Preterist or Futurist

Two parties of prophetic understanding are Preterist and Futurist.

Preterism is a variant of Christian eschatology [the study of last things] which holds that some or all of the biblical prophecies concerning the Last Days/ Last things refer to events which happened in the first century near and around AD 70 with the destruction of the Jewish Temple and Jerusalem. The term preterism comes from the Latin praeter, meaning "past". Partial Preterism still holds to a future coming of Christ and resurrection, while full Preterism maintains a fulfillment of these things.

Futurism holds that many prophecies are yet future, such as the "Great Tribulation" and events portrayed in the book of Revelation.

Futurists claim to be literalists and charge Preterists as being allegorical. Preterists claim futurists are not consistent in their literalism and in their comparing Scripture with Scripture, interpreting the New Testament with the Old Testament.

The Second Coming of Christ.

It is the belief of both parties (partial Preterists and Futurists) that there will be a second coming of Christ, a resurrection and judgment of all people, and then finally a new creation. The difference between the two parties is that the Preterist usually sees the coming of Christ references in the Olivet Discourse (as in Matthew 24) as being fulfilled in AD 70 as a “coming” of Divine judgment of Israel and Jerusalem.

It seems typical of most mainline denominations to be preterists, such as Catholics, Lutherans, Methodists, and Presbyterians. There are exceptions among them. It's more likely to find futurists among the Baptist and Bible churches, and among Charismatics, Pentecostals, and independent churches.

The Southern Baptist doctrinal stance (on Last Things) allows for both a futurist and (partial) preterist view. Southern Baptists can be either futurists and preterists.

God, in His own time and in His own way, will bring the world to its appropriate end. According to His promise, Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in glory to the earth; the dead will be raised; and Christ will judge all men in righteousness. The unrighteous will be consigned to Hell, the place of everlasting punishment. The righteous in their resurrected and glorified bodies will receive their reward and will dwell forever in Heaven with the Lord. From the The Southern Baptist doctrinal statement.

Matthew 24
The Disciples to Jesus: Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?

In these questions, the disciples are surely thinking of the coming Kingdom. They probably didn't know how the destruction of the temple fits in, but the coming of Christ and the end of the age would be with reference to that coming kingdom.

After the resurrection and prior to Christ's ascension, we read, Acts 1.6-7: Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, "Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" [7] And He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority."

The kingdom to come would be at the end of the age. One can view the idea of ages differently depending on context, but it could be said that the kingdom is "the age to come" (Hebrews 6.5: "the powers of the age to come"). Futurists would say the new age is the Millennial kingdom yet future, while preterists would see the new age in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in which the old age (old covenant) manifestly vanished away (Hebrews 8:13: In that He says, "A new [covenant]," He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.).

Futurists hold that this particular record in Matthew 24 does not answer the first question of the disciples, while Preterists say Jesus does answer the question and give details of that period surrounding the temple's destruction as "great tribulation."

Futurists (probably most) believe the first question is answered in Luke 21.20-24.

Partial Preterists would mostly say the destruction of the temple is revealed in the language concerning the coming of Christ in the clouds and the cosmic disturbances. The coming in the clouds and cosmic disturbances speak of Divine judgment on Israel. One preterist, D A Carson, still sees the coming of Christ in Matthew 24 as the second coming of Christ yet future, while great tribulation took place during the time leading up to the temple's destruction in AD70.

Partial preterists believe most prophecy was fulfilled in the events of AD70, but they still believe in a future second coming of Christ and resurrection of the dead. Full preterists believe all prophecy has been fulfilled, including the second coming and the resurrection. All was fulfilled in the events of AD70. When a person dies, they go to heaven, and there's no other prophecies to be fulfilled. I believe most preterists are partial and not full ones.

The following chart is a timeline in general that may fit both a Futurist and Preterist view.

Jesus says in Matthew 24.4-8 that these are things that must come to pass. These are things characteristic of the age. One should not be deceived or quick to conclude that the end had come. So don’t jump the gun--as many have. The end is not yet. More specific signs would mark the coming of Christ and the end of the age.

All these things are the beginning of sorrows (or birth pangs). Birth Pangs have sorrow as its main significance in both Testaments. It is a sorrow as a woman in labor, apparently a sorrow from which there is no escape. There is no escape in this world from those characteristics Jesus gave. And if you think those are bad, wait until the Day of the Lord. And when that Day comes, there will be no escape. You will have to go through it. I believe “labor pains” is particularly used for sorrow from which there is no escape in this world. The same Greek word is used in Romans 8.22: For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Acts 2.24 speaks of Jesus whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death.

Matthew 24:9-14: This “tribulation” is the great tribulation. It will be characterized by persecution, false prophets, lawlessness, and apostasy. This section in Matthew 24 belongs to Great Tribulation. Futurists believe this is yet to come and belongs to the second half of Daniel's “70th Week” prophecy in Daniel 9:24-27. It is the period that most of Revelation, chapters 6 through 19 deal with.

