Eschatology Matters!
Preterists [1] have an unhealthy focus on eschatology, warns futurist [2] theologian Ken Gentry. Mr. Gentry describes one preterist going so far as to write “preterist” after his name in a church attendance logbook! [3]
Response: While Gentry is usually a pretty level-headed and thoughtful writer, he goes off the rails with his critique of preterists. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black! How many times have futurists proclaimed from their rooftops things like, “Jesus is coming soon…We are in the last days…The signs are everywhere!”—and then nothing happens. The book The Day and the Hour by Francis Gumerlock documents hundreds of examples of this over the past two thousand years. And this wasn’t just done by kooks and cults; it was done by mainstream (futurist) Christians…Roman Catholics, Protestants and Evangelicals alike!
In fact, every time a significant event happens in the world—whether it’s the rise of the United Nations…or a man with a birthmark on his forehead named Gorbachev heading the USSR…or the various Israel wars…or Y2K/the millennium change in 2000…or the terrorist attacks on 9/11…or the coronavirus pandemic…or wars involving Russia…or big earthquakes—whenever something significant happens in the world, futurists link it to Bible prophecy and proclaim, “The signs are upon us…Jesus is coming soon!”—on national TV, radio, newspapers, billboards, and YouTube. And when their prophecies fail to come to pass—which they always do [4]—they make the entire Christian community look like fools. What’s worse, they drag Christ’s holy name through the muck yet again. Now this is an unhealthy focus on eschatology. In fact, it’s a downright embarrassment!
Admittedly, writing “preterist” after your name in a church attendance logbook is odd behavior; but it pales in comparison to the myriad of false prophecies uttered by futurists over the years!
Are preterists passionate about eschatology? Yes. When a person’s eyes are suddenly opened…When a person suddenly realizes that the events Jesus prophesied about (such as the second coming, resurrection, and judgment) actually happened when they were supposed to…When a person suddenly realizes he’s been misled by the Christian establishment, however unintentionally, about these kinds of events…he feels compelled to tell his fellow Christians. So he’s often passionate about the subject. And there’s good reason for the excitement.
Eschatology deserves much attention because it is vitally important for understanding the Bible as a whole. The late theologian R. C. Sproul estimated that two-thirds of the New Testament is concerned directly or indirectly with eschatology. So if our eschatology is off, then so will much of our understanding of the Bible. Eschatology is not just some peripheral issue, as many Christians claim. Our eschatology determines our understanding of key doctrines.
Take, for instance, the second coming. If this event has already happened, as preterists argue (based on passages such as Matt. 16:27–28, 10:23, 24:30–34; Rev. 22:7, 12, 20; etc.), then the second coming must be a spiritual event, as opposed to a physical one. After all, Jesus did not “come on clouds” physically in the first century. Likewise, if the great and terrible day/judgment of the Lord has already happened, as preterists contend (based on passages such as 1 Pet. 4:5, 17; Matt. 3:10; John 12:31–33; etc.), then Christians can get on with building God’s kingdom and improving the world, instead of warning about an imminent judgment.
Correct eschatology helps us understand difficult passages. Take Revelation 22:11–12, where an angel says, “Let the unjust remain unjust, and let the filthy remain filthy…for Jesus is coming soon.” While such a statement makes perfect sense in light of an imminent judgment that happened just a few years after Revelation was written, it would make no sense over a protracted, two-thousand-plus-year period.
Preterism dramatically improves one’s understanding of the Bible, almost instantaneously; and that’s why preterists are so passionate that others understand it. On the other hand, the reason why futurists say eschatology is just a peripheral issue is that they are so confused by it. Futurists read all the time statements and cannot make them fit their traditions and creeds, so they claim eschatology is a peripheral issue. How wrong they are.
Another reason why correct eschatology is so important is that bad eschatology has led to so much division among Christians. If the time statements are not what they seem—if Jesus did not come on clouds of glory in the first century, like he said (Matt. 16:28, 10:23, 24:30–34, 26:64, Rev. 22:7, 12, 20)—then these time statements need to be explained (away) somehow. Yet doing that is no easy task, at least not with any kind of agreement among Christians. Futurists have twisted the Scriptures into pretzels trying to come up with plausible solutions. As of 2020, there were forty-five thousand of these solutions—denominations, we call them—each boldly proclaiming what the Bible “clearly” says.[5] Admittedly, eschatology is not the sole reason for all these denominations, but it is certainly a big part of it. Until Christians admit what the time statements say—until futurists admit that “soon” means soon—the division will just continue to get worse and worse. More division. More denominations. More cults. More false prophecies. And more laughter by non-Christians.
Bad eschatology has bad real-world consequences. Some Christians in Nazi Germany mistakenly believed the Holocaust was happening because of the Bible’s prophecy of great tribulation on Jews (Zech. 13:8, Matt. 24:21). Trying to stop the Holocaust was seen by some Christians as opposing God. Now I’m not saying this was the case with all Christians, but it certainly was with many—too many—which led to complacency. Somebody should have told these Christians that the great tribulation happened in the first century (Matt. 24:21, 34); the Holocaust has nothing to do with Bible prophecy!
Bad eschatology has bad real-world consequences. We’ve all likely heard stories about Christians deciding not to get married and/or selling everything they have because they believed Jesus was coming soon. After all, that’s what the Bible says Christians should do if Jesus is coming soon (see 1 Cor. 7:26–31 and Luke 18:22)…right? I wonder why more futurist Christians are not abiding by this?
And if Jesus is coming soon, why make any long-term plans? Why go to college? Why save for retirement? Why use your credit cards responsibly? In fact, why not run up your credit cards? You won’t have to pay them back anyway. Some preachers have actually said these kinds of things to raise money for their “last days” outreach programs (and other desperately needed items, such as their jet planes and multimillion-dollar cathedral-like churches).
Bad eschatology has bad real-world consequences. If the world is destined to get worse and worse, as many futurists tell us, then why bother trying to improve it? Why start organizations like the Salvation Army and Red Cross? Why get involved politically? Why join school boards? Why worry about any long-term community revitalization projects if the world is destined to get worse and worse, and will ultimately be destroyed by God anyway? As the old saying goes, why polish brass on a sinking ship? Even the most optimistic of the futurist bunch, postmillennialists, say Satan will one day be released to wreak havoc on the world.
Eschatology is not just some peripheral issue. Bad eschatology has bad consequences for the world. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy.
The pessimism of futurism opposes the optimism of the inspired prophets. Isaiah believed Messiah’s kingdom would keep increasing: “Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end” (Isa. 9:7). This is the exact opposite of what many futurists teach.
Eschatology matters. We need to get this one right.
For more information about the topics discussed in this article, get my book The End Is Here: How the New Testament’s Prophecies Were Fulfilled.
By Alex Polyak, Director of The Bible Fulfilled.
[1] Preterists (aka consistent preterists) believe the Bible’s prophecies were fulfilled in the timeframes suggested in Scripture.
[2] Futurists believe many prophecies still need to be fulfilled.
[3] Kenneth Gentry Jr., When Shall These Things Be, Edited by Keith Mathison, 3.
[4] Their accuracy rate is sitting at 0%. No wonder the younger generations are becoming so leery about Christianity.
[5] World Christian Encyclopedia, 3rd edition (2020)
