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Old 11-22-2008, 09:37 AM
 
1,897 posts, read 3,480,005 times
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I am concerned over what appears to be one of the most neglected Greek words in eschatological passages of the NT. “Mello" whose meaning is "to be about to be, to be on the point of doing" (Analytical Greek Lexicon, p. 262; Arndt, p. 500; Thayer, p. 396) in many verses is either ignored or is rendered with the simple future tense of the verb.

I will not pretend to know the true motives behind why the translators seemingly mistranslated it or ignored it, but I do suspect that their preconceived futurists' views may have led them to not give it its proper nuance. Perhaps it was not so much that they were intentionally tampering with God’s Word as it was that they could not see how the imminency inherent in the word could be justified in what they saw as futurist verses. As a result, many passages that should have a clear imminency aspect either have been ignored or rendered with the simple future tense thus obscuring the true meaning and causing much misunderstanding. It is a little word with big impact!

The following verses have the word "mello" in the Greek text:

1. Matthew 3:7 (Luke 3:7)--"But when he [John] saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, 'Brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath ABOUT TO [mello] come?'" This is the same group Jesus called a "Brood of vipers" and He described the wrath of God as the "condemnation of hell" (Matthew 23:33). This wrath came in A.D. 66-70 (3 1/2 years), a fulfillment of Jesus' own woes against that generation of Jews and the time when THEIR house was to be left unto THEM desolate (Matthew 23:38)!

2. Matthew 12:32--"Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age ABOUT TO [mello] come." Jesus is contrasting the then present age [aion] of the Old Covenant and the age of the New Covenant which was then about to come (A.D. 70).

3. Matthew 16:27, 28--"For the Son of Man is ABOUT TO [mello] come in the glory of the Father with His angels, and THEN HE WILL REWARD EACH ACCORDING TO HIS WORKS. Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till THEY see the Son of Man COMING in His kingdom." Jesus was then ABOUT to come and some of those standing right there with Him were to see it!

4. Matthew 24:6--"YOU will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that YOU are not troubled; for all these things are ABOUT TO [mello] come to pass." Jesus spoke these words to THOSE first-century disciples right there with Him about things that were to soon happen to them!

5. Luke 21:36--"[YOU] watch therefore, and pray always that YOU may be counted worthy to escape all these things that are ABOUT TO [mello] come to pass and to stand before the Son of Man." Clearly, according to Jesus' own words, the things of which He spoke were to involve THOSE disciples personally.

6. Acts 17:31--"because He has appointed a day on which He is [ABOUT TO--mello] judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained." It was in that first-century generation that God was ABOUT TO JUDGE the living and the dead!

7. Acts 24:14, 15--"But this I [Paul] confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets. I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept, that there is ABOUT TO BE [mello] a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust." Paul explicitly told Felix, the governor, that in his lifetime there was going to be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust.

8. Acts 24:25--"Now as he [Paul] reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment ABOUT TO [mello] come, . . . " Felix was so afraid at Paul's words that he answered, 'Go away for now' . . . ." Why was Felix so frightened except that he understood Paul to be saying that judgment was SOON to come?

9. Acts 26:22, 23--"Therefore, having obtained help from God, to this day I [Paul] stand, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said is ABOUT TO [mello] come--that Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles." The things spoken by the prophets and Moses were THEN about to be fulfilled.

10. Romans 8:18--"For I [Paul] consider that the sufferings of this PRESENT time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which is ABOUT TO [mello] be revealed in us." Read the entire context of this passage (vss. 18-25) to see that THOSE believers of THAT day eagerly hoped and waited for these things. Why eagerly and why with such personal expectation? Because those things were to involve them personally in THEIR lifetimes!

11. Romans 8:38, 39--"For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor to things ABOUT TO [mello] come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created things, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." The things present involved the Old Covenant and the Mosaic Age in which they were then living; the things ABOUT TO COME involved the New Covenant or Messianic Age. This ties in very well with Hebrews 8 which speaks of the Old age then growing old and becoming obsolete and ready to vanish away! Remember that the Old Covenant was not rendered old except for the coming of the New. The destruction of the Temple and city in A.D. 70 marked the conclusive end of that system. ALL of the types inherent within it were fulfilled in Jesus.

