PRETERISM WHETHER PARTIAL OR FULL:
A FALSE CONSEPT OPPOSING THE WORD OF GOD
PRETERISM, WHETHER PARTIAL OR FULL:
A FALSE CONCEPT OPPOSING THE WORD OF GOD
JAN LILLEBY
Short introduction:
I hold it for true that Paul, in his two church-
epistles Ephesians and Colossians, kept out all
eschatological issues intentionally. Paul
took constant instructions from Christ, and wrote
his epistles obedient to Him.
Thus I find Preterism as an evident reason for
why Paul didn’t want the church to be entangled
in eschatology, causing such restless chasing
for new understanding of Scripture. Preterism is a
demonstration of how easily believers can be
fooled into senseless speculations.
(The article have 27 pages)
I SHALL START THIS ARTICLE BY clipping in a very well written article from gotquestions.org – for then to expand it with some opinion of my own. I am an Acts-28 believer, the dispensational standing of post-Acts establishing of the Church by Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles (Eph. 3:1-3).
The article has the headline: “Is Partial Preterism Biblical?”
“Preterism is the eschatological view that the “end times” prophecies of the Bible have already been fulfilled. So, when we read what the Bible says about the tribulation, we are reading history. Preterism is divided into two camps: full (or consistent) preterism and partial preterism. Full Preterism takes an extreme view that all prophecy in the Bible has been fulfilled in one way or another. Partial preterists take a more moderate approach, and many partial preterists consider full preterists to be guilty of heresy.
Those who hold to partial preterism believe that the prophecies in Daniel, Matthew 24, and Revelation (with the exception of the last two or three chapters) have already been fulfilled and were fulfilled no later than the first century AD. According to partial preterism, there is no rapture, and passages describing the tribulation and the Antichrist are actually referring to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE and the Roman emperor Titus. Partial preterists do believe in the return of Christ to earth and a future resurrection and judgment, but they do not teach a millennial kingdom or that Israel as a nation has a place in God’s future plan. According to partial preterists, the Bible’s references to “the last days” are speaking of the last days of the Old Jewish Covenant, not the last days of the earth itself.
In order for partial preterists to maintain their position, they insist that the book of Revelation was written early (before AD 70). They must also use an inconsistent hermeneutic when interpreting prophetic passages. According to the preterist view of the end times, chapters 6—18 of Revelation are highly symbolic, not describing any literal events. Since the destruction of Jerusalem did not involve the wholesale destruction of sea life(Revelation 16:3)) or agonizing darkness (verse 10), these judgments are interpreted by preterists as purely allegorical. However, according to preterists, chapter 19 is to be understood literally—Jesus Christ will physically return. But chapter 20 is again interpreted allegorically by preterists, while chapters 21—22 are understood literally, at least in part, in that there will truly be a new heaven and new earth.
No one denies that Revelation contains amazing and sometimes confusing visions. No one denies that Revelation describes many things figuratively—that’s the nature of apocalyptic literature. However, to arbitrarily deny the literal nature of select portions of Revelation is to destroy the basis of interpreting any of the book literally. If the plagues, witnesses, beast, false prophet, millennial kingdom, etc., are all allegorical, then on what basis do we claim that the second coming of Christ and the new earth are literal? This reflects an inconsistency in preterism’s interpretation of Revelation's symbols—it leaves the interpreter to decide which elements are literal and which are not.
Those who hold to partial preterism also do not read Matthew 24 in a literal sense. Christ spoke of the destruction of the temple (Matthew 24:2). But much of what He described did not occur in 70 CE. Christ speaks of that future time as one of “great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened” (Matthew 24:21-22). Surely, this cannot be applied to the events of 70 CE. There have been worse times in the history of the world since then.
The Lord also says, “Immediately after the distress of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:29-30). In order for the events of these two verses to have already occurred, Jesus Christ must have returned bodily in AD 70—but He did not. The partial preterist believes that these verses do not refer to a bodily return of Christ but to an appearing of His judgment. However, this is not what a normal, literal reading of the text would lead anyone to believe. It is the “Son of Man” whom people see, not just His judgment.
Partial preterists also appeal to Matthew 24:34 where Jesus speaks of “this generation.” They say that Christ was referring to those living at the time He spoke the words recorded in that chapter; thus, the tribulation had to occur within about 40 years of His statement. However, we believe that Jesus was not referring to the people of His day but to the generation who would witness the events recorded in Matthew 24:15-31. That future generation will witness all of the swiftly moving events of the last days, including Christ’s bodily return (verses 29–30).
The partial preterist viewpoint leads to a belief in amillenialism (or post-millenialism) and is associated with covenant theology. Of course, it rejects dispensationalism. But its main problem is its inconsistent hermeneutic and its allegorizing of many biblical prophecies that are better understood literally. While partial preterism is within the scope of orthodoxy, it is not the majority view among Christians today.”
