Heaven and Earth Will Pass Away: A Hermeneutical Critique of Full Preterist Hyperbole and the Continuing Prophetic Pattern

 by Rev. William M. Brennan, TH.D.

Abstract

Full preterism interprets Christ’s declaration, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away” (Matt 24:35; Mark 13:31; Luke 21:33), as hyperbolic covenantal imagery referring to the dissolution of the Mosaic order in A.D. 70. This essay contends that such a reading, though partially valid within a limited first-century horizon, fails to account for the canonical, typological, and theological depth of the phrase. By applying the analogy of Scripture and recognizing the progressive, recapitulative nature of prophetic fulfillment, a more comprehensive hermeneutic emerges—one that integrates preterist, historicist, idealist, and futurist insights within a covenantal-typological framework. The result is a reading that honors historical fulfillment while affirming the ongoing and future unfolding of divine action in history.

I. Introduction: The Full Preterist Claim

Full preterism asserts that all biblical prophecy—including the parousia, resurrection, and judgment—was fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. Within this system, “heaven and earth” functions as a stock metaphor for the old covenant world: the temple-centered cosmos of Israel now passing away. The preterist thus regards Christ’s words not as predicting the literal dissolution of creation, but as proclaiming the covenantal transition from law to grace, from shadow to substance. While preterism rightly emphasizes the imminence and historical specificity of Jesus’ prophetic warnings, its hyperbolic interpretation of “heaven and earth” creates theological and textual tensions. The assertion that all prophecy was fulfilled leaves no room for the continued eschatological expansion that Scripture itself anticipates. Moreover, the biblical pattern of fulfillment demonstrates that realized prophecies often serve as types of greater realities, not as final endpoints.

II. The Textual Context: The Contrast of Matthew 24:35

Christ’s statement—“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away”—appears at the climax of the Olivet Discourse. Here, Jesus contrasts the mutable created order with the immutable authority of His word. The contrast only carries its full rhetorical and theological weight if “heaven and earth” denotes the visible creation, not merely a covenantal system. Isaiah 40:8 provides the background: “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” Jesus reaffirms that the physical cosmos itself is less enduring than His promises. To reduce “heaven and earth” to the temple order of Judaism flattens this cosmic contrast and confines a universal declaration to a local referent. The grandeur of the statement demands a broader scope—one encompassing all creation.

III. The Broader Canonical Witness

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus declares: “Until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished” (Matt 5:18). If “heaven and earth” passed in A.D. 70, one must conclude that the entire moral and creational purpose of the Law was fulfilled at that time—a conclusion neither the apostles nor history supports. Instead, “heaven and earth” here functions as the stage of redemptive history, the enduring creation within which God’s law operates until its telos is realized in the renewal of all things. Thus, both in Matthew 5:18 and 24:35, the phrase conveys cosmic stability and ultimate transformation, not merely covenantal transition.

IV. The Apostolic Interpretation: Future Cosmic Renewal

The wider New Testament bears witness to a future transformation of creation:
- Hebrews 1:10–12, quoting Psalm 102, affirms that creation “will wear out like a garment,” but Christ remains. This is didactic prose, not apocalyptic metaphor.
- Hebrews 12:26–28 contrasts Sinai’s shaking with a yet-future shaking of “heaven and earth,” in which “the things that have been made” will be removed so that “the unshakable kingdom” may remain.
- 2 Peter 3:10–13 describes the dissolution of “the heavens” and “the elements” by fire, followed by the appearance of “new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” These passages interpret the prophetic idiom of cosmic change not merely as covenantal hyperbole but as eschatological reality. The consistent apostolic expectation is not of a static eternal order but of creation’s purification and renewal under the reign of Christ.

V. The Analogy of Scripture and Typological Recapitulation

The Reformation maxim *Scriptura sui interpres*—“Scripture is its own interpreter”—requires that prophecy be read in the light of the whole canon. The biblical writers themselves practice this principle, re-employing earlier fulfillments typologically to unveil deeper realities in Christ and His kingdom. Matthew’s Gospel provides the clearest model: Hosea 11:1 → Matthew 2:15; Isaiah 7:14 → Matthew 1:23; Jeremiah 31:15 → Matthew 2:17–18; Micah 5:2 → Matthew 2:6. Each text possessed a historical referent yet anticipated a fuller realization. The Spirit thus transforms the earlier oracles into living paradigms, moving from Israel’s partial experiences toward Christ’s universal redemption. Fulfillment is historical but not terminal—it expands by analogy.

