Comparison of Futurist, Preterist and Historicist beliefs
| Eschatological Topic | Futurist belief | Preterist belief | Historicist belief |
|---|---|---|---|
| Futurists typically anticipate a future period of time when Bible prophecies will be fulfilled. | Preterists typically argue that most (Partial Preterism), or all (Full Preterism) Bible prophecies were fulfilled during the earthly ministry of Jesus and the generation immediately proceeding it, concluding with the siege and destruction of the temple in Jerusalem in 70 AD. | Historicists typically understand the prophecies to be continuous from the times of the prophets to the present day and beyond. | |
| 'The 144,000' Revelation 7:1–8 | Various interpretations of a literal number of 144,000, including: 144,000 Evangelical Jews at the end of the world, or 144,000 Christians at the end of the world. | A symbolic number signifying the saved, representing completeness, perfection (The number of Israel; 12, squared and multiplied by 1,000, representing the infinite = 144,000). This symbolises God's Holy Army, redeemed, purified and complete. | A symbolic number representing the saved who are able to stand through the events of 6:17. |
| Locusts released from the Abyss Revelation 9:1–11 | A demonic host released upon the earth at the end of the world. | A demonic host released upon Israel during the siege of Jerusalem 66–70 AD. | The Muslim Arab hordes that overran North Africa, the Near East, and Spain during the 6th to 8th centuries. |
| Large Army from the Euphrates, an army of 'myriads of myriads' Revelation 9:13–16 | Futurists frequently translate and interpret the Greek phrase 'myriads of myriads' as meaning a 'double myriad', from which they develop the figure of 200 million. Futurists frequently assign this army of 200 million to China, which they believe will attack Israel in the future. Many Bibles employ a Futurist interpretation of the original Greek when they adopt the figure of 200 million. | Preterists hold to the original Greek description of a large army consisting of 'myriads of myriads', as a reference to the large pagan army, which would attack Israel during the Siege of Jerusalem from 66–70 AD. The source of this pagan army from beyond the Euphrates is a symbolic reference to Israel's history of being attacked and judged by pagan armies from beyond the Euphrates. Some of the Roman units employed during the siege of Jerusalem were assigned from this area. | The Muslim Arab hordes that overran North Africa, the Near East, and Spain during the 6th to 8th centuries. |
| 'The Two Witnesses' Revelation 11:1–12 | Two people who will preach in Jerusalem at the end of the world. | The two witnesses and their miracles symbolize the ministries of Moses and Elijah, who in turn symbolize 'The Law' and 'The Prophets', the Old Testament witnesses to the righteousness of God. When the armies of Rome laid siege to and destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD, it appeared that the Two Witnesses had been killed. | The two witnesses (AKA "two olive trees" and "two candlesticks") are the Old and New Testaments. |
| '1260 Days' Revelation 11:3 | A literal 1260 days (3.5 years) at the end of the world during which Jerusalem is controlled by pagan nations. | A literal 1260 days (3.5 years) which occurred 'at the end of the world' in 70 AD when the apostate worship at the temple in Jerusalem was decisively destroyed at the hands of the pagan Roman armies following a 3.5-year Roman campaign in Judea and Samaria. The 'Two Witnesses' appeared to be dead for 3.5 years during the siege of Jerusalem but were miraculously resurrected as the Early Church. | 1260 days = forty and two months (vs. 11:2) = a time, times and the dividing of time (Dan 7:25). 1260 years during which the two witnesses are clothed in sackcloth, typically understood to represent the time from 538 to 1798 A.D., the time of Papal authority over the Christian church. |
| 'The Woman and the Dragon' Revelation 12:1–6 | A future conflict between the State of Israel and Satan. | Symbolic of the Old Covenant Church, the nation of Israel (Woman) giving birth to the Christ child. Satan (the Dragon) was determined to destroy the Christ child. The Woman (the early church), fled Jerusalem before its destruction in 70 AD. | The Dragon represents Satan and any earthly power he uses. The woman represents God's true church before and after Christ's birth, death, and resurrection. The Woman flees to the desert away from the dominant power of the 1260 years. |