Matthew 24:15-28: Therefore when you see… This is what marks the beginning of great tribulation, and we have a specific focus on deception by “false christs.” The “abomination of desolation” is that event in the temple foreshadowed by Antiochus in history (Daniel 11.31) and prophesied by Daniel to come at a later time: Daniel 12.11 and 9.27 according to the futurist view (sacrifices are taken away and an abomination that causes desolation is set up in a Jewish temple of some kind). This event is also described in 2 Thessalonians 2 by Paul as the revealing of the son of perdition.

Some preterists believe that there is no break between the 69th and 70th week of Daniel. They would say Jesus' ministry fulfilled the first half of the 70th week; it was he would brought an end to sacrifice and offering; the second half of the 70th week was fulfilled by Jesus' disciples in taking the gospel to the Jews first. Not all preterists believe the second half was fulfilled by the disciples, but that it was fulfilled in the events of AD70, but then you will have a gap of about 40 years from the crucifixion to the destruction of the temple in AD70.

It seems to me that Daniel 9.27 has the same pattern as in Daniel 11.31 and 12.11 as to bringing an end to sacrifices and setting up the desolating abomination. Jesus quoted the Septuagint. We can see the reference to the abomination of desolation: "In the midst of the week my sacrifice and drink offering shall be taken away: and on the temple shall be the abomination of desolation." Jesus said: "Therefore when you see the ` abomination of desolation ,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" Matthew 24:15. In the other references, the taking away of the sacrifices and the abomination of desolation go together. The abomination of desolation could not have happened right after the crucifixion, and so if preterists place it about 40 years after the crucifixion then there is a gap of time—a complaint the preterists make about futurists who have a gap of time between the 69^th and 70^th Weeks of Daniel, and both preterists and futurists have to recognize that the “abomination of desolation” happens in a Jewish temple after the Church has begun as the people of God.

Matthew 24:29-31: Immediately after gives us a reference point. The cosmic disturbances involving the sun, moon, and stars transpire at the end of great tribulation and precede the Coming of Christ. What exactly is the nature of these events, particularly with the stars falling? Preterists say it signifies Israel, as in Joseph's dream about his brothers bowing down to him. But we see these same cosmic events in several Scriptures in connection with the coming of Christ and the “Day of the Lord.”

Luke 21.26 adds extra details that pertains to the wrath of God in connection with Mat 24.29: There will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of heaven will be shaken. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.

The Luke account makes a distinction between events in heaven and those on earth, but Preterists believe the cosmic events speak of judgment on the nation of Israel (represented by the sun, moon, and stars as in Joseph's dream); so what does it mean by the events on earth--is it hyperbole? Why the contrast between heaven and earth? What is this redemption that would draw near if not the second coming of Christ and the salvation of the elect?

Matthew 32-35: The Fig tree parable is an analogy. When the Fig tree branch is tender and puts forth its leaves, one can know that summer near; likewise, one can know His coming is near.

The preterist points out that this generation is not a future "that" generation which sees the signs; it refers to those contemporary with Jesus. However, Lutheran Scholar R C H Lenski says: the view that [...] refers to the contemporary generation, those living at the time when Jesus spoke, is untenable. However, D. A. Carson says in his commentary on Matthew that this generation can only with the greatest difficulty be made to mean anything other than the generation living when Jesus spoke.

The "this generation" issue is one of the strongest arguments by preterists for a past fulfillment of much prophecy. If preterism is correct, Carson's view on Matthew 24 seems more agreeable, since he sees the coming of Christ in the discourse as the second coming and not the wrath of God on Israel and Jerusalem. But how would we discern the coming of Christ references in the New Testament as to whether they speak of judgment in AD 70 or the second coming? This is where full preterists are more consistent than partial preterists, because they see all references to the second coming as already fulfilled. Partial preterists are not as consistent about the coming of Christ references, whether they were already fulfilled in AD70 or are yet future.

I believe "this generation" means something like the type of generation that existed during the time of Christ, being an unbelieving and perverse generation. And Jesus may have had in view this type of generation throughout time, a type that killed all of God's prophets and messengers; and this type of generation will continue until the Second Coming of Christ. I have a paper I wrote on “this generation” as an evil and perverse generation.

Matthew 24:36-39: The coming of the Lord will be as in the Days of Noah. The world will continue in normal activities to some extent right up to the coming of Christ.

Matthew 24:40-44: One taken and one left: This corresponds with 24.31: God’s elect will be gathered. This is not the judgment of nations as in Matthew 25.31-46, for then all nations will be gathered before him and separated, as is clearly stated in 25.32. The separation of vss 40-41 happens during activities of working and sleeping. Notice that we have a gathering of the “elect.” The pretrib position would say this is Israel (Jewish believers), while prewrath or post-trib would say it is not a gathering of Israel and Judah but the rapture of the Church.

Matthew 24:45-51: This is an exhortation to be prepared for the Coming of Christ. Preparation is evidenced by faith and corresponding actions.