12. 1 Corinthians 3:21-23--"Therefore let no one boast in men. For all things are yours: whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things ABOUT TO [mello] come--all are yours. And you are Christ's, and Christ is God's." Notice the correlation to Romans 8:38!

13. Ephesians 1:21--"far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in THIS age but also in that which is ABOUT TO [mello] come." Again, what is the meaning of THIS age. It was the Old Covenant and the age ABOUT to come was the New Covenant. Consider again, Hebrews 8 and the passing away of the Old!

14. Colossians 2:16, 17--"So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a SHADOW of things ABOUT TO [mello] come, but the substance is of Christ." Here we see the contents of the Old Covenant age--dietary rules, keeping of festivals and teachings concerning new moons and sabbaths. These were all SHADOWS which were even THEN becoming obsolete, growing old and ready to vanish away (Heb. 8) and were ABOUT to be replaced by the SUBSTANCE of those things pertaining to Christ!

15. 2 Timothy 4:1--"I charge you therefore brethren before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who is ABOUT TO [mello] judge the living and the dead AT HIS APPEARING and HIS KINGDOM." What does this clearly say when properly translated by doing justice to the word "mello?" Jesus was THEN ABOUT TO judge the living and the dead. There is no doubt that there is a connection between His judging the living and the dead and His appearing. If His judgment was THEN ABOUT to come then so was His APPEARING and HIS KINGDOM (A.D. 70)!

16. Hebrews 1:13, 14--"But to which of the angels has He ever said: 'Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool?' Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who are ABOUT TO [mello] inherit salvation?" Who were Christ's enemies at that time? They were the reprobate Jewish people of Matthew 23; Luke 19:11-27; ACTS 7:51-53; Romans 11:28; Phil. 3:2, 18, 19. Notice here that the enemies of Christ set their minds on EARTHLY things, completely missing the heavenly promises [like futurists today). What salvation were they about to inherit? Weren't they already saved? Yes and no! There was still Hades where the OT saints waited for full redemption. Notice what Jesus told His FIRST-CENTURY disciples in Luke 21:28--"Now WHEN these things begin to happen, [YOU] look up and lift up YOUR heads, because YOUR redemption draws NEAR." This is the resurrection to newness of life which has previously been shown to have then been ABOUT TO happen. This is the fulfillment of 1 Corinthians 15--they were ABOUT TO be changed in the twinkling of an eye; death was then ABOUT TO be swallowed up in victory; mortality was ABOUT TO put on immortality; that which was sown natural was ABOUT to be raised spiritual! Since that time death no longer has victory or sting and we can say that though we die, yet shall we live and if we live we shall NEVER die! Without the resurrection we cannot claim this and we would all still die and go to Hades to wait for a yet future coming of Christ! Futurists must stop telling believers that when they die they go to heaven for without THAT resurrection and THAT judgment which the Scriptures say was THEN about to happen, all still go to Hades to wait!

17. Hebrews 2:5--"For He has not put the world ABOUT TO [mello] come of which we speak, in subjection to angels." How does this contrast with the world that WAS put in subjection to angels (i.e. the Mosaic Age)? See Acts 7:51-53--Those "stiff necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears" Jews ALWAYS resisted the Holy Spirit just as their fathers did and persecuted the prophets and "killed those who foretold of the coming of the Just One (see Matthew 23). THEY were murderers and betrayers and THEY "received the law by the direction of ANGELS" but did not keep it. That Old Covenant had come by direction of the angels but the New which was THEN ABOUT TO COME was NOT "in subjection to angels."

