A.D. 70 – Realized Eschatology

A.D. 70 Doctrine Exposed — 60 Claims Refuted by Scripture

A.D. 70 Doctrine Exposed

60 False Claims of Full Preterism Refuted by Scripture
Doctrinal Study by Preacher Ed
Full preterism (the A.D. 70 doctrine) argues that every prophecy — including Christ’s second coming, the resurrection, the judgment, and the new creation — was completely fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70.

This study presents **60 major claims** advanced by realized eschatology and systematically refutes them with clear, contextual, conservative biblical teaching.

**Parts 1–3** flow together as one unified doctrinal work.
PART 1 — Claims 1–20
Claim 1: All prophecy was fulfilled in A.D. 70.
Paul directs Christians to look toward Christ’s appearing, not behind them to a first-century military disaster (2 Timothy 4:8). Christ promised to return “in like manner” as He ascended (Acts 1:11). Every major resurrection text places the event in the future (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17).
Scripture consistently points the church forward, not back to A.D. 70.
The church’s hope rests on Christ’s future coming and the resurrection, not on Rome’s siege.
Claim 2: The resurrection occurred in A.D. 70.
Paul rejected the idea that “the resurrection is past already,” calling it destructive to faith (2 Timothy 2:17–18). Jesus describes a bodily resurrection in which all in the graves will hear His voice (John 5:28–29).
A spiritualized resurrection overturns apostolic teaching.
The resurrection is future, bodily, and universal — nothing like the events of A.D. 70.
Claim 3: Jesus returned invisibly in A.D. 70.
Scripture describes the Lord’s return as visible and unmistakable: “every eye will see Him” (Revelation 1:7). The Olivet discourse distinguishes clearly between Jerusalem’s fall and Christ’s global return.
An invisible coming does not fit the plain language of Scripture.
Christ’s return is a public, worldwide event — not a hidden interpretation forced onto A.D. 70.
Claim 4: The dead were raised spiritually in A.D. 70.
Paul explains resurrection as the transformation of the mortal body into an immortal one (1 Corinthians 15:42–44). Romans says God will give life to our mortal bodies (Romans 8:11, 23).
The biblical picture of resurrection is bodily, not symbolic.
No spiritualized reading of A.D. 70 can match what Scripture teaches about resurrection.
Claim 5: We are now in the New Heavens and New Earth.
Peter describes the destruction of the present universe and the arrival of a world without pain, sin, or death (2 Peter 3:10–13; Revelation 21:1–4).
The world as it stands does not match Peter’s description.
The new creation follows the resurrection and final judgment — still future.
Claim 6: Death was abolished in A.D. 70.
“The last enemy that will be destroyed is death” (1 Corinthians 15:26). Yet people continue to die, proving the claim false.
Death’s reign continues; Scripture says it ends at the resurrection.
The abolishment of death comes only through Christ’s return and resurrection glory.
Claim 7: The kingdom reached its final form in A.D. 70.
Paul ties the kingdom’s consummation to Christ’s appearing and the resurrection (2 Timothy 4:1; 1 Corinthians 15:24).
The kingdom is present, but its completion lies ahead.
Full glory arrives only when Christ returns and the dead are raised.
Claim 8: Judgment Day happened in A.D. 70.
Jesus describes a future resurrection of all humanity followed by judgment (John 5:28–29). Paul says God “will judge the world” through Christ (Acts 17:31).
A local judgment in Jerusalem cannot be equated with the universal judgment of Scripture.
The final day is still ahead — a day for all nations.
Claim 9: All enemies were put under Christ in A.D. 70.
Since the last enemy is death and death remains, the subjection of all enemies has not occurred (1 Corinthians 15:25–26).
The timeline collapses under the ongoing reality of death.
Death will be destroyed at Christ’s coming, not before.
Claim 10: The Great Commission ended in A.D. 70.
Jesus tied the Commission to “the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). The gospel’s reach is worldwide, not limited to one generation.
Evangelism continues until Christ returns.
The Commission is still binding; its completion lies in the future.
Claim 11: There is no future bodily resurrection.
Scripture promises the transformation of our physical bodies (Philippians 3:20–21) and speaks of a resurrection still to come (1 Corinthians 15).
Denying bodily resurrection erases a cornerstone of Christian hope.
The resurrection awaits Christ’s glorious appearing.
Claim 12: Revelation was completely fulfilled in A.D. 70.
Revelation ends with resurrection, final judgment, and the new creation, none of which occurred in 70.
Major events in Revelation remain future.
A.D. 70 cannot bear the weight of Revelation’s global visions.
Claim 13: Matthew 24 is only about A.D. 70.
Jesus shifts from near events to “that day and hour” which no one knows (Matthew 24:36).
The chapter contains two horizons — one near, one final.