Isaiah’s oracles exemplify this pattern. Two great visions—Isaiah 2:2–4 and 65:17–25—show that prophecy’s first realization in Israel’s restoration was real yet incomplete, prefiguring an ongoing cosmic renewal. In Isaiah 2:2–4, the nations beat their swords into plowshares, signaling not merely an end to ancient warfare but the redirection of destructive power into constructive service. Under the sanctifying influence of the Holy Spirit, humanity’s technological capacities—once used for destruction—may be redeemed for good. Even nuclear energy, once weaponized for mass annihilation, could in time become a source of beneficial power for human flourishing. Isaiah’s prophecy thus speaks to the transformation of technology itself under divine peace.

In Isaiah 65:17–25, the prophet entwines apocalyptic imagery with social blessing—longevity, health, and the taming of nature itself. The reconciliation of predator and prey ('wolf and lamb,' 'lion and ox') symbolizes the reversal of the curse. The parallel in Isaiah 11:6–9 portrays a moral and ecological reconciliation in which creation’s wildness is domesticated under divine order. The statement that 'the child shall die a hundred years old' gestures beyond ancient hyperbole toward the progressive diminishment of the curse described in Romans 8:19–23. As Christian morality advances and the Spirit renews society, we may expect the curse’s physical effects—disease, decay, and premature death—to recede. With the gospel’s spread, greed and exploitation will yield to compassion and stewardship; scientific knowledge will no longer be hoarded for profit or used to preserve sickness for gain. Freed from corruption, humanity will employ discovery for the common good. In such an era, it is reasonable to foresee greatly extended human lifespans—approximating those of the patriarchs—as the blessings of creation are restored.

Isaiah’s prophecies thus demonstrate that fulfillment in Scripture is real yet unexhausted. The return from exile and the establishment of the church were authentic acts of God, but the ideals they embodied—peace among nations, reconciliation of creation, and the extension of life—continue to unfold in history. Each historical act becomes a type, a pledge of God’s ongoing redemptive purpose. While preterists are correct that these texts possessed concrete historical reference, which should never be ignored, the canonical witness reveals their trajectory toward a comprehensive renewal of the world. This hermeneutic affirms both historical completion and typological continuation: what God once did for Israel He continues to do for the world until creation itself is liberated from corruption. Thus, prophetic hyperbole is not merely exaggeration, whose meaning is exhausted by its historical referent, but sanctified anticipation, by means of typological analogy, of what divine grace will achieve through the ever-expanding reign of the Prince of Peace.

VI. The Theological Cost of Prophetic Exhaustion

If no prophecies remain, providence becomes static: God’s public, covenantal dealings recede into the past. Yet the kingdom is organic (Mark 4:26–29), Christ must reign until all enemies are subdued (1 Corinthians 15:24–28), and the knowledge of the LORD is destined to fill the earth (Isaiah 11:9; Habakkuk 2:14). The canon’s momentum points forward.

VII. Fulfillment and Continuation: A Balanced Proposal

With the full preterists, we heartily affirm that  the events surrounding A.D. 70 consummated the Old-Covenant age and validated Jesus’ near-term prophecies. But unlike the full preterist, we also we affirm, based on the Bible’s own hermeneutic, that those fulfillments establish patterns, not terminal points—anticipating ongoing increase in quality, reach, and peace until universal homage and creation’s healing are fully  manifested.

The Implication of this nuanced approach to fulfilled prophecy  is that the kingdom’s increase is qualitatively unending and presses toward universal reconciliation (which full preterists typically deny), and that key promises remain not yet fully realized, contradicting the claim that no prophecies remain.

Conclusion

Full preterism rightly honors first-century fulfillment and the continuing reign of Christ. But its three additional claims—that prophecy is exhausted,  that 'increase' is merely numerical, and that the earthly terrestrial realm is eternal, —are at odds with Scripture’s own self-interpretation and textual horizons. Isaiah’s promise of endless increase is best read as ever-expanding, creation-embracing shalom; Matthew’s Christological reuses of past prophecies, prove that past fulfillments seed further fulfillments. Consequently, the biblical pattern and the very verses surveyed resist a closed, A.D. 70-only eschaton: the kingdom’s increase has no end—neither in duration nor in scope. But one day, perhaps in just a little over a thousand years from now, this terrestrial cosmos will collapse into the celestial realm and God will be all-in-all.