Internet Radio Program (Sunday Nights)

Fulfilled Prophecy Seminar

Evangelical Theological Society Exhibit Booth

Mathison Response Project

Internet Radio Program (Sunday Nights)

What: Internet Radio Program
When: Sunday Nights at 6 PM Eastern Time (USA)
Where: www.AD70.net

Then and Now: Studying the Past to Shape our Future

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." [George Santayana] If we fail to learn from the mistakes of the past, we are doomed to repeat those mistakes.

We need to go beyond the first reformation and further transform Christianity by correcting its eschatological errors. But we first need to look back and learn from their failures. We have to study the past so we will know how to shape our future.

When we see how the last things were fulfilled in the first century, it empowers us to rise above the escapist, retreatist, defeatist worldview of the futurists, to an optimistic, victorious, get-involved and make-a-difference worldview for the future.

We will look at the history of first century Christianity so we can understand their perspective, make the proper application to us today, let it reshape our thinking, and empower us to nudge the Church into its next phase of reform. That’s why Michael Loomis and I have titled this broadcast, "Then and Now--Studying the Past to Shape Our Future."

So my goal for each of these broadcasts is to do these two things: (1) Look at the historical fulfillments of Bible prophecy in the first century, and then (2) Apply what we learned from that study to build a better worldview that will equip us to go beyond and make a significant impact upon our world for Christ.

We are talking about the Next Reformation of Christianity. How do we stimulate that? How do we empower that? How do we go beyond the first reformation? By looking back first!

Because the truth was embodied in a historical context and directly connected to human nature (which never changes), it is always relevant to each new successive generation. This historical context and cultural relevance is the foundation upon which the church was built. We dare not divorce ourselves from that foundation. It would be building our house upon the shifting sands of cultural relativism, rather than upon the solid rock of absolute Biblical truth.

We Preterists have championed the grammatical-historical method of Bible interpretation by putting so much emphasis on Audience Relevance. No wonder we have benefited so much from our study of God's Holy Word. We long to share the results of this grammatical-historical approach with all Christians. We believe it will reform and transform the global church in ways that go far beyond the impact of the first reformation.

So that is my goal here in this Internet radio program. We want to take advantage of all the historical material available, to help us understand the Bible better, and then let that better understanding change our lives and equip us to make a positive difference in the world around us.

NOTE: All of the individual programs are archived and available as downloadable podcasts. So even if you miss one of the live broadcasts, you can still download it later and listen to it. We also provide lesson outlines in PDF form for almost all of the individual podcasts. Be sure to download those at the same time you get the podcast.

Fulfilled Prophecy Seminar
September 16-17, 2011 in Garrettsville, Ohio
Theme: Resurrected, Changed, and Gathered

Lower Pricing - Free Shipping in USA!

Lessons Presented:
1. Death Entered the World - Ed Stevens
2. Resurrection of the Dead - Ed Stevens
3. Change of the Living - Parker Voll
4. Gathering of the Elect - Ed Stevens
5. First Generation After AD 70 - Ed Stevens
6. Two Question and Answer Sessions - Stevens and Voll

Ed Stevens -- Long time preterist (since 1975). Has written six books and published the works of several others, including Noe, Mills, Russell, Melanson, Harding, Harden, and Davies. Two oral debates and two written debates, numerous seminars all over the country, interviewed on numerous radio talk shows, plus speaks and sets up an exhibit booth every year at the Evangelical Theological Society conferences. Writes a regular column (Creation to Consummation) for Fulfilled Magazine. Weekly podcast (Then and Now) on AD70.net. Leading spokesman for the Individual Body resurrection, and literal Rapture views. Working on a Masters degree in Biblical Studies, a new book on the Resurrection, plus expanded editions of previous books.

THIS IS THE FIRST PRETERIST SEMINAR ever devoted to a study of the Resurrection of the Dead from an Individual Body perspective. If you are like most, you are confused by the Collective Body view, and looking for a better explanation. Here it is! Over 150 individuals have already heard or read this material, and said this about it:

No one could say it better. If you are confused about the resurrection, this is what you are looking for. Available in both video and audio formats.

If you buy the DVD album, you get the MP3 CD free. We used a new High Definition camera and a new wireless microphone, so the video/audio quality is superb. By getting the DVD set, you get the full benefit, both seeing and hearing.

