Introduction

† Futurists often argue that if Jesus already came, then we wouldn't be here, because they assume His coming had to mean the end of the physical world. (Matthew 24:3; 2 Peter 3:10)
† That objection assumes cosmic destruction, but Scripture defines His coming in covenantal terms tied to Jerusalem. (Matthew 23:36-38; Luke 21:20-22)
† Scripture never defines His coming in Matthew 24 as the destruction of the planet, it defines it as judgment on that generation. (Matthew 24:34; Matthew 26:64)
† If we let the Bible interpret itself, the confusion disappears, history didn't end, the Old Covenant age did. (Hebrews 8:13; Hebrews 12:26-28)

Isaiah 19:1
The pronouncement concerning Egypt: Behold, the Lord is riding on a swift cloud and is about to come to Egypt; The idols of Egypt will tremble at His presence, And the heart of the Egyptians will melt within them.

† God came to Egypt in judgment, yet no one saw Him physically riding a cloud, this is prophetic judgment language. (Isaiah 13:1, 6; Micah 1:3-4)
† The coming described is covenantal and judicial, not a bodily descent to earth. (Psalm 18:7-15; Psalm 97:2-5)
† The Old Testament repeatedly uses this language for national judgment, proving coming does not automatically mean the end of history. (Isaiah 19:1-4; Isaiah 13:9-11)

Matthew 24:1-3
Jesus came out from the temple and was going away when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him.
And He 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.
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?

† The discussion began with the temple, not the planet, and Jesus answered the question they asked. (Matthew 23:38; Luke 21:5-6)
† The disciples asked about the end of the age, not the end of the world, the Greek word is age, not cosmos. (Matthew 13:39-40; Hebrews 9:26)
† The age in question was the Mosaic age centered in the temple system. (Hebrews 9:8-10; Galatians 4:4-5)
† When the temple fell in AD 70, that age ended exactly as He said. (Matthew 24:34; Luke 21:20-22)

Matthew 24:34
Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.

† Jesus anchored fulfillment to that generation, not a distant future race of people. (Matthew 23:36; Mark 13:30)
† All these things includes the coming of the Son of Man in judgment within that timeframe. (Matthew 24:29-31; Matthew 26:64)
† If this generation meant thousands of years later, His words would lose their plain force. (Matthew 16:27-28; Revelation 1:1-3)

Hebrews 8:13
When He said, A new covenant, He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is about to disappear.

† The Old Covenant was about to disappear in the first century, that is a time statement. (Hebrews 10:1; Hebrews 9:9)
† The writer said it was near vanishing, not thousands of years away. (Hebrews 1:2; Hebrews 9:26)
† AD 70 marked that disappearance when the temple and sacrifices ceased. (Daniel 9:26-27; Luke 21:22)
† History continued because the New Covenant replaced the Old, it didn't end humanity. (Hebrews 12:28; Colossians 2:14-15)

Luke 21:22
because these are days of vengeance, so that all things which are written will be fulfilled.

† Jesus said all things written concerning that judgment would be fulfilled in those days. (Matthew 24:15-21; Daniel 9:26-27)
† That places fulfillment in the first century crisis surrounding Jerusalem. (Luke 21:20-24; Matthew 23:35-36)
† If all things were fulfilled in that covenantal judgment, then the futurist assumption collapses. (Matthew 5:17-18; Hebrews 9:26)

Genesis 8:21-22
The Lord smelled the soothing aroma; and the Lord said to Himself, I will never again curse the ground on account of mankind, for the intent of man's heart is evil from his youth; and I will never again destroy every living thing, as I have done.
While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, And cold and heat, And summer and winter, And day and night Shall not cease.

† God promised the stability of the earth's cycles, that promise still stands. (Jeremiah 33:20-21; Psalm 104:19)
† Scripture never teaches the annihilation of the planet as the goal of redemption. (Ecclesiastes 1:4; Psalm 78:69)
† The futurist assumption that everything must end contradicts this covenant promise. (Isaiah 45:17; Ephesians 3:21)

Psalm 104:5
He established the earth upon its foundations, So that it will not totter forever and ever.

† The earth is described as firmly established, not destined for obliteration. (Psalm 93:1; Ecclesiastes 1:4)
† Prophetic shaking language refers to covenantal change, not planetary collapse. (Isaiah 13:13; Hebrews 12:26-27)
† The stability of creation supports the continuity of history under Christ's reign. (Genesis 8:22; Isaiah 9:7)

Ecclesiastes 1:4
A generation goes and a generation comes, But the earth remains forever.

† The earth remains, that is stated plainly without symbolic language. (Psalm 89:36-37; Psalm 93:1)
† Scripture speaks of generational change, not planetary annihilation. (Isaiah 51:15-16; Psalm 104:5)
† The destruction in AD 70 was covenantal, not cosmic annihilation. (Luke 21:24; Matthew 24:2)

Luke 17:20-21
Now having been questioned by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God was coming, He answered them and said, The kingdom of God is not coming with signs that can be observed; nor will they say, Look, here it is! or, There it is! For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.

† The kingdom was already present in Christ's ministry, it wasn't postponed. (Matthew 12:28; Mark 1:14-15)
† It wasn't waiting for a future earthly setup, it was standing in front of them. (John 18:36; Matthew 16:28)
† It was established and advancing even before the temple fell. (Daniel 2:44; Daniel 7:13-14)

Matthew 16:28
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.