The fall of Jerusalem and the return of Christ are distinct.
Claim 14: The Christian hope was fulfilled in A.D. 70.
Our hope is Christ’s appearing and shared glory with Him (Titus 2:13; Colossians 3:4).
Jerusalem’s fall cannot fulfill promises tied directly to Christ’s return.
Hope remains future — anchored in resurrection and eternal life.
Claim 15: Daniel 12 was fulfilled in A.D. 70.
Daniel describes multitudes rising from their graves to everlasting destiny (Daniel 12:2).
No such event occurred in the first century.
Daniel’s vision awaits the final resurrection.
Claim 16: The church is already perfected.
Perfection comes “when He appears” (1 John 3:2). Growth and sanctification remain ongoing.
The church is being perfected — the process isn’t finished.
Full perfection arrives at Christ’s return, not before.
Claim 17: Satan was destroyed in A.D. 70.
Peter warns believers after A.D. 70 that Satan still “walks about” (1 Peter 5:8). Paul says Satan’s crushing is still future (Romans 16:20).
Satan’s defeat is certain — but not yet completed.
Scripture places Satan’s destruction at the end, not in 70.
Claim 18: All promises to Israel were completed in A.D. 70.
Jesus tells the disciples that the timing of Israel’s restoration belongs to the Father alone (Acts 1:6–7).
Scripture does not tie all promises to a single historical event.
God’s purposes extend far beyond A.D. 70.
Claim 19: The gospel age will never end.
Paul says “then comes the end” after the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:23–24).
Scripture teaches an end to this age.
The gospel age concludes with Christ’s return and final judgment.
Claim 20: Christians received their eternal inheritance in A.D. 70.
Our inheritance is “reserved in heaven…to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:4–5). Christ appears “a second time…for salvation” (Hebrews 9:28).
The inheritance is secured, but not yet delivered.
We receive the inheritance at Christ’s return, not in a past historical crisis.
PART 2 — Claims 21–40
Claim 21: All “coming” language in Scripture is symbolic.
The Bible uses imagery at times, but it also speaks plainly of a literal return. Angels said Jesus would come “in the same way” He ascended (Acts 1:11). Symbolic language never cancels clear statements.
Both symbolism and literal promise stand together in Scripture.
Reducing every “coming” to symbolism erases the heart of Christian expectation.
Claim 22: Hebrews 11 reached fulfillment in A.D. 70.
The faithful of all ages await perfection together (Hebrews 11:40). That perfection is tied to resurrection glory, not a first-century war.
Hebrews points far beyond 70.
The chapter anticipates resurrection, not Rome’s assault on Jerusalem.
Claim 23: John 14:1–3 was fulfilled in A.D. 70.
Jesus promises to receive His disciples to Himself in the Father’s house. No event in 70 matches that gathering.
This promise concerns the Lord’s return, not a historical catastrophe.
John 14 cannot be crammed into the destruction of Jerusalem.
Claim 24: “The time is short” in 1 Corinthians 7 proves prophecy was nearly finished.
Paul often speaks with urgency to sharpen Christian focus. Yet he also points ahead to a still-future resurrection and appearing of Christ (Philippians 3:20–21).
Urgency is not a prophetic timestamp.
Ethical urgency never meant prophecy was complete.
Claim 25: 1 Thessalonians 5 was fulfilled in A.D. 70.
The chapter describes a global “day of the Lord,” surprising all nations, bringing destruction to the ungodly and salvation to the faithful (1 Thessalonians 5:1–10).
Nothing about 70 matches Paul’s worldwide scope.
The Spirit’s warning reaches further than Jerusalem.
Claim 26: 2 Thessalonians 1 speaks of Roman judgment in A.D. 70.
Paul describes Christ revealed from heaven with mighty angels in flaming fire (2 Thessalonians 1:7–10). No such appearance occurred in 70.
Paul is not describing Titus; he is describing Christ.
The passage looks to the final revelation of Jesus, not Rome’s military campaign.
Claim 27: “The end of all things” (1 Peter 4:7) referred to A.D. 70.
Peter elsewhere ties “the end” to Christ’s appearing, final judgment, and crowning glory (1 Peter 1:5–7; 5:4).
Peter’s context shows he is speaking eschatologically, not nationally.
“The end” concludes with Christ’s glory, not Rome’s victory.
Claim 28: “Every eye shall see Him” was symbolic, so A.D. 70 fits.
Revelation 1:7 describes global recognition and universal mourning, echoing Zechariah 12. Symbolism does not shrink the scope.
Symbolic text still speaks of a worldwide event.
A.D. 70 cannot be expanded to match Revelation’s global language.
Claim 29: Gog and Magog were fulfilled in A.D. 70.
Revelation 20 places Gog and Magog after the millennium and after the resurrection, long beyond the first century.