18. Hebrews 9:11--"But Christ as High Priest of the good things ABOUT TO [mello] come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle NOT made with hands, that is, NOT OF THIS CREATION (not of this physical world!). This is clearly in contrast to the Temple of THAT day and all that was associated it. Christ came and brought that which Abraham looked for--"a city . . . whose builder and maker is God" (Heb. 11:10). What was greater and more perfect about what Christ brought? The actual taking away of sins once and for all! That is why Paul could predict that "thus ALL Israel (spiritual Jews circumcised in their hearts) would be saved at the full institution of the New Covenant at His first-century A.D. 70 coming! There is no more condemnation (Rom. 8--Death) and no more separation from God's presence (Rom. 8--Hades)! Why do so many long for Abraham and the other OT saints that for which they themselves never longed! They saw the promises "afar off" and considered themselves as living in a foreign land and as pilgrims and strangers ON THE EARTH! They sought a better, that is a HEAVENLY country! (see Hebrews 12)!

19. Heb. 10:1--"For the law, having a shadow of the good things ABOUT TO [mello] come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect." Here's the SHADOW again, i.e. the law which was THEN soon to be replaced by the substance of the "good things ABOUT to come."

20. Hebrews 10:26-27--"For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which is ABOUT TO [mello] devour the adversaries." This is a clear warning to those outside of Christ of judgment which was THEN about to come upon Christ's adversaries!

21. Hebrews 13:14--"For HERE we have no continuing city, but we seek the one ABOUT to [mello] come" (again, cp Hebrews 11 and the expectations of the OT saints). Here is again the contrast between Old Jerusalem (the shadow of the things ABOUT to come--the old that was THEN becoming obsolete, growing old and ready to vanish away--Heb.8) and the New Jerusalem ABOUT to come--Rev. 21:1-7; 9-10).

22. 1 Peter 5:1--"The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that is ABOUT TO [mello] be revealed." This was going to happen to those of THAT day. Notice 1 Peter 4:13 where Peter tells his first-century readers that THEY would be "glad with exceeding joy" at the revealing of this glory which was ABOUT TO come!

23. Revelation 1:19--(Jesus to the living Apostle John)--"Write these things which YOU have seen, (Rev. 1:9-20) and the things which are (letters to the churches, Rev. 2:1-3:22), and the things which are ABOUT TO [mello] take place after this (Rev. 4:1-22:5)." When were these things clearly said to take place? SHORTLY and QUICKLY (Rev. 1:1; 22:6, 7, 12, 20) and at a time that was THEN in John's day NEAR (Rev. 1:3; 22:10). Attempts to deny these statements of clear imminency make Jesus a false prophet, the Apostles false teachers, and Christianity a false religion before an unbelieving world! They CANNOT and SHOULD NOT be brushed aside with an desperate appeal to 2 Peter 3:8.

24. Revelation 12:5--"She bore a male Child who is ABOUT TO [mello] rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne." This is where Caiaphas was in his lifetime to see Jesus "sitting at the right hand of power and COMING on the CLOUDS of heaven" (Matthew 26:64). The KJV and NKJV incorrectly translate the verb poimaino here as "was to rule," but the infinitive here (to rule--poimainein) is in the PRESENT active indicative and preceded by mellei [from mello] and should be rendered "is ABOUT TO rule."
Unfortunately, any attempt on the part of preterists to “correct” these errors will be seen as arrogant, but I do believe that these occurrences of mello deserve a fair consideration especially in light of the fact that when mello is found in noneschatological passages, the translators felt free to give it an ABOUT TO rendering!

Preterist
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Old 11-22-2008, 11:39 AM
 
20,568 posts, read 19,222,852 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Preterist View Post
I am concerned over what appears to be one of the most neglected Greek words in eschatological passages of the NT. “Mello" whose meaning is "to be about to be, to be on the point of doing" (Analytical Greek Lexicon, p. 262; Arndt, p. 500; Thayer, p. 396) in many verses is either ignored or is rendered with the simple future tense of the verb.

I will not pretend to know the true motives behind why the translators seemingly mistranslated it or ignored it, but I do suspect that their preconceived futurists' views may have led them to not give it its proper nuance. Perhaps it was not so much that they were intentionally tampering with God’s Word as it was that they could not see how the imminency inherent in the word could be justified in what they saw as futurist verses. As a result, many passages that should have a clear imminency aspect either have been ignored or rendered with the simple future tense thus obscuring the true meaning and causing much misunderstanding. It is a little word with big impact!