From another article in the same website, I clipped in this concluding utterance:
“The most serious difficulties in claiming all the prophecies were fulfilled in AD 70 are theological. In particular, preterism requires scriptural passages to be interpreted with a chaotic blend of extremely literal and extremely figurative language. One would have to interpret words, verses, and phrases that appear in the same discourse, or even the same paragraph, with a different literal-figurative assumption.”
My expansion of this same topic – the falsehood of Preterism – is my own observation of the lack of character with such heretic preachers: they behave and they write… or talk with ‘two tongues’ – like told in the paragraph above. They serve out a chaotic blend of extremely literal AND extremely figurative language. Which is exposing these heretics as entirely confused in their own argumentations. It comes out as pure gibberish…words without any real meaning.
The most reasonable interpretation is that the genocide and destruction of the temple were prophecies fulfilled in 70 CE, and that the other events described in Daniel, Matthew, and Revelation are yet to occur. They are truly end-times predictions.
Paul avoided entirely dealing with eschatology in his two only church epistles, Ephesians and Colossians. Simply because trying to understand Revelation, Daniel and other complicated prophetic Bible material, surely lead people into faulty interpretations and spiritual dead-end streets. Prophecy and eschatology simply is of no concern to the church, for we, His believers – ‘One new man’ – have not the earthly Kingdom of God as hope of salvation, but the heaven (Greek, epouranios) up above as hope.
Col. 3:1-4 cannot much be misunderstood,
“1 Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.
3 For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.”
Paul points us AWAY from earth, away from Eschatology – including the Great Tribulation, Anti-Christ, the Second Advent of Christ…simply because these issues in general are things of earthly character, and thus a factor of disturbance, something that will take our spiritual attention away from our glorious standing with the Lord by His magnificent grace salvation. We have died with Christ and so we are also DEAD TO ESCHATOLOGY and all other eventual earthly concerns.
Preterists try to use that “70 CE destruction of Israel” as the reason for why Paul did not teach any eschatology in Ephesians and Colossians. I have had this argumentation told to me directly via email from an Acts-28 believer…who has turned to Partial Preterism. But Paul was a prophet and an apostle – he was taking instructions directly from Christ in all his time of ministry. He did not evaluate things by what was going on in the world, namely the movements of the Roman overlords and generals. All of Paul’s teaching was based upon the revelations given him by Christ. It was Christ Who made Paul abstain from teaching eschatology to the Ephesians and Colossians, yes, the entire civilization of Asia Minor. He used all his power to have the revelation of the Mystery told forth to all believers everywhere in that part of the world. Col. 1:6, 23, quote,
(the gospel) ---
6 which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth;
23 if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.
But it would or at least could have been natural to him still, to mention the eventual destruction of Israel if this had happened before he wrote Ephesians and Colossians. Such bad news would certainly have made him sad and upset. But here we find that Paul was not alone: None of the apostles, none of the gospel-writers ever wrote anything of Israel having been destroyed. In the gospels and Acts we only find such destruction of Israel in the form of prophecy!
We have to go to a profane/worldly person to find history of the Jewish war, Flavius Josephus. His book material is the surest history of what concerns the destruction in 70 CE. I have his book (Norwegian transltn.) and have read it. His documentary report falls correctly into line with other Roman history writings, and general historical knowledge on the Roman Empire’s comings-and-goings in Biblical times.
Below I have summed up the main flaws regarding Partial Preterism, and some of it has already been mentioned above.
THE MOST SERIOUS ERRORS WITH PRETERISM
Partial preterism teaches that most end-times Bible prophecies, including the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, are already fulfilled, while a physical second coming and final judgment remain future. Critics argue the view relies on several weak or faulty lines of reasoning.
The Late-Date vs. Early-Date Revelation Dilemma
The argument: Partial preterists claim the Book of Revelation was written before 70 CE (often during Nero's reign) to make its symbols fit the destruction of Jerusalem.
Why it is considered faulty: Most historical evidence and early church fathers (like Irenaeus) place the writing of Revelation much later, around AD 95 or 96 during the reign of Domitian. Forcing an early date just to validate a preterist framework contradicts external historical testimony.
Inconsistent Hermeneutics (Literal vs. Figurative)
The argument: Partial preterists interpret massive cosmic language—such as stars falling, the sun darkening, and the heavens passing away—as hyperbole or colorful metaphors for the collapse of the Jewish political and religious system in 70 CE.
Why it is considered faulty: Critics argue this creates an arbitrary standard of interpretation. When the text describes Jesus' return or physical creation, partial preterists switch back to a literal interpretation, leading to an inconsistent hermeneutic (the method of interpreting text) where similar apocalyptic language in the same chapter is treated differently without clear textual cues.
