PRETERISM EXAMINED
> testing the "all prophecy fulfilled in 70 AD" hypothesis...
Preterism (from Latin praeter — "past") teaches that most or all Biblical prophecy was fulfilled in the first century, primarily in 70 AD when Rome destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple.
This view has gained popularity in some theological circles. But does it hold up against the mathematical precision of fulfilled prophecy? Our timeline data provides a definitive answer.
I. WHAT IS PRETERISM?
FULL PRETERISM
- ALL prophecy fulfilled by 70 AD
- The Second Coming already happened (spiritually/invisibly)
- The resurrection already occurred (spiritually)
- The final judgment is past
- No future prophetic events remain
- We are currently in the "new heavens and new earth"
PARTIAL PRETERISM
- Most of Matthew 24 fulfilled in 70 AD
- Most of Revelation fulfilled in 70 AD
- The Second Coming is still future
- Physical resurrection still to come
- Final judgment still future
- Held by R.C. Sproul, Hank Hanegraaff, others
KEY PRETERIST CLAIMS
II. THE EZEKIEL CALCULATION PROBLEM
| STARTING POINT | CALCULATION | RESULT | PRETERIST PROBLEM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 536 BC | Cyrus Decree + 2,483 years | 1948 AD | 1,878 years AFTER the supposed fulfillment |
| 516 BC | Temple Completed + 2,483 years | 1967 AD | 1,897 years AFTER the supposed fulfillment |
THE DEATH BLOW TO PRETERISM
God encoded a prophetic calculation using Biblical numbers (430, 70, 7, 360) that produces 1948 and 1967 — not 70 AD.
The math doesn't lie. The prophetic clock was set for the 20th century, not the first century.
If prophecy ended in 70 AD, why did God build a calculation that skips right over it?
THE CALCULATION EXPLAINED
- Ezekiel 4:4-6: 430 years of judgment (390 for Israel + 40 for Judah)
- Jeremiah 29:10: 70 years served in Babylonian captivity
- Remaining judgment: 430 - 70 = 360 years
- Leviticus 26:18,21,24,28: Seven-fold multiplier for continued rebellion
- Extended judgment: 360 × 7 = 2,520 prophetic years
- Solar conversion: 2,520 × 360 ÷ 365.25 = 2,483 solar years
- From 536 BC: 536 + 2,483 = 1948 — Israel restored
- From 516 BC: 516 + 2,483 = 1967 — Jerusalem restored
III. THE "UNTIL" PROBLEM — LUKE 21:24
"And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, UNTIL the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled."— Luke 21:24
Fall by the Sword
Fulfilled 70 AD — Over one million Jews killed by Roman armies. Preterists are correct here.
No Problem Yet
This part fits — The destruction of 70 AD clearly fulfilled this portion of the prophecy.
Led Captive Into All Nations
Fulfilled 70 AD+ — Jews scattered across the Roman Empire and eventually worldwide. Preterists are correct here.
No Problem Yet
This part fits — The diaspora began in 70 AD and continued for centuries.
Jerusalem Trodden Down
Began 70 AD — Jerusalem under Gentile control: Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Crusader, Mamluk, Ottoman, British.
Still No Problem
This part fits — Jerusalem was indeed under Gentile control after 70 AD.
"UNTIL the Times of the Gentiles Be Fulfilled"
FULFILLED 1967 — Jerusalem returned to Jewish sovereignty. The "UNTIL" indicates the treading down would END.
FATAL PROBLEM
Cannot explain this. If everything was fulfilled in 70 AD, why did Jesus say "UNTIL"? The treading down continued for 1,897 more years and then ENDED — exactly as Jesus said.
THE PRETERIST DILEMMA
Jesus explicitly stated that Jerusalem's Gentile domination would continue UNTIL a future point. This word demands an ending to the treading down.
- If prophecy was complete in 70 AD, why include "UNTIL"?
- Jerusalem remained under Gentile control until 1967 — not 70 AD
- The "times of the Gentiles" weren't fulfilled in 70 AD — they BEGAN in 70 AD
- June 7, 1967: Israeli paratroopers captured the Temple Mount. The "UNTIL" was fulfilled.
IV. EVENTS AFTER THE "FULFILLMENT"
THE JUBILEE PATTERNS CONTINUE
If God's prophetic calendar ended in 70 AD, why do 50-year Jubilee cycles continue marking significant events in Israel's history?
- 1867 + 50 = 1917 (Balfour Declaration)
- 1917 + 50 = 1967 (Jerusalem captured)
- 1923 + 50 = 1973 (Yom Kippur War)
- 1973 + 50 = 2023 (October 7th Attack)
The Jubilee is a Biblical pattern (Leviticus 25). Its continued operation proves God's prophetic clock didn't stop in 70 AD.
V. ISRAEL'S VERY EXISTENCE
"Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children."— Isaiah 66:8
"And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them... And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God."— Amos 9:14-15
"Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land."— Ezekiel 37:21
THE PRETERIST PROBLEM WITH ISRAEL
If these prophecies were "fulfilled" spiritually or through the church, why were they fulfilled literally in 1948?
- A literal nation was born in a literal day
- Literal Jews returned to their literal land
- Literal waste cities were literally rebuilt
- They have literally not been "pulled up" despite literal attacks
The literal fulfillment of Israel-specific prophecies proves God's covenant with Israel is active — not past.
VI. ADDITIONAL PRETERIST PROBLEMS
"Every Eye Shall See Him"
"Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him." — Revelation 1:7
Not Fulfilled in 70 AD
Did every eye see Jesus in 70 AD? Did those who pierced Him see a visible return? Did all kindreds of the earth wail? No. This requires spiritualizing clear language.
The Mark of the Beast
"No man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark... in their right hand, or in their foreheads." — Revelation 13:16-17
No Global Economic Control in 70 AD
Rome didn't control global commerce. No technology existed for universal buying/selling restrictions. China, the Americas, sub-Saharan Africa — none under Roman control.
The Millennium
"They lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years... Satan bound... wolf shall dwell with the lamb." — Revelation 20:4, Isaiah 11:6
Where Is the 1,000-Year Reign?
If Christ "returned" in 70 AD, where is the millennium? Saints reigning? Satan bound? Peace on earth? The world got worse after 70 AD, not better.
"All Kindreds, Tongues, and Nations"
"Power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him." — Revelation 13:7-8
Rome Wasn't Global
The Roman Empire was vast but not global. Billions of people in Asia, the Americas, and Africa were outside its reach. "All that dwell upon the earth" wasn't fulfilled.
VII. THE VERDICT
EZEKIEL CALCULATION
God's prophetic math skips over 70 AD entirely and lands on modern Israel's restoration.
LUKE 21:24
The word "until" proves the treading down would end — which it did in 1967, not 70 AD.
PRETERIST POSITION
If prophecy ended in 70 AD, why do Jubilee patterns and prophetic fulfillments continue?
CONCLUSION
Preterism requires believing that God encoded a mathematical prophecy pointing to 1948 and 1967... but actually meant 70 AD.
It requires believing Jesus said "UNTIL" but didn't mean there would be an ending.
It requires believing prophecies about Israel's restoration were fulfilled by Israel's destruction.
The evidence is overwhelming: Prophecy did not end in 70 AD. God's prophetic clock continues to tick, and Israel's restoration proves it.
"Thus saith the LORD, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night... If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the LORD, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever."— Jeremiah 31:35-36