Six PDF lesson outlines included (over 80 pages), plus eighteen extra PDF lessons for FREE (220 pages). The PDF lesson outlines alone are worth more than the price. Lots of great study material for the winter holidays. Only available here at IPA.

TWO PACKAGES TO CHOOSE FROM

2. MP3 CD (audio only) -- $10.95 + FREE shipping
One CD with all six audio MP3 tracks, and the PDF's of the lesson outlines, related charts, and handouts.

Click here to order.

Report on our two most important projects.
Your support gives you first access to our latest resources!

To All The Friends of IPA,

         This letter provides an update on the two most significant projects that we are currently involved in (our annual exhibit booth at the Evangelical Theological Society, and the Mathison Response Project). It will also give you the opportunity to receive some of the latest products of our writing, speaking, and publishing efforts.

Exhibit Booth at the Evangelical Theological Society Conference

         In November (2010), IPA set up its annual exhibit booth at the Evangelical Theological Society conference in Atlanta to promote the preterist view to its two thousand attendees. This was our twelvth consecutive year to do this, and every year the benefits for the whole Preterist movement keep getting better and better:

• Increases Visibility and Awareness of the Preterist view
• Provides a better understanding of it
• Reduces the Resistance against it
• Promotes more Receptivity toward it
• Positions Preterism as CONSERVATIVE (just by being allowed to exhibit there)

         Every year the number of negative encounters at our exhibit booth has been less than the year before, and the number of positive encounters always increasing. The last two years there were no negative confrontations at all, and lots of very positive conversations. There were no speeches or paper presentations delivered against Preterism. And there were some speeches which used preterist hermeneutical principles on some of the eschatological texts. Our goal every year at ETS is to help those key leaders in conservative Christianity understand the preterist view and see it as a valid option within conservative evangelical Christianity. And it is working!

         Attendees at this annual conference are key opinion leaders in conservative Christianity – theologians, seminary professors, writers, publishers, pastors, ministry heads, and media personalities in evangelical circles. We had five preterist guys (Parker Voll, George Meara, Edmund Lee, Mike Sullivan, and Ed Stevens) who volunteered at their own expense to work in the booth and interact with the hundreds of attendees who came by our booth. One hundred twenty of them took a FREE review copy of Russell’s book, The Parousia. This was our eighth year to give away copies of the Parousia book at ETS, for a total of 1500 copies so far. That is a lot of copies of Russell’s book to be sent out into the theological world as little preterist missionaries.

         These efforts at ETS are enabling hundreds of conservative Christian leaders and seminary students to be introduced to the Preterist view every year. The truth marches on! But the costs are challenging. We sell very few books there, and the few we do sell are heavily discounted (in order to get them in the hands of those opinion leaders in the conservative Christian community). In addition to giving away hundreds of Russell’s book and dozens of other individual books, there is the additional cost of renting and furnishing the exhibit booth space (over $2000), shipping the books to the conference ($190), plus my travel, food, and lodging for the five days of the conference trip (over $600). This takes a huge bite out of our budget every year, but we believe very strongly that it is worth every penny for the good impact we are having there. Minds are being informed, challenged, and changed. Our work at ETS has planted seed that is already producing good fruit for the cause of Biblical Truth. Every year we exhibit there is cultivating and nurturing those seeds even more. We sincerely appreciate those of you who enable us to do this work by your contributions. We can not do it without you.

The Mathison Response Book Project

         Recently I have had several inquiries about the status of our multi-authored response to Mathison’s critique book against Preterism. It is another one of those extremely important projects which benefits the whole preterist movement. All of us Preterists want to see a clear and convincing answer to all the critical objections expressed in Mathison’s book. We here at IPA do not want to give just a quick knee-jerk reaction to a few of those objections, but rather a thorough and well-reasoned response that will stand the test of time and be useful for all generations to come. No one wants to see our book in print any more than I do, however my goal is quality, not speed. I do not wish to rush it into print until it is ready to face the close scrutiny and intense criticism that is sure to come once it is published.

         The enemies of Truth have always tried to discredit the doctrine by pointing out the moral, ethical, and spiritual flaws of its proponents. Gentry, Sproul Jr., and others in Mathison’s book are very skilled in using this approach. Since they could not refute our arguments with correctly exegeted scripture, they resorted to character assassination and personal attacks. So it behooves the editor of our response book to make sure our writers are as conservative as possible (morally, ethically, doctrinally, and spiritually).

