A.D. 70: Preterism’s Prophetic Dead End
In recent years a system of interpreting biblical prophecy known as Preterism has invaded the church, bringing confusion and division to many congregations that have historically held to the future return of Jesus Christ.
Promoted by popular radio teachers, such as Reformed scholar R. C. Sproul, whose book The Last Days According to Jesus advances the moderate preterist position, Preterism has made inroads into evangelical seminaries and stimulated public debates on Bible college campuses. Although most Christians have never heard of the teachings of Preterism, its approach to prophecy diminishes the prophetic hope of the church while undermining the basis of the prophetic promises for Israel.
What Is Preterism?
Derived from the latin word preter (“past”), Preterism holds that most, if not all, of the prophetic events of the Old and New Testaments have already been fulfilled. Like historicism, which interprets the book of Revelation as symbolic of church history, Preterism spiritualizes prophecy to make it fit historical events in the Church Age. However, unlike historicism, Preterism seeks to fit certain, if not all, prophecies relating to Christ’s Second Coming and Israel’s restoration into a specific historical event in the past.
As moderate preterist Kenneth l. Gentry, Jr., explains, “Matthew 24:1–34 (and parallels) in the Olivet Discourse was fulfilled in the events surrounding the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. In Revelation, most of the prophecies before Revelation 20 find fulfillment in the fall of Jerusalem.”1
Preterists contend that Jesus’ use of the phrase this generation in His Olivet Discourse requires fulfillment in the first century; R. C. Sproul, in particular, argues that Christ’s words failed unless this interpretation is adopted.
By contrast, Futurism (what we believe) maintains that the literal fulfillment of Messianic prophecy in Christ’s First Advent confirms that His prophetic teaching must also be interpreted literally. Thus the Olivet Discourse and the Revelation will find fulfillment in the future, particularly during the Tribulation and Christ’s Millennial reign.
Two types of Preterism today contend with each other for primacy. Partial, or Moderate, Preterism is the most popular version. Although it argues that most prophecy (such as the events of the Tribulation) was fulfilled in A.D. 70, it still understands that some prophetic teachings, like Christ’s second Coming and the bodily resurrection, have a future fulfillment.
Partial Preterism, therefore, holds to two second Comings: one that occurred in A.D. 70 as a parousia (Greek, “coming” or “advent”) and Day of the lord for the purpose of judging the Jewish nation and one that will occur universally at the climax of human history as the final and ultimate Day of the Lord.
Leading advocates of Partial Preterism who have published popular defenses of their position include R. C. Sproul, Gary DeMar, and Kenneth L. Gentry Jr., as well as the late David Chilton, who changed to Full Preterism after his books were published.
Full, or extreme, Preterism contends that all prophecy (including Christ’s Second Coming and bodily resurrection) was fulfilled by A.D. 70.
Full Preterism maintains that believers have been spiritually resurrected and the creation spiritually restored, so the church presently exists in the eternal state of the new heavens and new earth.
According to Thomas Ice, executive director of the Pre-Trib Research Center and one of the foremost experts on Preterism, there is no evidence of any preterist interpretation in the history of the early church through the Reformation.2
Preterism’s View of Israel
Preterism teaches that Christ came in A.D. 70 to judge Israel and end the Jewish age.
Like historicists, preterists argue that the promises made to Israel were misunderstood as national promises. Therefore, when Israel rejected Christ, these “spiritual” promises passed to the church, the “true Israel.”
Preterism, however, which forces the fulfillment of most prophetic texts, particularly the fall of Jerusalem and the Temple, into the events of the First Jewish Revolt, views the destruction of the Jewish people as the central focus of prophecy.
As preterist David Chilton stated,
The Book of Revelation is not about the second coming of Christ. It is about the destruction of Israel and Christ’s victory over His enemies in the establishment of the New Covenant temple….Revelation prophesies the judgment of God on apostate Israel; and while it does briefly point to events beyond its immediate concerns, that is done merely as a “wrap-up,” to show that the ungodly will never prevail against Christ’s Kingdom.3
For preterists, the Jewish people are the true enemies of Christ; and their overthrow by the Roman army, sent by Christ to do His bidding, is the triumph of Christ over Antichrist. In fact, they say, Christ came spiritually in the judgment by the Roman army (hence, a judgment-coming), fulfilling His promise “to come quickly.”
The Jewish Temple is likewise seen as the center of spiritual apostasy and its destruction as the fulfillment of the abomination of desolation, which was God’s holy judgment for the wicked crucifixion of Christ by the Jews.
