Last week, a letter to the editor was sent to the Northside Sun offering a preterist interpretation of the Bible’s (particularly the New Testament’s) teachings on eschatology (that is, the Bible’s teachings on the end of all things). Although the letter is well-written and thought-provoking, Christian theologians have long identified several serious problems with the view advanced in the letter.
Before addressing the problems with preterism, I would like to say that there is some exegetical explanatory power behind the view that the New Testament passages on the “last days” are not to be contrasted with the “end of all things” but that they speak of the end of the first covenant era (e.g., the cursing of the fig tree in Mark 11:12–25). The church has long understood that some of the New Testament teachings on eschatology certainly speak of the events of the first century and the introduction of a new age in history by Jesus (i.e., the Church Age; the Age of the Spirit) through the establishment of a new covenant. However, not all passages on the “last days” can be satisfactorily explained by preterism (as we shall see below).
That is, although the preterist/first covenant school of interpretation has its strengths, it falls far short of the goal of interpreting all New Testament passages concerning the end of all things, the second coming of Christ, the bodily resurrection, the Last Judgment, and the destruction of all evil (i.e., the arrival of the new heaven and new earth).
The glaring problem with preterism is quite simple: many of the things the New Testament says will happen at the end of all things simply have not happened yet.
First of all, Philippians 2:9-10 states that all people will confess (willingly or unwillingly) that Jesus is Lord (cf. Revelation 1:7). The simple reality is that there are billions of people in the world who have not recognized Jesus as the divine Son of God. This historical fact is fatal to the preterist view. Moreover, humanity as we know it did not recognize Christ as Lord even at the destruction of the temple in 70 AD; another problem for preterism.
Likewise, the Bible teaches that Christ’s return will be an event that everyone will witness (unlike His first coming). Revelation 1:7, Matthew 26:64, and Acts 1:9–11 all teach that Jesus will return “riding on a cloud.” The meaning of this is that everyone will see Him when He returns. When Jesus first came, very few people knew who He was. In fact, there was debate about Jesus’ identity during His earthly ministry, as recorded in the New Testament (see Matthew 16:13–16). It was not until Jesus’ resurrection that His identity was made clear and He was confirmed as the Son of God.
When Jesus came the first time, he was born in a simple manger; a mode of arrival that hardly demonstrates power and authority. However, when he comes the second time, he will “ride on a cloud,” meaning that all can see him and recognize Jesus as the divine Son. Again, preterism fails to take into account the fact that not all people have recognized Jesus as such, which makes preterism untenable.
Second, the Bible says that the dead will be physically resurrected at Christ’s return. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 states:
“FOR THE LORD HIMSELF WILL DESCEND FROM HEAVEN WITH A CRY, WITH THE VOICE OF AN ARCHANGEL, AND WITH THE SOUND OF THE TRUMPET OF GOD. AND THE DEAD IN CHRIST WILL RISE FIRST. THEN WE WHO ARE ALIVE WHO ARE BEING CAUGHT UP TOGETHER WITH THEM IN THE CLOUDS, TO MEET THE LORD IN THE AIR. AND SO WE WILL ALWAYS BE WITH THE LORD.”
This miraculous phenomenon did not happen in the first century and has not happened today. How does preterism explain this passage?
Third, the Bible teaches that God will put an end to all evil in the world when the fullness of the Kingdom of God arrives (an event directly related to Christ’s return). Revelation 21:4 states: “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Preterism cannot respond satisfactorily to the reality that evil certainly still exists in today’s world.
If preterism is untenable, why does it seem halfway acceptable as a way of interpreting certain passages of Scripture? I believe the answer is that preterism is trying to solve a problem that doesn’t exist.
One of the supposed dilemmas that preterism attempts to resolve is the idea that when the Bible speaks of the end of all things, it seems to assume that the parousia (the technical term for “the second coming of Christ”) will occur within the lifetime of the New Testament’s original readership. For example, Revelation 1:1 says that it “speaks of things that must soon take place,” and then goes on to describe the end of all things and the second coming of Christ. Many of the events described in Revelation have obviously not yet occurred, leaving modern readers with only a few possible interpretations: (1) the New Testament is wrong (undermining the doctrines of inspiration, inerrancy, and reliability of Scripture) or (2) we are misinterpreting it (hence preterism is a possible explanation).
For those who believe in the inspiration of Scripture, the second option is the only one. However, there are alternative, viable interpretations besides preterism that provide more explanatory power for all of the New Testament’s teachings about the end of all things while maintaining the inspiration of Scripture.
Consider the following:
Death and Judgement. The original readership of Scripture did indeed experience the end of all things in the sense that all people face judgment at the time of death. Yes, while the death of individuals is not synonymous with the return of Christ, there are elements of the Last Judgement rushing into the present at the time of death. For all of us, the end is indeed near.
Partial fulfillment. Some of the “last days” events described in the New Testament actually occurred during the time of the original audience (e.g., the intense persecution of Christians). While the parousia itself as described in the New Testament has not yet occurred, many of the trials and tribulations facing the early church occurred during the lifetime of the original audience.
Always be prepared. The New Testament, and Jesus in particular, teaches that all Christians should live as if the Parousia is imminent. He says he will come like a thief in the night, meaning “always be prepared” (Matthew 24:43). He says that while there will be signs, ultimately we will not know when he will return until the time comes. This means that Christians should act as if the end is now.
“Soon” is a relative term. “Soon” to a five-year-old is different than “soon” to an 85-year-old. Since the Scriptures are inspired by God, “soon” to an infinite God who is not limited by time and space can be quite a long time for creatures with a lifespan of 85 years. 2 Peter 3:8-10 is poignant when contrasted with this discussion. It states: “One thing you must not overlook, beloved, that to the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise, as some count slowness, but is longsuffering toward you, not wanting anyone to perish but all to attain repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a loud roar, and the stars will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth will be laid bare, and the works that are done in it.”
In conclusion, we do not need to resort to preterism to resolve a potential dilemma associated with the idea that the New Testament authors apparently believed they were living in the “last days.” Over the centuries, the Church has offered a sound and robust interpretation of these passages that satisfies even modern readers who believe in the inspiration of Scripture.
Matt Ayars is senior pastor of Wellspring Methodist Church in Madison. (https://wellspringms.church/)
