The four interpretations of Bible prophecy: preterism, historicism, futurism, and idealism.
PRETERISM (Latin for "past") - teaches that most,
if not all prophecy has already been fulfilled, usually in relation to the
destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D and the rise of Roman Catholicism before
400 A.D. According to the preteristic view, the 70 Weeks of Daniel 9:24 have already been
fulfilled. Preterists believe that the events prophesied in Daniel 7-12, the book of Revelation and other parts of the Bible are actually past events that are
spoken metaphorically in the future tense, thus they are not literally future
events but events that have already come to pass. There are partial preterists and there are full preterists; the former consider some or most Bible prophecies as having been fulfilled in the past, while the latter consider 100% of Bible prophecy as having been fulfilled in the past. Full preterists go as far as
denying the resurrection of the dead, the literal second coming of Jesus Christ, the
final judgment, and the new heaven and new earth. Preteristic interpretations of
Daniel, Revelation, and other prophetic Bible passages is held by many modern
academic scholars, especially liberals, atheists, secularists, and others who
deny that the prophecies of the Bible are predictive of specific future events. Most Christian denominations based on Reformed Theology also hold to the view of preterism.
HISTORICISM (present) - teaches that much of the current
Church Age runs concurrent with the great tribulation period. Thus, prophecy
has been, and will be, fulfilled during the current church age. The seven
churches of Revelation chapters 2 and 3 represent seven distinct eras of the
Church Age from beginning to end. The 70 weeks of Daniels 9:24 are in the past
and have no future fulfillment. Historicism also teaches that the Papacy is the
Antichrist, that Babylon the Great Harlot represents the Catholic Church, and
that the seven-headed beast of Revelation 13 represents all the major Gentile
governments that would rule on earth between Christ’s first and second coming.
Both the Great Commission and the Great Apostasy will transpire simultaneously
over the course of the Church Age. This interpretation of Daniel, Revelation,
and other prophetic Bible passages is held by amillennialists of the Reformed
Church and many postmillennialists as well, along with varying degrees of preterism.
The church of the Seventh Day Adventists also hold to this interpretation. It
should be noted that historicism is nearly always combined with one or more of
the other interpretions of Bible prophecy; for example, historicism-preterism,
historicism-futurism, etc. The ancient and modern Jews simultaneously use all
four interpretations of Bible prophecy: preterism, historicism, futurism, and
idealism.
FUTURISM (future) - believes that almost no prophetic events
of Daniel, Revelation, and other prophetic Bible passages are occurring in the
current Church Age, but instead will take place in the future in the following
sequence of events: the rapture of the Church, the Great Tribulation of seven
years, the second coming of Jesus Christ, the 1,000 year millennium, the general
resurrection and the final judgment, and finally the eternal state. There is
intense debate among futurists as to exactly when the Rapture of the Church
will occur. Will the Rapture occur before, during, or after the Great
Tribulation? Futurists interpret Bible prophecies literally, and a literal
reading of the prophecies of Daniel, Revelation, and other prophetic Bible
passages will generally lead to a "futuristic" interpretation. Thus
futurists interpret Daniel 7-12, Revelation 4-22 and many other Bible passages
as predicting future end time historical events; that is, those events that
would transpire in our modern era and onward into the future. This interpretation of Daniel,
Revelation, and other prophetic Bible passages is held by dispensationalists
and historical premillennialists.
IDEALISM (timeless) - denies that the Bible indicates the
timing of real events and also denies that we can determine their timing.
Therefore, idealists see prophetic Bible passages as teaching great truths
about God to be applied to our present lives. This approach argues that the
symbolic figures in Daniel ch. 7-12 and Revelation ch. 4-22 do not relate to
historical events but rather to timeless spiritual truths. Idealists feel that
Daniel ch. 7-12 and the entire book of Revelation relate primarily to the
Church between the first and second coming of Christ. Idealists believe that
the prophetic messages of Daniel, Revelation, and other prophetic Bible
passages relates to the battle between God and evil, and between the Church and
the sinful world at all times in Church Age. The seals, trumpets, and bowls
depict God's judgments on sinners at all points in history, and the statue and
beasts of Daniel and Revelation refer to all the world governments that stand
in opposition to God's holy people throughout history. Idealists use the book
of Revelation to portray the victory of Jesus Christ and His people down
through history. According to idealism, the Millennium is not a literal future
event of 1,000 years but a symbolism describing the Church Age spanning from
Pentecost 33 A.D. to the second coming of Christ. Most amillennialists of the
Roman Catholic Church hold to this interpretation, along with several groups of Protestant
postmillennialists.
