What is Preterism
What Is Preterism? A Closer Look at a Forgotten View
Have you ever read a Bible prophecy and wondered why it seemed to speak about events that already happened long ago? Passages like “this generation will not pass away until all these things take place” (Matthew 24:34) or “the time is near” (Revelation 1:3) can raise honest questions. Were these words meant for us today — or for those who first heard them?
For many years, I read these verses expecting them to describe a future still ahead of us. But as I studied Scripture more closely, I began to notice that Jesus and the apostles often spoke of events that were about to take place in their own time. That discovery led me to explore something called Preterism — a viewpoint that has existed since the early centuries of the church, but is often overlooked today.
What Does “Preterism” Mean?
The word Preterism comes from a Latin word meaning past.
In simple terms, Preterism is the belief that many (though not all) of the prophecies in the New Testament — especially those concerning the “last days,” the Great Tribulation, and the coming of the Son of Man — were fulfilled in the first century, during the time of the apostles and the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70.
Preterists believe that Jesus’ words in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 were primarily directed to His generation — the one that would witness the destruction of the temple and the end of the Old Covenant system.
This view doesn’t deny prophecy or the power of God’s Word.
Instead, it takes Jesus at His word when He said, “Truly, I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have happened.”
Why It Matters
Understanding prophecy through this lens changes how we see God’s faithfulness.
If Jesus’ promises about judgment and redemption were fulfilled exactly when He said they would be, then we can trust Him completely with the promises that remain.
Preterism reminds us that Christ’s Kingdom is not something we’re waiting for — it’s already here and growing in the hearts of His people. We are living in the age of His reign, called to walk as citizens of His unshakable Kingdom.
What’s Coming Next
This post is just the beginning.
In the next few studies, I’ll explore:
What Jesus meant by “this generation”
How the events of AD 70 fulfilled His prophecies
What the Book of Revelation revealed to the first-century church
And why all of this matters for our faith today
If this has sparked your curiosity, stay tuned and share this post with someone who loves studying the Word.
Together, let’s rediscover the beauty and certainty of God’s fulfilled promises.
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.” — Matthew 24:35