The Field, the Vineyard, and the Fig Tree

A tree growing in a vineyard

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God, the supreme Husbandman, has revealed His divine wisdom through three distinct metaphors—each illustrating the present condition of the Church, the Jewish Nation, and the Gentile world.

The Gentile nations are portrayed as His field. As Scripture affirms in Matthew 13:38, “The field is the world.” From the outset, the Lord identifies the world as the soil into which He sows His word, the Lord being the Sower. In this sacred planting, the Word of God is cast like seed upon the nations, taking root where hearts are prepared to receive it.

The vineyard, once entrusted to the Jewish Nation, has now been given to the Church. This transfer was not arbitrary, but the result of a solemn forfeiture—when the leaders of Israel rejected their Messiah and crucified the Lord of glory. Thus, the stewardship of the vineyard passed into new hands, not by merit, but by divine appointment, that the fruit of righteousness might yet be cultivated.

Mat 21:39-43 And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. 40 When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen? 41 They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons. 42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? 43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.

The Lord describing the vine, that was once the Jewish nation, now as the New Testament Church.

Isa 5:1-7 Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill: 2 And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes. 3 And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard. 4 What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes? 5 And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down: 6 And I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. 7 For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry.

Joh 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

The Transfer of the Vineyard: The Role of the Holy Spirit in Bearing Fruit

The Jewish nation, having failed to produce the fruits that God, the Husbandman, required, lost its stewardship over the vineyard. As a result, this responsibility was transferred to a new group, those who possess the Holy Spirit. This divine transition ensures that the vineyard will now yield the fruit God seeks. The guarantee lies in the presence of His Son within the vineyard itself, for Christ is the true vine. He alone is responsible for supplying spiritual nourishment to the branches, making certain they have all they need to flourish and bear fruit.

This time, the vineyard will indeed produce fruit. Importantly, the outcome no longer depends on human effort or merit, but solely on the work of the Holy Spirit within each believer, as emphasized in Galatians 5:22. Even if some believers grieve the Holy Spirit, as warned in Ephesians 4:30, there will still be those who yield the fruit that God the Father desires. This truth is further underscored by the warning that unfruitful branches will be removed from the vine, as stated in John 15:2 and 15:6. Therefore, the fruitful harvest in the vineyard is secured by the active presence and work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers.

The Fig Tree: A Symbol of the Law and Israel’s Righteousness

The question arises: if the Jewish nation was once considered the vineyard and that stewardship has now been removed, does this mean that God has completely rejected Israel as a nation? The answer is a resounding no. Even the Apostle Paul firmly refutes such an idea in Romans 11:1.

The fig tree has served as a symbol of the law from the very beginning. In the book of Genesis, Adam and Eve used fig leaves to cover their nakedness after their eyes were opened to their sin.

Gen 3:7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

Our first parents in trying to hide their nakedness, inadvertently began the downward spiral of covering their sin with manmade covering. God had to set the record straight when he provided the coats of skins, showing that innocent life must be killed to provide the covering. The innocent for the unjust.

This introduction of the first covering was man’s attempt to hide from a Holy God, and a picture of their own righteousness. We see that the firstborn son, Cain, learned nothing when he tried to bring to God of the fruit of the ground; Gen 4:3. Of which God would not receive; Gen 4:5. Why? Because it was of his own hands and not with blood.

This is in type the Mosaic Law. It was given to the Nation of Israel to be their own righteousness. It was due to transgression;

The Significance of Coverings: From Fig Leaves to Sacrifice

Man’s Attempt to Cover Sin

When Adam and Eve first became aware of their nakedness, they attempted to conceal it by fashioning coverings out of fig leaves. This act represented humanity’s initial effort to address sin through self-made means, relying on the word of their hands to hide from a holy God. However, this solution was insufficient, as it failed to address the true nature of their transgression.

God’s Provision: The Coats of Skins

To correct this, God provided coats of skins for Adam and Eve, demonstrating that innocent life must be sacrificed to adequately cover sin. This act established a foundational principle: “the innocent given in place of the guilty”. The exchange foreshadowed the necessity of a greater, divinely appointed sacrifice for the redemption of humanity.