PHYSICAL OR SYMBOLICAL?
Many narratives found in Revelation are definitively literal physical happenings, and ‘real-life-incidents’ far from symbolism and metaphoric imagery.
The asteroids/meteors/hailstones described in Rev. 8 are real and physical, falling from space. One falls into the Mediterranean Ocean causing great tsunamis as well as destroying one third of ships in the blast zone; plus it kills one third of living sea creatures. Right before that asteroid God sends down a rain of hailstones burning hot, hitting the land and burned one third of trees and fields, and the green grass. The third angel made another asteroid fall burning like a torch, poisoning the rivers and waters; it is called Wormwood, and people in Israel died from that poisoning. Verses 7-11, NASB,
“7 The first sounded, and there came hail and fire, mixed with blood, and they were thrown to the earth; and a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.
8 The second angel sounded, and something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea; and a third of the sea became blood,
9 and a third of the creatures which were in the sea and had life, died; and a third of the ships were destroyed.”
10 The third angel sounded, and a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of waters.”
11 The name of the star is called Wormwood; and a third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the waters, because they were made bitter.”
These “weapons of God at war” is described in the oldest book of the Bible Canon, Job’s Book. Job 38:22-23 as God kept drilling Job about His means with which to punish evil,
22 "Have you entered the storehouses of the snow, Or have you seen the storehouses of the hail,
23 Which I have reserved for the time of distress, For the day of war and battle? (editor’s note: Notice the exact expression as also found in Jer. 30:7 ….The time of Jacob’s distress (The Great Tribulation).
We are not seeing ice-hail here, for this is real stone materials, and it comes down glowingly at fire (which is not possible if ice). From where? From God’s outer space “storehouses” to be used in times of battle and eventual punishments. Symbolism is not found in Job 38, neither in Rev. 8. This is the real thing, it’s all very much physical harmful things, and you better take cover if you were one who stood in Israel under the open sky in those times!
Moses gave Egypt a 24-hours warning to seek cover from the oncoming hail-storm, when he faced Pharaoh Ramses II, Ex. 9:18-19,
18 "Behold, about this time tomorrow, I will send a very heavy hail, such as has not been seen in Egypt from the day it was founded until now.
19 "Now therefore send, bring your livestock and whatever you have in the field to safety. Every man and beast that is found in the field and is not brought home, when the hail comes down on them, will die.""
It is my personal opinion that Moses, being one of the two witnesses in Rev. 11, will allow for the Zionist-Israel to seek cover from these horrorible burning stones and asteroids falling from the sky. Maybe same 24-hours warning as with Egypt?
What of Rev. 9 and the scorpion-monsters from the Abyss?
Same thing as with the asteroids and hailstones in Rev. 8: it’s all very real and physical. These scaring monsters are described as they only shall sting those who had not the seal of God on them (those who followed the beast, anti-Christ) – and cause them pain for 5 months. They will seek to die by suicide, but they are refused by God, and death will not occur! What a horror-show to come in Israel!!
Can you manage to read it all, or are you one with shaky nerves?
These monsters comes from outer space…a star from heaven had fallen to earth, and it had with it things from a bottomless pit out there in space.
Rev. 9:1-12, NASB,
“1 Then the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth; and the key of the bottomless pit was given to him.
2 He opened the bottomless pit, and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of the pit.
3 Then out of the smoke came locusts upon the earth, and power was given them, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
4 They were told not to hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.
5 And they were not permitted to kill anyone, but to torment for five months; and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a man.
6 And in those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death flees from them.
7 The appearance of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle; and on their heads appeared to be crowns like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men.
8 They had hair like the hair of women, and their teeth were like the teeth of lions.
9 They had breastplates like breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, of many horses rushing to battle.”
10 They have tails like scorpions, and stings; and in their tails is their power to hurt men for five months.
11 They have as king over them, the angel of the abyss; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek he has the name Apollyon.
12 The first woe is past; behold, two woes are still coming after these things.”
Rev. 6 – 9 are plagues and punishments happening under the FIRST WOE, which also means that the two witnesses in Rev. 11 are present, thus warning Israel of the coming monsters. The witnesses are killed, and then Rev. 11 declares that woe number two is completed, verses 12-14, - and it takes place in Jerusalem,
“12 And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here." Then they went up into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies watched them.
13 And in that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell; seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.
14 The second woe is past; behold, the third woe is coming quickly.”
God causes a strong earthquake as the two witnesses are caught up into heaven, and 7000 inhabitants of Jerusalem are killed. Then we see that after this judgement for the first time in Revelation, people are in awe giving God praise and glory. Before this, they were blasphemers altogether; see Rev. 16:9, Rev. 16:11, and Rev. 13:5–6.
No symbolism or metaphors here, in Rev. 8 and 9, as it is also in the majority of chapters in Revelation.
