Reacting to fictional approaches to the book of Revelation — and no doubt because many past End Time predictions have failed — some Christians are looking Back into the Past rather than Forward into the Future.
Readings from the writings of Josephus correct an overly futuristic imbalance. (Josephus was a Jewish eyewitness to the events that led up to the destruction of the Jewish temple in AD 70.)
However, the current teaching known as Preterism would have us believe that the book of Revelation was fulfilled in its entirety in the siege of Jerusalem from AD66 and the destruction of the Temple in AD70. This swings the pendulum too far toward history. Preterism would make obsolete the following seven fundamental practices of the Church:
1. COMMUNION. “For as often as you eat this bread, and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death TILL HE COMES.” (1 Corinthians 11:26) “Till” implies that it will not be proclaimed after He comes. If the Lord came in AD 70, His “supper” ceased at that time.
2. THE AGE OF EVANGELISM. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, EVEN TO THE END OF THE AGE.” (Matthew 28:19, 20) If Jesus had meant the end of the Church Age, that would mean that there is now no scriptural warrant for world evangelism
3. CHRIST’S INTERCESSION. This began when our High Priest entered the Most Holy place “once for all” with His own blood. (Hebrews 7:25; 9:12, 24-28) When the High Priest came out, his ministry was finished. “But now, ONCE at the end of the ages, HE HAS APPEARED to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself…to those who eagerly wait for Him HE WILL APPEAR A SECOND TIME, apart from sin, for salvation.” Christ’s High Priestly intercessory ministry takes place BETWEEN HIS FIRST AND SECOND APPEARANCES, after which it concludes. If Christ returned in AD 70, His High Priestly ministry is not ongoing but ended with the destruction of the Temple.
4. THE CHURCH’S “BLESSED HOPE.” Christ’s physical appearance. (Titus 2:13; Acts 13:32-33; 24:15; 26:6-8; Job 19:23-27) In Job’s case, “in my flesh” means he would first have to be raised from death physically. Job is long dead. (The Greek word for resurrection (“anastasis”) appears 42 times in the New Testament, and means “raised to life again” (as in Hebrews 11:35). It is used figuratively just once (in Luke 2:34).
5. ALL HOPE OF SALVATION. In God’s resurrection order, Christ is the “first fruits” of the harvest; afterward, those who are Christ’s “at his coming.” The harvest will then be complete. (1 Corinthians 15:23) If Jesus did return in AD70, no future harvest of human souls can take place.
6. THE PROMISE OF A BODY LIKE CHRIST’S. “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body…” (Philippians 3:21) “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” (1 John 3:2) The overwhelmed apostle John saw the glorified Lord Jesus, but could only describe Him in figurative terms. (Revelation 1:13-17) We shall be like Him — glorious in resurrection bodies like his!
7. PROPHECY, TONGUES, AND REVELATION KNOWLEDGE. “For we know in part, and we prophesy in part, but when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall vanish away.” (1 Corinthians 13:8-12) When? When we see Him “face to face” (verse 12). The contrasts of 1 Corinthians 13 are between “in part” and “perfect” (vv. 9, 10), “a child” and “a man” (v.11), and “now darkly” and “then face to face” (v. 12).
Those who maintain that Jesus returned in AD70 must believe that “that which is perfect” came in the same year. Consistency requires that they also believe that prophecy, tongues and knowledge have ceased (which would certainly end their claim to be charismatic.
A Preterist who closes the door on the literal, physical return of Jesus Christ opens doors to Humanism, Gnosticism and Universalism. If a prophetic cleanup is overdue, bathe the prophetic baby in God’s Word before throwing it out with the AD70 bathwater.
I am Historicist, in that I believe that Daniel’s prophecy of the Seventy Weeks applies to the Jews as a people and to their city Jerusalem. But I am Futurist in that I believe that Christ’s physical return is yet to come.
I do wonder, though, how Preterists deal with the rather obvious fact that since the 1,000-year reign of Jesus was to follow his return to earth — in the clouds and announced by heavenly trumpets — where on earth is the absolute reign of King Jesus, and those who were resurrected at his return apparent? Not just spiritually — it’s been that for 2000 years; but visibly? Am I missing what ought to be right under my nose?
Don’t bother wondering whether you ought to be the one who throws the first stone because stone-throwing execution led by at least two and preferably three witnesses is as out-of-date as Preterism.