The following verses have the word "mello" in the Greek text:

1. Matthew 3:7 (Luke 3:7)--"But when he [John] saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, 'Brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath ABOUT TO [mello] come?'" This is the same group Jesus called a "Brood of vipers" and He described the wrath of God as the "condemnation of hell" (Matthew 23:33). This wrath came in A.D. 66-70 (3 1/2 years), a fulfillment of Jesus' own woes against that generation of Jews and the time when THEIR house was to be left unto THEM desolate (Matthew 23:38)!

2. Matthew 12:32--"Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age ABOUT TO [mello] come." Jesus is contrasting the then present age [aion] of the Old Covenant and the age of the New Covenant which was then about to come (A.D. 70).

3. Matthew 16:27, 28--"For the Son of Man is ABOUT TO [mello] come in the glory of the Father with His angels, and THEN HE WILL REWARD EACH ACCORDING TO HIS WORKS. Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till THEY see the Son of Man COMING in His kingdom." Jesus was then ABOUT to come and some of those standing right there with Him were to see it!

4. Matthew 24:6--"YOU will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that YOU are not troubled; for all these things are ABOUT TO [mello] come to pass." Jesus spoke these words to THOSE first-century disciples right there with Him about things that were to soon happen to them!

5. Luke 21:36--"[YOU] watch therefore, and pray always that YOU may be counted worthy to escape all these things that are ABOUT TO [mello] come to pass and to stand before the Son of Man." Clearly, according to Jesus' own words, the things of which He spoke were to involve THOSE disciples personally.

6. Acts 17:31--"because He has appointed a day on which He is [ABOUT TO--mello] judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained." It was in that first-century generation that God was ABOUT TO JUDGE the living and the dead!

7. Acts 24:14, 15--"But this I [Paul] confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets. I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept, that there is ABOUT TO BE [mello] a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust." Paul explicitly told Felix, the governor, that in his lifetime there was going to be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust.

8. Acts 24:25--"Now as he [Paul] reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment ABOUT TO [mello] come, . . . " Felix was so afraid at Paul's words that he answered, 'Go away for now' . . . ." Why was Felix so frightened except that he understood Paul to be saying that judgment was SOON to come?

9. Acts 26:22, 23--"Therefore, having obtained help from God, to this day I [Paul] stand, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said is ABOUT TO [mello] come--that Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles." The things spoken by the prophets and Moses were THEN about to be fulfilled.

10. Romans 8:18--"For I [Paul] consider that the sufferings of this PRESENT time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which is ABOUT TO [mello] be revealed in us." Read the entire context of this passage (vss. 18-25) to see that THOSE believers of THAT day eagerly hoped and waited for these things. Why eagerly and why with such personal expectation? Because those things were to involve them personally in THEIR lifetimes!

11. Romans 8:38, 39--"For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor to things ABOUT TO [mello] come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created things, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." The things present involved the Old Covenant and the Mosaic Age in which they were then living; the things ABOUT TO COME involved the New Covenant or Messianic Age. This ties in very well with Hebrews 8 which speaks of the Old age then growing old and becoming obsolete and ready to vanish away! Remember that the Old Covenant was not rendered old except for the coming of the New. The destruction of the Temple and city in A.D. 70 marked the conclusive end of that system. ALL of the types inherent within it were fulfilled in Jesus.

12. 1 Corinthians 3:21-23--"Therefore let no one boast in men. For all things are yours: whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things ABOUT TO [mello] come--all are yours. And you are Christ's, and Christ is God's." Notice the correlation to Romans 8:38!

13. Ephesians 1:21--"far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in THIS age but also in that which is ABOUT TO [mello] come." Again, what is the meaning of THIS age. It was the Old Covenant and the age ABOUT to come was the New Covenant. Consider again, Hebrews 8 and the passing away of the Old!

14. Colossians 2:16, 17--"So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a SHADOW of things ABOUT TO [mello] come, but the substance is of Christ." Here we see the contents of the Old Covenant age--dietary rules, keeping of festivals and teachings concerning new moons and sabbaths. These were all SHADOWS which were even THEN becoming obsolete, growing old and ready to vanish away (Heb. 8) and were ABOUT to be replaced by the SUBSTANCE of those things pertaining to Christ!

