Brent Pollard
In a previous article, I argued that the church is Christ’s kingdom, established at Pentecost, ruled by the risen King, and not deferred until a future earthly millennium.
This understanding also shapes how I approach prophecy. I favor a partial-preterist reading: many passages often understood as referring to our future describe events that have already been fulfilled, particularly judgments involving first-century Jerusalem and the enemies who opposed the early church. “Preterist” refers to past fulfillment. “Partial” distinguishes these fulfilled judgments from Christ’s still-future return, bodily resurrection, final judgment, and everlasting consummation.
Matthew 24 and the Destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70
Matthew 24 must first be understood in its original context. Jesus had announced the temple’s destruction, prompting His disciples to ask about it (Matthew 24.1–3). His warning told people in Judea to flee and addressed concerns about rooftops, fields, pregnancy, winter, and travel on the Sabbath (verses 15–20). He also said that “all these things” would be fulfilled within “this generation” (verse 34). These details should guide our interpretation before we connect the passage to modern headlines.
Luke’s parallel makes the historical setting especially clear: Jerusalem’s encirclement by armies would signal its impending desolation (Luke 21.20–24). I understand these warnings to refer to the catastrophe that culminated in Jerusalem’s destruction in AD 70. That destruction vindicated Jesus’ prophetic warning; it did not establish a kingdom that had not existed before. His kingdom already existed.
Understanding “Coming” Language in Bible Prophecy
Prophetic language should also be understood against its Old Testament background. Isaiah describes God’s judgment on Egypt as the Lord riding on a cloud (Isaiah 19.1), a phrase that can refer to God intervening in history without implying a visible bodily descent. Likewise, Daniel 7.13–14 depicts the Son of Man approaching the Ancient of Days to receive dominion and moving toward the heavenly throne. These passages caution against treating every reference to divine “coming” as the same description of the final return.
Revelation’s Message to Its First-Century Readers
Revelation also spoke to real congregations facing real pressures. Its opening and closing affirm that the events it reveals were near (Revelation 1.1–3; 22.6, 10)—a point that mattered to its first readers. Its images must be understood in the context of their world before being applied to ours. Christians may differ over particular symbols, the book’s date, and how much it concerns Jerusalem or Rome, yet still recognize that its message spoke directly to the churches that first received it.
Partial Preterism vs. Full Preterism: What Is Still Future
Partial preterism doesn’t mean every promise has already been fulfilled, nor is it another term for amillennialism. The former concerns how prophecy is fulfilled; the latter concerns the interpretation of the millennium. The two can be compatible, but each conclusion must be established from the relevant passages.
For that reason, the claim that “everything is fulfilled except the second coming” needs qualification. Christ’s return involves events that are still genuinely future: the dead will be raised, everyone will face judgment, and death itself will be abolished (John 5.28–29; Acts 17.31; 1 Corinthians 15.26, 51–54). These promises cannot be reduced to the fall of a city or a change in covenantal circumstances.
Full preterism crosses that boundary by placing the final coming and resurrection in the past—a conclusion I reject. Paul condemned the claim that the resurrection had already taken place (2 Timothy 2.17–18). Our hope includes the redemption of our bodies (Romans 8.23), and Jesus promised to return (Acts 1.9–11). The Christian’s future holds more than the indefinite continuation of present suffering.
Already and Not Yet: Christ’s Kingdom and His Return
The kingdom’s present reality and future fulfillment therefore belong together. Christ already holds all authority (Matthew 28.18), yet we still await the defeat of every enemy. His church already enjoys forgiveness, reconciliation, and citizenship under His rule, yet we still await resurrection life beyond the reach of death.
Paul’s sequence in 1 Corinthians 15.23–28 is decisive for my understanding: Christ’s people are raised at His coming, and then the end comes, when He delivers the kingdom to the Father. His reign continues until every enemy is subdued. The passage points to the completion of His royal work. He returns with a kingdom to deliver, and death is the last enemy to be destroyed.
Living as Citizens of Christ’s Kingdom Today
This conviction gives the church both dignity and responsibility: we already belong to the King. Our worship, obedience, holiness, love, and proclamation of the gospel express an allegiance we already owe. Jesus said His kingdom draws neither its authority nor its methods from this world (John 18.36). Its spiritual character does not make its demands on our lives any less real.
The church is God’s redeemed assembly, the people of His Son’s kingdom. It was part of His eternal purpose, established under the risen Christ, and entrusted with proclaiming His victory. We await the King’s return even as we confess His authority.
The throne is occupied. The kingdom is here, and the King will come again.