The Lesson Lost: Cain’s Offering

This principle was lost on Cain, the firstborn son, who attempted to present an offering to God consisting of the fruit of the ground. God did not accept Cain’s offering because it was the product of his own labor, not of faith, lacking the required element of blood sacrifice. This rejection highlighted the inadequacy of human efforts to achieve righteousness apart from God’s prescribed means.

The Mosaic Law: A Type of Self-Righteousness

The Mosaic Law, given to the Nation of Israel, served as a form of self-righteousness. Its introduction was a response to transgression, God providing a system by which the people could attempt to meet His standards. Yet, as demonstrated from the earliest interactions with God, true righteousness requires more than human effort—it demands the sacrifice that only God can provide.

Gal 3:19 Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.

The law allowed them to come before God. It was only made for the nation of Israel. It was meant to be temporal until the new covenant came about. A school master, a teacher, preparing us for the final solution to sin, found in the righteousness of God in Christ.

Deu 6:24-25 And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day. 25 And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the LORD our God, as he hath commanded us.

Rom 3:20-22 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

Gal 3:23-25 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. 24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

This divine sequence is evident even in the earliest biblical narratives: first, the works of man are presented, as seen in the fig leaves used by Adam and Eve, followed by God’s provision of coats of skins, symbolizing the necessity of the sacrifice that only God can provide. The pattern continues with the works of man through the Mosaic Law and ultimately with the redemptive work of Christ. The fig tree itself becomes a fitting symbol, representing the spiritual state of Israel in both past and future contexts.

Parables of the Fig Tree

The Lord Jesus employs the fig tree as a significant and recurring symbol to illustrate the spiritual condition of Israel.

Through a series of parables, Jesus reveals to His disciples both the present and the future state of Israel. These parables are carefully chosen to reflect not only the nation’s immediate response during His earthly ministry but also to foreshadow what lies ahead. The first instance of this parabolic imagery appears late in Christ’s ministry, as recorded in the Gospel of Luke. At this point, Jesus has spent nearly three years ministering, teaching, and calling Israel to repentance, making the symbolism of the fig tree especially poignant as a warning to the nation that their time for repentance was running out.

Luk 13:6-9 He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. (7) Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? (8) And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: (9) And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.

This parable is a direct reference to the nation as a whole. Whether the disciples , at the time, understood it or not, the reader is left with the understanding that Christ was now three years into his ministry. The nation is called to repent or face the judgment of God. The “dresser” of the vineyard is Jesus and he is making intercession unto the Father to allow the tree to continue another season after applying the proper fertilizer. Did the nation of Israel repent at the preaching of “The kingdom of God is at hand.”? The next time a fig tree is mentioned is the next season after Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem, before his passion.

At the time, it is uncertain whether the disciples fully grasped the significance, but the message to the reader is evident: Jesus was now three years into His ministry. During this period, the nation was being called to repentance, with a clear warning that failure to do so would result in God’s judgment.

In the parable, the “dresser” of the vineyard represents Jesus Himself. He intercedes with the Father, requesting that the fig tree be given one more season to bear fruit after He applies the necessary care and fertilizer. This illustrates Christ’s intercession to the Father for mercy and additional opportunity for Israel to repent.

The critical question emerges: Did the nation of Israel respond in repentance to the preaching, “The kingdom of God is at hand”? The answer becomes apparent as the narrative continues. The next mention of a fig tree occurs in the following season, after Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem and just prior to His passion, further emphasizing the nation’s response to His call.

Mat 21:18-19 Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered. (19) And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.

The Fig tree still baren, even after Christ spent another season preaching the Kingdom of God and repentance. Now judgment is fallen. The “axe is laid at the root of the trees”; Luke 3:9. Christ will make the final declaration of Judgment to make it official. The nation is doomed.

