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An Interview with Pete and Rachel Wrue
by T. J. Smith
This article appeared in the 2024 Spring issue of Fulfilled! Magazine
I called Pete and Rachel Wrue last week (WHAT?!?! A REAL PHONE CALL WITH REAL VOICES?!) Yes, I went “Old School” and actually heard their voices. I think I’ll do that more often. Kinda nice. I have been seeing their name and book promotions on Facebook, and something seemed familiar. I checked my sales record and yep, they had bought a copy of The Last Semite back in the summer. Well, (chuckle) anyone who has that type of taste and intelligence to purchase my book (shameless plug—sorry) must have something brilliant to convey in their own writings! I wanted to share their responses in this issue. Next issue I will share how Pilate got his answer to “What Is Truth?”
TJ: Pete and Rachael, thanks to both of you for taking time to answer questions about your latest book. First, tell the readers about yourselves.
Pete: Well, I’m a musician, my main instrument is drums (I also play bass, piano and guitar) and work as a purchaser and supervisor. Rachael is disabled and stays at home. She has Cystic Fibrosis and other painful and debilitating conditions including Palmar Fasciitis and Pudendal Neuralgia. We have been married for 10 years, and live in Rochester, NY.
TJ: When and how did you both conclude preterism was the most accurate way to interpret prophecy? Were there certain books that opened you up to this? And who are some of the teachers you each enjoy learning from? Did you both arrive at this together or did one of you follow the other down that path?
Rachael: I led the way on our eschatological journey, when I started to question the pre-trib rapture teaching and became post-trib shortly before we were married. Within a couple of years, I studied the millennium further and became amillennial. I learned about preterism through amillennialism, as many amillennialists are partial preterists. I wrestled with Matthew 24 for a while, and in 2018 discovered the debate between Steve Gregg and Don Preston, and through Brian Martin’s video “You’ve Gotta Be Kidding, Right?” I later read Matthew 24 Fulfilled by John Bray and Behind the Veil of Moses, also by Brian Martin. I was then convinced and became a full preterist by the end of 2018.
Pete: It took me longer. I was with her every step until she came to full preterism. In early 2019 we drove out to Pennsylvania and met with Ed and Beth Stevens, and they helped me get through 2 Peter 3 and gave us resources to further help us understand the view. After this I was still struggling a bit and started to read When Shall These Things Be? by Keith Mathison, but when I read House Divided by Mike Sullivan, Ed Hassertt, and David Green, I found answers to my questions. I saw the “arguments” against preterism and found that they actually proved the preterist view. It was later that year when I adopted full preterism. There are many teachers we enjoy learning from including David Curtis, Ed Stevens, Gary DeMar, Bob Cruickshank Jr., Mike Sullivan, and Don Preston to name a few.
TJ: Kirk Cameron wrote your foreword. So naturally, I want to know the backstory. Is he partial preterist, full preterist, just a friend doing a favor, brother-in-law?
Pete: I met Kirk in 2005 when he spoke at my Church. I was on the worship team and met him in the prayer room before service. Then in 2022 we were reacquainted through a mutual friend. We can’t speak for him as to what he believes today, but we can tell you he is not a dispensational premillennialist. Kirk is incredibly smart and loves to study the Word, and after further study came to a different conclusion than what he was originally taught. So, we know he has left behind “Left Behind.” In early 2023, we told him about our new book, and he agreed to write the foreword for us.
TJ: Do the two of you have plans to write more, produce a podcast or video ministry? What are you serving up next on the ministry menu?
Pete: I would like to write a third book that shows all the errors of dispensationalism and end that view once and for all. We would also like to put out some short videos in the future and have them on our website.
TJ: What is your church background? Do you still attend a local body and, if so, are they open/tolerant of your views?
Pete: I was raised Catholic and eventually became a Creaster (attending church on Christmas and Easter). Later, some friends shared the gospel, and I accepted Christ in 2001. Rachael was not brought up with any specific religion and became a Christian later in life. We still attend the Assembly of God church that I began going to after I first got saved. Most do not agree with our position (including our Pastor) and will not engage with us on eschatology. But we have reached a few friends locally who have read our book and have become preterists.
TJ: If you could wave a magic wand within the preterist community, what would you get rid of, and what would you bestow? Along with that, what do you think is the best method for preterists sharing the complete victory of Yeshua among futurist believers?
Pete: We both feel that preterists should not divide on certain topics (Hell, Resurrection, etc.) and that we should unite on our common ground, that all prophecy has been fulfilled in Christ, and that He did everything He came to do. We should all come together to dispel the myth of dispensationalism and get our fellow Christians out of that deceptive system. We personally feel the best method for sharing preterism with futurists is our first book The Return of Christ: Why are we still waiting? We developed the book based on our experience of sharing the view. The book was written in the order that we would present the view, for example, we would start with the problem, then ask are we living in the last days, and then move on to time statements, audience relevance, etc.
TJ: How can readers support your ministry?
Pete: You can visit our website: https://www.endtimes-explained.com/ to purchase our books (free shipping), or on Amazon.
TJ: Thanks for sharing your journey. Blessings to both of you! Any last comment?
Pete: Our first book is a great tool to share full preterism. Our latest book shows all the end times views which can educate futurists. We are trying to educate others on the different positions, allowing them to make an informed decision. This book includes full preterism and gives it a fair representation whereas other books do not, and we address preterist interpretations that were not in our first book (millennium, Man of Sin, etc.). We also wanted to show the history of church doctrines and bridge the gap between the different positions.
Comments:
Martin Jamieson | July 19, 2024 | |
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Martin Jamieson | July 18, 2024 | |
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Dr. Byron Loyd | March 13, 2024 | |
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(Ephesians 4:15)