Gary DeMar continues discussing an e-mail he received questioning his viewpoint on the end times. Gary discusses how the “last days” in the Bible apply to the end of the Old Covenant, not to some futuristic event. The passage in question is 2 Timothy 3. Does it address the distant future or what was going on in Timothy’s time?
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Gary is a graduate of Western Michigan University (1973) and earned his M.Div. at Reformed Theological Seminary in 1979. Author of countless essays, news articles, and more than 27 book titles, he also hosts The Gary DeMar Show, and History Unwrapped—both broadcasted and podcasted. Gary has lived in the Atlanta area since 1979 with his wife, Carol. They have two married sons and are enjoying being grandparents to their grandsons, Calvin and Paul. Gary and Carol are members of Midway Presbyterian Church (PCA). 
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Dear Joshua,
Again, you make some great points and if you are willing to further learn from other Family in Christ who affirm the Bible’s authority over our opinions, I would encourage you to visit http://www.therapturegathering.com and order our book which brings explicit biblical appeal on related matters. I’d even be willing to send you a free copy IF you’d agree to give it a serious look-over.
Thankful for His Word,
Jon
Eastern minds think as One, One book, one story, and One thought, Therefore being an eastern book we should read that way. There are no chapter divisions in the original text, so for us to take it and chop it up and take multiple verses to state our case is already a flawed way of reading or thinking.
Honestly, I could make the Bible say whatever I want, by snatching verses to make a point. (that’s why you see people who claim Christianity stating, "abortion is okay or same sex marriages is alright because the word says it and these are my verses to prove it.")
I see dispensational theology doing this because if we want to understand what the bible says about Matthew 24 or the book of revelation we must start at Genesis 1:1 and work our way to the end.
Unfortunately, most people do not want to do this, so they just believe the norm, Dispensation theology. Which I would say has paralyzed the church by in large, with the idea of waiting for cataclysmic events to occur so that the church can be whisked away out of this "bad" world.
I think that Gary Demar is Correct and should not have to reduce the word of God down to where he needs to inject the words "my interpretation" Seminaries and the church as a whole is hurting because of the belief that we have to share 20 different interpretations of scripture just so we don’t step on anyone’s toe….. IT’S NOT HELPING US. We need men who teach THE WORD OF GOD! Being a young man and desiring to know truth, I don’t want to hear just another interpretation….I want to Hear Gods Word with no shame, or hesitation!
Joshua – greetings in Christ Jesus to you.
Your point is well taken … and I'm in agreement as to your appeal: teach the Word of God.
Question in regard to your point: Where in Scripture is Preterism explicitly endorsed?
The view of Preterism is an interpretation imposed upon the data of the sacred text.
We need to make a distiction between the actual content of the Word of God from that
of extra-biblical interpretations imposed upon the text. Gary DeMar's answer to my
initial email simply stated "This is really about Preterism." This, my friend, is insufficient
grounds to claim this is the actual teaching of the biblical material.
Also, I have yet to hear from Gary DeMar concerning my willingness to enter into
open debate if a neutral setting is allowed.
Sincerely, in Christ Jesus our Lord,
Jon
Dear Jon,
As you read before I am only 21, and thus I am still reading, learning, and humbly praying for the guidance of Gods Spirit in my Understanding of His Word. (Which will continue and continue for the rest of life. =) )
Knowing that, it would not benefit you to hear an answer to your question from myself. If you're a man who's motivation is truly to understand, what I would claim is a proper exegetical extract of this particular topic, then I would read "the days of vengeance, David Chilton" or "Gary's last days madness".
Before I understood the Hebrew mindset of literature, I would naturally take your challenge up and lay on the table, chapter and verse, to prove my case. But the more I learn, I find that the Bile doesn’t think or read the way WE (the western world) read it.
(a lot of Plato’s thinking is in that, remember his theory of the 2 spheres upper and lower, upper is spiritual and lower is secular, and people need to attain the upper sphere and get out of the lower sphere, that’s not bible, but it certainly lines up with the majority of dispensational theory. That is why it has been become increasingly difficult to motivate the Church to "GO" and make disciples of all the nations.
Jesus never said Go to church…his mandate to us was to go into all the world, because he has a plan for them, and its not failure.
God created it all good and has a plan for it, Its not to destroy it all then "re-create, but to restore/ or renew it through the power of the Gospel.
With all that said, please don’t take my words personal, I critique the theology of dispensationalist, and NOT you my brother we are joined together by Christ and not our eschatology.
Mr. Swanson,
I am only 21 and I have been growing up in this world noticing one of the most destructive world views of this generation, which is that one of "relativism." agree with me or not, I have notice hints of this worldview in your "P.S." writing…
Unfourntely people having to resort to saying "my interpretation" or "your interpretation" leaves the hearers with no real means of grounding themselves in what is true. The Apostles were Iron clad men, not backing down or willing to submit to the religious leaders by saying, "oh, well that’s just your interpretation of the scriptures" They were men who believed that their preaching was From God!
PS I have read over your End-Time Madness book and continue
with the same concern: your presupposition of Preterism is just
that, an interpretation of the text that may or may not be True. As
a result, I contiinue to ask you to present your viewpoint not as the
revealed Word of God but that your perspective is an interpretation
of the texts pertaining to "end times." Once again, there is a difference
between the explicit data of Scripture and extra-biblical interpretations
as to how the text(s) should be read. Referring to one of your recent
articles, do the Preterists – and their assumptions – have any relationship
to the Dispensationalists and Evolutionists (and the warrants upon which
they build their cases)?
Dr. DeMar,
Thank you for your patience with me in getting back to you.
I have been involved in ministry transition and needed to make
good my prior commitments – thus my delayed response in
getting back to you. In response to your willingness to enter
into open debate, I would like to do so but have questions
as to the venue. What would the setting look like? I'm
curious – simply wondering if a neutral setting will allow
the viewers/listeners a fair hearing of both perspectives.
Seeking His Truth which so gloriously sets us free,
Jon Swanson – please see the PS post