By John Noe
Author of BEYOND THE END TIMES

This is just another example of the lengths futurists must go to in order to deviate from the plain, face-value meaning of Jesus' statements regarding his return and other eschatological matters associated with it. I find nothing new here nor seriously challenging to what I've written in BEYOND THE END TIMES -  which, if Mr. Garringer would read it, he would greatly benefit and find his old position even more difficult to defend. But a few categorical comments are still in order:
 

1.) His condensing of my seven points to only two is a side-stepping device.

2.) Actually, there is no "new" prophecy in the New Testament. It was only a further clarification of what was promised in the Old Testament.

3.) Saying the "preterists have the advantage of favoring the most natural understanding of the imminent tone in NT prophecy" is correct  and our strength. But then saying that we (me) "strain words and  meanings." should betray an obvious inconsistency to the reader.

4.) Isaiah 13:22 was written some 100 to 200 years prior to the  destruction of Babylon and prophesied as "at hand." This does not justify his 19-centuries-and-counting delay assertion. In Isaiah 21:9  the prophet's use of done-deal language for soon-coming events is not  unusual. For example, see Jn 17:4 or Rev 18:2 or 11:15 etc.

5.) Garringer uses the word "delay" or "delaying" many times throughout  to support his postponement view. But the writer of Hebrews says "He who
is coming will come and will not delay" (Heb 10:37). I'll stick with  believing the inspired writer of Hebrews - and Habakkuk 2:3 as well.

6.) Regarding 2 Pet 3:8, I see no need to comment over and above what  I've already written.

7.) Like most futurists, Garringer extrapolates Jesus' can't know the  "day or hour" into not being able to know at all. This was no excuse for  Jesus' first followers to whom these words were directed. They certainly were to know the general time and flee. But because they couldn't know  the "day or hour," Jesus gave them two specific sign for which to watch. They did.

8.) Sure these words express "certainty." That's the point. This was  certain to happen exactly AS and WHEN Jesus said and all NT writers expected as they were guided by the Holy Spirit (Jn 16:13). Dare we make any less of this?

9.) Jesus' various statements regarding the time of his return have always been contested and non-literally manipulated - due to theological
biases. That's why in BEYOND THE END TIMES I started my apologetic  presentation with the exact, literal, chronological, and sequential
fulfillment of Daniel's two times prophecies.  These precisely pinpointed the time frame in human history when all end-time prophecy would be fulfilled - no gaps, no gimmicks.

10.) Regarding 1 Thessalonians 4 - see my book YOUR RESURRECTION BODY  AND LIFE.

11.) Lastly, the supposed "nonoccurrence" of Jesus' return is still the chief blind spot and bane of Christianity, as this critic demonstrates. But this is beginning to change!