What Is the Preterist View of the End Times?

For a lot of Christians, the end times feel confusing.

You read passages like Matthew 24 or the book of Revelation, and suddenly you’re asking questions you didn’t even know you had.

Are these things still ahead of us?

Did some already happen?

What did Jesus mean by “this generation will not pass away” anyway?

One answer some Christians give is called preterism.

Let’s check out what the preterist view of the end times is.

What Is the Preterist View?

Preterism is the belief that many—or in some versions, all—biblical end-times prophecies were fulfilled in the first century, especially during the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70.

The word “preterist” comes from the Latin praeter, meaning “past.”

Partial preterism teaches that many prophecies were fulfilled in AD 70 but still affirms a future physical return of Christ and a future bodily resurrection.

Full preterism claims all prophecy is fulfilled, which contradicts Scripture’s clear teaching about Christ’s visible return and the final resurrection of the dead, which denies the prophecies of Revelation.

What Does “Preterism” Mean?

“Preterism” comes from the Latin word praeter, which means past.

So at the simplest level, preterism teaches that many (or all) of the Bible’s end-times prophecies were fulfilled in the past—specifically in the events leading up to the destruction of the Jerusalem temple in AD 70.

This view gets its momentum from taking Jesus’ time statements extremely literally:

“Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.” — Matthew 24:34

What Does “Preterist” Mean?

A preterist is someone who believes:

• Jesus’ prophecies in Matthew 24 largely happened in the first century
• Revelation describes the fall of Jerusalem and God’s judgment on the Old Covenant age
• The end-times language is often covenantal, not cosmic

Again, even if someone isn’t fully preterist, they might still believe Jesus was describing very real, very near, first-century events.

Preterist View Explained Simply

Here’s the idea in one sentence:

Preterists believe Jesus’ predictions about the great tribulation, judgment, and the “end of the age” primarily refer to the fall of Jerusalem—not the end of the world.

The judgment on Jerusalem in AD 70 becomes the anchor point.

Understanding Preterist Eschatology

Eschatology is a tricky subject.

Preterist eschatology emphasizes:

• fulfillment of prophecy in real historical events
• the end of the Old Covenant era
• the arrival and expansion of Christ’s kingdom
• the shift from temple-centered worship to Christ-centered worship

The Heart of the Preterist View of the End Times

While futurists look toward a coming tribulation, antichrist, and global judgments, preterists look backward to the collapse of Jerusalem and the temple in AD 70.

Preterists see AD 70 as one of the greatest confirmations of Jesus’ prophetic authority.

Jesus said the temple would fall:

“Not one stone here will be left on another.”
— Matthew 24:2

Partial Preterism vs Full Preterism

Partial Preterism (Orthodox Preterism)

Partial preterism teaches:

• Many prophecies—especially Matthew 24 and much of Revelation—were fulfilled in AD 70
• “This generation” refers to Jesus’ contemporaries
• The “end of the age” refers to the end of the Old Covenant

But partial preterists still affirm:

• A future, physical return of Jesus
• A future bodily resurrection
• A future final judgment

This view stays within biblical Christianity, although there is room for argument.

Full Preterism (Hyper-Preterism)

Full preterism teaches:

• All prophecy was fulfilled by AD 70
• Jesus’ “coming” was symbolic, not visible
• The resurrection is spiritual, not bodily
• Judgment already happened

This view contradicts the Bible.

Jesus will return the way He left:

“This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
— Acts 1:11

And the resurrection is bodily:

“The dead will be raised imperishable.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:52

“A time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out.”
— John 5:28-29

Full preterism simply does not match Scripture.

Comparison of End-Times Views

View	How Prophecy Is Fulfilled	AD 70 Status	Second Coming	Resurrection
Partial Preterism	Many prophecies fulfilled in the first century	Major fulfillment	Future, visible	Future, bodily
Full Preterism	All prophecy fulfilled by AD 70	Complete fulfillment	Not future/physical	Not bodily
Futurism	Most prophecies still future	Not fulfillment	Future, bodily	Future, bodily
Historicism	Prophecy unfolds through history	Partial fulfillment	Future, bodily	Future, bodily
Idealism	Symbolic, spiritual principles	Not central	Future, bodily	Future, bodily

Why Preterists Take Jesus’ Time Statements Literally

One of the biggest reasons preterism exists is because Jesus repeatedly used clear, time-specific language.

“This generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.”
— Matthew 24:34

“Some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom”
— Matthew 16:28

“The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place.”
— Revelation 1:1, 1:3

“In these last days…”
— Hebrews 1:2

“This is the last hour…”
— 1 John 2:18

Preterists argue Jesus meant what He said literally.

He was predicting a catastrophic judgment that absolutely did fall on Jerusalem within that generation.

But a lot of full preteristic arguments take the Bible out of context.

For example, it’s largely agreed that Matthew 16:28 talks about the transfiguration…which makes sense when taking the passage in context.

How Preterism Interprets Specific Passages

Preterist Interpretation of Matthew 24

Preterists believe Matthew 24:1-34 primarily describes the lead-up to AD 70:

• wars
• rumors of wars
• famine
• false messiahs
• tribulation
• Jerusalem surrounded by armies

Preterist Understanding of Revelation

Preterists interpret Revelation as:

• God’s judgment on apostate Israel
• the collapse of the Old Covenant system
• the vindication of persecuted believers
• symbolic language describing real historical events

Preterist View of “the Last Days”

The “last days” refer to the last days of the Old Covenant age—not the last days of planet earth.

Is Preterism Biblical?

Partial Preterism — To an extent.

It aligns with Scripture and historic Christian doctrine to a degree:

• Christ will return physically (Acts 1:11)
• The dead will be raised bodily (1 Corinthians 15)
• God will judge the world (Revelation 20)

It mainly asserts that Jesus’ prophecy about the destruction of Jerusalem was fulfilled.

However, it also selectively denies portions of Revelation, which seems inconsistent in interpretation.

It does technically stay within the scope of orthodoxy, and is not what most Christians believe today.

Full Preterism — No.

It denies:

• Christ’s future, visible return
• the bodily resurrection
• the final judgment

All three are plainly taught in Scripture.

Where This Leaves Us Today

The Bible clearly teaches:

• Christ will return visibly
• the dead will be raised bodily
• God will restore creation
• evil will ultimately be judged

So the ultimate focus of prophecy isn’t chaos or speculation.

It’s Christ.

He said:

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”
— Matthew 24:35

And that’s where your hope rests.

Not in decoding prophecy charts.

Not in guessing dates.

But in trusting the One who fulfilled every promise He made—and will fulfill the rest in His perfect timing.

FAQs: What Is the Preterist View of the End Times?