And lastly, let us not forget what Jesus prophesied over Israel as the bystanders wept and cried as He walked to His death, the cross, up to Calvary, Luke 23:27-31, NASB,
“27 And following Him was a large crowd of the people, and of women who were mourning and lamenting Him.
28 But Jesus turning to them said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, stop weeping for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.
29 "For behold, the days are coming when they will say, 'Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.'
30 "Then they will begin TO SAY TO THE MOUNTAINS, 'FALL ON US,' AND TO THE HILLS, 'COVER US.'
31 "For if they do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?"
He spoke of the end-time and the horrors coming in the Great Tribulation, and not of the Jewish war in 66-70 CE, which ended with Jerusalem’s destruction, the temple burnt down and thousands of Jews crucified along the main roads in Judea.
How so?
Notice the very important expression in verse 28: “your children” – pointing to a future time, another generation. The descendants of the Jews from the apostolic times, who will be in the illicit Israel…like it is now, the Zionist-Israel, which is an institution which is a majority (80%) of Talmudic believers. Talmudic religion is known for blasphemy against Jesus; He is portrayed as a bastard son of Mary with a Roman Centurion, and thus He is now boiling in excrement in Hell.
When Romans took Jerusalem, no one is found crying out to the mountains “fall on us” and to the hills “cover us” – instead we find (ref. Josephus book The Jewish War) that men in Israel, Jews mostly, rebelled against and fought against Rome. Using swords, knives, axes, and spears, plus setting fire to Roman properties. They definitively did not cry to the hills and mountains to fall on them for cover.
In Rev. 6:16, Jesus is revealing this future event to His apostle John, and we get a few more details – of great importance – to learn what will take place, and we can read Luke 23 and Rev. 6 in one-and-same breath take,
15 Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains;
16 and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb;
17 for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?"
Here these future Jewish nationals are crying out, KNOWING FROM WHOM THIS JUDGEMENT IS COMING: 1: From the presence of Him who sits on the throne, 2: and from the wrath of the Lamb.
Guess who is that Lamb?
You guessed right: Jesus Christ. And the ungodly Israel in the Great Tribulation has been told of this truth, which they take to heart. They have all heard the two witnesses in Rev. 11 tell them of Jesus Christ, Who shall arrive from heaven in a given day. It says of the two in Rev. 11 that they are to prophesy for 1260 days. They shall speak of what is to come upon Israel, and so warning them before the horrors occur and killing thousands.
And these Jews are not first and foremost the regular common Jew, but these are the kings (or governors rather, see Rev. 17:12 – the ten kings) and leaders of a false tribal Jewish system made by Anti-Christ, - but these leaders causes their servants (slaves) to go with them, and finally – also the free man does the same. It is a full panic desperation, a regular ‘stampede’ of human beings scared to death of the horrors of the Great Tribulation.
The expressions “the rocks of the mountains” and “the caves” in verse 15, may be in two different parts of Israel. The rocks/mountains are found exclusively in northern Israel, now named Golan. And the caves may rather be in hills and ridges in Judea, as well as Samaria. This will take place all over the little nation; people everywhere shall run in panic to seek cover from the wrath of the Lamb.
Nothing of the sort took place in 70 CE, I can assure you. This is still a future narrative. Preterism is all in error, making guesses and not really teaching the Word of God rightly divided. Same spiritual illness and wrongs as frequently found with Jehovah’s Witnesses and other cults/sects.
None of these things happened during the destruction of Israel in 70 CE.
The three woes noted in Revelation marks the continuation-line: these scenarios comes on…one following the others…until the full 7 years (the seventieth year week in Dan. 9) are up, and Jesus will arrive from heaven to take His rule in Israel. All the judgement-scenarios and disasters happen in the very same time-frame: the Seventieth Year-Week in Daniel 9. The 7 years of tribulation is instigated by the appearance of the two witnesses (prophets) in Rev. 11; who shall come to earth shortly after the conclusion of the church-age.
The killing of the two witnesses happens mid-week: after 3 ½ years, and then follows the killing-spree as anti-Christ executes those who will not take the mark of the beast. Rev. 13 is all about this.
The third and final woe is starting in Rev. 11:14-15, declaring that the coming events are coming QUICKLY. In other words: they come following tightly and immediately the earthquake in Jerusalem,
“14 The second woe is past; behold, the third woe is coming quickly.
15 Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever."
The above quotes from Revelation 8, 9 and 11 is enough to back up my statement, that all these described events of judgements are physical and real, and it did not happen as Rome crushed Israel in 70 CE.
Preterism, both Partial and Full, are just empty human brainwork, and not a true and solid Biblical doctrine to be followed and believed. It contradicts the Bible in so many ways that it loses the battle on that single point alone. My detailed apologetics here is nearly just a bonus for the reader to safe-guard against saying too little in the case at hand.