Preterists, therefore, reject any aspect of a future for ethnic Israel (apart from the church) and contend that any eschatological system that looks for a restoration of Israel and its Temple is heretical, for such would be tantamount to rejecting Christ and restoring blasphemy.
Preterist Gary DeMar explains:
There is nothing in Jesus’ teaching in this Gospel [Matthew] which suggests that after this period of judgment there will be a restoration….The Apocalyptic Discourse (ch. 24) moves away from Jerusalem….Does the Bible, especially the New Testament, predict that the temple will be rebuilt? It does not….To make the temple of stone a permanent structure in the light of Jesus’ atoning work would be a denial of the Messiah and His redemptive mission.4
Preterism’s Problems
(1) The Date of the Book of Revelation
For the prophecies of Revelation to fit into the Roman conquest of Jerusalem, it is necessary to date the composition of the book before A.D. 70.
Preterists understand the necessity of dating the book early in Nero’s reign (A.D. 64–67), confessing, “If the book was written after A.D. 70, then its contents manifestly do not refer to events surrounding the fall of Jerusalem.”5
However, if dating the book was so crucial to its interpretation, why did not the apostle John clearly indicate somewhere in its 404 verses the time of its writing? However, as Mark Hitchcock, who wrote a doctoral dissertation on the subject, concluded, “I do believe that the case for the late date (A.D. 95) can be proven at least by a preponderance of the evidence, if not beyond a reasonable doubt.”6
This evidence includes the external testimony of the most reliable early church fathers, such as Irenaeus (A.D. 120–202), who made the unambiguous declaration, “For if it were necessary that the name of him [Antichrist] should be distinctly revealed in this present time, it would have been told by him who saw the apocalyptic vision. For it [the Revelation] was seen no long time ago, but almost in our generation, toward the end of Domitian’s reign.”7
In addition, the internal evidence favors the late date in the time of Domitian. This support includes (1) the condition and description of the seven churches in Revelation 1—3, which make no mention of Paul’s missionary journeys; (2) John’s banishment to Patmos, rather than execution, as with Peter and Paul under Nero; and (3) the prophecy of the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:9—22:5), which implies that the old Jerusalem has already been destroyed.
(2) Lack of Historical Agreement With First-Century Fulfillment
If Preterism’s interpretation of prophecy were correct, the historical record should support details. However, the opposite is the case.
For example, the direction of Christ’s advent to Jerusalem (Mt. 24:27) is compared with lightning flashing from east to west. But the Roman army, which preterists interpret as fulfilling this prophecy, advanced on Jerusalem from west to east. even if we take this simply to mean the Roman army advanced “like lightning” (i.e., quickly), history reveals a very slow assault on Jerusalem; the war lasted several years before Jerusalem was even besieged!
In many cases a “correlation” can only be made through the eschatologically biased interpretation of first-century historian Flavius Josephus, such as (1) associating divine signs with the Roman army’s impending conquest; (2) reinterpreting the text to fit the preferred historical data, such as taking “the clouds of heaven” as the dust kicked up by the Roman army’s advance; or (3) taking statements that do not fit the historical events, such as the unprecedented and unsurpassed nature of the Tribulation, as hyperbole in order to claim first-century fulfillment.
Even the central concept of Preterism—that Christ’s judgment-coming was to end the Jewish nation—cannot stand in light of Judaism’s continued vitality and the modern State of Israel.
The historical consequences for Israel in the aftermath of A.D. 70 were indeed critical. But the Jewish people and Jewish nationalism not only survived, but hope for the restoration promised by the prophets increased. Moreover, the “Temple consciousness,” perpetuated through rabbinic Judaism’s spiritual transference to the synagogue, also expressed itself in tangible ways.
Whenever circumstances favored rebuilding the Temple, there were Jewish activists who returned to Jerusalem to attempt it. Today the Roman empire is long vanished; but the Jewish people are again in the Promised land, in control of the Holy City and its Temple Mount, and making plans to rebuild the Temple.
Is it reasonable to accept the events of A.D. 70 as a fulfillment of God’s program for the Jews but not accept these subsequent events as also part of His ongoing divine plan? A futurist interpretation agrees much better with Jesus’ statement in the Olivet Discourse that, when He comes, the Jewish people are to “look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near” (Lk. 21:28). Clearly this text teaches that Christ’s Second Coming involves Israel’s redemption, not destruction.