The biblical order makes a 70 fulfillment impossible.
Gog and Magog belong to the final conflict, not Titus’ siege.
Claim 30: John 5:28–29 was spiritually fulfilled in A.D. 70.
Jesus speaks of literal tombs opening and all the dead hearing His voice. Nothing in the text allows for allegory.
Spiritualizing the passage contradicts Jesus’ plain teaching.
John 5 awaits a future bodily resurrection.
Claim 31: The marriage supper of the Lamb took place in A.D. 70.
Revelation 19 places the supper before Christ’s future return and reign. The sequence does not fit first-century events.
The supper belongs to Christ’s triumph, not Jerusalem’s fall.
No biblical timeline places the marriage supper in 70.
Claim 32: Miracles ceased because Jesus returned in A.D. 70.
Miracles ceased because their revelatory purpose closed (1 Corinthians 13:8–10), not because Jesus returned.
Cessation rests on revelation’s completion, not a date in history.
A.D. 70 has nothing to do with the end of miracles.
Claim 33: The “times of the Gentiles” ended in A.D. 70.
Jesus teaches that Jerusalem will be trampled “until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled” (Luke 21:24). History shows that trampling continued long after 70.
The verse outlives preterist boundaries.
The Gentile period is not tied to the fall of the temple alone.
Claim 34: A.D. 70 changed the church’s mission.
Paul charges Timothy to preach “until His appearing” (2 Timothy 4:1–2, 8). This extends beyond the first century.
The mission stands unchanged.
Christ’s return marks the finish line, not Jerusalem’s fall.
Claim 35: Victory over death in 1 Corinthians 15 occurred in A.D. 70.
Paul ties victory to the destruction of death itself — and death remains. If death persists, victory has not arrived.
Death’s continued reign disproves the claim.
Victory comes at the resurrection, not before.
Claim 36: The “rest” of Hebrews 4 was fulfilled in A.D. 70.
Hebrews ties rest to entering God’s eternal presence (Hebrews 4:9–11). This exceeds historical events entirely.
The promised rest remains future.
A.D. 70 does not meet Hebrews’ definition of rest.
Claim 37: Nero was the Antichrist.
John says many antichrists had already arisen (1 John 2:18). He never identifies Nero as the final one.
The category is broader than one Roman emperor.
Antichrist is defined by doctrine, not political office.
Claim 38: Creation’s groaning (Romans 8:22) ended in A.D. 70.
Paul ties creation’s deliverance to the resurrection of the body (Romans 8:18–23). This deliverance has not yet occurred.
Creation still groans under corruption.
Romans 8 looks forward — not backward to 70.
Claim 39: Spiritual death was the only death destroyed in A.D. 70.
Paul names the last enemy as literal death (1 Corinthians 15:26). Spiritualizing the text undoes his point.
Death remains — therefore the last enemy remains.
The destruction of death awaits the resurrection.
Claim 40: Full salvation was realized in A.D. 70.
Salvation is revealed “in the last time” when Christ appears again (1 Peter 1:5; Hebrews 9:28).
Salvation has present, ongoing, and future dimensions — not confined to 70.
Full salvation is delivered at Christ’s return, not by Rome’s assault on Jerusalem.
PART 3 — Claims 41–60
Claim 41: A.D. 70 fulfilled the promise of Christ’s “appearing” (2 Timothy 4:8).
Paul writes of a visible appearing that brings a crown of righteousness. Nothing like this took place in 70, and Paul never ties that promise to Jerusalem’s fall.
Christ’s appearing is personal, visible, and future.
The A.D. 70 interpretation empties Paul’s promise of its substance and hope.
Claim 42: Since Jesus said “this generation,” everything must have happened in the first century.
“This generation” in Matthew 24 applies to the signs concerning Jerusalem’s destruction, but Jesus shifts focus in verse 36 to His final coming, which has no indicators or timeline.
The discourse contains two different horizons.
A single-fulfillment reading forces Scripture into contradictions Jesus never made.
Claim 43: A.D. 70 fulfilled the hope of Romans 13:11–12.
Paul speaks of final salvation drawing near — the same future hope he describes in Romans 8:23. He anticipates resurrection, not Roman warfare.
Salvation’s “nearness” describes urgency, not a first-century timetable.
Romans 13 points toward the final day, not Jerusalem’s destruction.
Claim 44: The “redemption” of Luke 21:28 was fulfilled completely in A.D. 70.
Redemption in Luke refers to the fullness of salvation, which Jesus ties to His return. Nothing in 70 resembles the global redemption of God’s people.
Whatever relief believers found then was temporary, not ultimate.
Full redemption awaits resurrection and glory, not a Roman siege.
Claim 45: A.D. 70 fulfilled all end-time judgment imagery.