The most known propagator of Partial Preterism in our time was Dr. R.C. Sproul (1939-2017).
But in the earlier ages we find believers, such as: Origen (c.185–254), Eusebius of Caesarea (c.260–340), John Lightfoot (1602–1675) and Hugo Grotius (1583–1645).
Minimizing the "Already/Not Yet" Tension
The argument: The system heavily localizes global or universal language found in Jesus' Olivet Discourse or prophetic texts, compressing cosmic judgments into localized ancient historical events involving Rome and Judea. Like I already pointed out above.
Why it is considered faulty: Opponents from broader evangelical and futurist traditions state that this strips the text of its ultimate, global horizon. It struggles to account for passages where the scope of judgment and renewal is explicitly universal rather than provincial.
Over-Reliance on First-Century Timelines
The argument: Proponents assert that phrases like "this generation shall not pass" or "the time is at hand" strictly mandate a first-century fulfillment for sweeping prophetic motifs.
Why it is considered faulty: Critics point out that prophetic literature frequently uses telescopic language, where immediate historical judgments (like the Babylonian exile or the fall of Jerusalem) act as types or shadows of a final, greater eschatological fulfillment, rather than exhausting the prophecy entirely.
Having pointed to what main issues are taken up in criticizing the preterist views, by the majority of Christendom, let me just put a few points a bit straighter still.
The classic criticism says that preterism leaves out the ‘global horizon’ in regard to end-time scenarios.
Here I like to say: this eventual ‘global horizon’ is non-existent, because the Great Tribulation is not happening all over the world, globally speaking. It confines itself to Israel and the near Middle-East neighborhood.
It is indeed a time in which God deals with Israel only, but it will cause some ‘collateral damages’. The falling down of asteroids from space, seen in Rev. 8, causes great tsunamis flushing over the coastline of Israel, damaging Tel Aviv and Haifa; but I am sure that such a tsunami will also influence the near coast of Turkey to the north and Egypt to the south.
Luke is the only one telling of the sea and weather as tools to punish Israel, Luke 21:25-26,
“ 25 "There will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves,
26 men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.”
The reason people are expecting (grueling, and weeping) the things coming upon them, is simply because they will hear the two witnesses in Rev. 11 warn them of it! Thus they will start trembling with fear and anxiety – even fainting (!) from fear.
The Great Tribulation told by Jesus in Mat. 24, was clearly based upon Jer. 30:7 – saying,
“'Alas! for that day is great, There is none like it; And it is the time of Jacob's distress, But he will be saved from it.”
Mat. 24:21-22, Jesus explaining,
21 "For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will.
22 "Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.
Jesus – arriving from heaven - cuts off the whole tribulation to avoid having them all killed. Enough is enough.
Jeremiah said the same as Jesus regarding that special tribulation to come upon Israel in the end-time. See my emphasize in the verses above.
Now, if this tribulation happened as Rome destroyed Israel in 70 CE, how is it that Jesus did not return from heaven to stop the killing spree of the Roman army? (Tens of thousands of rebelling Jews were crucified along the main roads).
Nowhere in the Bible can we find that there shall be ‘two great tribulations’ – Jesus foretold of just one such tribulation.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE “GREAT TRIBULATION”
AND THE “KING’S REVENGE” FOR KILLING HIS SERVANTS
The correct Biblical truth is that the destruction of Israel in 70 CE was the revenge from Christ (The King), since the nation’s leaders had killed the servants sent to them to invite for the wedding feast: Mat. 22:6-7, quote –
“6 and the rest seized his slaves and mistreated them and killed them.
7 But the king was enraged, and he sent his armies and destroyed those murderers and set their city on fire.”
The king was enraged – Jesus prophesied of Himself (king) sending the Roman army against the disobedient Israel for the murders of His apostles, and their city Jerusalem burnt down. It all happened in 70 CE.
Jeremiah prophesied likewise, regarding the punishment upon the disobedient nation Israel, and on God’s behalf called the army of Nebuchadnezzar for “My army”. God can at any time choose to grab hold of a certain nation’s army to use for punishment against a sinful and ungodly nation, however, NOT in the dispensation of grace. After this dispensation is concluded, then will come a time of judgements…administered by Jesus Christ at His Second Coming. He shall rule the gentiles with His rod of iron, the prophets say.
And in 70 CE it was NOT any part of the end-time Great Tribulation. It was pure revenge against the ungodly Pharisees and Sadducees and their followers. A separate ‘private’ revenge against the evildoers who killed the Lord’s servants. Luke 13 and the “Barren Fig tree” are saying the same: Israel shall be chopped down, by the Roman battle axe. Jesus found no faith in Israel the three years He ministered to them. If they have no faith in Christ, they must be cast out of the land!
