Article by: Kenneth J. Ester
Soon, Immediately and One thousand years
Preterists love to point out the absurdity that futurists will add a 2,000 year pause between the 69th and 70th week of Daniel's 70 weeks prophecy. All the while, they conveniently ignore that they add a 2,000 year pause of their own.
Matthew 24:29 makes it very clear. The second coming happens "immediately" after the tribulation.
Matthew 24:29-30 NASB
29 “But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 And 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.
When you read Revelation 20, you learn that after Jesus returns, He will set up His kingdom on earth for one thousand years. It doesn't say thousands of years. It gives a specific number. "1,000" years. This is even supported by the simple fact that it clearly says the devil is bound and cast into the abyss for "one thousand years". It then repeats this fact by saying after the "one thousand" years are done, the devil is let loose for a short time.
The Bible is also pretty clear that after the 1,000 years, when God wipes out all the unbelievers, that we all return to heaven for the judgment before the white throne. All of this is in Revelation chapter 20. Then in chapter 21 it begins by telling us the old earth has passed away and God has given us a new earth. It is quite clear that this happens while the judgment before the white throne is happening.
Full Preterists --- Claim that 70 AD was the great tribulation. That Jesus returned then. But if that were true, then a short time after one thousand years after that, should have been the judgment before the white throne and this earth should have passed away. There should be no unbelievers left.
The same people who laugh at futurists for believing when Jesus says "soon" it can mean 2,000 years, are the ones saying that "1,000" years in the Bible can mean "2,000" years.
Partial Preterists --- Claim that 70 AD was in fact the Great Tribulation, but Jesus has not returned yet. So somehow, where the Bible says the second coming will happen "immediately" after the tribulation, it meant 2,000 years after. So the same group that laughs at Futurists for believing "soon" can mean 2,000 years, are trying to convince us that "immediately" means 2,000 years.
Full Preterists argue that "1,000", a very specific number, can mean "2,000".
Partial Preterists argue that "immediately", which means "right after" can mean 2,000 years later.
Futurists claim that "soon" can be 2,000 years, but they at least have a reason to believe that. Scripture literally tells us that a thousand years to us is a day to God. So by that understanding, 2,000 years to us is 2 days to God. By any understanding, 2 day would be soon.
Futurists may accept a skewed understanding of the word "soon", which is a word with no specific timelapse connected to it, but at least they have a verse in the Bible that supports that understanding of it. If 2,000 years to us is 2 days to God, then that would literally fit as "soon" to God.
On the other hand, Preterists (full and partial) are taking very specific words and trying to say they mean 2,000 years instead. And they simply have no scriptures that I am aware of to make those arguments.
What this is, is a case of trying very hard to make someone else look bad, to cover up your own shortcoming. Like the bully who makes fun of someone for being fat, to defer attention away from their own lack of self confidence.
Preterists know there are clear issues with their own stances. They know 1,000 years means 1,000 years and not 2,000 years. They know "immediately" means "right after" and not 2,000 years later. They can't give a truly logical answer to that problem, so they instead make fun of the Futurists for believing "soon" could mean 2,000 years. Ignoring that fact that Futurists at least have scripture that does elude to that very thing.
For a slew of other problems with Preterism please check out my article, "Problems with Preterism"
Matthew 24:29 makes it very clear. The second coming happens "immediately" after the tribulation.
Matthew 24:29-30 NASB
29 “But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 And 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.
When you read Revelation 20, you learn that after Jesus returns, He will set up His kingdom on earth for one thousand years. It doesn't say thousands of years. It gives a specific number. "1,000" years. This is even supported by the simple fact that it clearly says the devil is bound and cast into the abyss for "one thousand years". It then repeats this fact by saying after the "one thousand" years are done, the devil is let loose for a short time.
The Bible is also pretty clear that after the 1,000 years, when God wipes out all the unbelievers, that we all return to heaven for the judgment before the white throne. All of this is in Revelation chapter 20. Then in chapter 21 it begins by telling us the old earth has passed away and God has given us a new earth. It is quite clear that this happens while the judgment before the white throne is happening.
Full Preterists --- Claim that 70 AD was the great tribulation. That Jesus returned then. But if that were true, then a short time after one thousand years after that, should have been the judgment before the white throne and this earth should have passed away. There should be no unbelievers left.
The same people who laugh at futurists for believing when Jesus says "soon" it can mean 2,000 years, are the ones saying that "1,000" years in the Bible can mean "2,000" years.
Partial Preterists --- Claim that 70 AD was in fact the Great Tribulation, but Jesus has not returned yet. So somehow, where the Bible says the second coming will happen "immediately" after the tribulation, it meant 2,000 years after. So the same group that laughs at Futurists for believing "soon" can mean 2,000 years, are trying to convince us that "immediately" means 2,000 years.
Full Preterists argue that "1,000", a very specific number, can mean "2,000".
Partial Preterists argue that "immediately", which means "right after" can mean 2,000 years later.
Futurists claim that "soon" can be 2,000 years, but they at least have a reason to believe that. Scripture literally tells us that a thousand years to us is a day to God. So by that understanding, 2,000 years to us is 2 days to God. By any understanding, 2 day would be soon.
Futurists may accept a skewed understanding of the word "soon", which is a word with no specific timelapse connected to it, but at least they have a verse in the Bible that supports that understanding of it. If 2,000 years to us is 2 days to God, then that would literally fit as "soon" to God.
On the other hand, Preterists (full and partial) are taking very specific words and trying to say they mean 2,000 years instead. And they simply have no scriptures that I am aware of to make those arguments.
What this is, is a case of trying very hard to make someone else look bad, to cover up your own shortcoming. Like the bully who makes fun of someone for being fat, to defer attention away from their own lack of self confidence.
Preterists know there are clear issues with their own stances. They know 1,000 years means 1,000 years and not 2,000 years. They know "immediately" means "right after" and not 2,000 years later. They can't give a truly logical answer to that problem, so they instead make fun of the Futurists for believing "soon" could mean 2,000 years. Ignoring that fact that Futurists at least have scripture that does elude to that very thing.
For a slew of other problems with Preterism please check out my article, "Problems with Preterism"