Mat 23:37-39 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! (38) Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. (39) For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

The fulfillment of the murder of God’s Son and the Judgment of the wicked husbandmen, and the taking away of the vineyard is now written with an iron pen.

But the nation of Israel is not without hope because the final mention of the fig tree is one of redemption. In referring to the last days prior to the second advent of Christ, he gives the parable of the fig tree.

Mat 24:32-34 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: (33) So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. (34) Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

The fig tree, though cut down is, with its root, still alive. We see how God had dealt with the leader of the nation of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar’s second vision is of the tree that was cut down but cared for in a way that kept it alive.

Dan 4:10-15 Thus were the visions of mine head in my bed; I saw, and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was great. (11) The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth: (12) The leaves thereof were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all: the beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the fowls of the heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof, and all flesh was fed of it. (13) I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher and an holy one came down from heaven; (14) He cried aloud, and said thus, Hew down the tree, and cut off his branches, shake off his leaves, and scatter his fruit: let the beasts get away from under it, and the fowls from his branches: (15) Nevertheless leave the stump of his roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth:

A temporary judgment. Not totally destroyed but left as a stump with a “band of iron and brass”.

The scripture tells us that the sown fig leaves was a covering that Adam and Eve had made with their own hands; Gen 3:7. The Law was considered the works and righteousness of the nation of Israel. They were to “do all these statutes” that in doing God , “might preserve us alive” and again “it shall be our righteousness”. Just as our first parents thought that the fig leaves would cover their sins, even now, man thinks that keeping of commandments will protect against the judgment of a Holy God. Paul warns against such false covers.

Rom 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

The fig leaves was a sign of their sin, even as the law is a reminder of ours today. Paul did not want to be bound by that form of self-righteousness.

Php 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

The Fig Tree and the Nation of Israel: Parabolic Insights

The Significance of the Fig Tree Putting Forth Leaves

The sign of the fig tree “putting forth leaves” this author interprets as the nation of Israel re-emerging into national prominence, particularly as it seeks to restore the Mosaic laws and practices. This revival implies the reinstatement of blood sacrifices, which in turn necessitates the existence of a temple.

The Parables: Field, Vineyard, and Fig Tree

When considering the parables of the field, vineyard, and fig tree together, a comprehensive perspective emerges. Even in a world marked by sin and rebellion, a world that is moving toward a final confrontation with the divine, there remains a remnant preserved by God. The imagery describes a vast field, within which lies a small vineyard surrounded by wild beasts, and even within this vineyard stands a solitary tree. This presents a picture of an oasis in a barren region.

This theme is echoed in another of Christ’s parables, where a man discovers a hidden treasure in a field. To secure his ownership, he purchases the entire field with the intention of returning to claim the treasure. This parable, referenced in Matthew 13:34, is believed to symbolize Israel, as supported by Exodus 19:5.

Conclusion

Since the primary focus here is on the Field, Vineyard, and Fig Tree, further exploration is left to the reader. These parables collectively offer profound insights into God’s preservation of a remnant of both the elect of the Church of God and Israel and even of the gentiles.

2Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Three Doctrinal Distinctions the Church Has Forgotten**

By Lacy Evans

Rightly Dividing the Words of Truth:

Three Doctrinal Distinctions the Church Has Forgotten**

The apostle Paul commanded believers to “hold fast the form of sound words” (2 Tim. 1:13). Sound doctrine requires precision, and precision requires distinguishing terms which God Himself distinguishes. Over centuries—especially in the modern church—crucial biblical concepts have been merged, blurred, or sanitized, resulting in confusion about the afterlife, the kingdom, and salvation itself.

This essay restores three key distinctions:

1. Hell (Hades/Sheol) vs. the Lake of Fire

2. Heaven vs. the Kingdom (Kingdom of Heaven/God)

3. The free gift of salvation vs. the prize/inheritance/reward

Each distinction is necessary not only for doctrinal clarity but for spiritual health, exhortation, and obedience.

I. HELL AND THE LAKE OF FIRE: TWO DISTINCT REALMS

Modern preaching often conflates “hell” with “the lake of fire,” yet Scripture could not speak more plainly:

Hell cannot be the lake of fire if Hell is thrown into it.

“Death and Hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.” (Rev. 20:14)

1. Hell as the Present Underworld

In Scripture “hell” (KJV) translates various contexts of Sheol/Hades, the unseen world of the dead containing multiple chambers. Robert Govett, in Hades, insists on this exact distinction:

“Hades is not the place of final punishment… It is the invisible world that receives departed spirits until the resurrection.” “Within Hades are regions both of joy and of sorrow… Paradise on the one hand, and torment on the other.” (Govett, Hades, pp. 19–23)

Govett also affirms the plurality of compartments:

“There are depths of Hades— ‘the lowest Hades’—as well as Paradise above.” (p. 27)

Scripture likewise presents:

• Paradise (Luke 23:43; Luke 16:22, Abraham’s bosom)

• Torments (Luke 16:23)

• The Pit (Isa. 14:15)

• The Bottomless Pit/Abyss (Rev. 9:1–2; Luke 8:31)

• Tartarus—place of bound angels (2 Pet. 2:4)

• The Grave as a usage of “Sheol” at times

Hell is thus a temporary holding realm, not the eternal state.

2. The Lake of Fire as the Final, Eternal Judgment

The Lake of Fire is a distinct eschatological reality. Govett writes:

“The lake of fire belongs not to the intermediate state, but to the eternal… It is the doom prepared for the devil and his angels.” (Hades, p. 45)

Very little is revealed about it except that it is:

• Final (Rev. 20:10)

• Eternal (Matt. 25:41,46)

• The destiny of the Antichrist and False Prophet before the millennium (Rev. 19:20)

• The final home of all unbelievers after judgment (Rev. 20:15)

The Lake of Fire is not Sheol/Hades—it is the consuming, ultimate judgment after resurrection and judgment.

II. HEAVEN IS NOT THE KINGDOM

Another modern collapse of terms is equating heaven with the kingdom of heaven. Scripture maintains a clean distinction, and the early conservative expositors (Govett, Lang, Pember, Peters) unanimously insisted on it.

1. The Kingdom Is Not Heaven

The “kingdom of heaven” is not “going to heaven.” Govett (public domain):

“The kingdom of heaven is not heaven itself, but the rule of the heavens over the earth, entrusted to the Son of Man.”
(Govett on Matthew, commentary on Matt. 3:2)

G. H. Lang:

Lang frequently emphasized the future, earthly, messianic nature of the kingdom, contrasting it with the intermediate state. In The Revelation of Jesus Christ he writes:

“It is not to heaven that the saints are promised entrance as a reward, but into the kingdom… the millennial reign with Christ.” (paraphrased summary) G. H. Pember (Earth’s Earliest Ages, public domain):

“The Kingdom is the manifested rule of Christ when He returns… It is not identical with the heavenly abode of the blessed dead.”
Watchman Nee (paraphrased):

Nee consistently taught that the kingdom reward belongs to overcomers, not to all the regenerate, and that entering the kingdom is related to faithfulness, not rebirth. (See The Gospel of God; The King and the Kingdom.)

“The Theocratic Kingdom is a real, visible, external kingdom on earth… It is not heaven, nor the third heaven, but earth restored under divine rule.” (Peters, Theocratic Kingdom, Prop. 49)

2. Where do believers go when they die?

The Bible never says believers “go to heaven” in the modern colloquial sense.

Instead:

• OT saints went to Paradise in Hades

• Jesus went there (Luke 23:43; Acts 2:27)

• The righteous dead await resurrection

• The kingdom is inaugurated at Christ’s return, not at death

• After the millennium comes the New Heaven and New Earth, our ultimate home

The modern teaching that “heaven is our eternal home” is foreign to Scripture. Scripture teaches:

• Intermediate state: Paradise/Hades

• Millennial Kingdom: Earth ruled by Christ

• Eternal State: New Earth

Heaven is never the believer’s eternal destiny.

III. SALVATION (FREE GIFT) VS. PRIZE/REWARD/INHERITANCE

Nothing has harmed the church more than confounding the free gift with the prize, the birth with the inheritance, the family relationship with the reward of service.

1. Salvation is the free, unlosable gift

Salvation is a gift (Eph. 2:8–9; John 10:28–29).

It depends entirely on Christ’s finished work.

Peters emphasizes this distinction:

“Election to salvation is one thing; election to the Kingdom is another.” (Theocratic Kingdom, Prop. 62)

Once born into God’s family, one cannot be “unborn.” No degree of sin, failure, or faithlessness can reverse a divine birth.

This is eternal security—true and biblical, but only in the realm of the gift.

2. The Prize is conditional, earned, and losable

Paul does not press toward salvation—he presses toward a prize:

“I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 3:14)

“Not as though I had already attained… but I follow after.” (Phil. 3:12)

The Bible calls this future reward:

• The Prize (Phil. 3:14)

• The Inheritance (Col. 3:24; Heb. 12:17)

• The Kingdom (2 Tim. 2:11–12; 2 Pet. 1:11)

• The Crown (2 Tim. 4:8; Rev. 3:11)

It can be:

• Missed (1 Cor. 9:27 – “disqualified”)

• Lost (Rev. 3:11 – “let no man take thy crown”)

• Forfeited through unbelief (Heb. 3–4)

• Sold for temporary gratification—like Esau selling his birthright (Heb. 12:16–17)

3. Esau, Reuben, and the Kadesh-Barnea generation

The New Testament uses these as warnings:

• Esau—saved? yes; but forfeited birthright and blessing

• Reuben—lost preeminence (Gen. 49:3–4)

• Israel at Kadesh—redeemed by blood, but forfeited inheritance through unbelief

These illustrate not the loss of salvation but the loss of inheritance.

Lang on Hebrews (public domain summary):

Lang stresses that Hebrews never warns of losing eternal life, but of losing the kingdom-rest reward, which he calls “the inheritance of the firstborn.”

“The inheriting of the Kingdom is conditional and dependent upon faithfulness.”
(Theocratic Kingdom, Prop. 75)

Thus:

• Gift = unconditional, cannot be lost

• Prize = conditional, can be lost

Conflating these two has created confusion in salvation doctrine from both Calvinistic and Arminian directions.

IV. CONCLUSION: AN EXHORTATION TO RIGHTLY DIVIDE TERMS

To “hold fast the form of sound words,” one must treat biblical terms with reverence and accuracy.

These three distinctions matter:

1. Hell is not the Lake of Fire.

One is temporary, the other eternal. One is thrown into the other.

2. Heaven is not the Kingdom.

Believers await resurrection, the return of the King, the millennial reign, and ultimately the New Earth.

3. The Gift is not the Prize.

The free gift gives eternal life.

the prize grants reward, inheritance, and kingdom participation.

Losing these distinctions has blurred doctrine, confused saints, and crippled motivation. But restoring them revives clarity, stability, and holy fear.

May we imitate Paul:

“Study to show thyself approved unto God… rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Tim. 2:15)

The Jesuit Roots of Preterism

Confronting Preterism’s Roots:

A Jesuit Counter-Reformation Strategy in Modern Protestant Garb Introduction

Modern Christian eschatology is a landscape of divergent systems, with futurism, historicism, idealism, and preterism each vying for scriptural credibility. Among these, preterism—the belief that most or all biblical prophecies, particularly in Revelation and the Olivet Discourse, were fulfilled in the first century—has gained increasing traction among certain conservative Protestants, especially within the Reformed tradition. Advocates like R.C. Sproul, Kenneth Gentry, and Gary DeMar have helped popularize a form of “partial preterism” which teaches that the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 was the fulfillment of much of Jesus’ prophetic discourse, and possibly Revelation itself.

However, what is often left unacknowledged is the origin of preterism in the Counter-Reformation, developed not as a neutral theological system, but as an intentional apologetic maneuver by a Jesuit priest— Luis de Alcázar—to shield the Roman Catholic Church from the charge of being the Antichrist. Recognizing this historical context should give modern non-Catholic preterists pause. Can a theological system born as a defense of the Papacy now serve as a reliable lens for interpreting prophecy within Protestantism?

Luis de Alcázar and the Birth of Preterism

Luis de Alcázar (1554–1613), a Spanish Jesuit and theologian, lived and worked during the height of the Catholic Counter-Reformation—the Church’s organized response to the Protestant Reformation. During this period, the Papacy faced relentless accusations from Reformers such as Luther, Calvin, and Knox, all of whom identified the Pope as the Antichrist and the Roman Church as the Babylon of Revelation. This interpretation was central to the historicist framework adopted by Protestants, which saw prophecy as unfolding throughout church history, with the Roman Catholic Church playing a prominent role in opposition to Christ.

In this context, Alcázar composed his magnum opus, Vestigatio Arcani Sensus in Apocalypsi (published posthumously in 1614), a massive commentary on the book of Revelation. His key thesis was that Revelation does not concern the distant future, nor the corruptions of the medieval church, but rather was fulfilled almost entirely in the early centuries of Christianity. He argued that the prophecies referred to:

The persecution of Christians under pagan Rome,

The fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70,

The triumph of the Church over her early enemies.

This radical reinterpretation had a clear purpose: to exonerate the Roman Church from the accusations of the Reformers by recasting Revelation as a closed book, already fulfilled and thus irrelevant to the contemporary church. Alcázar’s preterism was not developed in theological isolation or dispassionate study—it was deeply political, crafted to neutralize Protestant polemics and defend the authority of the Papacy.

The Jesuit Context and Counter-Reformation Strategy

To understand Alcázar’s motivations, one must understand the role of the Jesuits in the Counter-Reformation. Founded in 1540 by Ignatius of Loyola, the Society of Jesus was tasked with confronting Protestantism intellectually, politically, and spiritually. Jesuits became the vanguard of Rome’s theological offensive, producing scholars who would reinterpret Scripture in ways that advanced Catholic interests.

In this environment, Alcázar’s approach offered a powerful tool: reinterpret the prophecies not as future threats to ecclesiastical power, but as past events that vindicated the Church’s origins and historical mission. This strategy allowed Catholic theologians to answer Protestant charges with academic sophistication while redirecting the focus of Revelation away from Rome’s abuses and onto the Roman Empire of antiquity.

Matthew 16:28 — A Test Case in Interpretive Divergence

One key verse that reveals the contrast between Alcázar’s approach and traditional or premillennial views is Matthew 16:28, where Jesus declares:

“Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.” (KJV)

Alcázar and modern preterists interpret this verse as referring to the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, asserting that this event was the “coming of the Son of Man in judgment.” They argue that Christ came spiritually and symbolically to end the old covenant order.

However, early church fathers, such as Irenaeus and Hippolytus, and many modern premillennialists, interpret this as referring to either:

The Transfiguration (a foretaste of kingdom glory witnessed by Peter, James, and John),
Or a reference to the Second Coming, with “some” possibly referring to John living long enough to receive the vision of Christ in Revelation.

Premillennialists reject the idea that A.D. 70 fulfilled Christ’s return, since the actual return is bodily, visible, and cosmic, as described in Acts 1:11 and Revelation 19. They hold that the kingdom’s full manifestation is still future, involving Christ’s reign on earth. In this way, Alcázar’s interpretation significantly redefines the nature and timing of Christ’s return, spiritualizing what the early church and historic premillennialists took literally and future.

Modern Protestant Adoption of Preterism

Ironically, the seeds planted by Alcázar have sprouted in modern conservative Protestant circles, particularly among Reformed theologians seeking to make sense of eschatology in a post Enlightenment age. Frustrated by sensationalist dispensationalism and attracted to covenantal themes, many have turned to preterism— especially partial preterism—as a more scholarly and historically grounded alternative.

They argue that:

Jesus’ prophecies in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 were fulfilled in A.D. 70.
The tribulation and judgment referred to the end of the Jewish age, not a future global apocalypse.
Revelation (or most of it) describes first-century events like Nero’s persecution, the fall of Jerusalem, and the vindication of the Church.

While this system may appeal to the Reformed mind due to its textual nuance and historical grounding, it must be acknowledged that it shares a theological DNA with Counter-Reformation Romanism, designed to protect the very institution the Reformers protested.

A Call for Discernment

Modern Protestants who adopt preterism—especially those who claim to be faithful to the Reformation—must wrestle with this uncomfortable reality. Can one claim to be historically aligned with Luther, Calvin, or Knox while employing an interpretive method crafted to refute them? Should a system invented to defend the Papacy now guide the Church in understanding prophecy?

Furthermore, preterism’s implications can be troubling:

It diminishes the relevance of Christ’s return as a future, bodily hope.
It often blurs the lines between Israel and the Church, leading to replacement theology.
It can lead to theological complacency, as prophecy is viewed as “already fulfilled” and no longer an urgent motivator for mission, warning, or vigilance.

Even partial preterists, who still affirm a future Second Coming, must admit that their system depends heavily on Alcázar’s groundwork, even if stripped of its Catholic polemics.

Conclusion

Preterism did not arise from the fertile soil of Protestant exegesis or early Christian consensus—it was born in the crucible of religious warfare, forged by a Jesuit hand to shield the Roman Church from condemnation. While today’s preterists may approach the system with sincere intentions and theological rigor, they cannot escape the historical origins of the method they use.

To remain faithful to the principles of sola Scriptura and the historic Protestant testimony, the Church must examine not only what a system teaches, but also why it was developed and who first wielded it. In the case of preterism, that path leads not to Geneva, Wittenberg, or the early church—but to Seville, to Jesuit scholars, and to the defenders of Rome.

Two Signs of a World in Apostasy

Mat 24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

In His usual fashion our Lord Jesus makes such a profound revelation using few words. Yet volumes of commentaries by men have been written to extrapolate and expound on them.

Like Peter, we are faced with such a dire warning; Matt.26:34. But let us not brush it aside, and deny it, like Peter. Let us dive into the deep end of the water and plumb its depths.

IN, a prefix, L. in, is used in composition as a particle of negation, like the English un, of which it seems to be a dialectical orthography

EQ’UITY, n. [L. oequitas, from oequus, equal, even, level.]

1. Justice; right. In practice, equity is the impartial distribution of justice, or the doing that to another which the laws of God and man, and of reason, give him a right to claim. It is the treating of a person according to justice and reason.

The Lord shall judge the people with equity. Psa 98.

With righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity. Isa 11.

Iniquity, therefore, is the sin of not being impartial in distributing justice. At its roots, it is injustice toward some and favoritism toward others.

Two signs of a world in apostasy and total rebellion are: injustice and the loss of natural affections among mankind. The latter being the result of the former. This will usher in the end of the age and the judgment of God. Our Lord is repeating what was issued by the prophet Isaiah seven centuries prior.

Isa 59:14 And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.

Isa 59:15 Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the LORD saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment.

Isa 59:16 And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him.

Isa 59:17 For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloke.

Isa 59:18 According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompence to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompence.

Isa 59:19 So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.

Isa 59:20 And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD.

“..Truth is fallen in the street, and there she may lie to be trampled upon by every foot of pride, and she has never a friend that will lend a hand to help her up; yea, truth fails in common conversation, and in dealings between man and man, so that one knows not whom to believe nor whom to trust.” M.Henry

The prophet gives us such a bleak picture of the state of mankind leading up to the appearing of the “Son of righteousness”. Truth was being trampled on by “religious” men; 1Samual 8:3, Jeremiah 6:13, Micah 3:9-11. Justice and judgment were only for the rich; while the poor had no one to intercede for them; Isaiah 3:14,15 ; Ezek 22:29. It was the “Me generation” of old. It is true that there is “nothing new under the sun”. It was a generation of entitlement. To put in modern terminology; It was a “dog eat dog” world.

