The preterist view of the end times, also known as preterism, is an eschatological perspective that views many of the biblical prophecies concerning the end times as having already been fulfilled in the first century AD. Preterism comes from the Latin word praeter, meaning “past” or “beyond.” This view stands in contrast to futurism, which sees most end times prophecies as yet to be fulfilled.
According to preterism, the events described in Matthew 24, 2 Thessalonians 2, and the book of Revelation largely took place at or before the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in AD 70. Preterists believe this judgment on Jerusalem fulfilled Jesus’ prophecies about coming “in judgment” and bringing about “the end of the age” (Matthew 10:23, Matthew 24:3).
The key characteristics and teachings of preterism include:
- The Great Tribulation took place during the Jewish-Roman War from AD 66-70, culminating in the destruction of the Jerusalem temple.
- The Antichrist refers to a first century individual or system, often identified as the Roman Emperor Nero or the Roman Empire itself.
- The Rapture is interpreted spiritually rather than as a literal future event.
- The Second Coming of Christ and the resurrection of the dead took place in AD 70 with the fall of Jerusalem.
- The binding of Satan, as depicted in Revelation 20, occurred during Jesus’ earthly ministry.
- The millennium is symbolic of the church age and the reign of the saints from Jesus’ ascension until the end of the temporal world.
- The resurrection of the dead is spiritual rather than physical, referring to the new birth and regeneration of the soul.
- The last judgment and the end of the world were fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple.
There are two main schools of preterist thought:
Partial Preterism
Partial preterism, sometimes called moderate preterism, asserts that many but not all biblical prophecies concerning the end times were fulfilled by AD 70. Partial preterists believe that while the Second Coming, resurrection of the dead, and final judgment are still future events, most of the Olivet Discourse and Revelation dealt with the fall of Jerusalem in the first century.
Key aspects of partial preterism include:
- The Great Tribulation happened during the period leading up to AD 70.
- “This generation” in Matt 24:34 referred to Jesus’ contemporaries who would see the destruction of the temple.
- The Antichrist represents either individual antichrists, a spiritual system of heresy, or Nero Caesar.
- The millennium is the figurative “thousand years” of the church age between Christ’s first and second comings.
- Satan was bound at the cross so he could no longer deceive the nations.
- The first resurrection of Revelation 20 is spiritual, referring to salvation and regeneration.
- The Rapture, Second Coming, resurrection of the dead, and final judgment are still future events.
Partial preterism holds that Revelation was written prior to AD 70 and largely fulfilled in the first century. However, the ending chapters refer symbolically to future events surrounding Christ’s return. This allows partial preterists to maintain a future literal second coming.
Full Preterism
Full preterism, sometimes called consistent or hyper-preterism, asserts that all biblical prophecy was completely fulfilled by AD 70. Full preterists believe the second coming was a spiritual event that occurred in the past, initiating the resurrection and final judgment. There is wide variation within full preterism about the exact nature and date of Christ’s return.
Key aspects of full preterism include:
- All end times prophecies, including those about Christ’s second coming, were fulfilled by AD 70.
- The destruction of Jerusalem fulfilled all that the Scriptures predict about the end of the world.
- The Rapture occurred spiritually when the church escaped Jerusalem before its fall.
- Christ returned in AD 70 spiritually, coming in judgment upon apostate Israel.
- The resurrection of Revelation 20 was the spiritual resurrection of believers into eternal life.
- The binding of Satan occurred at the cross, restricting him from deceiving the nations.
- The millennium was inaugurated at the cross and continues in the new covenant age of the church.
- The great white throne judgment depicted the AD 70 destruction of apostate Israel.
Full preterism differs from partial preterism in asserting that no biblical prophecy about the end times remains to be fulfilled. All was accomplished spiritually in AD 70. For this reason, full preterism has been criticized by some as denying the future second coming of Christ.
Key Supporting Verses
Preterists point to several New Testament verses as indicating that the end times were near for those living in the first century AD:
- “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” (Matthew 16:28)
- “For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” (Matthew 16:27-28)
- “So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.” (Mark 13:29-30)
- “But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:27)
- “And he said to them, “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.” (Mark 9:1)
- “When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains…” (Luke 21:20-21)
- “The one who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20)
Preterists understand these verses to indicate Jesus’ coming in judgment upon Israel was expected within the lifetime of his contemporaries. The destruction of Jerusalem fulfilled this coming.
