"It has been usual to say that the Spanish Jesuit Alcasar, in his Vestigatio Arcani Sensus in Apocalypsi (1614), was the founder of the Præterist School.. But to me it seems that the founder of the Præterist School is none other than St. John himself." (The Praeterist Interpretation, in The Early Days of Christianity - F.W. Farrar, Chaplain to Queen Victoria, 1871-1876)

MODERN PRETERISM (MP) - A) Umbrella term covering all those who believe that the majority of Bible prophecy was totally fulfilled in the early centuries of the Christian era.  Determined by looking at where authors find a "transition" from the past to the future using the Olivet Discourse of Matthew 24/25 and the Apocalypse of John.   Differs from Full Preterism in that it does not make the Parousia, the General Judgment, nor the General Resurrection events solely of the past.   B) According to known literature, this class emerged during the Reformation and can be seen in a fully developed form at the beginning of the 17th century in the writings of the Jesuit Alcasar -- although it can be seen as the natural progression in Christianity's theological development (particularly anticipated in "Theophany" by Eusebius and certain writings of Origen).   This classification includes many who were formerly classified as partial preterists (such as Gary DeMar and Dr. John Brown of Edinburgh) -- as their views are a much more complete presentation of the prophetic fulfillment than those classified in Historical Preterism.  C) Teaches that the bulk of Bible eschatology has sole application to ancient Israel, but that some regards the "last day" -- sometimes that "end" being personal, not historical, in nature.  Transitions somewhere in Matthew 25, or near the end of the Apocalypse of John.

• 7/9/7: Gary DeMar: Norman Geisler, "You," & "Zechariah the Son of Berechiah" "Geisler’s argument on the second person plural does not stand up to exegetical scrutiny. By not dealing with the above arguments, he shows that he is not a trustworthy critic of the preterist interpretation of prophecy."

• Bishop Bielby Porteus - Our Lord's Prophecies Regarding the Siege and Destruction of Jerusalem

• Moses Stuart - Hints on the Interpretation of Prophecy (1842) "The destruction of Jerusalem put an end of course to the Jewish persecuting power in Judea. Consequently the period in which Christianity becomes triumphant over persecution there, is contemporaneous with the destruction of Jerusalem.  Nothing can be more clear, than that the period of the two witnesses is the same as that of "treading the holy city under foot by the Gentiles," Rev. 11:2,3.  Two witnesses, and but two, are specified, as we may very naturally suppose, because "by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word is established.   The sum of Rev. xi. is, then, that the Romans would invade and tread down Palestine for 3 1/2 years, and that Christians, during that period, would be bitterly persecuted and slain ; but still, that, after the same period, the persecution would cease there, and the religion of Jesus become triumphant.  The words of the Saviour in Matt. xxiv. compared with the tenor of Rev. xi., seem to lead us plainly and safely to these conclusions." (p. 113)

Dr. Samuel Lee  (MP vs FP View: The Fall of Pagan Rome Was Likewise Contemplated by Bible Prophecy)

• Preliminary Dissertations on The Theophany (1843)  "Add to this, (the book of Revelation's) own repeated declarations, that what was then said was shortly to come to pass [Chap. i. 1, 3; iii. 11; xxii. 7,10, 12, 20.]; and we shall be led to a conclusion as strong as words and facts can make it, that the purposes of God, as declared by the Prophets, and generally summed up in this Book, have been long ago fulfilled and finished."

• An Inquiry into the Nature, Progress and End of Prophecy (1849)

• The Events and Times of the Visions of Daniel and St. John (1851) "These predictions.. therefore were fulfilled to the very letter : and the facts of the case make it utterly impossible they can be fulfilled again."

John Lightfoot - Partially Responsible for Westminster Confession

• A Commentary on the New Testament from the Talmud and Herbaica (1675)

• Commentary on Matthew 24 | Commentary on Mark 13

Duncan McKenzie, Ph.D.

• The Supernatural Rulers Portrayed in Daniel and Revelation "How could three physical empires who had been destroyed earlier than the fourth then survive past the destruction of the fourth? The answer is, we are not being shown physical empires; we are being shown confederations of spiritual rulers behind physical empires."