15. 2 Timothy 4:1--"I charge you therefore brethren before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who is ABOUT TO [mello] judge the living and the dead AT HIS APPEARING and HIS KINGDOM." What does this clearly say when properly translated by doing justice to the word "mello?" Jesus was THEN ABOUT TO judge the living and the dead. There is no doubt that there is a connection between His judging the living and the dead and His appearing. If His judgment was THEN ABOUT to come then so was His APPEARING and HIS KINGDOM (A.D. 70)!

16. Hebrews 1:13, 14--"But to which of the angels has He ever said: 'Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool?' Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who are ABOUT TO [mello] inherit salvation?" Who were Christ's enemies at that time? They were the reprobate Jewish people of Matthew 23; Luke 19:11-27; ACTS 7:51-53; Romans 11:28; Phil. 3:2, 18, 19. Notice here that the enemies of Christ set their minds on EARTHLY things, completely missing the heavenly promises [like futurists today). What salvation were they about to inherit? Weren't they already saved? Yes and no! There was still Hades where the OT saints waited for full redemption. Notice what Jesus told His FIRST-CENTURY disciples in Luke 21:28--"Now WHEN these things begin to happen, [YOU] look up and lift up YOUR heads, because YOUR redemption draws NEAR." This is the resurrection to newness of life which has previously been shown to have then been ABOUT TO happen. This is the fulfillment of 1 Corinthians 15--they were ABOUT TO be changed in the twinkling of an eye; death was then ABOUT TO be swallowed up in victory; mortality was ABOUT TO put on immortality; that which was sown natural was ABOUT to be raised spiritual! Since that time death no longer has victory or sting and we can say that though we die, yet shall we live and if we live we shall NEVER die! Without the resurrection we cannot claim this and we would all still die and go to Hades to wait for a yet future coming of Christ! Futurists must stop telling believers that when they die they go to heaven for without THAT resurrection and THAT judgment which the Scriptures say was THEN about to happen, all still go to Hades to wait!

17. Hebrews 2:5--"For He has not put the world ABOUT TO [mello] come of which we speak, in subjection to angels." How does this contrast with the world that WAS put in subjection to angels (i.e. the Mosaic Age)? See Acts 7:51-53--Those "stiff necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears" Jews ALWAYS resisted the Holy Spirit just as their fathers did and persecuted the prophets and "killed those who foretold of the coming of the Just One (see Matthew 23). THEY were murderers and betrayers and THEY "received the law by the direction of ANGELS" but did not keep it. That Old Covenant had come by direction of the angels but the New which was THEN ABOUT TO COME was NOT "in subjection to angels."

18. Hebrews 9:11--"But Christ as High Priest of the good things ABOUT TO [mello] come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle NOT made with hands, that is, NOT OF THIS CREATION (not of this physical world!). This is clearly in contrast to the Temple of THAT day and all that was associated it. Christ came and brought that which Abraham looked for--"a city . . . whose builder and maker is God" (Heb. 11:10). What was greater and more perfect about what Christ brought? The actual taking away of sins once and for all! That is why Paul could predict that "thus ALL Israel (spiritual Jews circumcised in their hearts) would be saved at the full institution of the New Covenant at His first-century A.D. 70 coming! There is no more condemnation (Rom. 8--Death) and no more separation from God's presence (Rom. 8--Hades)! Why do so many long for Abraham and the other OT saints that for which they themselves never longed! They saw the promises "afar off" and considered themselves as living in a foreign land and as pilgrims and strangers ON THE EARTH! They sought a better, that is a HEAVENLY country! (see Hebrews 12)!

19. Heb. 10:1--"For the law, having a shadow of the good things ABOUT TO [mello] come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect." Here's the SHADOW again, i.e. the law which was THEN soon to be replaced by the substance of the "good things ABOUT to come."

20. Hebrews 10:26-27--"For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which is ABOUT TO [mello] devour the adversaries." This is a clear warning to those outside of Christ of judgment which was THEN about to come upon Christ's adversaries!