In 62 CE, the high priest Ananus II (he who had Paul slapped in the face in Jerusalem, Acts 23:2), a Sadducee, used illegally the opportunity to have James and several elders in the Jerusalem assembly stoned to death, as he found out that procurator Porcius Festus had left Caesarea to go to Rome for treatment of a serious disease. In the vacuum between Festus’ leaving and the new procurator taking his seat (this was Lucceius Albinus) Ananus II illegally had the Lord’s apostles and elders killed under false accusations of blasphemy, using false paid ‘witnesses’. Same criminal method used against Christ to have Him crucified, and later with Stephen as he was stoned to death, Acts 7-8. When Nero got word of this, he ordered Ananus II fired from his office, via the procurator Albinus and Herod Agrippa II, as he had come into office. Ananus held his priestly position for only three months. In Josephus’ book “Antiquities of the Jews” he reports of the citizens in town, which got very angry with Ananus’ illegal executions. Such serious actions had always to be a decision of the Roman procurators. It is found in Acts on general basis, that the regular inhabitants held the Messianic believers in high regard, as opposed to the religious leadership. Herod Agrippa II chose Jesus ben Damneus to replace Ananus II. Ananus II was later killed by his own people after the rebellion started in 66 CE. Josephus tells of these incidents in his book, number 20, chapter 9. Jesus ben Damneus was most probably a Sadducee, like his predecessor Ananus II.
62 CE was the year when Luke closed his Book of Acts, as he told of Paul still pounding on the closed door of general Jewry at Rome…trying to convert the religious leaders to faith in Jesus as the Messiah. Thus we have to view the sad incident with the killing of James and several elders in 62 CE as I described above, as a grave upsetting action causing God’s anger to fire up. He was finished with His nation, and the cup of their sinful ways had run over: judgement came upon Israel just four years later, 66 CE, as the rebellion broke out in Caesarea and spread to most other parts of the land – and ending with the total destruction in 70 CE. The revenge of the Lord was completed.
But what happened to the congregation in Jerusalem after the killings in 62 CE?
Historical records show that the community remained in Jerusalem after James's death. Simeon, son of Clophas, succeeded James as the leader of the early Christianity assembly in Jerusalem. According to ancient church historians like Eusebius, the Christian community eventually fled Jerusalem later—around 66 CE—just as the First Jewish Revolt against Rome broke out, relocating to the town of Pella across the Jordan River.
OTHER BIBLE PASSAGES TELLING OF REVENGE,
LIKE WHAT IS TOLD IN MAT. 22
In Christian theology, such passages are generally understood as prophecies or parables concerning the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple—which historically took place under the Roman Empire in 70 CE.
The Gospel Parables
Like Matthew 22:7, these passages use figurative language to describe the violent removal of the nation's leadership and the reallocation of God's blessings to others.
Mat. 21:41, Mark 12:9, Luke 20:16: In the Parable of the Wicked Tenants, the vineyard owner sends his son, whom the tenants murder. In response, the owner "will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others." This was a REVENGE against the Pharisees and Sadducees – like as in Mat. 22:7.
Luke 19:27: At the conclusion of the Parable of the Ten Minas, the returning king commands, "But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me." This was also the same REVENGE as mentioned above, and was executed in 70 CE. The use of the word “slaughter” is very appropriate, for that was exactly what the army of Titus did!
Actually, this was the very reason Jesus had Paul sent to Rome, trying to avoid this harsh retribution/revenge – had only the Sanhedrin counsel in Rome come to faith in Jesus Christ!
JESUS’ DIRECT PROPHECIES OF JERUSALEM’S FALL
These passages explicitly detail a military siege sent as retribution for rejecting God's ultimate message.
Luke 19:41-44: Jesus weeps over Jerusalem, predicting its total flattening. He states that enemies will hem them in on every side because "you did not know the time of your visitation."
Luke 21:20-24: Jesus warns of Jerusalem surrounded by armies and calls it the "days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written." He promises "great distress upon the earth (land) and wrath against this people."
Matthew 23:34-38: Jesus condemns the leaders for killing the prophets and concludes that guilt for all righteous blood will fall on that generation. He declares, "See, your house is left to you desolate."
Image: The temple burning, 70 CE.
This was also prophesied by Is. 6:12: (quoted by Paul before Sanhedrin in Acts 28:25-28),
9 He said, "Go, and tell this people: 'Keep on listening, but do not perceive; Keep on looking, but do not understand.'
10 "Render the hearts of this people insensitive, Their ears dull, And their eyes dim, Otherwise they might see with their eyes, Hear with their ears, Understand with their hearts, And return and be healed."
