The A.D. 70 Doctrine is one that will spring up from time to time. This happens so infrequently that teaching on the subject is often ignored. Therefore, many Christians do not know about the doctrine or what it teaches. Recently, however, this doctrine has found its way to the area of the author and has even been the cause of some trouble among brethren. Perhaps this issue has not arisen in your area. It is still good to study the issue to be prepared whenever it does arise so as to not be led astray and hopefully be able to help those who have been deceived. This study has been put together to help us understand the issue so we might more easily distinguish what is true from what is false.
Identifying the Doctrine
This doctrine is known by a few different names. Each name provides a glimpse at what the doctrine holds. The three most common names of this doctrine are these:
- Realized Eschatology – “Eschatology” refers to the study of things that pertain to the end of the world. “Realized” means these things (the end of the world and the events associated with it) have already past or been realized.
- The Preterist View – This is from the word preterit which means past. Again, this has reference to the teaching that the things that would come at the end of the world have already past.
- The A.D. 70 Doctrine – This name pinpoints the time in history when this doctrine says the end of the world has come. The doctrine holds that these things happened at the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.
Comparison of Three Views
In order to help us see what this doctrine teaches, let us compare it with two common eschatological views – amillenialism (which the author believes to be what is presented in the Bible) and premillenialism (the predominant view in many denominations).
Amillenialism holds that the kingdom is spiritual in nature, that it was established on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2, and that Christ’s reign will be eternal. The second coming of Christ is to come sometime in the future and will be for the purpose of judgment – reward of the faithful and punishment of the wicked. The end of the world is also a future event and it will bring a total destruction of the physical world. The prophecies yet to be fulfilled would include those relating to the second coming of Christ, resurrection of the dead, end of the world, and judgment.
Premillenialism has the kingdom being physical in nature and will be established in the future, at which time Christ will reign for 1,000 years in Jerusalem on the throne of David. The second coming of Christ is to come in the future and will be for the purpose of establishing the kingdom. The end of the world is also a future event. Bible prophecies yet to be fulfilled relate to the second coming, tribulation, Armageddon, etc. Many prophetic passages from Revelation and the Old Testament prophets are interpreted to be relating to the end times.
Preterism (A.D. 70 Doctrine) holds that the nature of the kingdom is spiritual, that it was established in 70 A.D., and that Christ’s reign will be eternal. The second coming of Christ occurred in 70 A.D. and was for the purpose of destroying Jerusalem, bringing judgment upon the Jewish nation, and establishing the kingdom. The end of the world also occurred in 70 A.D., but was not a total destruction of the world; instead, it was a destruction of Jerusalem and the nation of Israel. All prophecies of Scripture have been fulfilled.
Tenets of the A.D. 70 Doctrine
Basically, the A.D. 70 Doctrine holds that the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 A.D. brought about, or marked, several events:
- The establishment of the kingdom
- The second coming of Christ
- The resurrection of the dead
- The judgment
- The end of the world
- The fulfillment of all previously unfulfilled prophecies
Redefining Terms
Probably most people who read that list will quickly wonder how anyone can believe that those things happened in 70 A.D. at the destruction of Jerusalem. After all, this doctrine is clearly not supported by Scripture. But there are people who believe and teach this. How are they able to do so? They have to redefine Bible terms. This is how any error can be defended. We can use the Bible to prove almost anything, provided we can use our own definitions for the terms. Let us notice some of the terms that have to be redefined in order to defend this doctrine.
- World – When the Bible speaks of the world, particularly the end of the world, it is referring to the nation of Israel, not the physical earth on which we live. Often words like earth, land, city, and others are defined the same way. This allows one to use these interchangeably and weave passages together to support their view with no regard for the context in which those passages are found.
- End – In relation to the end of the world, the Bible is not talking about the destruction of the physical world. It is referring to the end of the age – the Jewish age, the nation of Israel. So the end of the world (age) would be the transition between dispensations on earth (physical and spiritual Israel).
- Until – This would simply refer to a goal, not a time of completion. This is how one can get around passages like 1 Corinthians 11:26 which teaches that the Lord’s Supper will be observed until the second coming. Those who hold the A.D. 70 Doctrine have to redefine “until.” Otherwise, they have no authority to partake of the Lord’s Supper because Christ has come again. Plus, 1 Corinthians 15:24-25 teaches that Christ will reign until all enemies have been subdued. But the preterist believes that Jesus established His kingdom in 70 A.D. when He subdued His enemies. They have to make “until” mean simply a goal. That is, a certain event was being anticipated (the second coming, the subduing of the enemies), but the things that are said to endure until then (partaking the Lord’s Supper, the reign of Christ) will continue even after that event. If “until” means a time of completion, the doctrine conflicts with these passages.
