Ranko Stefanoviches
preteristic understanding of the coronation of Christ at the ascension and the Adventist solution
The difference between
the Messiah as a Lamb and Messiah as a Lion is at stake here, as is presented in the
Old Testament and supported by Christ in His explanations to His disciples but
failed to get Judas Iscariot’s understanding on it.
Ranko as source is
problematic regardless how much we like him as a person or personality. He
misunderstood the first few chapters Revelation or chose to represent the
Preteristic understanding of the ascension = coronation of Christ. The
jubilation of the Christ of grace was at the ascension, not the glorified
Christ as King of Glory, which the Book of Revelation 11:15-17 (please consult
the Greek) says that it occurs only after the sounding of the seventh trumpet
[which is the last at the Second Coming]!
So Ranko and Reformists
or Calvinists et al cannot be correct with their immediate King of Christ at
the ascension.
There is a handing over
of glory and kingship scene by the Father to Christ after the Investigative
Judgment. The Greek says in Rev. 11:17 “He took it” at the 7th trumpet (verse
15).
It is also worth looking
at that Ranko admitted that he wrote this commentary with a wider than
Adventist audience in mind, which would include also the Preterists. Thus,
utilizing him as source in Adventism is a very risky aspect and already incurred
a number of contra-writings against his interpretation of Revelation 4-6 of
which I have in my emails.
Bottomline: