Problem: Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place” (Mt. 24:34). If Jesus is referring to his hearers (“this generation”), then he falsely predicted his second coming to their lifetimes. Preterist interpreters argue that this passage supports the notion that Jesus made a secret coming in AD 70 at the destruction of the Jewish temple. For instance, Preterist Gary DeMar states,

Notice how many times Jesus uses the word you (second person plural) in Matthew 24 and in the parallel passages in Mark 13 and Luke 21… Now, if you heard Jesus say that all these things would happen to ‘this generation,’ and in every other instance of its use ‘this generation’ meant the present generation, and you also heard Him speak of when ‘you’ see these things, what would you conclude?^[1]

Is this the case?

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Problem: Jesus spoke of signs and wonders regarding His second coming. But Jesus said “this generation” would not end before all these events took place. Did this mean that these events would occur in the lifetime of His hearers?

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Problem: Jesus said, “He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other” (Mt. 24:31). Preterists claim that this isn’t a literal gathering. Instead, it is referring to a symbolic protection of God’s people in the Jewish War of AD 70. Is this the case?
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Problem: Jesus says, “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory” (Mt. 24:30). Futurists claim that Jesus will return literally on the clouds. However, Preterists claim that we shouldn’t press the words too literally. In the OT, clouds are often a symbol for God’s judgment—not a literal appearing (Ps. 104:3; Isa. 19:1).

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Problem: In Matthew, Jesus represents His coming as “immediately after” (24:29) the Great Tribulation. But Luke seems to separate it by the “times of the Gentiles” (Luke 21:24, 27).

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Problem: Jesus says, “So if they say to you, ‘Behold, He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out, or, ‘Behold, He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe them. 27 For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be” (Mt. 24:26-27). Preterists argue that lightning is a symbol of God’s presence or judgment in the OT. Therefore, it is possible that Jesus could have made a figurative “coming” in judgment through the Roman Empire in AD 70. That is, he “appeared” in a non-literal way. Preterist Gary DeMar writes, “In the Bible, lightning often signifies the presence of the Lord or His coming in judgment (Exod. 19:16; 20:18; Job 36:30; Ezek. 21:15, 28; Zech. 9:14).”[1] Is this the case?

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Problem: Jesus says, “Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short” (Mt. 24:22). Preterist interpreters claim that this is a use of hyperbole. Really, Jesus simply meant that many people would’ve died without divine intervention. Is this the case?

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Problem: Jesus said, “Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand)” (Mt. 24:15). Preterists claim that this occurred in AD 70, when the Roman military destroyed the Temple. Preterist Gary DeMar writes, “The Roman abomination hypothesis is the most popular since it parallels the actions of Antiochus Epiphanes.”[1] Likewise, Preterist Kenneth Gentry argues that it could have either been murderous zealots or the burning of the Temple by the Romans.[2] Is this the case?

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Problem: Jesus said, “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Mt. 24:14). Preterists claim that the term “whole world” refers to the Roman Empire—not the entire globe. They reason that the NT authors use this expression in this way (Rom. 1:8; 10:18; 16:19; Col. 1:6, 23; Lk. 2:1). While the entire globe hasn’t been reached with the gospel, the NT authors used hyperbolic language to claim that the Roman Empire did heard about Christ. Is this a reasonable interpretation of this passage?

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Problem: Jesus said, “But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved” (Mt. 24:13). Does this mean that perseverance is necessary for salvation?

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Problem: Futurist interpreters claim that Luke is the only author of the Synoptics to mention the destruction of the Temple in AD 70. Matthew and Mark omit this from their accounts of the Olivet Discourse, and they instead mention the destruction of the Third Temple at the end of human history. Isn’t this needlessly confusing?

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Problem: After he ridicules the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, Jesus says, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling. 38 Behold, your house is being left to you desolate! 39 For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’” (Mt. 23:37-39) Preterists argue that the “you” in this passage is clearly referring to his contemporary audience. If this is the case, then wouldn’t all of the Olivet Discourse be referring to Jesus’ original audience, too?

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Problem: Jesus said to the scribes and Pharisees that the guilt of all the righteous blood from Abel to Zechariah will fall on them. Concerning Zechariah, Jesus said he was killed between the sanctuary and the altar. Some conclude that the Zechariah referred to by Christ is the son of Jehoiada (2 Chron. 24:20–22).

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Do not call someone a fool

Matthew 5:22, “But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.”

Calling someone a fool

Psalm 14:1, “The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they have committed abominable deeds; There is no one who does good”

Matthew 23:17, “You fools and blind men! Which is more important, the gold or the temple that sanctified the gold?”

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Problem: Jesus said, “whoever says [to his brother], `You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire” (Matt. 5:22). Yet He Himself said to the scribes and Pharisees, “Fools and blind!” (Matt. 23:17) The Apostle Paul, following suit, said, “O foolish Galatians” (Gal. 3:1; cf. 1 Cor. 15:36).

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