William Bell Ghana Eschatology Debate Day 1 2nd Affirmative

My opponent is supposed to follow the arguments that I make. And he basically is not doing that. He's actually creating his own arguments and then arguing them. He's having his own debate. And it's not my obligation in my presentation to address his negative arguments, but I'm going to touch on a few before I get back to my affirmative. First of all, he wants to create the illusion that I'm talking about preterism from the perspective of the Latin word preterism, meaning past. That is not what I am here to affirm. The word preterism doesn't fully encompass what we call covenant eschatology, accomplished salvation, realized eschatology, because we see both an end of something and the beginning of something else. It is the end of the old covenant, as I showed you in that service. So I'm affirming both things, not something that is past. So for him to get up and say that I'm talking about something past is to misrepresent the position that I am presenting. Second, on the chart that you see, if you can read it, in Matthew 5, 17, and 18, his argument is not with me. His argument is with God. So what he's trying to tell you is that God doesn't know what he's talking about, that God doesn't mean what he says when he wrote what he said in the Bible. And therefore, with all due respect, he's calling God a liar. Now, in Romans 3, 1 through 3 for me. I'll be back in a moment, Romans 3, 1 through 3. But let's listen to what Jesus said. I gave you Luke 21, 20 through 22, where he says, When you see Jerusalem south and surrounded by armies, then know that its destination is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in Jerusalem depart, and let not those who are in the country enter there. Why? For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. That's all the things in the old covenant. He got up and even mentioned the old covenant to talk about future prophecy. How are you going to do that? If you claim the old covenant was real. Listen, Romans 3, 1 through 3. What advantage can have the Jew? What is the profit of supposition? Verse 2. Much is very odd. Much is ugly. Chiefly because, again, later, the old covenant was there. Verse 3. For what? If some did not believe. Now, we saw God say all has been fulfilled, when Jerusalem was destroyed. But now he asks the question, For what if some did not believe? We don't. The unbelief, the faithlessness doesn't mean that God didn't mean what he said. And that's what we need to understand. We don't. Let's fight. Okay, no, sorry. Okay. Let's fight. Secondly, no. Indeed. Let what be true, but other than what a liar or a liar. I'm here to present the word of God. But I can't play favors with anyone. And the Bible says, All things written have been fulfilled. Now, let me go to the chart and show it to you again. In Matthew 5, it says, Do not think that I have come to destroy the law or the prophets. I have not destroyed. That's what? To fulfill the deal. Now, that is what you call an ellipsis, Where a necessary word of praise is left out. So the way you would read, Till, Byron, And Ernie Brew, Mark of the Hebrew letter. Not even a full letter. It's just a little mark. Kind of like what we would call in English, A diamond of an eye and a cross of an ear. He says, Not one jot or tither shall in any wise pass from the law, Till all is fulfilled. Now, here's what that means. If all prophecy has not been fulfilled, We are still under the law of Moses. We would have to offer sacrifices. We need to go to Jerusalem. We need to keep the feast day. We need to keep the Sabbath day. We need to do it all. Jesus said, Every jot and tither had to be fulfilled in order for the law to pass away. That's why prophecies are fulfilled. Now, look at what Luke said. Luke, After Jesus rose from the dead, He went to his disciples to open their understanding of everything he said about fulfillment. So here's what he said. Then he said to them, Verse 44, These are the words that I spoke with you while I was still with you, That, Which were written, excuse me, That all things must be fulfilled. Now, listen to what he said. That all, I don't care how many prophecies you can count, And you calculate it. That all things must be fulfilled, Which were written in the Psalms and in the Prophets concerning me. Now, if it concerns Jesus, It needs to be fulfilled. He said, And he opened their understanding, That they might continue in the Scriptures. Then he said to them, Thus it is written, And thus it is necessary for the Christ to suffer. Well, that's John 19.3. He suffered. He died. He's dead. He gave up the ghost. That's not where it ends. The word end Is a formulating conjunction That is to suffer. But the Bible also says That it was necessary for him to suffer And to rise from the dead. Did Jesus rise from the dead with his body's dead and gave up the ghost? Did he do that? No. It says, He had to rise from the dead the third day. Not on the day that he died. So the Old Testament was yet to be fulfilled. Did the Old Testament predict the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead? Yes, it did. Isaiah 53, Psalm 22. Now, And, And then that's the text that he quoted from Isaiah. This is, This is the next part of the verse. And that repentance And remission of sins Should be preached in his name Among all nations Beginning at Jerusalem. Did they preach the gospel when Jesus gave it up? That didn't happen until the day of Pentecost. When the Holy Spirit was given. And they didn't preach to all nations. They preached to only one nation. Jews. Devout men. Out of every nation under heaven. Acts 1 and verse 5. The gospel didn't go to the Gentiles. To the other nations. Until it was two years later. So this prophecy was yet to be fulfilled. But that was still before Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 A.D. And therefore we have to understand it. Now I want to go to another passage that he mentioned. I'm not going to cover everything because it's not