sort of reminds me of a frank an earnest cartoon. the two are talking to god:
frank: "is it true that a second to you is like a million years?"
god: "yes"
earnest: "is it true that to you a penny is like a million dollars?"
god: "yes again"
frank: "can you give us a penny?"
god: "of course. just a second"
if you believe that the bible is the divine word of god, you must realize that the wisdom inside is from god, and that statemets are often times from his perspective.
The book was written about the first century AD, not today. Thats what they seem to overlook because they feel as the "true believers" that they are going to get a free ticket out just in time to avoid the "tribulation." Nero was the Anti-Christ. There is no rapture.
a more accurate interpretation of this in the Greek is "these things which must rapidly come to pass" meaning once it gets started it will come to pass in a short amount of time. preterists are way off the mark.
Please note, in Strong's concordance the translation of the word shortly:
Strong's coco5034 tachos {takh'-os} AV - shortly + 1722 4, quickly + 1722 2, speedily + 1722 1; 7 1) quickness, speed
In other words, once you see these signs that must appear, these signs will appear one right after the other, " quickly, speedily". It was not said to mean in a short span of time.
Depends on whose point of view you're looking at it from: God's or yours.
2 Peter 3:8-9 "But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."
To the Preterists, I say this: Show me one historical account that completely lines up with the severity of the plagues and judgments detailed in Revelation, and show me where the Mt. of Olives has been split in two, EVER, as is detailed in Zechariah 14:3-4
"Then the LORD will go forth and fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle. And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, from east to west, making a very large valley; Half of the mountain shall move toward the north and half of it toward the south."This has not happened yet, so it is future, and refers to a battle between the Lord and the armies of the world. There is no independent account of the Lord Jesus returning in 70 AD in any form, certainly not in a way that "every eye shall see". Jesus' Second Coming is still future, as are the Trumpet, Bowl and Vial judgments, the Anti-Christ, and Armageddon.
On a side note, to God 2000 years is but a blink of an eye.