PRETERISM
1. Prophecies Fulfilled in the First Century
Preterism asserts that most, if not all, biblical prophecies were fulfilled by the end of the first century, particularly during the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70.
Verses:
Matthew 24:34: "Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place."
Luke 21:20-22: "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near... For these are days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written."
Hebrews 1:1-2: "Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son."
Revelation 1:1: "The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place."
2. The "Coming" of Christ as a Judgment Event
Preterists view the "coming of Christ" in many New Testament passages as a figurative event symbolizing judgment rather than a physical, global return.
Verses:
Matthew 24:30: "Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man... and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."
Isaiah 19:1: "Behold, the Lord is riding on a swift cloud and comes to Egypt." (Used to illustrate symbolic judgment language.)
Revelation 2:16: "Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth."
John 14:18: "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you."
3. The Kingdom of God Already Established
Preterism teaches that the Kingdom of God was inaugurated during Christ’s ministry and fully established with the fall of the Old Covenant system in AD 70.
Verses:
Mark 1:15: "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel."
Luke 17:20-21: "The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed... For behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you."
Colossians 1:13: "He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son."
Hebrews 12:28: "Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken."
4. The End of the Old Covenant Age
Preterists argue that many apocalyptic passages describe the conclusion of the Old Covenant, not the end of the physical world.
Verses:
Matthew 5:17-18: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them."
Daniel 9:27: "And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering."
Hebrews 8:13: "In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away."
Galatians 4:24-26: "Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem above is free."