• The Covenant Judgments of Revelation  "The new heaven and earth in Revelation (and Isaiah) is not heaven. Notice, it still has unrighteous people in it, those outside the New (covenant) Jerusalem (Rev. 22:14-15). The new heaven and new earth is a symbolic representation of the post AD 70 spiritual order of this planet. The old covenant order (the old heaven and earth) flees and the new covenant order (the new heaven and earth) is established (Rev. 20:11; 21:1-2). One has to constantly remember that the truths of Revelation are communicated by way of symbols (Rev. 1:1). In the new heaven and earth hose who are part of the New Jerusalem bride have access to the tree and water of life (Rev. 22:1-2); those outside of the new covenant city do not. "

• The Antichrist Chronicles: vol. II

• J.S. Russell's Position on the Millennium, the Neglected Third Way of Preterism "The position of James Stuart Russell offers a third option that is different from full preterism and traditional partial preterism. Russell’s position is essentially like the full preterist position (i.e. the one and only Second Coming, the judgment and the resurrection happened at AD 70, the resurrection having an ongoing fulfillment since AD 70. Russell’s position sees us as currently in the new heaven and earth, a symbol of the post AD 70 new covenant order). Where Russell position is different from full preterism is that it does not hold that all Bible prophecy was fulfilled by AD 70. "

• The Serious Error of the Literal Hermeneutic in the Interpretation of the Book of Revelation - "The literalist hermeneutic essentially relies on the criterion of absurdity. If an image is absurd or fantastic it is taken as a symbol, if it is not absurd or fantastic it is taken as a literal physical depiction. This criterion of absurdity of the literalist is overly simplistic, inadequate and just plain wrong."

• Babylon was not First-Century Jerusalem - "Seeing the harlot as the old covenant temple system helps to explain Revelation 18:21 (that says Babylon would not rise again).  The city of Jerusalem has risen again; the old covenant temple system has not risen again (and won’t).  By the way if you look at the merchandise of Babylon (Rev. 18:11-13) it is the items used in the building and offerings of the Temple.  The harlot city is dressed in clothes of the high priest.  Carrington said the following on the merchandise of Babylon “The long list of merchandise in [Rev.] 18:11-13 is surely a catalogue of materials for building the Temple, and stores for maintaining it.”

• Premillennial Preterism - "A Premillennial futurist like Lindsey believes Jesus will return in the future to begin the millennium.A Premillennial preterist like Russell believes that Jesus returned in past (AD 70) and started the millennium at that time."

• REVELATION: Fulfillment of the Covenant Curses of Leviticus and Deuteronomy

• A New Preterist Perspective - Revelation 12 - "This coming of the one who was to pour out judgment on the desolate was accomplished by the general Titus and the Romans in AD 70. According to this interpretation the last half of Daniel’s 70th week (3½) was symbolic of the time between the cross, (around AD 30 when sacrifices were no longer valid) and the end of the Jewish age in AD 70, when the consummation was poured out on the desolate, (i.e. Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed by the Romans)."

• Was All Bible Prophecy Fulfilled in A.D.70? - "My short answer to the question of what Luke 21:22 means is that it is saying all things written about the days of vengeance that would come upon the Jews when they violated the covenant would be fulfilled by AD 70. It is not saying that all prophecy in the Bible would be fulfilled by AD 70."

• A New Preterist Perspective - "Like full Preterist I see the Second Coming of Jesus as happening in AD 70. Unlike full Preterist I see us as currently being in the millennium (the millennial reign of Jesus beginning at His Second Coming in AD 70, Revelation chapters 19 and 20)"

• A Preterist Book on the Antichrist

Ovid Need, Jr. - Unregistered, Independent Baptist

• A Review of "The Parousia" and "Beast of Revelation" - "It appears to me that most prophetic teachers fail to realize that prophecy is from the time the passages are written, not from the time they are read."

• The Dead Bones - The promise given to David of place of their own, and move no more, is Christ, the Son of David.

• Israel Restored - The covenant-promise was that Abraham's seed should be the heir of the world. The promise was not made to Abraham's physical seed, but to his spiritual seed. Through faith in Christ, the Gospel Church is joint-heir with Christ. (Rom. 4:13, 14, 8:17.)