As a result of such historical and textual incongruities, Robert Gundry commented concerning the preterist interpretation of a first-century fulfillment:
Whether writing just before, right at, or just after 70 C.E., Mark [or any of the other gospel writers] is not liable to have suffered from very much ignorance of what went on. From beginning to end, then, the events and circumstances of the Jewish war disagree with the text of Mark [also Matthew and, in part, luke] too widely to allow that text to reflect those events and circumstances.8
If the historical correlation with an A.D. 70 fulfillment for the Olivet Discourse fails, and Preterism depends on such a fulfillment for the maintenance of its eschatological system, then Preterism itself fails as a viable eschatological interpretation.
The Dangers of Preterism
Every teaching has consequences for the spiritual life. Therefore, the teachings of Preterism must be considered for their practical dangers.
Preterism teaches that Christ has already returned (spiritually) and, in its extreme form, that He will never return again bodily. However, the divine declaration in Acts 1:11, “This same Jesus…will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven,” contradicts both Partial and Full Preterism.
The teaching then is false. It not only distorts the prophetic program and denies the blessed hope (Ti. 2:13) but promotes the deception that there will be no end to history, that evil has been eradicated from the world (Full Preterism), and that believers now live in the eternal state.
Such false doctrine also prevents Christians from obeying the manifold commands of scripture directed to those awaiting Christ’s coming (1 Th. 1:10). Practical admonitions given in light of Christ’s return—such as “awake…walk [behave] properly” (Rom. 13:11–13; cf. 1 Th. 5:4–10); “live soberly [sensibly], righteously, and godly” (Ti. 2:12); and live in purity (1 Jn. 3:3)—have no meaning to those who believe His coming is past.
Preterism also corrupts the understanding of the present work of Satan and his demons by teaching Satan was crushed and bound at the cross and that apostasy is a thing of the past. Yet Scripture states that our struggle is “against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12); “the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one” (1 Jn. 5:19); and “in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons” (1 Tim. 4:1).
How then can Christians obey such commands as “Resist the devil” (Jas. 4:7; cf. 1 Pet. 5:9) and “from such people [apostates] turn away!” (2 Tim. 3:5)?
Moreover, the preterist approach to prophecy affects the way Christians understand God’s purpose for the Jewish nation and their political views toward the existence of the modern Jewish state. Preterism replaces Israel with the church, teaching that “ethnic Israel was excommunicated for its apostasy and will never again be God’s Kingdom.”9
If Israel’s future salvation and restoration (Rom. 11:25–27) in God’s program is abrogated, so, too, is God’s promised blessing for the world (Rom. 11:12) in fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant (Gen. 12:3).
The apostle Peter summed up the divine verdict toward Preterism when he wrote, “scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming?’” (2 Pet. 3:3–4). Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
ENDNOTES
- Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr., He Shall Have Dominion: A Postmillennial Eschatology (Tyler, TX: Institute for Christian Economics, 1992), 159.
- Thomas Ice, “The History of Preterism,” The End Times Controversy, ed. Tim LaHaye and Thomas Ice (Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 2003), 42–46.
- David Chilton, Paradise Restored: An Eschatology of Dominion (Tyler, TX: Reconstruction Press, 1985), 43.
- R. Gary DeMar, Last Days Madness: Obsession of the Modern Church, 4th ed. (Atlanta: American Vision, 1999), 52, 61.
- R. C. Sproul, The Last Days According to Jesus (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1998), 140.
- Mark Hitchcock, “The Stake in the Heart—The A.D. 95 Date of Revelation,” The End Times Controversy, 125.
- Irenaeus, Against Heresies, 5.30.3.
- Robert H. Gundry, Mark (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1993), 755.
- Chilton, 224.
“As you see him go” and “he will return” was not about his body but about coming in the “clouds” as He left” in the clouds”. You should study exactly what the term “coming in the clouds” means.
God bless you and I pray your heart and spirit will be opened to the truth of Jesus promise to return to His generation.
No. The terminology “son of man” means and demands a distinctly human body, lest we’d read of the “sons of god,” but just as what ascended in the fullness of the Messiah, fully God AND fully Man, that also shall return in like manner, and not some gnosticized merely angelic being that neither eats nor drinks as we do. His physical body is glorified, the same body He told the weaker vessels to stay away from because it had not yet been glorified as surmisably they would have continued defiling Him Who is Most Holy and to be praised despite the willingness of the Fall of All Creation to believe lies and to promulgate them. This is why He reserved the particular “son of man” title for Himself:
“Son of Man emerged from the Hellenistic concept of the ‘divine man’ (ἀνὴρ θεῖος, anēr theios), but the phrase Son of God is never used in the Graeco-Roman texts to express this concept” (Fuller, The Foundations, 32, 69).
