What if the Lord came and nobody noticed?
Preterism, which comes from the Latin word, praeteritus, meaning “past” or “gone by,” is a position held by a growing number of evangelicals who claim that most, if not all, biblical predictions have already been fulfilled in conjunction with the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. Futurism holds that future events will yet be fulfilled, including the rapture of the church, the sevenyear Tribulation period, the second coming of Christ to judge the earth, His reign on earth for 1000 years, and the final eternal state.
Among preterists, there are three points of view: mild, moderate, and extreme. Mild preterism holds that events in the book of the Revelation were fulfilled within the first 300 years, as God judged Israel and Rome. Moderate preterists believe that nearly all prophecy was fulfilled in the A.D. 70 destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans. Extreme preterists believe that all Bible prophecy was fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, with no future second coming or bodily resurrection.
Preterist prooftexts
Matthew 10:23 “But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.” Preterists understand this to mean that before the disciples could cover the boundaries of Palestine, Jesus would return in judgment by means of the Roman army in A.D. 70. The reality is that when Israel nationally rejected the message of deliverance, Jesus turned to individuals with the gospel. The Lord was looking past His pending death and resurrection to a time of tribulation that would culminate in Israel’s acceptance of their King—a necessary occurrence before His return to earth.
Matthew 16:27-28 “For the Son of man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and then He shall reward every man according to his works. Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in His kingdom.” Because Jesus indicated some “shall not taste death” but would see Him come in His kingdom, preterists contend this to be further proof that He returned in A.D. 70. However, futurists believe this occurred on the Mount of Transfiguration when Jesus took Peter, James, and John to the top of a mountain “and was transfigured before them,” His face shining as bright as the sun and His clothing impeccably white (Mt. 17:4). Peter later referred to this experience as being “eyewitnesses of His majesty” (2 Pet. 1:16), indicating that the transfiguration was a representation of how Christ would appear in His second coming. Two distinct events are referred to in Matthew 16:27 and 28. Verse 27 refers to the future second coming of Christ, while verse 28, separated from verse 27 by the phrase, “Verily I say unto you,” was fulfilled at the transfiguration only a week after Christ told of these events.
Matthew 24:34 “Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” Both futurists and preterists recognize the Olivet discourse as the context of Israel’s rejection of their Messiah. Both agree the destruction of the temple described in Matthew 24:2, “There shall not be left here one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down,” was carried out by the Romans in A.D. 70. However, at this point futurists and preterists diverge in their understanding of prophetic events. Because Matthew 24:34 indicates “all these things” will take place before “this generation”ends, preterists hold that all other events, including false messiahs, persecutions, famines, earthquakes, wars, false prophets, and increased iniquity, were also fulfilled in the days surrounding A.D. 70 (see Mt. 24:4-14). Futurists understand “this generation” is determined by the timing of the events described as “all these things.” In other words, Jesus is saying that the generation alive when “all these things” begin to happen will still be alive when they are completed. As Dr. Darrell Bock says in his notes on Luke 9:51-24:53, “the generation that sees the beginning of the end, also sees its end.”
Preterists also claim that references in Revelation to events “shortly taking place” or “occurring quickly” prove the author expected prophecy to be fulfilled sooner, rather than later. However, an examination of the word tachos, translated “quickly,” shows that it can be used to mean “soon” or “shortly,” as applied by preterists, or it can be used to mean “quickly” or “suddenly,” describing not when but how Christ will return. John Walvoord, in his book, The Revelation of Jesus Christ, explains it this way: “The idea is not that the event may occur soon, but that when it does, it will be sudden.” Even if we understand the word “quickly” to mean “soon,” we must also remember the words of Peter in 2 Peter 3:8, “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”
One of the glaring errors of preterism is the selection of a relatively few Bible passages to support its position, while ignoring many other Bible passages that clearly point to a futuristic interpretation of eschatology. Preterists often point to three passages in Matthew (10:23; 16:28; 24:34), and to three terms of “timing” used in Revelation (“soon,” “near,” and “I come”), to prove that events prophesied in the New Testament were fulfilled close to the date the actual prophesies were given. But the preterist’s approach forces a strained interpretation of vast numbers of Bible passages, while avoiding obvious questions such as, “When during the historical siege and destruction of Jerusalem (Mt. 23:39), did Israel look to the Lord Jesus and say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord’?”
Alarming implications
According to preterist doctrine, God has no future plan for Israel, blessings meant originally for Israel have been transferred to the church, the great tribulation took place at the fall of Israel, the Antichrist is a term that describes apostasy prior to the fall of Jerusalem, the Beast of Revelation was a symbol of Nero, there is no separation between the rapture and the second coming, the millennium is going on now, and the new creation has already begun.
The viewpoint of preterism that prophetic events have been fulfilled forces a conclusion that much of the New Testament applies only to believers living between the death of Christ and the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. Consequently, believers living in the church age are without Scripture instructing them how to live victoriously in Christ while waiting for His return. An example is Titus 2:12-13. Most preterists believe the expectation of Titus 2:13, “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ,” refers to the coming of Christ in A.D. 70. This means that it was a blessed hope only for those living before the destruction of Jerusalem. A potentially disastrous implication is that the connecting admonition of verse 12 to “live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world” must also refer to the age ending in A.D. 70. Preterism leaves the church without anchor or rudder.
According to preterists, the binding of Satan for 1000 years, as described in Revelation 20:1-3, has already taken place. If this is true, then commands pertaining to our spiritual warfare such as “resist the devil and he will flee from you” (Jas. 4:7) and the explanation given in Ephesians 6:12 do not apply to believers in the church today. If Ephesians 6:12 does not apply to believers today, then neither does verse 13 which says, “take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” Preterism leaves the church without weapon or victory.
Remembering and anticipating
The Bible certainly instructs the church of Jesus Christ to look back in remembrance to what Christ has accomplished on the cross, but the Bible also encourages the church to look forward in joyful anticipation of His return. Preterism offers no such hope.
Thomas Ice, Has Bible Prophecy Already Been Fulfilled? (Conservative Theological Journal, 2000) Darrell L. Bock, Luke 9:51-24:53 (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1996), p.1691-92
Randall Price, Preterism (Israel My Glory, Jan.-Feb. 2005)
Pre-trib Research Center: http://www.pre-trib.org