11 Then I said, "Lord, how long?" And He answered, "Until cities are devastated and without inhabitant, Houses are without people and the land is utterly desolate,”
What a correct description of Israel after the disaster in 70 CE! The land had been utterly destroyed, and yet: this was NOT the Great Tribulation. It was just the immediate REVENGE for Israel’s refusing to accept Christ, and for her murders of the Messianic believers including the apostles.
Luke 13 of the “Barren Fig Tree” (Israel), was spoken by Jesus in his prophetic parable, and the tree was to be cut down. He had sought to find fruit on it (faith) in three whole years, but found none. Thus it was doomed. The vinedresser’s voice here, of leaving it for yet one more season and fertilizing it to see if fruit would come, points to the apostles’ preaching of the Kingdom-gospel in Acts, trying to have Israel repent to Jesus. The expression “one more season” turned out to be around 30 years on our calendar, the times and narratives we learn of in Acts, but to no avail, as we learn from history.
In 70 CE the tree was indeed cut down. God gave His nation the Land…Israel, but in 70 CE He took it back due to its vile and murderous actions against His servants, the apostles and their assemblies. It’s a fact, and it is non-negotiable! The present nation, Israel, as it was declared in 1948, is still just a Gentile nation, and NOT the nation of God.
They cannot become His nation again, unless they first go through the purging and times of distress prophesied by Jer. 30:7, Mat. 24:21-22, and many other Bible passages. We see this in Zec. 13:8-9 of the one third survivors/remnants coming out of the Great Tribulation: thus the Lord declares of this remnant, that they are His people and He is their God (verse 9: And I will bring the third part through the fire, Refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, And I will answer them; I will say, 'They are My people,' And they will say, 'The LORD is my God.)
When Israel was established in 1948, did you ever hear any national confession saying that they now had turned to Christ, saying publicly: The Lord Jesus is my God?
New Testament Epistles
1 Thessalonians 2:14–16: Paul writes harshly about the Judean leaders who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets. He states they "drive us out, and displease God and oppose all mankind... But wrath has come upon them at last!"
Old Testament Prophetic Roots
The New Testament depictions draw heavily upon ancient Old Testament language regarding covenant curses.
Leviticus 26:25: God warns a rebellious Israel, "And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall execute vengeance for the covenant."
Daniel 9:26: A central apocalyptic text predicting that after the Messiah is "cut off," the "people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary."
This was, in history, General Titus, son of Caesar Vespasian, who later was to become Caesar (21 December 69 CE). He had Jerusalem burnt and the temple (sanctuary) burnt and torn completely down.
DESPITE ALL THE HORRORS OF 70 CE:
THE GREAT TRIBULATION SHALL BECOME WORSE
The Great Tribulation is to come upon the present illegal land-thieves, the Zionist Jewry, Israel. Jesus demonized them prophetically in Mat. 12 and the incident with the possessed man – using it to tell that the demon (Israel!) after having been cast out, would return to his previous house, and even bring with him seven other ‘demons’ (gentile people) and go and live in this house. Jesus ended His prophetic parable, quote, verse 45,
"Then it goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation."
This evil GENERATION: the future illicit Israel which in 70 CE was cast out of the land, for its criminal murdering ways, will come BACK AGAIN bringing with it evil peoples. The last state of the man (Israel in the Great Tribulation) will become worse than the first, when the man (Israel) was cast out by the Roman army…the Kings army according to Jesus in Mat. 22:7.
The Great Tribulation, said Jesus, will be WORSE than when Rome destroyed Israel in 70 CE. This saying of the Lord entirely kills the preterisms. Jesus established the truth that the Great Tribulation is not what happened in 70 CE.
When studying Revelation 6 and on, we find such horrors as never had happened to them earlier.
Water turned to blood, asteroids falling and causing tsunamis and even poisoning (Rev. 8) – huge devastating earthquakes in Israel, super-natural tooth-gnashing agonizing darkness, monsters from outer abyss-space like big locust-scorpions tormenting and scaring people shitless for five months (Rev. 9) and on and on….things which did not happen at all in the times of Rome attacking Israel 66-70 CE.
The Great Tribulation will be like nothing this world ever has seen! And it’s not a millimeter of symbolism and mysticism here. It simply goes straight to it, and tells of what exactly will take place inside Israel.
Preterists are much like other sects in our time. They are dreamers and fancy their own theories as if they are of same value as the Word of God. They should be ashamed of themselves for committing such false interpretation of Scripture. They break every sound rule of hermeneutical systematic Bible study, and are contradicting themselves in doing so. This looks more like confusion than interpretation.
Jesus hit the nail-on-the-head when He reprimanded the Pharisees, saying, - “You are mistaken, since you do not understand the Scriptures nor the power of God. Mat. 22:29. The same can be said of all the sects out there, twisting and abusing the word of God to fit their own human faulty theories and speculations. Preterism is not alone, far from it.
