Partial preterism is a view in Christian eschatology that the prophecies concerning the “end times” in the Bible were fulfilled in the first century CE, specifically during the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE. However, partial preterists still believe in a future second coming of Christ and the future resurrection of the dead.
There are several key biblical passages that partial preterists use to support their view:
1. The Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21)
In this passage, Jesus responds to his disciples’ question about when the temple will be destroyed and what will be the signs of his coming and the end of the age. Partial preterists argue that Jesus was predicting events that would take place within the lifetime of his original audience. Verses such as Matthew 24:34 (“Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened”) suggest Jesus expected these prophecies to be fulfilled soon.
The destruction of the temple in 70 CE seems to fulfill Jesus’ prophecy that “not one stone here will be left on another” (Matthew 24:2). The Roman-Jewish War of 66-73 CE also resonates with Jesus’ warnings about wars, famines, false prophets, and persecution of his followers. Thus, partial preterists see this passage as primarily concerned with the events leading up to 70 CE.
2. The Book of Revelation
The book of Revelation contains apocalyptic imagery about plagues, beasts, a rider on a white horse, and other fantastical descriptions. Partial preterists argue that this imagery is not about the “end of the world” but about the end of the Jewish age and God’s judgment on Jerusalem for rejecting the Messiah.
Much of the language in Revelation echoes Old Testament prophecies against nations like Babylon and Edom. Partial preterists believe passages like Revelation 11:1-2, which speaks of the temple and the holy city being trampled for 42 months, are referring to the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE.
The numbers and time periods in Revelation (e.g. 1,260 days) are symbolic, not literal time markers, indicating God’s judgment was coming soon. Overall, partial preterists see Revelation concerned with events in the first century, not thousands of years later.
3. The Epistles’ Expectation of Jesus’ Soon Return
Various passages in the New Testament epistles indicate the authors believed Jesus would return in their lifetime. Verses like 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17, where Paul says “we who are still alive” will be caught up with Christ, suggest Paul expected this rapture event soon.
Texts like Romans 13:11 (“our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed”), James 5:8 (“the Lord’s coming is near”), and 1 Peter 4:7 (“The end of all things is near”) also create the impression of Jesus’ imminent return in the first century setting of the epistles.
Partial preterists argue that the expectation of Jesus’ quick return circulating in the early church makes most sense if Jesus did come in judgment on Jerusalem within the lifetime of some of his earliest followers.
4. The Binding of Satan (Revelation 20:1-3)
Revelation 20 speaks of an angel seizing Satan and binding him in the Abyss for a thousand years. After this period, Satan is released for a time before being defeated and thrown into the lake of fire.
Partial preterists contend that this binding of Satan likely took place around the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry and crucifixion. Jesus spoke of casting out demons as a sign of the kingdom’s arrival. The binding limits Satan’s power to deceive the nations and allows the gospel to spread, which occurred rapidly in the decades after Jesus.
Thus, partial preterists believe this binding of Satan is another event that was fulfilled in the first century, not thousands of years in the future as some futurists argue.
5. The Great Commission’s Call to Evangelize All Nations (Matthew 28:18-20)
In giving his followers the Great Commission, Jesus tells them to make disciples of “all nations.” Some partial preterists believe this charge was fulfilled in the first few centuries after Christ, as the gospel spread across the known world through the efforts of apostles and early Christians.
If the Great Commission has already been completed over 1,900 years ago, it strengthens the partial preterist view that many end times prophecies tied to the spreading gospel were fulfilled long ago in the early church era.
Critiques of the Partial Preterist View
While partial preterism seeks to interpret biblical prophecy in light of first century events like the destruction of the temple, there are critiques of this perspective:
- It depends too heavily on symbolic or metaphorical readings of numbers and time periods in prophecies. But if these references are literal, the prophecies point to future fulfillment.
- Jesus and the NT authors indicate aspects of prophecy were not fulfilled in their time, such as the literal resurrection of saints (Matthew 27:52-53).
- Prophecies of Jesus’ second coming don’t seem to fully align with events in 70 CE or the early centuries of the church.
- Partial preterism still requires a “partial” futurist interpretation, undermining the appeal to first century fulfillment elsewhere.
Thus, some argue partial preterism selectively interprets passages as fulfilled while ignoring others that don’t fit the first century events. For these critics, texts like Jesus’ Olivet Discourse and Revelation await future fulfillment in a more comprehensive, consistent eschatological system.
Key Points in Summary
In summary, here are some of the key biblical arguments in favor of partial preterism:
- Jesus’ Olivet Discourse portrays events fulfilled in 70 CE, like the destruction of the temple.
- Revelation’s symbolic language describes God’s judgement on Jerusalem, not end of world events.
- New Testament authors expected Jesus’ imminent return in their lifetime.
- Satan was bound around Jesus’ ministry, limiting his influence as gospel spreads.
- The Great Commission was completed in the early centuries of the church.
While critics argue partial preterism is selective and ignores prophecies not fulfilled by 70 CE, partial preterists believe their view makes the most sense of the time-sensitive language pervading the New Testament. They see strong biblical evidence of first century fulfillment for many end times prophecies.
Though debates continue, partial preterism offers an intriguing interpretation of biblical prophecy that sees many predictions realized within a generation of Jesus’ earthly ministry. As with all approaches to unfulfilled prophecy, partial preterism merits careful study of the biblical text to evaluate how it accounts for the wide range of prophetic passages.