         As the editor of the project, I reserve the right at any time to exclude any writers or articles which I believe might compromise either the consistency of our preterist apologetic or the effectiveness of the book once it is in print. It is this type of concern which forced me to make some adjustments, not only to the timetable for the project, but to the list of contributing writers as well.

         In a previous report (Oct. 2007) I mentioned that we had made some changes to our writer list, but that all the critical chapters in Mathison’s book still have writers assigned to them, to ensure the comprehensiveness of our response. We added three new writers to replace the ones who resigned from the project. Walt Hibbard will be doing the Foreword for the book. Here is the list of the main writers (and the chapters in Mathison’s book to which they are responding):

         Ken Arndt (vs. Gentry)
         Name Withheld by request (vs. Pratt)
         Ed Stevens (two articles, vs. Hill and Strimple)
         Parker Voll (vs. Mathison)

         All of these writers are seminary graduates and have letters behind their name. But more importantly, they are all godly men of high moral and ethical character, who love the truth and are willing to defend it no matter the cost. Hibbard, Arndt and one other have already written their articles, while Stevens and Voll are still working on theirs.

         So we are still on track with a collection of articles that I believe will be consistent, conservative, and doctrinally uncompromising in its response to our critics. I am unable at this time to set any firm date for publication, but I can assure you that it is my top priority. And we are absolutely depending on God’s providential help and your financial support to finish it.

Your Support Is Crucial!

         Every year I look forward to ETS with great anticipation, anxious to see how God will use us for His Kingdom. It is hard and expensive work, but extremely encouraging because I know we are doing things which will help the whole Preterist movement. I know you want your financial support to make a BIG difference for truth. By contributing to IPA, you can share in all the fruit that comes from our efforts at ETS and the books that we publish, and all the seminars and website work and emails that we provide to truth-seekers.

         Your tax-deductible gift of $25 (or more) will enable us to continue our work at ETS each year, and help us finish the Mathison response book. We cannot do it without God’s providence through partners like you.

         We not only need one-time gifts for annual efforts like ETS, but regular monthly support for our ongoing work with the Mathison response book. We pray that God will enable many of you to also help us on a monthly basis. Give as generously and as often as God leads you to.

         In appreciation for your gift, you will be one of the first to receive our latest resources (see the postscript below for details).

         To contribute, simply fill in the amount at the bottom of our SECURE website order form (click here), or call (1-814-368-6578) to contribute using your debit/credit card.  Thanks for sharing with us in this work!

                                             Your partner in the promotion of Fulfilled Prophecy,

                                             Edward E. Stevens, President

                                             International Preterist Association

P.S. In appreciation for your gift of $25 or more, you will receive a CD with four of my AD70.net Internet Radio lessons in MP3 format. The CD also contains a PDF (eText) version of the lesson outlines which you can either read on your computer screen, or print out on paper for reading along with him as you listen to his presentation.

• Gifts of $50 or more will receive (in addition to the above) a photocopy of the latest revision of a new manuscript I am working on, First Century Events in Chronological Order. This is a chronological listing of the most significant events during the final twelve years leading up to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. I pinpoint the dates when each New Testament book was written, as well as the historical circumstances under which they were written. I explain the great tribulation (from AD 62-66) and the events in Judea which led to the revolt against Rome, including all the significant events in Jewish, Roman, and Christian history that contributed to the development of the NT canon and the fulfillment of all Biblical endtime prophecies. I explain when John was exiled to Patmos, and how he and Paul most likely were martyred in the Neronic persecution in AD 64-65. It also lists in chronological order the main events of the Zealot rebellion and the war with Rome. If you ever wanted to get a much better grasp of the historical background of our NT faith from a preterist perspective, this is a good place to start. It will make the New Testament (especially its eschatological passages) come alive for you.

• Become a Monthly Supporter: Our monthly contributors are always the first ones to receive free copies of our latest resources (like the ones mentioned above). We ship them to you before they are made available to everyone else. If you are not yet a monthly supporter, you may wish to begin doing that. Simply indicate your desire to support monthly at the bottom of our SECURE website Order Form (click here) and we will contact you to make the arrangements, or you may call (1-814-368-6578). We can send you a packet of coupons and envelopes to use in mailing your check to us, or we could do a monthly debit to your card (at whatever time of the month you prefer). We will then send either an email receipt or a regular mail receipt in acknowledgment of your donations each month, as well as a summary statement of your deductible contributions at the end of the year.