ChurchChurch HistoryHistory ChurchChurch HistoryHistory IntroductionIntroduction toto ChurchChurch HistoryHistory st rd TheThe AncientAncient ChurchChurch AD 11st-3-3rd centuriescenturies th th TheThe RiseRise ofof ChristendomChristendom AD 44th-5-5th centuriescenturies th th TheThe EarlyEarly MiddleMiddle AgesAges AD 66th-10-10th centuriescenturies th th TheThe AgeAge ofof CrusadesCrusades AD 1111th-13-13th centuriescenturies th th TheThe RenaissanceRenaissance AD 1414th-15-15th centuriescenturies th ConquestConquest andand ReformationReformation AD 1616th centurycentury th th TheThe AgeAge ofof EnlightenmentEnlightenment AD 1717th-18-18th centuriescenturies th TheThe AgeAge ofof RevolutionRevolution AD 1919th centurycentury th TheThe ModernModern AgeAge AD 2020th centurycentury st TheThe PostmodernPostmodern AgeAge AD 2121st centurycentury ChurchChurch HistoryHistory IntroductionIntroduction toto ChurchChurch HistoryHistory st rd TheThe AncientAncient ChurchChurch AD 11st-3-3rd centuriescenturies th th TheThe RiseRise ofof ChristendomChristendom AD 44th-5-5th centuriescenturies th th TheThe EarlyEarly MiddleMiddle AgesAges AD 66th-10-10th centuriescenturies th th TheThe AgeAge ofof CrusadesCrusades AD 1111th-13-13th centuriescenturies th th TheThe RenaissanceRenaissance AD 1414th-15-15th centuriescenturies th ConquestConquest andand ReformationReformation AD 1616th centurycentury Martin Luther Conquests of Various Kinds The New Martyrdom of the Church Die Warhet Ist Untödlich Calvinists and Mennonites The Counter-Reformation The Wars of Religion (part 4) TheThe ReformationReformation EuropeEurope isis stillstill inin turmoilturmoil 1500s1500s CatholicsCatholics && ProtestantsProtestants foughtfought overover everythingeverything EvenEven downdown toto howhow toto readread BiblicalBiblical prophecies...prophecies... TheThe ReformationReformation FunkyFunky littlelittle teachingteaching moment—moment— UpUp untiluntil thethe latelate 1500s,1500s, therethere werewere twotwo basicbasic schoolsschools ofof thoughtthought aboutabout howhow toto readread BiblicalBiblical propheciesprophecies fromfrom Daniel,Daniel, Revelation,Revelation, etc.,etc., withinwithin thethe ChristianChristian churchchurch [N[NOTE:: BothBoth werewere stemmingstemming fromfrom thethe original,original, moremore holisticholistic understandingunderstanding ofof aa “prophet”“prophet” beingbeing someonesomeone whowho seessees andand speaksspeaks God'sGod's truth—truth— notnot solelysolely someonesomeone whowho seessees thethe futurefuture likelike somesome kindkind ofof GreekGreek oracle]oracle] TheThe ReformationReformation FunkyFunky littlelittle teachingteaching moment—moment— UpUp untiluntil thethe latelate 1500s,1500s, therethere werewere twotwo basicbasic schoolsschools ofof thoughtthought aboutabout howhow toto readread BiblicalBiblical propheciesprophecies fromfrom Daniel,Daniel, Revelation,Revelation, etc.,etc., withinwithin thethe ChristianChristian churchchurch OneOne waswas thethe “Preterist”“Preterist” interpretiveinterpretive model,model, whichwhich arguedargued thatthat DanielDaniel andand JohnJohn werewere speakingspeaking God'sGod's truthtruth aboutabout theirtheir ownown historicalhistorical contexts,contexts, butbut simplysimply presentingpresenting itit inin “poetical”“poetical” waysways (Either because that's the way God had presented it to them, or because they felt that “poetics” were the only wayway to express uncomfortable truths without getting into trouble) TheThe ReformationReformation FunkyFunky littlelittle teachingteaching moment—moment— UpUp untiluntil thethe latelate 1500s,1500s, therethere werewere twotwo basicbasic schoolsschools ofof thoughtthought aboutabout howhow toto readread BiblicalBiblical propheciesprophecies fromfrom Daniel,Daniel, Revelation,Revelation, etc.,etc., withinwithin thethe ChristianChristian churchchurch OneOne waswas thethe “Preterist”“Preterist” interpretiveinterpretive model,model, whichwhich arguedargued thatthat DanielDaniel andand JohnJohn werewere speakingspeaking God'sGod's truthtruth aboutabout theirtheir ownown historicalhistorical contexts,contexts, butbut simplysimply presentingpresenting itit inin “poetical”“poetical” waysways So, for instance, Dutch theologian Hugo Grotius agreed with early church writer Eusebius that the Revelation was actually written to speak about the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD So prophecies can be fully Preterist— (Nero or maybe Domitian was the Beast—or maybe the Antichrist) (the Great Tribulation was when the Romans slaughtered Jews in the streets of Jerusalem) (there isis no “Second Coming” coming, no “Millennial reign”—all of that simply pointed to the fact that Christ is sovereign, and His judgmentjudgment fellfell onon aa JerusalemJerusalem