21. Hebrews 13:14--"For HERE we have no continuing city, but we seek the one ABOUT to [mello] come" (again, cp Hebrews 11 and the expectations of the OT saints). Here is again the contrast between Old Jerusalem (the shadow of the things ABOUT to come--the old that was THEN becoming obsolete, growing old and ready to vanish away--Heb.8) and the New Jerusalem ABOUT to come--Rev. 21:1-7; 9-10).

22. 1 Peter 5:1--"The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that is ABOUT TO [mello] be revealed." This was going to happen to those of THAT day. Notice 1 Peter 4:13 where Peter tells his first-century readers that THEY would be "glad with exceeding joy" at the revealing of this glory which was ABOUT TO come!

23. Revelation 1:19--(Jesus to the living Apostle John)--"Write these things which YOU have seen, (Rev. 1:9-20) and the things which are (letters to the churches, Rev. 2:1-3:22), and the things which are ABOUT TO [mello] take place after this (Rev. 4:1-22:5)." When were these things clearly said to take place? SHORTLY and QUICKLY (Rev. 1:1; 22:6, 7, 12, 20) and at a time that was THEN in John's day NEAR (Rev. 1:3; 22:10). Attempts to deny these statements of clear imminency make Jesus a false prophet, the Apostles false teachers, and Christianity a false religion before an unbelieving world! They CANNOT and SHOULD NOT be brushed aside with an desperate appeal to 2 Peter 3:8.

24. Revelation 12:5--"She bore a male Child who is ABOUT TO [mello] rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne." This is where Caiaphas was in his lifetime to see Jesus "sitting at the right hand of power and COMING on the CLOUDS of heaven" (Matthew 26:64). The KJV and NKJV incorrectly translate the verb poimaino here as "was to rule," but the infinitive here (to rule--poimainein) is in the PRESENT active indicative and preceded by mellei [from mello] and should be rendered "is ABOUT TO rule."
Unfortunately, any attempt on the part of preterists to “correct” these errors will be seen as arrogant, but I do believe that these occurrences of mello deserve a fair consideration especially in light of the fact that when mello is found in noneschatological passages, the translators felt free to give it an ABOUT TO rendering!

Preterist
I will try to look into this but it will take me some time. I have not studied this Greek word much.
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Old 11-22-2008, 11:51 AM
 
3,086 posts, read 6,253,229 times
Reputation: 973
Whenever I see extensive legalistic emphasis on "words, terms, and languages" in the Bible, I runrunrun away very fast.

(Because, ironically, whenever I've seen this happening, the focus and result (instead of making scripture clearer) takes away or disregards other CLEAR scriptures. VERY deceptive.)

e.g.

"See the stop sign? Didn't you know that upon careful study we have determined that S.T.O.P really stands for "Spin Tires On Pavement?"

"Oh really?"

VAAROOOOOOOOM!!

Over the cliff.
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Old 11-22-2008, 12:29 PM
 
20,568 posts, read 19,222,852 times
Reputation: 8164
Quote:
Originally Posted by cg81 View Post
Whenever I see extensive legalistic emphasis on "words, terms, and languages" in the Bible, I runrunrun away very fast.

(Because, ironically, whenever I've seen this happening, the focus and result (instead of making scripture clearer) takes away or disregards other CLEAR scriptures. VERY deceptive.)

e.g.

"See the stop sign? Didn't you know that upon careful study we have determined that S.T.O.P really stands for "Spin Tires On Pavement?"

"Oh really?"

VAAROOOOOOOOM!!

Over the cliff.
Hi cg81,

The problem is we don't know the idioms or phrases they used and I would rather see the words in context than in a concordance where the words are taken out of context and some modern translation was used. Some people think they are reading the Greek when in reality they are reading a modern understanding of it.
When I see people define "all" , "every", "world" or "earth" anyway they like is when I take cover. I certainly do not rely on the words but rather the context of the words since that is where the meaning really is. So the question for me is are we drilling into the word itself or expanding its context? If its the latter then I am interested. Words mean little, phrases and expressions in times and places do.
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Old 11-22-2008, 01:22 PM
 
1,897 posts, read 3,480,005 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gwynedd1 View Post
I will try to look into this but it will take me some time. I have not studied this Greek word much.
Take your time, gwynedd1! BTW, you don't have to consider all of the verses all at once. That was not my intent.

