Joe Price has preached with the Mt. Baker church of Christ in Bellingham WA for the past 18 years. joe@bibleanswer.com

Commonly known as the A.D. 70 doctrine, “Realized Eschatology” (a doctrine of completed last things) is in fact, Realized Error. Also known as “Covenant Eschatology” and Transmillennialism™, one of its adherents explains that “unlike traditional dogma, Transmillennialism™ sees Christ’s millennial reign in its first-century context, from the Old to the New Covenant, bringing about the transformation of the ages. It sees the thrust of the Bible’s speaking about how heaven comes to earth, not primarily about how one gets to heaven.”[1] According to this doctrine, “We are now in that world ‘which was to come.’ ... instead of being in last days, we are in eternal days world without end (Eph. 3:21). A world that is without end cannot have “last days.”[2]

The A.D. 70 doctrine affirms the following events happened in A.D. 70 when Jerusalem was destroyed by the Roman army: (1) The promised second coming of Christ, (2) The resurrection was then accomplished, (3) The judgment day occurred, and (4) Every spiritual blessing was perfected and made available to the world.

In vivid contrast to these erroneous conclusions, the Scriptures teach the personal, visible return of Christ has not yet occurred (1 Thess. 4:16). The Scriptures show the bodily resurrection of the dead is not in our past (2 Tim. 2:16-18). The New Testament teaches the judgment of all men has not yet taken place (2 Cor. 5:10). Finally, the New Testament says Christians were already being made complete in Christ prior to A.D. 70 (Col. 2:9-10). The A.D. 70 doctrine is an eschatology of error.

The Final Coming and Jesus did not Occur in A.D. 70

Popularized by Max R. King in his book, The Spirit of Prophecy, the A.D. 70 doctrine says the second (final) coming of Christ occurred in A.D. 70. This interpretation is central to the framework of the doctrine:

The fall of Judaism (and its far reaching consequences) is, therefore, a major subject of the Bible. The greater portion of prophecy found its fulfillment in that event, including also the types and shadows of the law. It was the coming of Christ in glory that closely followed his coming in suffering (1 Peter 1:11), when all things written by the prophets were fulfilled (Luke 21:22; Acts 3:21). It corresponded to the perfection of the saints (1 Cor. 13:10) when they reached adulthood in Christ, receiving their adoption, redemption, and inheritance. The eternal kingdom was possessed (Heb. 12:28) and the new heaven and earth inherited (Matt. 5:5; Rev. 21:1, 7).[3]

King further explained,

“There is no scriptural basis for extending the second coming of Christ beyond the fall of Judaism” (105). “...the end of the Jewish world was the second coming of Christ” (81, emp. King). “Prophecy found its complete fulfillment in the second coming of Christ, and now may be regarded as closed and consummated” (65).[4]

Although Jesus Christ will certainly return from heaven, He will not personally return to the earth (1 Thess. 4:17; 2 Pet. 3:10-12). It is true that Jesus was present in the A.D. 70 judgment against Jerusalem, but the visible return of Jesus has not yet occurred (Matt. 24:23-34; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Thess. 4:16; 2 Thess. 1:7-9; 2 Cor. 5:10).

1 Corinthians 15: A Future, Bodily Resurrection

The A.D. 70 doctrine denies a future, bodily resurrection of all humanity. It reaches this false conclusion by reinterpreting the bodily resurrection taught in 1 Corinthians 15. There, the bodily resurrection of Jesus is held out as the “firstfruits” of all who have died (1 Cor. 15:20-22). “At His coming” there will be a bodily resurrection of all who have died since Adam (1 Cor. 15:23, 35, 42-44, 50-55; John 5:28-29).

By redefining terms, the A.D. 70 doctrine interprets 1 Corinthians 15 as depicting the raising of the body of Christianity out of the seedbed of dying Judaism:

Thus, out of the decay of Judaism arose the spiritual body of Christianity that became fully developed or resurrected by the end-time. Hence, this is the primary meaning of Paul’s statement, “It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body and there is a spiritual body.”[5]

The A.D. 70 advocates are not the first to say the resurrection has already happened:

But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some (2 Tim. 2:16–18).

Like Hymenaeus and Philetus, the advocates the A.D. 70 doctrine overthrow people's faith and must be refused (cf. Rom. 16:17).

2 Peter 3: The Future Judgment Day

The A.D. 70 doctrine insists the promised day of the Lord mentioned in 2 Peter 3 refers to God’s judgment upon Jews in the first century and the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, not to the judgment day for all people at the end of time.

First of all we note that Peter is talking to an audience that includes Jew and Gentile (1 Pet. 4:3). He is not talking to a Jewish audience that is going to be judged by God in Jerusalem in A.D. 70. He is talking to “any” and “all” who should come to repentance (2 Pet. 3:9). Second, Peter says that the day of the Lord will come “as a thief” (2 Pet. 3:10). We will not know when the Lord comes at the end of time. However, when Jesus talked about the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, He told His disciples that they would in fact know in advance when it was coming (Matt. 24:4-34; see especially vv. 32-33). Third, the heavens and the earth that came out of the flood in the days of Noah are now reserved for fire, not for a Roman army in A.D. 70 (2 Pet. 3:6-7, 10, 12). Peter is not talking about the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. He is talking about the destruction of this present world.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18: The Visible Return of Jesus

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 is a snapshot of the events in which Christians will participate when Jesus Christ returns. Jesus will return visibly (“the Lord Himself,” v. 16; Acts 1:11) and audibly (“a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trump of God”). Dead Christians will be raised and living Christians will be “caught up” to meet them “in the air.” In this manner (“and thus”) “we shall always be with the Lord” (v. 17). Jesus came in judgment against Jerusalem in A.D. 70, but He did not come visibly and audibly. That is yet to come.

Jesus will return, but not to the earth. The A.D. 70 doctrine says Jesus has already returned. This error is forever silenced by this angelic message: “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11).

Endnotes

1 Timothy R. King, The Transmillennial® View, Jan 15, 2002.

2 Max R. King, The Spirit of Prophecy, 81, emp. King.

3 Ibid., 239, emp. King.

4 Ibid., 105, 81, 65, emp. King.

5 Ibid., 199-200.