thatthat deserveddeserved punishment) TheThe ReformationReformation FunkyFunky littlelittle teachingteaching moment—moment— UpUp untiluntil thethe latelate 1500s,1500s, therethere werewere twotwo basicbasic schoolsschools ofof thoughtthought aboutabout howhow toto readread BiblicalBiblical propheciesprophecies fromfrom Daniel,Daniel, Revelation,Revelation, etc.,etc., withinwithin thethe ChristianChristian churchchurch OneOne waswas thethe “Preterist”“Preterist” interpretiveinterpretive model,model, whichwhich arguedargued thatthat DanielDaniel andand JohnJohn werewere speakingspeaking God'sGod's truthtruth aboutabout theirtheir ownown historicalhistorical contexts,contexts, butbut simplysimply presentingpresenting itit inin “poetical”“poetical” waysways So, for instance, Dutch theologian Hugo Grotius agreed with early church writer Eusebius that the Revelation was actually written to speak about the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD So prophecies can be fully Preterist or only partially Preterist— (Revelation was about the 1st century, but Jesus promised to come again in person—so maybe that part's still coming up) TheThe ReformationReformation FunkyFunky littlelittle teachingteaching moment—moment— UpUp untiluntil thethe latelate 1500s,1500s, therethere werewere twotwo basicbasic schoolsschools ofof thoughtthought aboutabout howhow toto readread BiblicalBiblical propheciesprophecies fromfrom Daniel,Daniel, Revelation,Revelation, etc.,etc., withinwithin thethe ChristianChristian churchchurch OneOne waswas thethe “Preterist”“Preterist” interpretiveinterpretive modelmodel AnotherAnother waswas thethe “Historicist”“Historicist” interpretiveinterpretive model,model, whichwhich arguedargued thatthat DanielDaniel andand JohnJohn werewere speakingspeaking God'sGod's truthtruth aboutabout historicalhistorical contextscontexts inin generalgeneral,, butbut simplysimply presentingpresenting itit inin “poetical”“poetical” waysways (Either because that's the way God had presented it to them, or because they felt that “poetics” were the only wayway to express uncomfortable truths without getting into trouble) TheThe ReformationReformation FunkyFunky littlelittle teachingteaching moment—moment— UpUp untiluntil thethe latelate 1500s,1500s, therethere werewere twotwo basicbasic schoolsschools ofof thoughtthought aboutabout howhow toto readread BiblicalBiblical propheciesprophecies fromfrom Daniel,Daniel, Revelation,Revelation, etc.,etc., withinwithin thethe ChristianChristian churchchurch OneOne waswas thethe “Preterist”“Preterist” interpretiveinterpretive modelmodel AnotherAnother waswas thethe “Historicist”“Historicist” interpretiveinterpretive model,model, whichwhich arguedargued thatthat DanielDaniel andand JohnJohn werewere speakingspeaking God'sGod's truthtruth aboutabout historicalhistorical contextscontexts inin generalgeneral,, butbut simplysimply presentingpresenting itit inin “poetical”“poetical” waysways But because the prophets were expressing truths that never change—though their expressions or applications might morph over time—the things that Daniel and John saw could be applied to an audience's contemporary situation as well So, for instance, Martin Luther, Jean Calvin, and most Protestant leaders argued that the Antichrist wouldn't be a person who is to come, but rather any time that a spirit of anti-Christianity is embodied Luther even expressly stated, “The Papacy is the seat of the true and real Antichrist”) William Tyndale argued the true Antichrist is any man who defrauds his neighbor, or who liveslives outout aa shamsham religionreligion ofof “ceremony,”“ceremony,” etc.etc. TheThe ReformationReformation FunkyFunky littlelittle teachingteaching moment—moment— UpUp untiluntil thethe latelate 1500s,1500s, therethere werewere twotwo basicbasic schoolsschools ofof thoughtthought aboutabout howhow toto readread BiblicalBiblical propheciesprophecies fromfrom Daniel,Daniel, Revelation,Revelation, etc.,etc., withinwithin thethe ChristianChristian churchchurch OneOne waswas thethe “Preterist”“Preterist” interpretiveinterpretive modelmodel AnotherAnother waswas thethe “Historicist”“Historicist” interpretiveinterpretive model,model, whichwhich arguedargued thatthat DanielDaniel andand JohnJohn werewere speakingspeaking God'sGod's truthtruth aboutabout historicalhistorical contextscontexts inin generalgeneral,, butbut simplysimply presentingpresenting itit inin “poetical”“poetical” waysways But because the prophets were expressing truths that never change—though their expressions or applications might morph over time—the things that Daniel and John saw could be applied to an audience's contemporary situation as well So, for instance, Martin Luther, Jean Calvin, and most Protestant leaders argued that the Antichrist