my obligation to do it. I just want to touch on just a couple of things that he said. Now let's go to Revelation 1, 19 that he brought up. In Revelation 1, 19. Revelation. Chapter 1. And in verses 19. Alright. Hold on a second. Hold on. Before you read that. See this is the problem with people trying to understand the Bible. They start to read it. And they ignore what the text has said before you get there. So let's read it in context. We should start at verse 1, number 1. Verse 1 says this. The revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave to him to show to his servants things which must shortly come to pass. Now. He said they must shortly come to pass. That means there were some things future. But they weren't in the far distant future. He says they must shortly come to pass. And he said and signified it. Those are those signs again. By his servant unto him. By his angel unto his servant John. Who bore witness of the things that he saw. Blessed is he who reads. And those who keep the word of this prophecy. For the time is near. Now the Bible says the time was at hand. For those things to shortly come to pass. Now if we think shortly means 2,000 years. If we think at hand means 2,000 years. Then go to Numbers 24, 19 and tell us what not at hand means for the same coming. Now. The next thing I want to point out. Is in verse. I think it's verse 11. Where he talks about the seven churches. Maybe verse 4. But the Bible. The book of Revelation is written to the seven churches in Asia. Where are they? We're not in the seven churches in Asia. He says. These things write. And send it to the seven churches. Which are in Asia. And tell them that these things were at hand. And shortly to come to pass. Now. One other thing on this point. And then I'm going to move on. In the verse that he read. His attempt was to say. These are some things that are past. There are some things that are present. And there are some things that were to come. Now. If you just make the statement like that. I will agree. But. I can't agree with him 100%. Because of what I read to you a moment ago. Whatever was past. Had already occurred. Whatever was present. Was going on at the time. The book was written. Which was in the first century. And John said. In 2nd and verse 9. I John will. But. He also wrote about things that were shortly to come to pass. So yes. There was a future. But it was not as far as the future. So now let's read it. In that context. As though we were talking to the audience. In the first century. In verse 119. Write. The things which you have seen. And the things which are. Now. Look at what you have seen. Read on. Okay. You have seen. And the things which are. And the things which will take place. Like this. All right. The things which will take place after this. In the beginning of the book. He says. They were shortly to come to pass. In the end of the book. Revelation 22. Verse 6. Verse 10. And verse 20. For him. Asherah. Used for. As Sanhedrin. See. The first man. Same concept. All right. Listen up. That verse. Is earlier than Matthew 24. 30. So here's the point. Zechariah 12. 10. Is Matthew 24. 30. Matthew is also. In Revelation. 1. And verse 7. Behold. He comes with cloud. And. Every eye shall see him. Even those who pierced him. That's the same verse. So that tells you that. That verse. In Revelation. 1. 7. Is fulfilled. When Matthew 24. 30. Is fulfilled. Because of Zechariah 12. Comes straight out of the Old Testament. So. That should cover that. Now let's talk about prophecy. Ending. And then I got to move on. Zechariah 13. Now here's what the Bible says. About. Prophets. And prophecy. Read on. Four minutes. According to my time. Right. In that day. Now watch. That's the same day. Of Matthew 24. 30. So. The context. He starts in 12. And he goes to chapter 13. He says. In that day. Now read. In that day. A fountain shall be opened. For the house of David. See. There's that same fountain. That he mentioned. For the inhabitants of Jerusalem. For sin. And for uncleanness. Alright. That's the gospel. Very good. In that day. A fountain shall be opened. For uncleanness and sinners. See. Uncleanness. Read on. Right. And shall be in that day. Sayeth the Lord of hosts. That I will cut off the names of the idols. From the land. And they shall no longer be remembered. I will also cause the prophet. And unclean spirit. To depart from the land. He's going to cut off. The idols. The unclean spirit. And depart from the land. Read on. And shall come to pass that day. If he once told prophecies. Then his father. And mother. Will regard him. To say to him. You shall not believe. Because. You have spoken lies. In the name of the Lord. God said. If anybody comes to you today. Talking about. They are a prophet. And that there is any prophecy. Your Lord. He says his mother. And his father. Shall thrust him through. With a sword. Read on. That his father. And mother. Who regards him. Shall trust him. Through. When he prophecies. Let's go. And it shall be. That day. That every prophet. Will be ashamed. Of his vision. Every prophet. Will be ashamed. Of his vision. Read on. When he prophecies. They will not wear. A robe of God's. Hair. To deceive. That's fine. But he will say. I am no prophet. I am not a father. For a man taught me. To keep cattle. For my youth. Okay. Go to Daniel. Nine. Twenty-four. Alright. So. At that point. In that day. When. All the tribes. In the land. Will be ashamed. That's fine. For my youth. So. In that day. When. All the tribes. In the land. Will be ashamed. To deceive. But he will say. To keep cattle. Will be ashamed. the measure of your father's guilt, and that's when he says they would be judged with all the righteous blood and able down to the Son of Mary. In that generation. So he tells them, fill up the measure of your guilt. Alright, so they're going to finish the transgression. We are. Make an end of sin, and to seal out vision and prophecy. Right there. To seal up vision and prophecy at the same time. Alright, so I have.