Preterist view

Strengths:

• Fully accepts the natural reading and understanding of eschatological timeframes and NT time and imminency statements, including those bracketing the entire prophecy of Revelation.
• Supports the 1st-century Holy-Spirit-guided expectations as the correct ones.
• Balances literal and figurative language for nature of fulfillment.
• Uses biblical precedent to explain the nature of fulfillment.
• Harmonizes time convergence of OT time prophecies with NT time statements and Holy-Spirit-led expectations.
• Recognizes that eschatology is connected to Israel and pertains to the end of the Jewish age.
• Affirms that God has always had only one, continuous, by-faith people.
• Posits a positive worldview, long-term outlook.
• Acknowledges that God’s material creation is without end.
• Answers the liberal/skeptic attack on the Bible and on Christ, effectively.

Weaknesses:            

• Positing A.D. 70 as the time of Christ’s “Second Coming” and “Return.”
• A finality paradigm which limits the comings of Jesus to only two.
• Thus, A.D. 70 was Christ’s final coming.
• Overly spiritualizes Christ’s return, resurrection, and his kingdom.
• Enormous exegetical and historical burden for documenting fulfillment.
• Lack of attention in writings to the nature of post-A.D.-70 reality and implications for Christian living.
• Gross cessationism abounds—some preterists advocate the annihilation of Satan, his kingdom, and demons. Many advocate the cessation of the operation of angels, ministries of the Holy Spirit, and the miraculous gifts in A.D. 70.