Introduction
The Olivet Discourse, recorded in Matthew 24–25, is one of the most theologically and eschatologically significant passages in the New Testament. Delivered by Jesus shortly before His crucifixion, this discourse responds to the disciples’ question concerning the timing and signs of Jerusalem’s destruction and “the end of the age” (Matt 24:3). While futurist and dispensationalist interpretations dominate much of modern evangelical theology, a robust and ancient tradition of interpretation—preterism—holds that the entirety of the Olivet Discourse was fulfilled in the events surrounding the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70. This essay will argue for the preterist reading of Matthew 24–25, relying primarily on the work of James Stuart Russell, Kenneth L. Gentry, and other notable preterist scholars.
I. The Historical and Literary Context of the Olivet Discourse
The discourse begins with Jesus’ prediction of the destruction of the temple: “Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down” (Matt 24:2, ESV). This startling declaration prompts the disciples to ask: “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” (Matt 24:3). The preterist interpretation views these questions as pertaining not to the end of the world, but to the impending judgment on Jerusalem and the Jewish temple system.
James Stuart Russell, in The Parousia (1878), argues that the disciples’ inquiry was rooted in their understanding that the destruction of the temple would signal a cataclysmic change in the Jewish age (Russell, 1878, p. 68). He contends that Jesus’ response must be interpreted within this immediate historical expectation and that the “coming” of the Son of Man referred not to a physical return, but to a coming in judgment upon Jerusalem.
II. Time Indicators: “This Generation”
A critical component of the preterist argument centers on the time indicators within the text. Jesus explicitly states: “Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place” (Matt 24:34). This statement, according to Russell, forms the hermeneutical key to the entire discourse. He writes, “There is no ambiguity in the expression. 'This generation' means the people then living, the contemporary generation of Christ’s hearers” (Russell, 1878, p. 104).
Kenneth Gentry affirms this reading, asserting that any interpretation of the Olivet Discourse that fails to take the temporal proximity statements seriously “does violence to the integrity of Scripture” (Before Jerusalem Fell, 1989, p. 141). Indeed, the consistent New Testament usage of genea (generation) points to a time span of approximately forty years—the very period between Christ’s prophecy and the destruction of the temple in AD 70.
III. Apocalyptic Language and Jewish Symbolism
Another key element in understanding Matthew 24 lies in appreciating Jewish apocalyptic language. Much of the imagery employed by Jesus—darkened sun, falling stars, shaking of heavens (Matt 24:29)—is symbolic, drawn from Old Testament prophetic idioms. For instance, similar language is found in Isaiah’s description of Babylon’s fall (Isa 13:10) and Ezekiel’s oracle against Egypt (Ezek 32:7–8). These metaphors signify political and religious upheaval, not literal cosmic destruction.
Russell underscores this literary feature, arguing that to read such language literally is to misread its intended meaning. “The sun and moon are not physical orbs,” he explains, “but rulers and powers in the political or ecclesiastical world” (Russell, 1878, p. 125). Preterists thus view Matthew 24:29–31 as referring to the divine judgment upon the Jewish nation, culminating in the temple’s destruction.
IV. The Coming of the Son of Man
Matthew 24:30 declares, “Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man... and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven.” Many futurists identify this with the Second Coming. However, preterists interpret this “coming” in line with Daniel 7:13–14, not as Jesus’ return to earth, but as a heavenly enthronement and vindication following judgment.
As Russell points out, the Danielic imagery portrays the Son of Man coming to the Ancient of Days, not from heaven to earth. He writes: “It is a coming in the clouds of heaven to receive a kingdom, not a return to earth to establish one” (Russell, 1878, p. 162). Thus, the “coming” in Matthew 24 refers to Christ’s vindication through the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, demonstrating that He was indeed enthroned as judge and king.
V. Matthew 25 and the Parables of Judgment
Critics of preterism often argue that Matthew 25, with its parables of the Ten Virgins, the Talents, and the Sheep and Goats, must refer to the final judgment. Yet a preterist reading sees these parables as continuations of the judgment theme inaugurated in Matthew 24. Each parable emphasizes readiness, accountability, and judgment—all pertinent themes in light of the impending catastrophe of AD 70.
Partial preterist, R.C. Sproul, affirms this trajectory: “The parables illustrate not the end of the world, but the crisis that was coming upon that generation” (The Last Days According to Jesus, 1998, p. 153). The division between faithful and unfaithful servants and the consequences that follow are representative of the judgment upon Israel and the transition to the kingdom community led by Christ and His apostles.
Conclusion
The preterist interpretation of the Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24–25 offers a coherent, textually grounded, and historically contextual reading of one of the most debated eschatological passages in the New Testament. By emphasizing the immediacy of Jesus’ warnings, the symbolic nature of apocalyptic imagery, and the historical fulfillment in the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, scholars like James Stuart Russell and Kenneth Gentry offer compelling evidence that “all these things” were indeed fulfilled within the generation to whom Jesus spoke. Such an interpretation not only vindicates the prophetic integrity of Jesus’ words but also reorients Christian eschatology toward the ongoing reality of Christ’s kingdom, inaugurated in judgment and consummated in redemptive victory.
Bibliography
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Gentry, Kenneth L. Before Jerusalem Fell: Dating the Book of Revelation. Tyler, TX: Institute for Christian Economics, 1989.
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Russell, James Stuart. The Parousia: A Critical Inquiry into the New Testament Doctrine of Our Lord's Second Coming. London: Daldy, Isbister & Co., 1878.
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Sproul, R.C. The Last Days According to Jesus. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1998.
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Wright, N.T. Jesus and the Victory of God. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1996.
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DeMar, Gary. Last Days Madness: Obsession of the Modern Church. Powder Springs, GA: American Vision, 1999.
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