Eschatology (End Time Prophecy)

Preterism

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Preterism is the teaching that all passages about the second coming of Christ (the parousia) occurred in 70 A.D. during the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. In this way the 70-plus passages about Jesus coming "soon" and "quickly" in "this generation" are literally fulfilled.

Preterism has some side-effects:

• The book of Revelation was written in 96 AD, 26 years after the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, yet it contains six passages about Jesus coming "quickly."
• The early church fathers continued to speak of the second coming of Jesus and stressing that it would occur "soon."
• Jesus died in 33 AD, almost 40 years before the parousia of the Preterists. This is not soon at all, and many of those who were supposedly waiting expectantly would have died before it occurred.
• The parousia would have been anti-climatic in the extreme for all those who were not in Palestine at the time. The birth of the Church on Pentecost with the descent of the Holy Spirit was far more significant.

I recently became interested in the topic of Preterism (again) after reading Joseph Henry Thayer's book, The Parousia. He is the well-known author of the popular reference work, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament; but he has some beliefs which would shock most Protestants. (Refer to: The Change of Attitude Toward the Bible, by Joseph Henry Thayer.)

My articles about the topic of Imminency: Imminent | Imminency | Jesus Is Coming Soon | Imminency | Preterism | This Generation

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Musings

The only event which happens "soon" for everyone in every generation is their own death.

The apostle John had the visions of the book of Revelation within one generation of the time of Christ's Oliver discourse (Matthew 24). It is significant that the book of Revelation contains a vision of the second coming of Christ. The book of Revelation is a bridge between the physical and the heavenly; between the present and the future.

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Olivet Discourse

One of the foundations of Preterism is that the Olivet Discourse is a strictly chronological narrative. They claim (1) that this is the most natural reading of this text, and (2) that Preterism is the only sensible interpretation when the text is read this way.

I this section I comment verse by verse on these topics.

(Matthew 23:33) Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

Preterists emphasize that the use of the phrase "this generation" in Matthew 24:34 refers to the certainty that the events would occur in the lifetimes of those who are listening to Jesus' words. But in this verse he uses the same phrase to refer to those who had lived hundreds of years before — those who had killed the prophets (23:31).

(Matthew 23:34) Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:

(Matthew 23:36) Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.

According to Preterism, these events would occur in the lifetime of those who are listening to Jesus' words. I don't know of any early Christians being crucified but certainly these other kinds of persecution did occur before 70 A.D.

(Matthew 23:37) O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!

(Matthew 23:38) Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.

Jesus is referring to Jerusalem and the temple.

(Matthew 23:39) For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth [after this], till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

Jesus is stating that the Jews (this generation) will not see Jesus until they recognize him as Messiah. He is not referring to Jews after the destruction of the temple in 70 A.D. because there were no more Jews after that; once the temple was destroyed the first covenant ended (in the Preterist view).

This verse doesn't make any sense in the Preterist view.

(Matthew 24:1) And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to show him the buildings of the temple.

Apparently the disciples were stirred up in hearing that the temple would be destroyed. They want to know more.

(Matthew 24:2) And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

Jesus confirms his previous statements, that the temple would be destroyed. This did occur as he states in 70 A.D.

(Matthew 24:3) And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

Preterists claim that the disciples' questions are about the same topic, that is to say, the destruction of the temple. But this is awkward for the following reasons:

• They use the phrase "these things" — plural. But the destruction of the temple is a single event. They should have said "this thing" — singular.
• They ask for a sign with two aspects: (1) the coming of Jesus, and (2) the end of the world. In the Preterist view this double sign must refer to the destruction of the temple in 70 A.D. so they claim that the "end of the world" refers to the end of Jewish era. Certainly the disciples may have thought this (see next paragraph after quote) but certainly Jesus did not think this — Matthew 28:20 contradicts this view. Jesus will be with them always, not merely until the destruction of the temple. We should expect Jesus to correct their confusion but he apparently doesn't.

(Matthew 28:20) Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.

It is likely that the disciples thought Jesus, as Messiah, would establish a political kingdom (that's what the Jews thought the Messiah would do) so they likely assumed that this would occur at the same time as the destruction of the temple.

(Matthew 24:5) For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

(Matthew 24:11) And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

Before the destruction of the temple in 70 A.D. there certainly were plenty of Jewish revolutionaries who proclaimed themselves as political saviors of the Jewish nation.

(Matthew 24:6) And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

It is odd that Jesus would mention that there would be wars (plural) before 70 A.D. The Jewish War began in 66 A.D. but it is hard to imagine what other wars and rumors of wars Jesus might be referring to.

