Preterism is the belief that the "last days" spoken of in the New Testament were fulfilled in and through the complete abolition of the Old Covenant temple worship system from the year 67-73 A.D.

And I would like to suggest that this is exactly what the disciples and authors of the New Testament taught. Matter of fact I would even suggest that as the time of the end approached, towards the end of that generation that saw Jesus die on the cross, that they were so close to the time of the end that they could safely say it WAS the LAST HOUR.

I know a lot of people like to say, "No man knows the day or the hour." But that statement was made before Jesus' death, burial, resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentacost.

What is Preterism?

We need to remember that when Jesus made that statement, He was only talking to 4 people...Peter, James, John and Andrew. Whom Jesus had also told, " when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you THINGS TO COME."

And then just some 30 years later John stated quite plainly, "Little children, IT IS THE LAST HOUR; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that IT IS THE LAST HOUR." Just a few short years before the complete destruction of the temple in Jerusalem and the complete abolition of their anti-christian temple worship system.

John could not have said, "IT IS THE LAST HOUR," if the end wasn't near enough to warrant that kind of language. Now some might suggest that he was just using exaggeration as a rhetorical device to encourage his readers to be strong in their faith. However...Understanding that the cost of being a false prophet was death...I highly doubt that this Holy Spirit inspired New Testament author would have made such a claim without absolute certainty.

John was inspired by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit would tell him of THINGS TO COME. He said IT IS THE LAST HOUR.

To me a preterist...Or past fulfillment of the end-times prophecies not only makes much more sense of the Biblical text...But it is also the only valid way to maintain the validity and inspiration of the scriptures.

Welcome to AD70.NET

Where soon means soon, near means near, and at hand...Well it sure doesn't mean 2000 years.

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Michael J Loomis