† Jesus tied His coming to the lifetime of some standing there. (Matthew 10:23; Matthew 24:34)
† That removes the idea of a two thousand year delay. (Revelation 1:1-3; James 5:8-9)
† His coming in kingdom authority unfolded within that generation. (Matthew 26:64; Luke 21:27)

Colossians 1:13
For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.

† Believers were already transferred into the kingdom in the first century, present tense reality. (Revelation 1:6; Hebrews 12:28)
† The kingdom wasn't future only, it was active and functioning. (Romans 14:17; Daniel 2:35)
† We're still here because His kingdom continues to grow and expand. (Isaiah 2:2-3; Habakkuk 2:14)

1 Corinthians 15:25
For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.

† He must reign, that reign is ongoing and active. (Psalm 110:1; Acts 2:34-36)
† His reign began at His ascension, not at a future earthly return. (Ephesians 1:20-22; Matthew 28:18)
† The destruction of Jerusalem removed the covenantal enemy that rejected Him. (Matthew 23:38; Luke 19:41-44)
† His reign continues, which explains why history continues. (Isaiah 9:7; Daniel 7:27)

Hebrews 12:28
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.

† The shaking removed what could be shaken, the Old Covenant order. (Hebrews 12:26-27; Haggai 2:6)
† What remains is the unshakable kingdom under Christ's rule. (Daniel 7:14; Colossians 1:13)
† That is why history continues under a kingdom that cannot be shaken. (Isaiah 9:7; Ephesians 3:21)

Isaiah 9:7
There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of armies will accomplish this.

† His government increases, it doesn't abruptly terminate the earth. (Daniel 2:35; Psalm 72:17)
† The prophecy describes expansion, not annihilation. (Daniel 7:14; Micah 4:1-2)
† The New Covenant age continues indefinitely under His rule. (Hebrews 12:28; Ephesians 3:21)

Historical References

† Josephus described the temple's fall exactly as Jesus foretold, not one stone left upon another, confirming the historical fulfillment. (Matthew 24:2; Luke 21:6)
† Eusebius connected the destruction of Jerusalem to the fulfillment of the Lord's prophecy concerning that generation. (Matthew 24:34; Luke 21:22)
† Clement of Alexandria spoke of the passing of the old system and the establishment of the new covenant order. (Hebrews 8:13; Hebrews 10:9)
† Early Christian writers consistently tied Matthew 24 to Jerusalem's destruction, not the end of the planet. (Matthew 23:36; Matthew 24:1-3)

How It Applies To Us Today

† We're not waiting for Christ to begin reigning, He reigns now. (Colossians 1:13; 1 Corinthians 15:25)
† We're not bracing for the end of the world, we're participating in the growth of His kingdom. (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8)
† Our mission isn't fear of destruction, it's faithfulness in proclamation. (2 Timothy 4:2; Romans 1:16)
† We live in the fulfilled New Covenant reality. (Hebrews 12:22-24; Hebrews 12:28)
† The question isn't when history ends, it's how faithfully we serve the reigning King today. (Romans 14:9; Ephesians 2:19-22)

Q & A Appendix

Q: If Jesus already came in judgment, why are we still here?
A: Because His coming in AD 70 ended the Old Covenant age, not human history, Matthew 24:1-3, Hebrews 8:13.

Q: Did Jesus predict the end of the physical world?
A: No, He spoke of the end of the age connected to the temple system, Matthew 24:3.

Q: Does the Bible teach the earth will be destroyed?
A: No, Scripture says the earth remains, Genesis 8:21-22, Ecclesiastes 1:4.

Q: Is Jesus reigning now?
A: Yes, believers were transferred into His kingdom and He must reign, Colossians 1:13, 1 Corinthians 15:25.

Q: If Jesus came in AD 70, was that His final coming?
A: It was His coming in judgment against Jerusalem just as He promised to that generation, Matthew 24:29-34, Luke 21:20-22.

Q: What about 2 Peter 3 and the heavens passing away?
A: Peter was using covenantal destruction language drawn from the prophets, just like Isaiah 13 and Isaiah 34, describing the passing of the Old Covenant order, not the end of the planet, 2 Peter 3:7-13, Hebrews 12:26-28.

Q: What about the resurrection?
A: The resurrection Paul described was the transition from the Old Covenant body to the New Covenant body, a spiritual resurrection life in Christ, 1 Corinthians 15:44-46, Romans 7:4-6.

Q: What about the great tribulation?
A: Jesus said it would happen in that generation and connected it to the siege of Jerusalem, Matthew 24:21, Matthew 24:34, Luke 21:20-24.

Q: If prophecy is fulfilled, is there nothing left for us?
A: Prophecy concerning the Old Covenant judgment is fulfilled, but the kingdom continues to increase without end, Isaiah 9:7, Daniel 2:44.

Q: Are we living in the kingdom now?
A: Yes, believers have been transferred into it and receive a kingdom that cannot be shaken, Colossians 1:13, Hebrews 12:28.

† This is the fulfilled perspective we proclaim at Fulfilled Prophecies †
© Fulfilled Prophecies - Dan Maines.

Source Index

† Isaiah 19:1; Matthew 24:1-3, 34; Hebrews 8:13; Luke 21:22; Genesis 8:21-22; Psalm 104:5; Ecclesiastes 1:4; Luke 17:20-21; Matthew 16:28; Colossians 1:13; 1 Corinthians 15:25; Hebrews 12:28; Isaiah 9:7

† Josephus, The Wars of the Jews, Book 6; Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, Book 3; Clement of Alexandria, Stromata