- Spiritual vs. Literal – With regard to prophecy, a contrast is made between the spiritual interpretation and the literal interpretation – as if spiritual and literal were opposites. Actually the opposite of spiritual is fleshly (cf. Romans 8:5-8) and the opposite of literal is figurative (cf. 1 Corinthians 4:6). We understand that the opposite of spiritual is fleshly. To allege then that spiritual and literal are opposites is a subtle way of equating literal with fleshly. What this does is make the one who believes in the literal fulfillment of these prophecies (second coming of Christ, resurrection, etc.) condemned for setting their mind on the things of the flesh (Romans 8:5). And after all, “the mind set on the flesh is death” (Romans 8:6). They redefine these terms to be opposites when they are not. But equating literal with fleshly is an easy way to refute the truth and defend this doctrine.
Answering the Tenets of the A.D. 70 Doctrine
After comparing this doctrine with two common eschatological views, outlining its tenets, and noticing some of the definitions it uses for various terms, let us examine the tenets of the doctrine in light of the Scriptures.
The Establishment of the Kingdom – The A.D. 70 Doctrine holds that the kingdom is spiritual in nature and that it is an eternal kingdom. There is no disagreement on these points. Jesus attested to the spiritual nature of the kingdom when He told Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). Prophecies such as the one in Daniel 2:44 teach that the kingdom will be eternal, saying it “will never be destroyed.” However, the doctrine has the kingdom being established in 70 A.D. Is this what the Bible teaches?
Jesus told His disciples, “There are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power” (Mark 9:1). This tells us that the kingdom would be established in the lifetime of some who were present there and that it would come with power. Jesus later told the apostles they would “receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you” (Acts 1:8). We have the record of the Holy Spirit coming upon the apostles in Acts 2:1-4. So on the day of Pentecost following the ascension of Christ we have the Holy Spirit coming upon the apostles, which would indicate that they had received power (Acts 1:8). These are the conditions that would mark the time of the kingdom’s establishment (Mark 9:1). The kingdom of God was established on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2, not in 70 A.D. at the destruction of Jerusalem.
Further proof of this is seen in Colossians 1:13. Paul told the brethren that God had “transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.” The epistle to Colossae was written sometime around the late 50′s to early 60′s A.D. This would be before 70 A.D. and the destruction of Jerusalem when the preterist says the kingdom was established. Yet Paul told these brethren – ten years or so before 70 A.D. – that they were already part of God’s kingdom. The Scriptures simply do not support the view that the kingdom was established in 70 A.D.
The Second Coming of Christ – This doctrine also indicates that the second coming of Christ occurred in 70 A.D. at the destruction of Jerusalem. Of course, this would not have been a literal coming. Instead it would be a spiritual (as they would say) or figurative coming. Do the Scriptures teach that Christ’s return will be literal or figurative?
To help us answer this, we can look to the account of the ascension of Christ: “And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. They also said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven” (Acts 1:9-11).
Here we have recorded a literal ascension of Christ into heaven. The apostles were “looking on” and “watched Him go into heaven.” The angels who appeared with them said He would return “in just the same way.” The return of Christ is going to be just as literal as His ascension. The literal nature of Jesus’ second coming is also referred to in Revelation 1:7. “Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him.” If the second coming occurred in 70 A.D. at the destruction of Jerusalem, every eye did not see Him and He did not return in the same manner in which He left. The second coming of Christ is literal and is to happen at some future time.
The Resurrection of the Dead – Another tenet of the A.D. 70 Doctrine is that the resurrection of the dead happened with the destruction of Jerusalem. 1 Corinthians 15 deals with the resurrection in greater detail than any chapter in the Bible. Traditionally, this chapter has been interpreted to be talking about a literal, bodily resurrection of the dead. Have we missed the point all along?
In 1 Corinthians 15:35-41, Paul made the contrast between seed and wheat, different types of flesh (men, beasts, birds, and fish), and earthly and heavenly bodies. His point was that even though we may be used to a certain body, that does not mean we will have that same body in the resurrection. God can fashion whatever body He chooses. Paul made this point: “So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body” (1 Corinthians 15:42-44).
We may read those verses and automatically think of a bodily resurrection. That is not how the preterist reads these verses. For the A.D. 70 Doctrine to work, there must be another interpretation of this passage. After all, the doctrine holds that the resurrection occurred in 70 A.D. at the destruction of Jerusalem. So the argument is that the “natural body” is the nation of Israel (Judaism). The “spiritual body” is the spiritual Israel (the kingdom of God). The idea is that Judaism received its death blow in the crucifixion of Christ on the cross. After that time, it was dead for about 40 years, until it was “raised a spiritual body” in the form of the kingdom in 70 A.D. Is this really what Paul was teaching here?