Alex Ramos, “Jesus Christ, Titles of,” ed. John D. Barry et al., The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016).
I agree with you about GAB Edward. Lots of hate and I deleted the app and refuse to participate in all the Jew hating replacement theology. As to preterism, I have found the subject of much interest but cannot adopt it as a replacement for futurism. Too many scriptures that I cant get around. BUT I do enjoy its spiritual interpretations to many scriptures. I believe that there is a lot of truth in the theology but not to the exclusion of a literal interpretation as well. I believe its BOTH. Many scriptures have double fulfillment’s and we would do well to understand that Jesus is reigning already and will come to reign. The kingdom of God is both here and coming. But alas, there is no reason to argue and hate over who supposedly understands scripture better. Its not as if God is clapping at this squabbling and makes us no better than the disciples squabbling over who would be the greatest in heaven. Even they didn’t understand what Jesus meant when He said He’d raise the temple up in 3 days. No need for condemnation. God bless us all with teachable hearts to know Him.
What about all of the things being fulfilled now… in 2022? One world govt and one world religion in progress. Cashless society coming. Russia, turkey, Iran alliance. End times deception rampant. Lawlessness, Homosexuality accepted as lifestyle. Ruining the earth with pollution by greedy companies.
Thank you so much for this article.
Based on my basic knowledge of preterism, the following can debunk preterism.
Connect the dots of the 6th Seal from Revelation 6, and as mentioned by Peter in Acts 2, who references Joel, as well as Jesus. Yes, Jesus mentioned the 6th Seal. This will stump the preterists, big time.
Read Acts 2:13-20.
I need everyone’s attention that Peter just mentioned the 6th Seal here, as mentioned in the last part of Revelation Chapter 6, IN CONJUNCTION WITH the 144000 Jews being SEALED with the Holy Spirit in the beginning part of Revelation chapter 7. They are the ones also who are left behind to preach the gospel of Jesus after the rapture.
That is very important to note, and why? Because Jesus mentions the 6th Seal, as mentioned in the last part of Revelation 6 as well. He did not mention the 144000, as Peter did, but he did mention the LATTER PART of Revelation 7, whereas Peter just mentions the first part of Revelation 7. To wit:
Matthew 24:29
Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
Mark 13:24
But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,
Luke 21:25
And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;
And here is Revelation 6:
Revelation 6:12
And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
And here is Peter’s references to Joel:
Joel 2:10
The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining:
Joel 2:31
The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come.
Joel 3:15
The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining.
WHY do I concentrate so much on the 6th Seal? Because that is where Jesus STOPS in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21. There is absolutely NO MENTION of the 7th Seal of Revelation chapter 8-16. HOWEVER, Jesus does mention the LATTER PART of Revelation 7 right after the 6th Seal. To wit:
Matthew 24:31
And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
Mark 13:27
And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.
Luke 21 does not mention it, but Revelation 7:9-14 sure does. That is the end result of the rapture BEFORE the 7th Seal is opened.
And why is my mention of that so important?
Because Jesus never mentions the 7th Seal of Revelation, which begins in Revelation chapter 8, AT ALL. There is no discussion of it whatsoever. Therefore, 70 AD cannot be the eschatology that preterists claim, because, according to Jesus, believers are RAPTURED out before the opening of the 7th Seal.
Oh, but they want to discuss Matthew 25? Why? All it’s saying is UNTIL MY RETURN, WATCH, BE READY, SPREAD THE GOSPEL (The explanation of the Talents), AND TREAT PEOPLE RIGHT (give thirsty people water, visit in prison, etc). That’s the essence of Matthew 25. And if you don’t do those things…THEN…
But again, not one word about the 7th Seal did Jesus mention at all in his end times discussion with his disciples/apostles.
NOT A PEEP. Why? Because his believers WON’T BE HERE FOR IT. And that alone negates out preterism, all forms of it. Believers won’t be here for the Mark of the Beast, because that is within the 7th Seal.
Preterism is my latest kick to study, and I knew the basics of their beliefs, but I want to learn more, and you gave a very good explanation. Based on the basics, however, it’s easy to prove the scripturally wrong just by one reference in the book of Acts.