Universalism with their stupid senseless idea of “all mankind saved no matter what they believe or not believe”, Adventists desperately trying to observe the Law of Moses with its Sabbath and food ordinances and other things, Mormons and their fantasy book (non-existent) of Mormon, delivered to Joseph Smith by an angel called “Moroni” with its pages of gold leaves, Jehovah’s Witnesses with the multitude of failed prophecies, proving their falsehood, and the lot. And that infamous movement of the Pentecostal Charismatics – such as Word of Faith, Toronto Blessing, River, and the lot….and the latest substantial falsehood on the market, the NAR-movement – New Apostolic Reformation started by Peter Wagner in 2000.
FULL PRETERISM IS HOSTILE TO BIBLICAL FAITH
I will mention some facts here, at the end of this article, on Full Preterism as well. That set of ideas is not Biblical at any point. It is a line of lying and idiotic beliefs.
I clip in here a quote from biblebing.com website, which I found to be interesting,
“The problem is not that full preterists take history seriously; it is that they deny doctrines the New Testament treats as essential and non-negotiable. Scripture is emphatic that Christ's return will be visible and bodily, that every eye shall see him (Revelation 1:7), and the angels at His ascension promised that this same Jesus would return in like manner as He was seen going into heaven (Acts 1:11). No such visible, universal event happened in AD 70.
Even more seriously, full preterism denies a future bodily resurrection of believers, and the apostle Paul confronted exactly this error by name in his own day. He warned Timothy about false teachers, Hymenaeus and Philetus, who erred concerning the truth by saying the resurrection was already past, and who thereby overthrew the faith of some (2 Timothy 2:17-18). Paul does not treat this as a minor interpretive quirk; he treats it as faith-destroying error.”
2 Timothy 2:16-19, AMP,
“16 But avoid all empty (vain, useless, idle) talk, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness.
17 And their teaching (will devour; it) will eat its way like cancer or spread like gangrene. SO IT IS WITH HYMENAEUS AND PHILETUS.
18 Who have missed the mark and swerved from the truth by arguing that the resurrection has already taken place. They are undermining the faith of some.
19 (Paul’s judgmental exhortation, editor’s note) - But the firm foundation of (laid by) God stands, sure and unshaken, bearing this seal (inscription): The Lord knows those who are His, and, Let everyone who names (himself by) the name of the Lord give up all iniquity and stand aloof from it.”
Also 2 Thes. 2:1-5 falls in line with the exhortation given Timothy, since it touches in on the Second Advent/Parousia of Christ,
“1 Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him,
2 that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.
3 Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,
4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.
5 Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things?”
Paul had preached and laid these narratives out for the believers earlier, he said. So it seems to me that Paul was disappointed of their wavering and unrooted behaviors regarding the resurrection of believers and the coming of the Lord. They had started to speculate of whether the day of the Lord had already arrived! And if Paul had told them of these things earlier, they surely would have heard him teach on the resurrection of the dead in that connection. The dead would be raised at the Parousia of Christ, like he wrote in 1 Thes. 4:16.
This strict teaching and warnings from Paul must be considered inter-dispensational.
Lies about the Lord, such as that of the lie about the resurrection of the dead having already taken place, and also the lies of Jesus already had come from heaven, is likened with words of “gangrene disease and cancer”. They are both considered harmful, and ultimately also deadly. And Paul seriously pointed to the fact that some believers would have their faith UNDERMINED…exposed to the dangers of ultimately falling away from the faith.
Saying that one believes in Partial preterism, does not whitewash him from being a heretic, yes, even being hostile to true Biblical faith. All sorts of variables regarding any preterism, must be condemned as heretical. My teaching/warning above on Partial preterism shows just how bad that is in the eyes of God. Just as bad as the full preterism. The two are spiritual twins what regards opposition against Biblical truth.
Stay away from all of that if you want seriously to be saved…don’t jeopardize your salvation by entering such false theories/heretical teaching as preterism. Don’t follow the spirit of the “Father of Lies” – Satan. He is the underlying cause for all disorder and falsehood within Christianity.
In our time, Satan does not come along as a monstrous creature with horns and a huge forked spear; he ‘comes’ like a nice fair looking servant of righteousness, with the Bible in hand, smiling (!) a messenger of light…as Paul described him when warning off believers in 2 Cor. 11:13-15. Such false ‘Light bearers’ may be guys like Kenneth Gentry, Don K. Preston, Gary DeMar, Ed Stevens, Max King (died 2020), and several others. They all have propagated lies by systematical teaching and preaching the heresies of preterist theology and the like. Max King was considered as the ‘founding father of full preterism’, see image above.
Paul exhorts us in Eph. 6:10-17, NASB,
“10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.
11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.
14 Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS,
15 and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE;
16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
17 And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
Gracepano.com
