A Dozen Reasons Why I Became a Preterist

Kicking and screaming, gnarling and scratching, I became convinced that the preterist view of eschatology is the correct one. Here’s why.

1. I could no longer ignore, in good conscience, the over 100 time-statements in the New Testament that demand fulfillment of the prophesied events within the lifetimes of the New Testament writers.

2. I became convinced that the culmination of all eleven specific mentions of the “last days” or “end times” in the New Testament could not be placed beyond the first century.

3. I realized that I was ignorant about what happened in Jerusalem in AD 70 and the theological significance of these events.

4. I was shocked to discover that Jesus, as well as his disciples, stated that all OLD TESTAMENT prophecy would be competed in their literal generation—that is, the first century.

5. I realized that if Jesus and his disciples were wrong about the timing of fulfillment of the prophetic events, the charges against Christianity about Jesus being a false prophet would be true. The preterist view is the only one that answers the critics’ charges. So I am now convinced that Jesus kept his word. (No need to make excuses for Him.)

6. I had heard Christians argue that language such as “moon turning to blood,” “coming on clouds,” “make the heavens tremble,” etc. should be understood literally. I was always skeptical about literalizing these phrases, and my closer investigation revealed that my skepticism was warranted. Such phrases are typical non-literal Hebraic apocalyptic language to describe God’s intervention (usually judgment) on groups of people in history.

7. I recognized that the Bible teachers I had been listening to could not answer my serious questions about prophecy.

8. I realized that, in spite of what may appear obvious, the Bible never speaks about the end of the physical universe or planet earth. (Really, it doesn’t.)

9. I noticed that Christians tend to interpret the Bible through the lens of the daily news events—and have accordingly been making false and embarrassing predictions about the end of the world for 2,000 years. If they would be reading through the lens of the original audience instead, they would get a different picture.

10. I learned that over 60 competent scholars have been identified as teaching that Revelation was written prior to AD 70.

11. I discovered that there are over 30 passages in Revelation that (a) demand fulfillment soon after being written down, and (b) Revelation does not introduce new concepts but connect the events of Revelation with the same ones mentioned elsewhere in the Bible.

12. I noticed that objections to preterism are shallow, disjointed, biased, arbitrary, and inconsistent. Objectors are willfully blind about key passages and mostly regurgitate things they have heard from people who have not really studied the issue either.

If you were like me, you have an initial knee jerk reaction to the above. Please don’t take my word for it. Do the homework this important topic deserves. I back up everything from Scripture at my websites and my book CHRISTIAN HOPE THROUGH FULFILLED PROPHECY (available at Amazon). For more info, see my websites:

Fr. Robert Barron is not speaking to the assertion you made that something happened in 70 AD to inaugurate the new kingdom of God.

You said...The Lord's coming against the Holy City ended the kingdom as it was manifested in the Old Covenant, and inaugurated the new kingdom of God.

What evidence can you provide that anyone saw the Son of Man coming in his kingdom in 70 AD? Matt 16:28

What evidence can you provide that the Son of Man has come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and that he has already repaid each person according to what he has done? Did Jesus only repay those alive in 70 AD and those who died before 70 AD? Does Jesus do this repaying each person every so many years or just in 70 AD and then again after everyone is born? Matt 16:27

You used Matt 16 as part of your assertion that Jesus already came (Preterist theology), then "you" should be able to give evidence these things already happened as prophesied in Matt 16. (What evidence do you have Jesus kingdom came in 70 AD? What evidence do you have that Jesus came with His angels in glory? What evidence can you provide that Jesus has already repaid everyone according to they have done?)

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