiah 19:1), 'riding on a cloud' is a symbol of God judging a nation (Egypt). Ginawa Niya 'yun sa Jerusalem noong 70 AD using the Roman army.
Acts 1 / 1 Corinthians 15 talks about the Final Bodily Return.
Huwag natin ipag-mix. Matthew 24 was for 'this generation' (AD 70). The final resurrection is for the end of history.
Objection 4: "Eh bakit may kasamaan pa rin? Akala ko ba nanalo na si Christ?"
Response:
Ito ang ganda ng Postmillennial view. Sa SDA, ang turo sa atin: 'Papasama ng papasama ang mundo hanggang sa dumating si Jesus para i-rescue tayo (parang helicopter rescue).'
But Jesus said the Kingdom is like a Mustard Seed (lumalaki) and Leaven/Yeast (kinakalat sa buong tinapay).
Yes, Jesus defeated Satan at the Cross and confirmed it by destroying the Temple (removing the old barriers). Now, He is reigning! He is putting all enemies under His feet (1 Cor 15:25) through the preaching of the Gospel.
Hindi instant magic. It’s a progressive victory. Trabaho natin 'yan as the Church to disciple the nations, hindi para magtago sa bundok at maghintay ng Sunday Law.
Objection 5: "So mali 'yung Dark Day ng 1780 at Falling of the Stars ng 1833?"
Response:
Masakit tanggapin, pero opo. The 1780 Dark Day was caused by forest fires in New England. It was a local weather event, hindi global sign.
Sa Bible, when prophets talk about 'sun turning dark' (Joel 2, Isaiah 13), it’s idiomatic language for the collapse of a government.
Nung namatay ang hari ng Babylon, sabi ng Bible 'nagdilim ang araw.' Nung bumagsak ang Jerusalem noong 70 AD, 'nagdilim ang araw' ng Judaism.
Applying it to a forest fire in 1780 is forcing the text (newspaper exegesis) para lang mag-fit sa 1844 timeline nila.
Pastoral Conclusion
Mga kapatid, I know this is new. Mahirap alisin ang 24 years of programming. Pero ang goal natin is not to defend a denomination, but to understand the Scripture accurately.
When we realize that Matthew 24 is fulfilled, nawawala ang takot. We stop looking for the Antichrist in Rome, and we start looking for opportunities to serve Christ here at home. We move from a theology of Escape to a theology of Victory.
Former Adventists Philippines
“Freed by the Gospel. Firm in the Word.”
For more inquiries, contact us:
Email: formeradventist.ph@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/formeradventistph
Former Adventists Philippines Association, Inc
SEC Registration No: 2025090219381-03
Help keep this content free for everyone. I am committed to sharing these truths and resources freely. If you have found value in my articles since 2021 and would like to partner with me in this ministry, your support on Ko-fi would be greatly appreciated. It helps cover the costs of maintaining this blog and creating new content.
❤️ Partner with me on Ko-fi
Gcash# 09695143944
.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment