Don Preston "The coming of the City, the New Heavens and Earth, and the Tabernacle, the Wedding, are all clearly corporate ideas, and do not speak of individualistic concepts. They are depicted as occurring at a singular, punctiliar point in time, not as every human who accepts Christ dies. There is, LAMENTABLY, an attempt on the part of some to make virtually all Biblical eschatological predictions a referent to personal salvation, Christ’s coming at the point of death, etc.. However, the Day of the Lord is not an individualistic concept, but an objective, corporate reality. YHVH came in judgment of nations, in concrete historical events (cf. Isaiah 19; 34, Ezekiel 29f, etc.). Christ’s coming on the clouds, with the angels, in judgment of Israel for shedding innocent blood (Matthew 23-24), can hardly be applied individualistically. To seek to mitigate this indisputable fact by conceding that it was a providential coming, is, in reality, to abandon the individualistic emphasis. Christ’s coming, so far as I can determine, is never applied to an individual’s death. It is a lamentable theological fabrication to claim otherwise."
eschatology.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=622&Itemid=61
(2 Timothy 4:6-8) For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day (NOT 70AD, Paul is referring to his martyrdom which was obviously before 70AD. But Don believes Paul waited 2-4 years to receive his crown.) ; and not only to me, but also to ALL who have loved His appearing (NOT 70AD).
(Philippians 2:14-18) Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain. But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all. You too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me.
Only Don Preston can read these two passages and think in terms of "perverse generation" as those living prior to 70AD rather than those who are of the world. Only Don Preston can write off Paul's death and make it about the destruction of Jerusalem. Only Don Preston can say Paul never had physical death in mind yet. See here.
