- · Look up and read
Matthew 24:29-31
It’s at this point that other perspectives part ways with
preterism. After all, how could this text have possibly been fulfilled in the
first century? If “the Son of Man [came]
on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory,” wouldn't everyone have
noticed? Doesn't this passage describe
the end of time?
Not necessarily! At least
in the preterist perspective, Jesus may have been referring to something very
different than the end of time. In the
first place, many of the terms in this text draw from the Old Testament images
of divine reckoning or judgment .
Remember how Isaiah described the fall of Babylon that occurred in 539
BC? “The stars … will not give their
light. The sun will be dark at rising,
and the moon will not give it’s light” (Isaiah 13:10). Ezekiel used similar language to depict the
fall of Egypt (Ezekiel 32:7-8). The
prophet Isaiah even reported a vision of God coming on the clouds of heaven to
judge Egypt (Isaiah 19:1).
Did God physically ride
on a cloud over the continent of
Africa when Egypt fell? Probably
not. Were the sun and moon darkened once
and for all when the nations of Babylon and Egypt fell? Of course not! These declarations were prophetic descriptions
of God’s judgment on specific nations.
In the same way—preterists suggest—Jesus drew from the language of these
prophets to describe God’s judgment on Israel in AD 70. And, as for the “loud trumpet call,” this too
could depict a time of divine reckoning in the Old Testament prophets (Isaiah
27:13, 58:1; Jeremiah 4:5-21, Hosea 8:1).
But what about “the sign of the Son of Man”? According to Matthew 24:30, “the tribes”—possibly
a reference to the tribes of Israel—“will see the Son of Man coming on the
clouds!” Could such an event really have
happened in the first century? In
response, preterists point out that not only Jewish people, but also Romans did
report unexpected happenings in the clouds around AD 70.
Josephus, Jewish
historian: “I suppose this account
would seem to be false except that eyewitnesses vouched for it…Before sunset,
chariots were seen in the air over the whole land, and armored soldiers were
speeding through the clouds and encircling the cities…As the priests were going
by night into the inner court, they felt a quaking and heard a great
noise. After that, they heard a sound
something like a large crowd saying, “Let us leave this place.”
Tacitus, Roman
historian: “In the sky, there appeared a vision of
armies in glittering armor in conflict.
Then a lightning flash from the clouds illuminated the temple! The doors of this holy place suddenly opened,
a superhuman voice was heard declaring that the gods were leaving, and at the
same time came the sound of a rushing tumult.”
In light of these reports, is it possible that some “sign of the Son of
Man” did appear in the skies around AD 70?
Many orthodox preterists think so.
If the preterists are correct on this point, it could be that the great
tribulation (Matthew 24:21) occurred in those ghastly years between the
beginning of the Jewish-Roman War in AD 66 and the fall of Jerusalem in
70. After Jerusalem fell, God began to “gather
his elect” from among the Gentiles (Matthew 24:31), this will continue until
the “fullness of the Gentiles” comes to faith in Jesus (Romans 11:25).
Of
course, orthodox
preterists—as well as other postmillennialists—also believe that Jesus will
someday return physically to earth. When
that time comes, “the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be
caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thessalonians
4:17-18; see also Acts 1:9-11: 1 Corinthians 15:51-52). According to postmillennialists, this will
occur after a long period of earthly peace.
In the meantime, if you are a postmillennialist, your task is to
proclaim the gospel toall people in preparation for the dawning of a millennial
kingdom!
And
what if you’re not a postmillennialist? Perhaps you’ve concluded that
postmillennialism and preterism fall short in their interpretations of Scripture. If that’s the case, don’t despair! You can still learn from both of these
perspectives. Even if you don’t believe
that the destruction of the temple in AD 70 fulfilled the prophecies of Jesus
in Matthew 24, preterism is a reminder of how important that event was to
people in the first century. And, when
it comes to postmillennialism, the emphasis on the power of the gospel should
call every Christian to be more passionate about proclaiming how the gospel can
transform peoples lives.
Regardless
or your millennial perspective, it is possible to embrace
the belief that the gospel really can change the world. And by gospel I mean far more than the
initial statement that helps someone understand how to confess Jesus as the
risen Lord—although such statements are certainly important! What I also mean is the constant awareness
that, in every moment of my life, I desperately need what God has provided in
the crucified Christ. The gospel is my
constant reminder that any good that I do is only because of grace that God has
lavished on me in Jesus Christ. Whatever
problem I may face in life, the gospel forms the foundation for God’s solution—and,
if the gospel is not foundational to the solution, either I don’t understand
the problem or I don’t understand the gospel.
That’s the true power of the gospel.
And, even if you’re not a postmillennialist, that’s good news!
