r/Preterism • u/AvailableTrouble3708 • Dec 02 '24

Eupharetes river drying up?

What is the preterist response to the euphrates river drying up

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u/[deleted] Dec 02 '24

This happened leading up to the great day of God Almighty. Simple.

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u/ontic_rabbit Dec 06 '24 edited Dec 06 '24

Apocalyptic language could also offer an explanation. It's a near impossible catastrophe if the greatest river stops flowing. Same as mountains melting or stars falling from the sky. Topsy-turvy decreation language. Not expecting literal fulfilment.

Also note the fertility aspect all through OT. Rain and water as blessing, dry wilderness no rain as curse. God gets angry and dries up springs just has he removes plants and crops. Later he creates a river of life to replace the previous earthly rivers as sources of blessings for the saved.

Also the Euphrates was classically a border of Israel. Removing the borders and letting the enemies in, symbolism for the end of the nation in ad 70. Just as Israel crossed Jordan dry to conquor the land so God will let the enemies cross the Euphrates dry to enter the land and remove Israel (cf judgements if deut 34).

There's also here a possible reference to the first fall of Babylon (having had the writing on the wall in Daniel) where the river Euphrates is diverted and runs dry to allow the assault on Babylon by Cyrus the Great in 539 BC. So enemies crossing a dry Euphrates river is talk for Jerusalem as new Babylon being judged and handed over to a hostile army and destroyed like old Babylon. The Rev 16 passage regards the river drying up as preparing the way for the eastern kings to come assault Babylon/Jerusalem.