Introduction

† Futurism teaches that Christ must physically return again in our future, yet they can never clearly explain from scripture why He needs to return again after saying His coming would happen in that generation.

† The Bible never presents Christ's coming as an event where the world suddenly becomes perfect and all problems disappear. His coming in judgment was against Old Covenant Israel, exactly as the prophets described covenant judgment throughout scripture. (Matthew 24:34; Luke 21:20-22)

† Futurism turns Christ's coming into a cosmic renovation project, yet scripture consistently presents it as covenant judgment, kingdom fulfillment, and the end of the Old Covenant system.

† The burden of proof is on futurists to show why Christ must return again, what unfinished prophecy remains, and where scripture says He failed to accomplish what He promised within the time He gave.

† Christ Himself connected His coming with judgment upon Jerusalem, the end of the Old Covenant age, and the vindication of His saints. (Matthew 16:27-28; Matthew 24:1-34)

Matthew 16:27-28

27 For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay every person according to his deeds.

28 "Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom."

Verily I say unto you, There are some of them that stand here, who shall in no wise taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.

† Jesus directly tied His coming to the lifetime of some standing there listening to Him. He didn't place it thousands of years later.

† Futurists constantly avoid verse 28 because it destroys the idea of a distant future coming.

† Christ said some standing there wouldn't die before seeing His coming. Either Jesus told the truth or futurism is correct, both cannot be true. (Mark 9:1; Luke 9:27)

† The coming here is connected with judgment according to deeds, exactly what happened upon apostate Israel in AD 70. (Revelation 22:10-12)

Matthew 24:1-3

1 Jesus left the temple area and was going on His way when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him. 2 But He responded and said to them, "Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down."

3 And as He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?"

But he answered and said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

And as he sat on the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

† The entire discussion was about the destruction of the temple standing before them.

† The disciples connected Christ's coming with the end of their covenant world, not the end of planet Earth.

† The Greek word for world here is aion, meaning age, not kosmos meaning planet. Christ was speaking about the end of the Old Covenant age. (Hebrews 9:26)

† Futurists separate the coming from the destruction of Jerusalem even though the disciples asked about them together.

Matthew 24:34

34 Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.

† Jesus settled the timing Himself. All these things included His coming, judgment, tribulation, and the destruction of the temple.

† Futurists redefine generation to avoid the plain statement of Christ.

† Every time Jesus used the phrase this generation He meant the people living at that time. (Matthew 11:16; Matthew 12:41-42; Matthew 23:36)

† There is not a single verse anywhere saying the generation would last thousands of years.

Luke 21:20-22

20 "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that her desolation is near. 21 Then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those who are inside the city must leave, and those who are in the country must not enter the city; 22 because these are days of punishment, so that all things which have been written will be fulfilled.

† Jesus said all things written would be fulfilled in the destruction surrounding Jerusalem.

† Futurists say prophecy is still waiting to be fulfilled, yet Jesus said all things written would be fulfilled in those days.

† Christ came in covenant judgment exactly like Yahweh came against nations in the Old Testament using armies and destruction. (Isaiah 19:1; Micah 1:3-4)

† Coming in judgment never required God physically appearing to every eye on Earth.

John 14:18-19

18 "I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you. 19 After a little while, the world no longer is going to see Me, but you are going to see Me; because I live, you also will live.

† Jesus plainly said the world would see Him no more.

† Futurists teach the exact opposite by claiming the entire world will physically see Him in our future.

† Christ returned to His disciples spiritually and covenantally through His presence and kingdom. (Matthew 28:20)

† If the world sees Him no more, then futurism creates a direct contradiction with Christ's own words.

Revelation 1:1

1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John,

† Revelation opens with clear timing statements.

† Shortly does not mean thousands of years later.

† God gave Revelation to first century servants about events near to them, not people living 2000 years later. (Revelation 1:3; Revelation 22:6-10)

† Futurists push nearly the entire book into the distant future even though the book repeatedly says the time was near.

Hebrews 10:37

37 For yet in a very little while,
He who is coming will come, and will not delay.

† The writer of Hebrews said Christ's coming would not tarry.

† Futurism turns not tarry into thousands of years of delay.

† The audience of Hebrews was expecting imminent judgment connected to the passing of the Old Covenant system. (Hebrews 8:13)

† The temple was still standing when Hebrews was written, showing the Old Covenant was about to vanish away.

Isaiah 65:17

17 "For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth;
And the former things will not be remembered or come to mind.

† Futurists often claim the coming of Christ is about redesigning Earth into a restored Garden of Eden, yet Isaiah was speaking covenantally about a new people and a new covenant order.

† The language of new heavens and new earth was used throughout the prophets for covenantal change and judgment, not the destruction of the physical planet. (Isaiah 51:15-16)

† The New Testament identifies this New Covenant reality as already established in Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

† Scripture never says Christ would return to recreate Eden on planet Earth physically.

† If Christ's coming was supposed to restore a physical Eden world, where does scripture plainly say that would happen at His coming?

Hebrews 12:22-28

22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, 23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.

25 See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns us from heaven. 26 And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, "Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven." 27 This expression, "Yet once more," denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let's show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe;

† Believers were already receiving the unshakable kingdom in the first century.

† The shaking was the removal of the Old Covenant heaven and earth system, not the destruction of the physical universe.

† The kingdom wasn't future to them, they were already receiving it.

† Futurists continue waiting for a physical kingdom on Earth even though scripture says the everlasting kingdom was already being received.

† The second coming of Christ was never about what futurist pastors teach concerning a redesigned Eden world.

† Scripture never says Christ would return to make sinners stop sinning, remove all earthly governments, or create a politically perfect society.

† Christ's coming was about judgment, covenant fulfillment, kingdom establishment, and the full transition into the New Covenant age.

Historical References

† Eusebius recorded that the Christians fled Jerusalem before its destruction because they believed Christ's warnings concerning the coming judgment.

† Josephus described the destruction of Jerusalem in terrifying detail, including famine, tribulation, and the temple's complete destruction exactly as Jesus predicted.

† Tacitus wrote concerning the destruction and devastation of Judea under the Roman armies.

† Early believers understood the destruction of Jerusalem as the fulfillment of Christ's warnings concerning judgment upon that generation.

How It Applies To Us Today

† We don't live waiting for another coming of Christ because He fulfilled His promises exactly when He said He would.

† Christ reigns now in His kingdom and His covenant has already been established forever. (Ephesians 1:20-23)

† The church age does not end because Christ's kingdom is everlasting. (Luke 1:32-33)

† Believers today live in the fully established New Covenant kingdom with direct access to God through Christ.

† Futurism keeps believers focused on fear and future catastrophe instead of the finished work and present reign of Christ.

† We aren't waiting for Earth to become Eden again because the promise was never about rebuilding the Garden physically.

† Our hope is in the everlasting kingdom and presence of Christ, not a future political paradise on Earth.

Q & A Appendix

Q: Why does futurism struggle to explain why Christ must return again?

A: Because scripture already explains the purpose of His coming as covenant judgment, vindication of the saints, and the ending of the Old Covenant age within that generation. Futurists rarely provide verses explaining what unfinished purpose still requires another return. (Matthew 24:34; Luke 21:22)

Q: Did Christ come to make the world physically perfect?

A: No. Scripture never says His coming would remove all human problems or create a worldly utopia. His coming was judgment against apostate Israel and the full establishment of His kingdom. (Matthew 22:7; Luke 21:20-24)

Q: Was the second coming about restoring the Garden of Eden physically?

A: No. Scripture presents Christ's coming as covenant judgment and kingdom fulfillment, not turning planet Earth into a redesigned Eden world. The New Covenant kingdom was already being received in the first century. (Hebrews 12:22-28)

Q: Was Christ's coming visible to the entire world physically?

A: No. Scripture often uses coming language symbolically for divine judgment. Jesus Himself said the world would see Him no more. (John 14:19; Isaiah 19:1)

Q: What ended in AD 70?

A: The Old Covenant age, the temple system, animal sacrifices, and Old Covenant Jerusalem ended exactly as Jesus prophesied. (Hebrews 8:13; Matthew 24:1-34)

Q: Is Christ reigning now?

A: Yes. Christ reigns now at the right hand of the Father and His kingdom has no end. (Ephesians 1:20-23; Luke 1:32-33)

† This is the fulfilled perspective we proclaim at Fulfilled Prophecies †

© Fulfilled Prophecies - Dan Maines.

Source Index

† Matthew 16:27-28; Matthew 24:1-3, 34; Luke 21:20-22; John 14:18-19; Revelation 1:1; Hebrews 10:37; Isaiah 65:17; Hebrews 12:22-28

† Josephus, Wars of the Jews, Book 6; Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, Book 3; Tacitus, Histories, Book 5