We’ve heard so much braggadocio and boasting about “large numbers” that we thought a little refresher course might be helpful. First, we’re not opposed to large numbers; we simply don’t glory in them for the sake of quantity over quality of exegesis.
One Man
God is quite skilled in the wise use of resources. When he created the world, he only needed one man. He didn’t wasted a single spec of dust in the creation of man. After forming one man, rather than repeat the process he rather chose to recycle part of what he had already created to make the woman. What’s the net result? “And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth…” (Acts 17:24)
Eight Souls
It is highly likely that the world looked at Noah and mocked him for building such a large boat and believing it would rain forty days and forty nights. After all, the majority must have been correct. Their numbers were larger. Not! “And did not spare the ancient world, but save Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly. ” (2 Peter 2:5)
Four Souls
Not only did the people mock in Lot’s day, even his sons-in-law laughed him to scorn and sided with the majority. “And delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked…(2 Peter 2:7)
One Seed of Abraham
Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,’ as of many, but as of one, ‘And to your Seed,’ who is Christ.” (Gal. 3:16)
70 Souls
We must always beware of the small numbers. 70 souls went down into Egypt. A multitude came out, and they brought a huge number from Egypt with them. Did it happen overnight? No, Israel sojourned in Egypt 215 years.
Covenant eschatology has only been preached for about 40 to 50 years, starting with a handful of men. We are working against a 1900 plus year old giant of tradition in futurist eschatology who sleeps very soundly and becomes very irritated when awakened. Would it have been fair to judge Israel by size when they first entered Egypt?Give us another 150 years and let’s revisit this issue. Time is definitely on our side! It’s not like the world is going to end soon! Ha! Ha!
God Loves The Few
The Gentiles could have made a very “strong” argument about being right because they outnumbered Israel. God would not have given it much countenance. “The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples;” (Deut. 7:6)
God Choose To Save By A Few
“And the Lord said to Gideon, ‘The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved.’ “Now therefore, proclaim in the hearing of the people, saying, ‘Whoever is fearful and afraid, let him turn and depart at once from Mount Gilead,’ And twenty-two thousand of the people returned, and ten thousand remained. (Deut. 20:8)
Now here, we get a glimpse of why some who do God’s work have smaller numbers. It takes lots of courage. God sent the weak-hearts home. According to some, he should have made the numbers larger to impress the Midianites with their size! Yes, that would have really scared the Midianites if they saw they were outnumbered. God’s thoughts are not our thoughts, nor are his ways our ways.
Many full preterists I know could tell stories of men who believe the full preterist view, but who will not preach it for this reason or that. In fact, the way Don Preston and I met was through someone who believed the full preterist view but said he would never teach it because he was too close to retirement.
Others feared losing their pulpits and we know such reasons yet exist today. They do not want the stigma nor the consequences of accepting this view.
Others are waiting until the numbers pendulum swings in the opposite direction. Others are seriously and honestly yet studying until they are fully convinced. But we have nothing to worry about. As long as there is Dispensationalism and Partial Preterism, Covenant Eschatology will never lack for a constant influx of courageous and intelligent warriors.
After doing a quick assessment of this drastically reduced number, God yet avoided the appeal to numbers similar to that made by some partial preterists and other futurists. “But the Lord said to Gideon, ‘The people are still too many; I will test them for you there. Then it will be that of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ the same shall go with you; and of whomever I say to you, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ the same shall not go.” …Then the Lord said to Gideon, ‘By the three hundred men who lapped I will save you , and deliver the Midianites into your hand. Let all the other people go, every man to his place.”(Judg. 7:4-7)
Be Encouraged
We know that there are many full preterists scattered around the country and abroad who feel lonely, isolated, rejected, scorned, and are treated with contempt. Some are marginalized and muzzled with the threat of being kicked out of their congregations if they breathe a word about Christ having returned in AD 70. Others have been fired and so scarred emotionally that they never want to preach or teach again or even attend a congregation.
Some full preterists who had promising careers and “bright futures” have had their careers derailed forcing them to scratch and scrape for a living for choosing quality over quantity and believing the latter will in due time resolve itself. All full preterists have the choice to leave the movement for the “greener pastures” of large numbers orthodoxy.