| 'The Beast out of the Sea' Revelation 13:1–8 | The future empire of the Anti-Christ, persecuting Christians | The Roman Empire, persecuting the early church during the rule of Nero. The sea symbolizing the Mediterranean and the nations of the Roman Empire. | The Beast is the earthly power supported by the Dragon (Satan). It is the Papal power during the same 42 months mentioned above. |
| 'The Beast out of the Earth' 'The False Prophet' Revelation 13:11–18 | The future empire of the Anti-Christ, persecuting Christians. | The apostate rulers of the Jewish people, who joined in union with the Roman Empire to persecute the early church. | The first is the U.S.A. The second is a future religio-political power in which everyone is forced by the first power to receive the mark of the beast. |
| 'The Number of the Beast, 666' Revelation 13:18 | The number identifying the future empire of the Anti-Christ, persecuting Christians. | In Hebrew calculations the total sum of Emperor Nero's name, 'Nero Caesar', equated to 666. The number more broadly symbolises the Roman Empire and its persecution of the early church. The number 666 also symbolises an apostate ruler as King Solomon was, who collected 666 talents of gold annually. 1Kings 10:14 | cryptogram of one of the names of the pope – the False Prophet: Vicarius Filii Dei, v and u = 5, i = 1, l = 50, c = 100, d = 500[dubious ] |
| Armageddon Revelation 16:16 | A future literal battle at Megiddo in the Jezreel Valley, Israel. | Megiddo is utilised as a symbol of God's complete victory over His enemies. The battle of Armageddon occurred 2000 years ago when God used the pagan armies of Rome to comprehensively destroy the apostate worship at the temple in Jerusalem. Revelation 16:16 Judges 5:19 2Kings 9:27 | A symbolic name concerning the ongoing battle between Jesus and Satan. |
| Mystery Babylon The Great Harlot Revelation 17:1–5 | Futurists compose various interpretations for the identity of 'Mystery Babylon' such as the US, or the UN. | The corrupted city of Jerusalem, who united with pagan nations of the world in their idolatrous practices and participated in persecuting the faithful Old Covenant priests and prophets, and the early church of the New Covenant. Matthew 23:35–37 | A virtuous woman represents God's true church. A whore represents an apostate church. Typically, Mystery Babylon is understood to be the esoteric apostasies, and Great Harlot is understood to be the popular apostasies. Both types of apostasies are already at work, ensnaring the unwary. |
| Seven heads and ten horns Revelation 17:9–11 | Futurists compose various interpretations. | As the Bible text explains, the seven heads are seven mountains. This is a direct reference to the Seven hills of Rome. It is also noted that the seven hills 'refer to seven kings'. This is a reference to the Caesars of Rome. At the time of the writing of the Revelation, five Caesars had already fallen (Julius Caesar, Augustus Caesar, Tiberius Caesar, Caligula and Claudius Caesar), 'One is' (Nero, the sixth Caesar, was on the throne as John was writing the Revelation), and the seventh 'has not yet come'. (Galba, the seventh Caesar, reigned for less than 7 months). | Various interpretations. |
| The Thousand Years The Millennium Revelation 20:1–3 | The Millennium is a literal, future 1,000-year reign of Christ following the destruction of God's enemies. | The Millennium is the current, ongoing rise of God's Kingdom. The Millennium is a symbolic time frame, not a literal time frame. Preterists believe the Millennium has been ongoing since the earthly ministry and ascension of Christ and the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD and is ongoing today. Daniel 2:34–35 | The time period between Christ's Second Advent and the rapture of all the righteous, both living and formerly dead, from off earth and the third Advent which brings the New Jerusalem and the saints to the planet. While the saved are gone, the planet is inhabited only by Satan and his hosts, for all the wicked are dead. |