The context of 1 Corinthians 15 clearly indicates the type of resurrection under consideration. Paul began the discussion by addressing the false claim that there was no resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:12). His initial argument to support the resurrection was the fact that Christ was raised from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:12-20). The resurrection of Christ is at the heart of the gospel message (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). We must believe that Jesus was raised from the dead, but what sort of resurrection was it? Was Jesus literally raised from the dead? Or was it a spiritual or figurative resurrection. It was certainly a literal resurrection! Paul spoke of hundreds of people who were witnesses to the fact that Jesus literally rose from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:5-8). If you read the entire chapter of 1 Corinthians 15, you will plainly see there is one type of resurrection discussed – a literal, bodily resurrection. The A.D. 70 Doctrine has two types of resurrections – a literal, bodily resurrection (that of Jesus) and a figurative resurrection (the nation of Israel raised in the form of the kingdom of God). The New Testament clearly teaches there will be a literal, bodily resurrection in the future.
The Judgment – The preterist also claims that the judgment occurred at the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. The idea is that the passages that speak of a coming judgment have reference to the judgment against the nation of Israel at the hand of the Romans. There is no argument that God executed judgment against the nation of Israel, but this was a day of judgment, not the day of judgment. Let us notice a few passages.
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10). This verse teaches that judgment is going to come upon “all” men. This would include more than just Jerusalem or the nation of Israel. If Paul was talking about judgment the way the A.D. 70 Doctrine talks about judgment, there would be no good reason to write this to these brethren. They were in Corinth, not Jerusalem. If this doctrine were correct, they would not appear before Christ in judgment.
While in Athens, Paul had an opportunity to teach about the one true God. He proclaimed, “God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent” (Acts 17:30). Why should these Gentiles in Athens repent? “Because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead” (Acts 17:31). What motivation would there be to these people to repent if God’s judgment was only coming against Jerusalem? God was going to “judge the world.” This would include Jerusalem, Athens, Rome, and everywhere else under heaven.
Revelation 20:11-15 provides a picture of judgment. It describes the dead standing before the throne of God and being judged by His word. This passage, as well as the ones we just discussed, speaks of universal judgment. All the dead, not just those in Judaism, would be judged in this judgment. Also remember the initial audience of Revelation – “the seven churches that are in Asia” (Revelation 1:4). Would this have included some Jews? Yes, but not all Jews. These were Gentile areas, yet they were told of the coming judgment of God. The destruction of Jerusalem can certainly be called God’s judgment against the nation of Israel. But again, this was a judgment, not the judgment.
The End of the World – Peter described the end of the world in his second epistle: “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.” “The heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat” (2 Peter 3:10, 12). Those who hold the A.D. 70 doctrine have to interpret this passage to be talking about the destruction of Jerusalem. To them, the earth and its works that will be burned up referred to Judaism and the system under the Law of Moses. Is this the “world” that Peter said was going to be destroyed?
As we did with the question on the resurrection, we can look to this chapter to see what is meant by the destruction of the world. Notice what Peter said: “Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.’ For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men” (2 Peter 3:3-7).
Peter was addressing the claim some were making that Jesus was not coming back. He endeavored to show that Christ’s future coming is a reality. He first mentioned the creation of the world (2 Peter 3:5). Was this a literal creation? Of course. The fact that we are here as proof of that. Then he mentioned the flood. Was this a literal flood that destroyed the world? Yes it was (Genesis 7). But will the destruction of the world at Christ’s coming be literal as well? Peter said, “The present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire” (2 Peter 3:7). What are the “present heavens and earth”? The same that was said to be created in verse 5 and destroyed by the flood in verse 6. The destruction of the world did not happen in 70 A.D. The earth is still “reserved for fire” that will come upon it when Christ returns.
Conclusion
Why is this doctrine so dangerous? Because it will cause people to lose their souls. Paul told Timothy to “avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, men who have gone astray from the truth saying that the resurrection has already taken place, and they upset (overthrow, KJV) the faith of some” (2 Timothy 2:16-18). For one to believe that the resurrection is past amounts to the overthrow of their faith. We should not take this doctrine lightly.
We need to understand what lies ahead in the future. Jesus is going to come again. At that time, the dead are going to be raised. All men, living and dead, will stand before Him in judgment. We will then receive either a reward or punishment, depending on how we have lived our life. Then this present world will be destroyed.
Understanding these things should cause us to live a certain way. After discussing the second coming of Christ and the end of the world, Peter wrote: “Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, and regard the patience of the Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen” (2 Peter 3:14-18).
Peter made a few basic points that would be good for us to keep in mind as we conclude a study of Bible eschatology. First, knowing that these things are going to happen, we should strive to live according to God’s will. Second, the reason why the world is still standing today is to give people the chance to be saved. Third, some will twist the Scriptures and teach things that are false. We have noticed an example of that with this doctrine. Fourth, we need to be aware of those teaching error so we will not be fooled and led away by them. Finally, we need to continue to grow as God would have us to. As we understand what the Scriptures teach will happen at the end of the world, let us live our lives in such a way that we will be ready to meet the Lord when He returns.