Something I encountered last night: When Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube began their hate to freedom and the Bill of Rights campaign, I, of course, began signing up for the alternative social media. One of them was GAB. At the time, it was too new, and didn’t have many people there. One of their default groups advertised when you sign up was a Christian group. And sometimes I get an email from GAB regarding current events of GAB, and one that I got just recently was in regards to Covid/Mark of Beast/End Days, which I don’t buy into, and neither did the article.
But once I read the article, it was clear that what they were espousing is that all of that took place in 70 AD.
So I engaged with the author, who is Michael Sullivan, a Soveriegn Grace Preterist, with education (I’m not impressed), and he blocked me. OK, no problem. But then I began seeing all sorts of conspiracy theories from those who hate Jews, and I thought, this is weird.
I made the mistake of responding to someone’s comment, and after that, the rats came out, and I felt like I was in a den of demons. I never seen so much hate in all my life, and it was directed at me, for believing in a future prophesy, but more so the hatred to Jews themselves, and yes, they were Preterists, and that was the reason for their hate towards the Jews. Their hate made me so sick to my stomach, and, as of today, I’ll never go back to GAB as a resource to social media.
Ed Chapman
Only one statement by one man Irenaeus that has been highly questioned is used to date the book of Revelation to 95 ad. Ambiguous statements like the one about e try to lead people to believe a lot of others also stated the same when the truth is they took one misread unclear statement and dated the book wrong. Internal evidence in Revelation clearly shows the temple was still standing when the book was written. So many half truths lead to futurism.
People who believe and accept any form of preterism by God’s own personal indictment call Him a liar, 1 John 5:10. In Revelation 1:7 that every eye will see Him as He is and how is He? By Jesus’ own evidence He is/has a physical albeit glorified body. The Holy Spirit, who only shares what He hears Father and Son say, spoke through Paul that one day national Israel would be saved. The prophets of the Old Testament are also made out to be all liars as they too prophesied the national salvation and restoration of Israel, ISRAEL and NOT the church. In order for any form of preterism to be correct and true they must aggregately rewrite the entire word of God. Those of us who know the premillennial pre-trib position to be absolutely the truth of God’s word know that no preterist belief and teaching will stand up to the scrutiny of Scripture as Jesus declared Scripture could not be broken. Preterists should be extremely thankful that it’s not a salvific issue as they would have thrown their salvation away a long time ago. Yet there is no doubt in my mind that some aren’t truly saved hence the reason they lack understanding. They are self-deceived as well as trying to deceive the weak-minded. Yet according to 2 Timothy 4:8 and Revelation 3:11 they have forfeited their eligibility for the crown associated with the correct timing of the rapture and being prepared for it in the prescribed manner. There’s also the warning of James 3:1 they will be held accountable for. We’re told not to associate with apostates; I won’t even associate with preterists. At best they’re saved heretics
It’s interesting to note that you would refuse to associate with RC Sproul who I would say is a very astute man of God who would not believe something so irrational as you say. RC Sproul, a saved heretic at best.
Great article love what is said about wonderful Israel
The Preterist view demonstrate more relevance to the biblical cultural context and provide a sensible framework for bible readers today.
Just wanted to comment that all the arguments against preterism here are not very strong arguments.” Preterists contend that Jesus’ use of the phrase this generation in His Olivet Discourse requires fulfillment in the first century; R. C. Sproul, in particular, argues that Christ’s words failed unless this interpretation is adopted.” You didn’t show what Jesus really meant by “this generation”. The fact is Jesus did in fact say “this generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled”. He also said some of his disciples would still be alive to see his second coming (matt 16:27-28). If Jesus meant another future generation I highly doubt that peter would have thought the end of all things was at hand (1 pet 4:7) or john “knew” he was in the last hour (1 john 2:18). A lot of verses show that peter, james, john and Paul thought they were living in the time when christ would return proving they thought they were that generation to see that fulfillment.
If the destruction of the temple in 70 wasn’t the end of the age then the disciples would have known that and wouldn’t have thought they were in the last hour or James in James 5:7-9 thought the coming of the Lord was near prior to ad 70. I didn’t get any solid arguments here. I only got you’re usual responses from futurists ” we didn’t see it so it didn’t happen” argument which doesn’t take away the fact that Jesus said he was coming back before that generation passed away, the disciples all said they were in the last days, they all said the return of christ was at the doors so either they were false prophets or it did happen in the first century. No offense!
Well said. I was just looking over my 101 verses that can be read in context that prove the first century Parousia.