• Tongues: A Biblical View - "Tongues (the supernatural ability to speak in a foreign language), as mentioned in Acts and Corinthians, are no longer needed. Their need was fulfilled in 70 A.D. when the judgment which they spoke of came upon Israel; therefore, this supernatural gift is gone. Prophecies and knowledge in the sense which Philip's daughter spoke are gone also, gradually replaced with the more sure word of prophecy and knowledge, the word of God (Acts 21:9). The Apostle John finished the word of God."  (1994)

• Matthew 24 - Ovid Need, Jr. - "When I realized that an honest examination of Matthew 24 did not confirm Scofield's vision, I had to face facts and change some beliefs. The context of Matthew 24 clearly tells us that Matthew 24 was basically fulfilled in 70 AD. The problem I then had to confront was that if Matthew 24 is basically fulfilled, then many of the theories built on Matthew 24 being future had to be wrong."

• A Review of "The Rapture Plot" | A Postscript to "The Death of Victory" | A Lawless Religion: CI Scofield

Bishop Thomas Newton

• The Prophecy of Matthew 24 (1754)

John Noē, Ph.D. - Prophecyrefi.org (MP vs FP View: Many comings of Christ, and no singular "Second Coming in AD70")

• An Exegetical Basis for a Preterist-Idealist Understanding of the Book of Revelation (2007) “The revelation of Jesus Christ” (Rev 1:1) has a fuller significance and deeper character beyond its AD 70 eschatological fulfillment.  Consequently, the preterist notion that it only applies to AD 70 when Christ supposedly came in “finality” is a weakness to be amended.  And in a preterist-idealist synthesis, the strength of idealism remains that it “secures its relevance for all periods of the church’s history.”  But its major weakness—i.e. “its refusal to see a firm historical anchorage”— is removed.  That missing anchorage is supplied by Revelation’s A.D-70 fulfillment." 

• Restoring the Kingdom-of-God Worldview to the Church and the World (2004) "To be presented at the 49th annual meeting of the Midwest Region of the Evangelical Theological Society on the campus of Lincoln Christian College and Seminary, Lincoln, Illinois, March 19-20, 2004. The conference theme is: “Taking Every Thought Captive to Christ: Theology and the Formation of a Christian Worldview.”

• What About Paul's Man of Sin? (2003) "In dramatic paralleled fashion, Scripture gives this "man of sin" John of Gischala, the son of Levi- the name of" the one doomed to destruction" or "the son of perdition," the same name given to another infamous betrayer, Judas Iscariot (compare Jn. 17:12 with 2Th. 2:3 KJV). Both appeared in the same "last days" time frame of the Old Covenant age. Judas betrayed Jesus. John of Gischala betrayed the Jews, fulfilling Paul's "man of sin" prophecy to a tee.  "

• Armageddon: Past or Future? (2003) "Armageddon is coming April 8th! According to proponents, that’s the publicized date when it will be “unleashing everywhere” and “no one will escape!” The only question now being asked by a multi-media promotional campaign is, “Are you prepared for Armageddon?"

• 12 Most Common Mistakes People Make About Bible Prophecy and the Endtimes

• Seven Demanding Evidences Why Christ Returned

• The Only Defense in the Major Case Against Christ, Christianity, and the Bible."

• 9.5 THESES

• Attack on America' NOT Linked to End-Times

Dr. John Owen - Puritan

• On 'the Heavens and the Earth' - 2 Pet. iii. 7 (1721) - "The heavens and earth that God Himself planted, -the sun, moon, and stars of the Judaical polity and church, -the whole old world of worship and worshippers, that stand out in their obstinacy against the Lord Christ, shall be sensibly dissolved and destroyed."

Dr. Randall E. Otto

• Dealing with (Parousia) Delay: A critique of Christian coping - "The Roman destruction of the Jewish temple in the Jewish war of 66-70 CE alone satisfies the temporal requirements for the imminency of the parousia and the historical requirements for the transformation of relations wrought by God ushering in a new reality of the church as the kingdom of God. "

• The Meeting in the Air (I Thess 4:17) -  "The “meeting in the air” is not a literal rapture of believers, but a symbolic depiction of the final battle of Christ and the powers of darkness which oppose him and his people.  Paul responds by declaring that Christ will come with those departed believers, demonstrating that they have been and will remain his; they and the angelic hosts come to behold the final battle which Christ wages with the powers of darkness inhabiting the air."