(Matthew 24:7) For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers [diverse] places.

This verse is even more troublesome for the Preterist view than the previous. Certainly Israel rose up against Rome but this verse implies that there were multiple wars between multiple nations.

There were famines during the seige of Jerusalem but this verse gives the impression that these famines would occur before the seige began, not as a result of the seige.

There probably were earthquakes. Perhaps the earthquakes in the forty years before the destruction of the temple in 70 A.D were signs. But if those earthquakes were signs why not earthquakes that occurred after 70 A.D.?

(Matthew 24:9) Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.

The disciples certainly were persecuted and even killed by the Jews. Nero killed Christians in 66 A.D.

(Matthew 24:10) And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.

(Matthew 24:12) And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax [become] cold.

It is uncertain whether he is speaking of Christians or everyone. I don't see how this prophecy would have helped them recognize that the temple would be destroyed soon.

(Matthew 24:13) But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

Preterists must translate this as follows: "Those who endure the persecutions until 70 A.D. will be saved".

This is troubling. Does it mean that those after 70 A.D. are not saved? Or if we are saved, why is it significant that those before 70 A.D. were saved? Certainly it was just as important for those Christians living in the centuries of Roman persecution to endure.

It is verses like this that makes me think that Jesus was referring to something other than the destruction of the temple in 70 A.D. I suspect he was using the word "end" to refer to a person's death; if they endured the persecution for their entire life and remained faithful to the gospel, they would be saved upon their death.

(Matthew 24:14) And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

I suppose it is correct to say that the gosped was preached in all the world by 70 A.D. Most of the apostles had died by that time so presumably the prophecy of Acts 1:8 was fulfilled:

(Acts 1:8) But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

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(Matthew 24:15) When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)

Two verses in Daniel clearly refer to this event in conjunction with the destruction of the temple (read more here).

(Matthew 24:16) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:

The Christians did this and were saved. Therefore, they understood this verse in the context of the Jewish War which began in 66 A.D. and the previous verse as referring to an unmistakable event during this war. There was a point after which no one could escape from Jerusalem and the Christians left before that.

(Matthew 24:21) For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

Perhaps this refers to ther Jewish War which began in 66 A.D. Or perhaps it refers specifically to the carnage in Jerusalem during the seige by the Romans.

(Matthew 24:22) And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

There were Jews who survived this war, but they were taken as slaves.

(Matthew 24:23) Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.

(Matthew 24:24) For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

According to the Preterist view this verse goes back in time to verse 11 in violation of their overarching assumption that this chapter is strictly chronological.

If this verse refers to a time before 70 A.D. then presumably the word "elect" refers to those Jews who were not deceived by the Jewish revolutionaries who were advocating war with Rome.

(Matthew 24:26) Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.

Some of the Jewish revolutionaries hid in the desert or even the rooms of the temple.

(Matthew 24:27) For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

(Matthew 24:28) For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles [vultures] be gathered together.

Everyone would see the destruction of the temple.

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(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:

Preterists interpret this verse figuratively and match it up with other prophetic verses which use similar images. In their view it refers to the falling away of the old Jewish covenant.

Notice that the tribulation occurs first, then these figurative natural phenomena. In verse 22 we have already had the destruction of Jerusalem (because it refers to those who were saved from it). To interpret this tribulation as referring to the time before this requires jumping back and forth in time, but doing this violates the very foundational premise of the Preterist view.

It seems arbitrary to me to suddenly switch from a literal interpretation to a figurative one. This is done because this verse doesn't actual match the Preterist view. It seems to me these images should be considered as literal.

(Matthew 24:30) And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

In the Preterist view this striking image which is seen by all is again considered to be figurative.

(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.

This extraordinary event occurs unnoticed by the people of the day, including the Christians who experienced it. There is no reference by any of the writers of the early church of such an event. The Preterist solution to this is to interpret it figuratively. Not a very honest way to interpret the Bible in my opinion.

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(Matthew 24:32) Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:

(Matthew 24:33) So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.

These verses jump back in time again. After seeing the destruction of Jerusalem and of the temple we now go back to the time before it has occurred.

(Matthew 24:34) Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

This verse is the grand conclusion that provides the timing of these events and gives them their meaning. Preterists consider that the phrase "all these things" refers to the events leading up to the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, and the final destruction itself.

The phrase "this generation" has a different meaning than when Jesus used it in Matthew 23:36.

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