The prophet lays out why the Lord God came down at such an appointed time. In the passages in Isaiah 59 we are given a glimpse of both the first coming of our Lord Jesus, and the consummation of the “age of grace”. It had been the prophetic style of the prophet; Isaiah 11:1-10. At his first coming we read of the people having no shepherd; Mark 6:34. Even the teachers and religious leaders cared for nothing but their own authority and were more concerned with losing that then tending to the needs of his people; John 11:47,48. There was no other solution to the problems facing man. In His concern for this people, he had to come down to defend and deliver those that were oppressed. He came to be the intercessor offering salvation.

1Tim 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

Heb 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

Mat 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Mat 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

Mat 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

The world at Christ’s first coming was very bleak.

The Jews had no Shepherd

Mat 9:36 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.

Gentiles had no hope .

Eph 2:12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

Christ would have passed us by if not for his compassion.

The account of our Lord walking upon the water in Mark chapter six and Matthew chapter fourteen is a prophetic revelation of the current state of the world and the Savior’s intercession.

Mar 6:47-51 And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land. And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them. But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out: For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid. And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered.

The toil of rowing is symbolic of man’s struggle in this life. The futility and hopelessness from cradle to grave
- The disciples had no hope of gaining any distance against such odds: “the wind was contrary unto them” verse 48. Satan is the “prince of the power of the air”; Eph 2:2
- We are a lavished generation living in a time when every comfort imagined is available to indulge in. It is hard to imagine the hardship of men and women’s lives prior to our own, let alone at the time of Christ’s advent. Though, from the very beginning, man was destined to work, the hardship and toil of life was not God’s original design for man. This was a result of sin.

Gen 3:19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

The fourth watch of the night is a key to understanding God’s prophetic calendar.

We understand that 1000 years are represented by a day.
- 2Pe 3:8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
It is also referred to as a watch in the night
- Psa 90:4 For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.
- The 12 hours of dark are divided into 4 watches; the fourth ending at sunrise

Mat 4:16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.

The darkness shows the spiritual state of the world: both Jew and Gentile.

All of mankind is exemplified in this account. Though the Jew had the Oracles of God, they had apostate from it in part by the religious leaders who had added to it to suit their own end.

Mat 23:1 Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,

Mat 23:2 Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat:

Mat 23:3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.

[For a more in depth study of the darkness, see the article:
How great is that darkness!]

Our Deliverer, though not affected by our storms, nonetheless, is touched by our infirmities.

“..and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them” verse 48

Eph 1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

Eph 1:19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

Eph 1:20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,

Eph 1:21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:

Eph 1:22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church.

He first sees: verse 48. He then comes, assures the disciples, enters in fellowship, and calms the storm.

What the future holds for the world and its multitudes of lost people.

Just as it was at Christ’s first advent, the world will become darker, The winds of change, tribulation, and trials will blow harder, and men will continue to reject the light. Just as the disciples were afraid and thought that their salvation was just a ghost; Mark.6:49, the world will not comprehend nor understand that their salvation is nigh. They will even reject such hope and help; John 1:5. “darkness comprehended it not.”.

What can God’s people expect going forward.

We still have a Savior who is not affected by the storms; He is one who can speak peace to our troubled souls. He can also calm the storms of life. Jesus will do all that while condescending to our low estate.

Is Jesus in your boat? All mankind is on a journey called life in which their boat will one day reach that eternal shore. But for most of the world Jesus won’t be with them.

When engulfed by the terror of the tempestuous sea,-

Unknown waves before you roll;

At the end of doubt and peril is eternity,-

Though fear and conflict seize your soul:

When surrounded by the blackness of the darkest night,

O how lonely death can be;

At the end of this long tunnel is a shining light,

For death is swallowed up in victory!

But just think of stepping on shore-and finding it Heaven!

Of touching a hand-and finding it God’s!

Of breathing new air and finding it celestial!

Of waking up in glory-and finding it home!

Finally Home, By Don Wyrtzen and L. E. Singer