History of Preterism
Elements of preterist thinking emerged relatively early in church history, though not in a fully developed form. Early church writers such as Eusebius and John Chrysostom viewed the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 as the fulfillment of Matthew 24 and other end times passages. However, these writers still anticipated a future literal second coming.
Preterism further developed with the Spanish Jesuit writer Luis de Alcasar (1554–1613). He argued in his 1614 book Vestigatio Arcani Sensus in Apocalypsi that Revelation prophesied events leading up to the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70 rather than events surrounding a future second coming of Christ.
During the Protestant Reformation, some reformers began to identify the papacy as the Antichrist warned about in Scripture. They interpreted the tribulation, millennium, and other prophecies as pertaining to the ongoing struggle against Roman Catholicism. These ideas set the stage for preterist and historicist approaches to prophecy.
Also significant was the Dutch Protestant theologian Hugo Grotius (1583-1645). His commentary on the Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24 identified the tribulation with the Jewish war. He asserted Christ’s coming referred to his coming in judgment upon the Jewish nation.
Full preterism as a system originated in England in the 17th and 18th centuries among Protestant dissenters and Rationalists who denied Biblical inerrancy. F.W. Farrar, writing in 1878, viewed the Book of Revelation as relating symbolically events in the first century.
In the 19th century, theologian J. Stuart Russell wrote a systematic defense of the preterist perspective in his book The Parousia. This helped introduce and popularize full preterism, which spread further through the writings of James Stuart Russell in 1887 and those of Max King in 1971.
Today, preterism remains a minority view among Christians. However, many scholars have adopted partial preterist interpretations that connect parts of Matthew 24, 2 Thessalonians 2, and Revelation to the context of the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70.
Criticisms of the Preterist View
Preterism remains controversial, as critics raise various objections against it. Some of the main criticisms include:
- It assumes an early date for the writing of the New Testament documents, when most scholars favor a later date.
- It assumes that the Olivet Discourse refers only to the destruction of Jerusalem, rather than including the second coming.
- It interprets many details in Revelation symbolically, whereas a more literal reading favors a futuristic interpretation.
- It assumes that many New Testament verses with imminent timing were mistaken or conditional warnings rather than prophecies.
- It argues that Christ’s second coming and the resurrection of the dead already occurred spiritually, while the church has historically affirmed a physical, visible return of Christ.
- It goes beyond evidence in claiming the Jewish-Roman war and fall of Jerusalem in the first century directly fulfilled all biblical prophecy about the end times.
As a result of these and other objections, most scholars and Christians remain unpersuaded by preterism and continue to look forward to the future fulfillment of end times prophecy surrounding Christ’s return.
Evaluating the Preterist View
The preterist view introduces thought-provoking interpretations of key end-times passages that bear consideration by students of eschatology. However, there are reasonable grounds for questioning whether it fully accounts for the complete biblical testimony regarding the end times.
While many of Jesus’ warnings in the Olivet Discourse echo Old Testament language regarding coming judgment upon nations, the description of cosmic disturbances in Matthew 24:29-31 goes beyond God’s historical judgments on nations like Egypt, Babylon, Edom, and Israel. And the gathering of the elect “from one end of heaven to the other” points to an event without historical parallel.
Preterists make a plausible case for connecting the tribulation and certain events in Revelation to the period leading up to Jerusalem’s fall. However, New Testament evidence suggests that while these events carry typological significance, the ultimate fulfillment of God’s wrath and the second coming await a future “Day of the Lord.”
Verses that indicate Christ’s coming was “at hand” for the first century audience can be read as consistent with His coming continuing to remain imminent in the aftermath of Jerusalem’s fall. The last days inaugurated by Christ on the earth span the entire church age, including our generation today.
Most Christians throughout history have anticipated a future, literal return of Christ based on passages such as Acts 1:11 and Revelation 1:7. While the preterist view offers helpful insight into the application of end times prophecy to past events, it has not proven sufficiently persuasive to reorder the expectations of most Bible interpreters regarding the end times.