Prophets use immediate judgments to foreshadow the final one, but they never claim those shadows exhaust the ultimate event.
Typology points ahead, not backward.
End-time judgment remains future — prefigured, not fulfilled, in earlier crises.
Claim 46: “The last day” in John refers to A.D. 70.
Jesus uses the phrase repeatedly in John 6 to describe the resurrection of believers. That event never occurred in 70.
“The last day” means the resurrection day — period.
No honest reading ties John’s “last day” to Jerusalem’s fall.
Claim 47: Since the temple was destroyed, God’s promises were fulfilled.
The Old Covenant ended with Christ’s sacrifice, not the temple’s destruction. Many promises extend beyond the Old Covenant era entirely.
The cross, not A.D. 70, is the true turning point.
The temple’s fall proved judgment, not the completion of every divine promise.
Claim 48: Since Revelation uses symbols, it must describe A.D. 70.
Symbolism does not confine a prophecy to one moment in history. Revelation’s symbols point to realities of universal scope.
Symbolic language does not equal first-century fulfillment.
Revelation’s events transcend the boundaries of 70 entirely.
Claim 49: “Shortly come to pass” (Revelation 1:1) demands a 70 fulfillment.
Prophetic “nearness” expresses certainty and impending reality, not a rigid deadline. The prophets speak the same way about events separated by centuries.
Near language speaks of God’s readiness, not man’s stopwatch.
Revelation’s time statements resemble prophetic idiom, not a countdown clock to A.D. 70.
Claim 50: The church inherited all promises already.
Peter says our inheritance is “reserved in heaven” and “revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:4–5).
The promises are secured but not yet delivered.
The fullness of God’s promises arrives with Christ’s return and resurrection.
Claim 51: “All things were made new” in A.D. 70.
Revelation 21 describes the removal of death, tears, pain, and sorrow. This world bears none of those marks.
We do not yet live in the world John described.
The new creation follows final judgment, not Jerusalem’s fall.
Claim 52: Christ’s enemies were fully subdued in A.D. 70.
Paul names death as the last enemy, and death remains undefeated.
The battle is won, but not yet finished.
Full subjection of all enemies awaits Christ’s appearing.
Claim 53: A.D. 70 marked the final separation of sheep and goats.
Jesus ties that judgment to His coming in glory with all the angels (Matthew 25:31–32). That has not happened.
The judgment scene in Matthew 25 towers above any earthly crisis.
The separation of all humanity remains future.
Claim 54: The “harvest” happened in A.D. 70.
Jesus defines the harvest as “the end of the age” when angels gather all nations (Matthew 13:39–41).
The harvest includes all mankind, not one nation.
The harvest is the final judgment, not a limited historical catastrophe.
Claim 55: A.D. 70 fulfilled 2 Peter 3.
Peter describes the destruction of the heavens and earth with fervent heat. That has never occurred.
This is unmistakably cosmic, not local.
No honest reading of 2 Peter 3 fits the events of the first century.
Claim 56: A.D. 70 fulfilled the resurrection of “the just and the unjust.”
Paul affirms a “resurrection of both the just and the unjust” (Acts 24:15). No such universal event occurred then or anytime since.
The resurrection is a singular event affecting all mankind.
Nothing about A.D. 70 resembles the resurrection Paul preached.
Claim 57: A.D. 70 fulfilled all spiritual gifts and ministries.
Gifts ended when revelation was completed (1 Corinthians 13:8–10), not because Jesus returned.
Revelation’s completion, not Jerusalem’s fall, ended miraculous gifts.
The doctrine confuses the purpose of gifts entirely.
Claim 58: “No more tears” (Revelation 21) applied spiritually after A.D. 70.
John ties that promise to the new creation after the final judgment. Tears, sorrow, death, and pain remain part of life.
The promise is literal and future.
Revelation 21 cannot be spiritualized without gutting its hope.
Claim 59: Christ’s kingdom was perfected in A.D. 70.
Paul ties the final stage of the kingdom to the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:24). Resurrection has not happened.
The kingdom is present, but not yet perfected.
The perfected kingdom emerges at Christ’s return, not Rome’s invasion.
Claim 60: A.D. 70 fulfilled the hope of every Christian.
The New Testament grounds hope in Christ’s appearing, resurrection, and eternal inheritance (Titus 2:13; 1 Peter 1:3–5).
Our hope rises or falls on the return of Christ, not a date on a calendar.
A.D. 70 was a judgment — not the blessed hope of the church.
These final twenty claims show again that full preterism cannot bear the weight of Scripture. Its framework collapses when placed beside the plain teaching of Christ and His apostles. The hope of the believer remains unchanged: Christ will return, the dead will be raised, judgment will come, and God will usher in new heavens and a new earth where righteousness dwells.
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