• Jesus the Preterist: A Review of Sproul's Last Days "Material continuity with the person prior to death has certainly been the predominant view of the resurrection body throughout Christian history. Both the body and the soul of the one who rises are therein viewed as necessary to insure that the risen one is numerically the same individual. Personal identity is thus secured when God recollects the scattered matter, miraculously reconstitutes it in a human body, and reunites it with the soul. The problems attending the view of personal identity as a recollection of scattered matter are, of course, significant. The most obvious is the perennial concern raised as to how human material which has long since biodegraded into the dust and become part of the grass which is eaten by the cows which has been consumed by subsequent generations of human beings can be recollected."

• Preterism and the Question of Heresy - "Orthodox faith and orthodox doctrines are those that honor God rightly," whereas "heresy" refers to the false doctrine of those who "have abandoned the faith" and move others to do the same. [82] If heresy has to do with a denial of the principle that God has provided redemption in Christ, as McGrath says, it is hard to understand how preterism can be viewed as a heresy, for it affirms "the orthodox faith and orthodox doctrines" in all points as expressed in the great creeds and confessions while endeavoring to "honor God rightly" by insisting that the consummation of God's redemptive purpose in Christ's parousia has not been frustrated or postponed, but rather accomplished according to the clear chronology set forth in the NT. Preterists believe this evidence is so compelling that they are willing to suffer the accusations and condemnations of others in their effort to affirm the words of the apostle Paul: "let God be true, and every man a liar. As it is written: 'So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge'" (Rom 3:4).

Ernest Renan - French Freethinker | "Six Seal Preterist"

• L’Antechrist (1871)

• The Life of Jesus (1861)

John Riffe (MP vs FP View: The Millennium STARTED in AD70, didn't END then)

• AD30-70 Millennium, Foundation of Preterist-Univeralism  "Remember, it was Hymenaeus & Philetus who were saying things like, "Since the 1st resurrection of the just that is already past was all about people "coming to spiritual life" in Christ (Rev 20:4), the resurrection of the rest of the dead when Jesus comes back will be about everybody else "coming to spiritual life" in Christ (Rev 20:5), too: nobody but the Devil is going to Hell!" (2 Tim 2:11-18). But Paul strongly affirmed that he had not yet attained to the resurrection of the just because it had not yet occurred as of his writing of Phillippians 3:10-13 around 62AD." See Also:

• • Revelation 20 & Universalism
  • Rev 20:4 "come to life" = "come to life" of Rev 20:5
  • 1st Resurrection CANNOT Be Those Raised During Crucifixion 30AD
  • 3 Questions for every 30-70AD Millennialist
  • When exactly was Satan bound, cast & sealed into Bottomless Pit for 1000 years between 30-70AD?
  • When exactly was Satan bound, cast & sealed into Bottomless Pit for even 40 years between Romans 16:20 and 70AD?
  • Response to Dave Greens: "Reigning" in the Millenial Kingdom

William S. Urmy, D.D. (MP vs FP View: The Millennium Extended to the 16th Century)

• Christ Came Again : The Parousia of Christ a Past Event ; The Kingdom of Christ a Present Fact ; With a Consistent Eschatology (1900) "We commence by quoting 1 Cor. xv, 20-28, a passage which has proved difficult of solution principally because it has been made by the majority of commentators to refer to a far-distant period, when all earthly affairs should be ended and the universe cease to be.   But another view is tenable - one which has been presented by Preterists, and is a much more satisfactory explanation of an intricate subject." A NEW form of a completely fulfilled eschatology built upon Grotius, seeing the "fall of the Ottoman Empire" as the end of Bible prophecy.  (Updated the definition of "Modern Preterism" to reflect this view which extends the fulfillment of all bible prophecy no later than to the fall of Islamic persecution against Christianity, also called the "third persecuting power")

Ralph Woodrow

• 70 Weeks - Future or Fulfilled? - "With Adam Clarke we say: "The whole of this prophecy from the times and corresponding events has been fulfilled to the very letter." (Clarke's Commentary, note on Daniel 9)."

• Matthew 24 - Future or Fulfilled? - "By 70 A. D., the gospel had gone forth to the world for a witness. No longer was God's message to man be confined to one nation or race!"

Email PreteristArchive.com's Sole Developer and Curator, Todd Dennis  (todd @ preteristarchive.com) Opened in 1996 http://www.preteristarchive.com