If this didn’t happen we may as well pitch our bibles and “eat, drink, & be merry.”
I always put the “rapture” on the back burner as it made no sense and the context was flimsy at best and read into at heretical worst.
I’m not going to argue salvation at this point. We in the west especially have been taught a mans idea for so long it will take more time for some than others to see this.
When I met my pastor we had a good conversation about were I was in my walk and then when he showed me in context the “many of you standing here today shall not taste death.”. My response ?
So either these people found a very strong acme brand soap, shampoo, and deodorant, or he came back when he said.
Again, I won’t argue salvation I am open to show the verses that opened my (spiritual) eyes so people can see for themselves. Some won’t.
I know at least one person who doesn’t like the term Preterist as it isn’t the best term. He is a retired pastor (in his 80s).
The Bible Answer Man was called out by a friend of mine (happened to be listening) this gentleman denies that and stated another adjective I can’t remember off the top of my head.
Well I’ll probably read a few more posts but not sure if I’ll respond to any.
Alan is exactly right. How we missed that the New Covenant Age is forever and has no end means just that is astounding. Over 100 time indicators in the Old and New Testament and every single one is first century, first generation fulfillments. The Church has been illiterate for 2000 years calling Jesus and the Apostles liars in everything they taught on prophecy. Just like Luther on faith and salvation, we need an awakening on this subject.
The phrase ‘this generation’ could refer to the generation that see the signs. (See preceding verse).
‘Some of you won’t taste death until you see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom’ could relate to the verses straight after that which describe Jesus’ transfiguration (remember there were no chapter breaks in the original text).
How does a Preterist explain Zech 14 where the feast of tabernacles is fulfilled by Jesus’ second coming?
The partial preterists like Bruce Gore believes Christ came in two roles. First as redeemer and also as judge of the old covenant keepers. So his second coming is yet future
Awesome response! Don’t forget The statement that there would be some standing here who would not taste after they saw the son of man coming in his kingdom. He basically said the same thing to the high priest when he said from here on out you shall see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven.
You had said:
“He also said some of his disciples would still be alive to see his second coming (matt 16:27-28). ”
How do you support that this is discussing the 2nd coming? Jesus had not died on the cross yet. When Jesus died, his soul/spirit went somewhere, did it not? 3 days later, his soul/spirit reentered his body in the tomb, did it not? He left, and returned in 3 days. Matthew 16:27-28 is discussing his 3 day trip.
Verse 21
21 From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.
Now, that is just 6 verses from verse 27.
Ed Chapman
The idea that the 2nd coming took place was when Jesus was resurrected after 3 days does not line up with scriptures, because the angels told the disciples that this same Jesus would return in like manner as he ascended. That took place after the resurrection, much later on. I know there are many other points that people go back and forth about—but that is just one of them I’m pointing out in these comments.
Can you show me where Jesus mentions anything within the 7th Seal? He mentions the 6th Seal, as noted in Revelation 6, and the last part of Revelation 7, but not one word about Revelation 8-16. Even Peter mentions the 6th Seal, in conjuction with the first part of Revelation 7. Connect the dots. Jesus stops at the 6th seal, and does not say anything about the 7th. Both Peter and Jesus mentions things that are side by side with the 6th Seal. Peter on the first part of Rev 7, Jesus on the last part of Rev 7. Why did Jesus not mention the 144000? Because they are left behind. Jesus was talking to current Jewish believers who “fly away in a secret rapture”.
So the end of ALL things has occurred? Really? So sin is currently non-existant thing? There are no rebels against God? And the massacres, abortions, wars, rapes, murders, adulteries, lying, cheating, political corruption are evidence of the NEW heavens and new earth? Of God through Christ personally, literally reigning on earth? Wow…who knew?
Utterly agree! The state of the world ,the obvious sin ,etc PROVES it.
Read Luke 9: 27-31 This might help you. He’s talking about the transfiguration.
I absolutely love Israel My Glory magazine and the Friends of Israel radio show. I respect both. A couple of my friends at work have been talking Gary DeMar’s book (I think R.C. Sproul wrote the foreward) about referencing preterism. My gut felt something wasn’t right about this teaching. I looked it up on the internet and found your article on it. Wow, you’re a Godsend. My question would be, is there any books that you would recommend, from a respected author and explains the subject simply? I would appreciate your help. Thank you very much and God Bless. P.S. I’ve only began recieving Israel My Glory subscription for the past 2 years, so I don’t have this Jan/Feb 2005 copy on hand.