| 'The Rapture' Revelation 4:1 | The Rapture is a future removal of the faithful Christian church from earth. | Preterists generally recognize a future 'Second Coming' of Christ, as described in Acts 1:11 and 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17. However, they distinguish this from Revelation 4:1 which is construed by Futurists as describing a 'Rapture' event that is separate from the 'Second Coming'. | |
| 'The Great Tribulation' Revelation 4:1 | The 'Great Tribulation' is a future period of God's judgement on earth. | The 'Great Tribulation' occurred 2000 years ago when apostate Israel was judged and destroyed by God, culminating in the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem at the hands of the pagan armies of the Roman Empire. The early Church was delivered from this period of judgment because it heeded the warning of Jesus in Matthew 24:16 to flee Jerusalem when it saw the pagan armies of Rome approaching. | The Great Tribulation was a period of persecution for the Church for 1260 years from 538 to 1798 AD at the hands of papal authorities. |
| 'The Abomination that causes desolation' Matthew 24:15 | The Abomination that causes desolation is a future system of idolatrous worship based at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. | The Abomination that causes desolation was the pagan armies of Rome destroying the apostate system of worship at the Temple in Jerusalem 2000 years ago. | |
| 'Gog and Magog invasion' Ezekiel 38 | Ezekiel 38 refers to a future invasion of Israel by Russia and its allies, resulting in a miraculous deliverance by God. | Ezekiel 38 refers to the Maccabees miraculous defeat of the Seleucids in the 2nd century B.C. As Chilton notes, 'The word chief is, in the Hebrew, rosh, and according to this view, it does not pertain to Russia, |
Preterism vs Historicism
Expositors of the traditional Protestant interpretation of Revelation known as Historicism have often maintained that Revelation was written in AD 96 and not AD 70. Edward Bishop Elliott, in the Horae Apocalypticae (1862), argues that John wrote the book in exile on Patmos "at the close of the reign of Domitian; that is near the end of the year 95 or beginning of 96". He notes that Domitian was assassinated in September 96. Elliot begins his lengthy review of historical evidence by quoting Irenaeus, a disciple of Polycarp. Polycarp was a disciple of the Apostle John. Irenaeus mentions that the Apocalypse was seen "no very long time ago [but] almost in our own age, toward the end of the reign of Domitian".
Other historicists have seen no significance in the date that Revelation was written, and have even held to an early date while Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr., makes an exegetical and historical argument for the pre-AD 70 composition of Revelation.
Historicism vs Futurism
The division between these interpretations can be somewhat blurred. Most futurists are expecting a rapture of the Church, an antichrist, a Great Tribulation and a second coming of Christ in the near future. But they also accept certain past events, such as the rebirth of the State of Israel and the reunification of Jerusalem as prerequisites to them, in a manner which the earlier historicists have done with other dates. Futurists, who do not normally use the day-year principle, interpret the Prophecy of Seventy Weeks in Daniel 9:24 as years, just as historicists do. Most historicists have chosen timelines, from beginning to end, entirely in the past, but some, such as Adam Clarke, have timelines which also commenced with specific past events, but require a future fulfillment. In his commentary on Daniel 8:14 published in 1831, he stated that the 2,300-year period should be calculated from 334 BC, the year Alexander the Great began his conquest of the Persian Empire. His calculation resulted in the year 1966. He seems to have overlooked the fact that there is no "year zero" between BC and AD dates. For example, the year following 1 BC is 1 AD. Thus his calculations should have required an additional year, ending in 1967. He was not anticipating a literal regathering of the Jewish people prior to the second coming of Christ. But the date is of special significance to futurists since it is the year of Jerusalem's capture by Israeli forces during the Six-Day War. His commentary on Daniel 7:25 contains a 1260-year period commencing in 755 AD and ending in 2015.
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