Preterist

Last edited by Preterist; 11-22-2008 at 01:33 PM..
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Old 11-22-2008, 01:30 PM
 
1,897 posts, read 3,480,005 times
Reputation: 289
Quote:
Originally Posted by cg81 View Post
Whenever I see extensive legalistic emphasis on "words, terms, and languages" in the Bible, I runrunrun away very fast.

(Because, ironically, whenever I've seen this happening, the focus and result (instead of making scripture clearer) takes away or disregards other CLEAR scriptures. VERY deceptive.)

e.g.

"See the stop sign? Didn't you know that upon careful study we have determined that S.T.O.P really stands for "Spin Tires On Pavement?"

"Oh really?"

VAAROOOOOOOOM!!

Over the cliff.
CG81: You are more than welcome here--anyone is. But I would like to insist that we stick to the Scriptures. Refute what I have posted hermeneutically and rationally. Or you can simply "run, run, run" because you have no answer.

Again, let's confine ourselves to the texts. What is the significance of the word "mello" in the texts I posted. You have closed your mind without even intelligently and thoroughly studied my premise. I will not again respond to nonsubstantive, nonbiblical posts. There are plenty of shallow, feel-good, "I believe" threads out there where you might feel more comfortable.

Again, you are more than welcome here, CG81--really. But please put biblical meat on your arguments. They are meaningless otherwise.

Preterist
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Old 11-24-2008, 07:23 AM
 
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Originally Posted by Preterist View Post
CG81: You are more than welcome here--anyone is. But I would like to insist that we stick to the Scriptures. Refute what I have posted hermeneutically and rationally. Or you can simply "run, run, run" because you have no answer.

Again, let's confine ourselves to the texts. What is the significance of the word "mello" in the texts I posted. You have closed your mind without even intelligently and thoroughly studied my premise. I will not again respond to nonsubstantive, nonbiblical posts. There are plenty of shallow, feel-good, "I believe" threads out there where you might feel more comfortable.

Again, you are more than welcome here, CG81--really. But please put biblical meat on your arguments. They are meaningless otherwise.

Preterist
CG81: What is wrong with emphasizing or at the very least recognizing words and expressions? Are these things not important? Is there not a big difference between these two statements:

Devastating tornadoes will rip through Wisconsin.
Devastating tornadoes are about to rip through Plymouth, Wisconsin!

If you lived in Plymouth, Wisconsin, which statement would concern you more?

Do you see no significance in the wording of these two statements?

What about the verses I provided? Do they not express different meanings when mello is translated and when it is not? Words are important, CG81. I have heard this argument before, and it never comes from those who are otherwise troubled about what they consider overemphasis on individual words. Objections always come from those who simply do not like the resulting implications of recognizing certain words!

Is there not significant difference in Paul's words to Ananias in Acts 23:3 whether or not we recognize the time indicator mello found there?

(without mello translated) "Then Paul said to him [Ananias], 'God will strike you, you whitewashed wall!'"

(with mello translated) "Then Paul said to him, 'God is about to strike you, you whitewashed wall!"

Suppose I argued with you and others over the wording of Acts 21:27? Suppose I insisted that mello found there be translated? Would I be justified in that? What is the difference?

"Now when the seven days were almost ended" (NKJV)
"Now when the seven days were about to end"

Would I not be nitpicking? Yes. You could rightfully say in this instance that I am making too much of an individual word because doing so does not in any way change the meaning.

Here is my problem with these baseless arguments about emphasis on words and phrases--people only object when the emphasis challenges their preconceived ideas, especially in the area of eschatology! A good student of God's Word is concerned about words. And many who object to my insistence upon faithfully translating mello have no problem with word studies and language studies. They only claim to when someone points out a word whose meaning they do not like!

If we truly want to learn God's Word and let it say what it says in spite of what we may have been taught and in spite of what the popular and current beliefs are, we will be interested in words and expressions and languages. They are key to our understanding, CG81!

Preterist
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