This is the fourth of five articles with Greek
words. We are going to look into the Preterist's view on
"elements." The Greek word for elements used here is "stoicheia,"
and it appears in the NT only seven times. When you see the
terms like "elements," ask yourself what this means? In
Young's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, the literal
meaning of the word is "element, rudiment, principle." In
other words, these are the elements of religious training,
or the ceremonial precepts that are common to the worship of
Jews and of Gentiles. We will look into it and you may find
out.
Why I am talking about this is because the Futurists
believe the elements of the physical heavens and earth were
going to melt away or be burned up, especially in 2 Peter 3.
Does this word "elements" refer to the scientific idea of
the elements of matter, all the "atoms" of the universe? Or
the periodic table of elements? I don't think so! We will
first look into seven passages with the word "elements" or
in Greek "stoicheia." I am using Youngıs Literal Translation
of the Holy Bible.
1. Gal. 4:3, 9 - "So also we, when
we were babes, under the elements of the world were in
servitude...and now, having known God -- and rather being
known by God -- how turn ye again unto the weak and poor
elements to which anew ye desire to be in servitude?"
Notice Paul uses the word twice. This context is clearly his
discussion of the relationship of the Jew to the old law of
Moses, in verses 1-7; the Gentiles who had served idols in
verse 8. The blessings, by the way, are contrasted, which
are in Christ. So, the Jews were held in bondage to the old
law of Moses or the tradition of men. Paul exhorted the
Christian brethren not to return to the bondage to that Law.
The Law was our tutor to bring us into Christ that we might
be justified by faith (Gal. 3:23-24). No man could keep that
Law perfectly. The Gentiles served worthless idols. Both had
been in bondage to the stoicheia of the world. Therefore,
the use of "elements" is not about the physical world.
2. Col. 2:8, 20-22 - "See that no
one shall be carrying you away as spoil through the
philosophy and vain deceit, according to the deliverance of
men, according to the rudiments of the world, and not
according to Christ, ...If, then, ye did die with the Christ
from the rudiments of the world, why, as living in the
world, are ye subject to ordinances? -- thou mayest not
touch, nor taste, nor handle -- which are all for
destruction with the using, after the commands and teachings
of men." Again, Paul uses the word twice. In verse 8
he pleads with the Colossian church not to allow anyone to
deceive them by way of worldly philosophy, or traditions of
men according to the elements or rudiments of the world. In
this context, there were two different dangers they
confronted: Judaistic activities in verses 16-17, and
possibly some cultic or pagan activities in verse 18. The
point is, once again, this one is not about the material
creation.
3. Heb. 5:12 - "For even owing to
be teachers, because of the time, again ye have need that
one teach you what [are] the elements of the beginning of
the oracles of God, and ye have become having need of milk,
and not of strong food." This writer laments to the
Jewish Christians (Hebrews) the fact that they had not grown
in Christ as they should. The writer says they need someone
to teach them again with "milk, not solid food" in
elementary principles of God's oracles before becoming
teachers and mature. Obviously, this "stoicheia" is not
about atoms or the creation of the universe.
4. 2 Peter 3:10-13 - "And it will
come -- the day of the Lord -- as a thief in the night, in
which the heavens with a rushing noise will pass away, and
the elements with burning heat be dissolved, and earth and
the works in it shall be burnt up. All these, then, being
dissolved, what kind of persons doth it behove you to be in
holy behaviours and pious acts? waiting for and hasting to
the presence of the day of God, by which the heavens, being
on fire, shall be dissolved, and the elements with burning
heat shall melt; and for new heavens and a new earth
according to His promise we do wait, in which righteousness
doth dwell" Notice Peter uses the word twice. In both
views he says the elements will be destroyed or burned up.
So far, we (hopefully) agree that the fact "elements" does
not, in its other previous passages, ever refer to the
physical universe.
Nowhere do the Scriptures teach that this physical
creation will be destroyed. In the beginning God created the
universe and it was good. The sin of men only affected the
human race. This is what we call "total depravity." In fact,
the Scripture speaks of the earth's permanence (Ps. 104:5;
Ecc. 1:4) and the church throughout all generations (Eph.
3:21). Read in Gen. 8:21, after the great flood God looked
down the flow of time and into man's heart and said
"I will never again curse the ground
on account of man, for the intent of man's heart is evil
from his youth (total depravity), and I will never again
destroy every living thing, as I have done." This one
is not speaking only about the flood in Gen. 9:15. This is
CRITICAL! God would never again curse the ground nor destroy
every living creature. Could God reverse His promise? He
cannot lie. We must keep in mind that the Bible itself is in
harmony as the Scriptures interpret the Scriptures. God is
not a God of confusion.
We will do some study in 2 Peter 3:10-13. In verse
10, "But the day of the Lord will come
like a thief" is the parallel to other passages in
Matt. 24:42-44 (Jesus was speaking to His disciples in their
generation), in 1 Thes. 5:2-10 (see in verse 3 about the
destruction of Jerusalem), and in Rev. 3:3 (to the church in
Sardis) which are referring to the first-century audience.
