Problems with Preterism

Many Christians don’t know this, but there are really three major “prophetic schools” of interpretation now in conflict – Preterism, Historicism, and Futurism. Each of these schools view the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation differently. In this “Prophetic Perspectives” series, I will attempt to simplify and clarify the issues.

Let’s start with Preterism. It’s root word is “preter,” meaning “past.” Some of its key proponents are David B. Curtis, J. Stuart Russell, John L. Bray, Max King, John Noe, and Gary DeMar. Basically, the idea is that most or all of the prophecies found in Daniel, Matthew 24, 2 Thessalonians 2, and Revelation have largely been fulfilled in the past in connection with the fall of Jerusalem. R C Sproul defines Preterism as, “An eschatological viewpoint that places many or all eschatological events in the past, especially during the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70” (R C Sproul, The Last Days according to Jesus, p 228).

Modern preterists tend to view other Christians who believe in a future mark of the beast, return of Jesus Christ, resurrection, day of judgment, etc. as totally deluded. Gary DeMar’s book, Last Days Madness, published in 1999 by American Vision reflects this viewpoint. DeMar believes: (1) No signs today point forward to Christ’s return (p. 158); (2) Jesus “came” in 70 AD (p. 71, 123-125); (3) All of Matthew 24 is behind us; (4) Nero was the “beast” (p. 258); (5) “The man of sin” (2 Thess. 2:4) has come and gone (p. 280); (6) Revelation’s primary focus is events surrounding the destruction of Jerusalem (p. 217); (7) The “end” of the world refers to the end of the Jewish world in 70 AD (p. 189).

Although preterists rely o­n different arguments, their main contention is that when the New Testament says the Day of Christ is “at hand” (Rev. 1:3) or “near” (James 5:8), and that Jesus is coming “quickly” (Rev. 22:10) in “a little while” (Heb. 10:37) – these words must have meant exactly that to their original readers. In other words, “near,” “at hand,” “quickly,” and “a little while,” must mean a short time after they were written.

I believe that preterists, although sincere, are wrong for the following reasons.

1) The words and phrases – “at hand,” “quickly,” “near,” “a little while” – are from God’s perspective, not man’s. In the context of this exact issue of the timing of the return of Christ, Peter said, “But, beloved, do not forget this o­ne thing, that with the Lord o­ne day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as o­ne day” (2 Peter 3:8). Thus, to God, time is relative. To Him, a thousand years are like o­ne short day. Peter said we should “not forget this o­ne thing.” As we shall see, “this o­ne thing” is the key to preterism’s failure. Two verses later Peter continued, “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night, in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up” (vs. 10). Preterists argue for literalism. But honestly, did this literally happen in 70 AD?

2) A “little while” of over 500 years: The book of Haggai was written around 500 BC, “in the second year of Darius,” a Persian king (vs. 1). Notice carefully: “For thus saith the Lord of hosts; Yet o­nce, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come…” (2:6,7). The phrase – the desire of all nations – is clearly a prophecy of Jesus Christ. Not o­nly was Christ’s coming to be “in a little while,” but so was the shaking of the heavens and the earth. First of all, Christ didn’t come for another 500 years; and secondly, Hebrews quotes the “end of the world” aspect of Haggai 2:6 as definitely still future! (See Hebrews 10:27; 12:26,27). Thus Haggai 2:6,7 is biblical proof that “a little while” doesn’t mean o­nly a few days or years from man’s perspective.

3) The return of Jesus Christ will be global, not local: Preterists believe the “coming” of Jesus took place in 70 AD when Jerusalem was destroyed, yet this doesn’t square with the facts. In Matthew 24:37-39, Jesus compared His return to Noah’s flood which was global, not local. Matthew 24:30 says His return will be viewed by “all the tribes of the earth,” not just those in Judea. Revelation 6 describes the “end of the world” as reaching out far beyond the Jewish world. “And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every island and mountain were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mightily men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains: And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall o­n us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth o­n the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of their wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand” (Rev. 6:14-17). Did this really happen in 70 AD as preterists contend? No. These verses describe people all around the world hiding in caves “from the face of him that sitteth o­n the throne!” This great day of wrath didn’t happen in 70 AD.

Revelation 22:11 says that when Jesus Christ does finally come “quickly,” He will reward “every man” (not just Jews) according to their works. In addition, prior to this return, the solemn announcement will be made in heaven, “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And behold, I come quickly …” (vs. 11, 12). Notice carefully that right before Jesus really comes the destiny of every human being will be decided. The lost, having rejected Christ’s cleansing blood, will remain filthy still; while those who are blood-washed and prepared will be ready for this holy event. Dear friend, this deciding of all destinies did not take place in 70 AD! It is yet to come.

Where did Preterism come from? In the next article of “Prophetic Perspectives” I will prove that during the time of the Reformation all Protestant scholars were Historicists. This means they interpreted the prophecies about the “falling away” (2 Thess. 2:3), the “beast,” (Rev. 13:2) and the “little horn” (Daniel 7:21) as being fulfilled in the history of Christianity – especially in the rise and development of the Vatican. In the Counter- Reformation, the Jesuits of the Roman Church responded by creating preterism as a well-placed strategic maneuver to divert the attention of Christians to the past and thus away from herself.

The following quotations are common knowledge to those who have researched this important topic:

“The Praeterist School, founded by the Jesuit Alcasar in 1614, explains the Revelation by the Fall of Jerusalem, or by the fall of Pagan Rome in 410 A.D” (G.S. Hitchcock, The Beasts and the Little Horn, p. 7).

“The praeterist view found no favor and was hardly so much as thought of in the time of primitive Christianity. Those who lived near the date of the book of Revelation itself had no idea that its groups of imagery were intended merely to describe things then passing, and to be in a few years completed. This view is said to have been first promulgated in anything like completeness by the Jesuit Alcasar, in his ‘Vestigatio Arcani Sensus in Apocalypsi’ (1604). Very nearly, the same plan was adopted by Grotius. The next great name among this school of interpreters is that of Bossuet the great antagonist of Protestantism.” From Bulletin for Biblical Christianity Today by Dr. Ronald Cooke (see http://www.ianpaisley.org/article.asp?ArtKey=twaddle).

“Accordingly, towards the close of the century of the Reformation, two of her most learned doctors set themselves to the task, each endeavoring by different means to accomplish the same end, namely, that of diverting men’s minds from perceiving the fulfillment of the prophecies of the Antichrist in the Papal system. The Jesuit Alcasar devoted himself to bring into prominence the Preterist method of interpretation, which we have already briefly noticed, and thus endeavoring to show that the prophecies of Antichrist were fulfilled before the Popes ever ruled in Rome, and therefore could not apply to the Papacy…” (From Daniel and the Revelation: The Chart of Prophecy and Our Place In It, A Study of the Historical and Futurist Interpretation, by Joseph Tanner, published in London by Hodder and Stoughton, 1898, pages 16,17).

In light of September 11, world events, and the signs which now point forward to “the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together to Him” (2 Thess. 2:1), it is this writers deepest conviction that all prophecy-minded Christians should abandon Preterism. And we should do it “quickly.”

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