This would fit all together in one theme.
In verse 12, notice "looking
(Gk: prosdokao - fervent, expecting, anticipating) and
hastening (Gk: speudo - speeding, eagerness) the coming (Gk:
parousia - presence, coming, advent) of the day of God."
Peter uses this word "prosdokao" three times in verse 12,
13, and 14. And each verse says the brethren to whom he was
writing were looking (expecting) and hastening the day of
God in their lifetime, for the end of all (Jewish) things
was AT HAND (1 Peter 4:7).
In verse 13, "But according to
His promise (see Rom. 4:13, 16; Eph. 3:6; Heb 4:1; 9:15;
10:36-39; 12:25-29 and many more about the promise of God)
we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which
righteousness dwells." First we will look at what
"heavens and earth" means. It means that when God made His
covenant with Israel at Mt. Sinai, He planted the heavens
and laid the foundations of the earth. See in Deut. 32:1;
Isa. 1:1-4; 24:1-5; 51:15, 16. So, it is clearly not a
literal heavens and earth. It is the covenant of God. Did
you know that the great reformer John Owen embraced the
preterist interpretation in 2 Peter 3? (Works, 16 vols. in
9:134-38).
Peter tells us they expected the "new" heavens and
earth. We ought to check out the word "new" that he used.
There are two words translated as "new" in the NT. They are
"neos" and "kainos." Interesting, neos is new in time, never
been before, or that which has recently come into existence.
Other one is kainos which means new in quality, not time.
So, Peter uses kainos in this verse. Now, if someone takes
the position that the new heavens and earth is a literal
way, it is inconsistent with the word of kainos. If God
destroys this earth and creates another, that would be a new
(neos) earth not a new (kainos). We have seen in the NT that
it says we have a new (kainos) covenant (Heb. 8), a new (kainos)
creation (2 Cor. 5:17) and the church is a new (kainos)
Jerusalem (Rev. 21:2 c.f. Heb. 12:22).
Lastly, "the new heavens and a new earth" must have
come into Peter's mind from the book of Isaiah, chapters 65
and 66. Notice before God creates the new heavens and a new
earth, He will pour out His wrath against Jerusalem, His
rebellious people (Isa. 65:1-7, 11-17; 66:3-6, 15-18, 24).
This involves the making of a new Israel or the Church (Isa.
65:8-10, 15; 66:7-14). When God created the new heavens and
earth, notice that physical death will remain (Isa. 65:20,
66:24), spiritual home construction and agriculture will
continue (Isa. 65:21-22 = 1 Cor. 3:6-8; 9:7-11), it will
have descendants (Isa. 65:23, 66:22), the Lord will hear
their prayers (Isa. 65:24), it will have evangelism (Isa.
66:19), it will have new priests (66:21), as well as weekly
and monthly worship (in other word, everyday Isa. 66:23);
and there will be an everlasting hell where the worm shall
not die, and the fire shall not quenched to those who have
transgressed against the Lord (Isa. 66:24). The new heavens
and earth is referring to the eternal state while we live in
the physical realm in earthly bodies; it must be referring
to a period in human history. This is the period of the
Kingdom of God which Christ rules in the hearts of the
believers. The Kingdom of God is made without hands
(spiritual - Dan. 2:34, 44-45; c.f. Col. 2:10-11). If we
take the statements from the scriptures at face value, then
we should conclude that the first heavens and the first
earth passed away and was replaced by the glorious reign of
the Lord Jesus Christ, the kingdom without end.
The fact is that anytime Scripture uses the phase
"last days" (and similar expression) it means, not the end
of the world or physical universe, but the period from 30-70
AD. This was the period during which the Apostles were
preaching and writing, the "last days" of Old Covenant
Israel before it was forever destroyed in the destruction of
the Temple (and consequently the annihilation of the Old
Covenant sacrificial system). Read Acts 2:16-21; 1 Tim.
4:1-3; 2 Tim. 3:1-9; Heb. 1:1-2; 8:13; 9:26; James 5:7-9; 1
Peter 1:20; 4:7; 2 Peter 3:3-4; 1 John 2:18; Jude 17-19;
Rev. 1:1-3; 22:6-10, 12, 20. The Old Covenant Israel is
done. All the prophecies are fulfilled. The Bible is
completed. The scheme of redemption has been accomplished.
The tree of life has been restored (Jesus Christ gave us
everlasting life) which Adam lost.
I would recommend you to read in Athanasius' On the
Incarnation of the Word, Section 40 Verses 1-8 because I do
not have enough space. Athanasius, the early Christian
writer from the fourth century, made a significant preterist
statement.
In conclusion, what we have seen so far is that the
Preterist's view is consistent with the Scriptures. The
Futurist's views do not agree with the Scriptures for
several reasons. The first reason is their views are based
on their church traditions or creeds. The second reason is
the lack of careful analysis of the original Greek words
used in the Bible and their proper meaning. The Futurists
also did not carefully compare different Scriptures to
determine their actual meaning.
Hopefully this will help a lot and cause you to
rethink your view of eschatology. Blessed are those
