Preterite Versus Futurist

In Latin grammar, a perfect tense refers to an action completed in the past (preterite in Latin), like the English’s simple past: I ate my sandwich yesterday. Some scholars use preterite for the events described in Mark 13 – things that Jesus said would take place before the temple’s destruction, placing them between A.D. 33 (when he spoke) and A.D. 70 (when the Romans destroyed the temple and Jerusalem). In contrast, the futurists argue that the events Jesus predicted in Mark 13 haven’t happened yet and will happen sometime in the future with great changes to the universe. These philosophies differ significantly.

I’ll illustrate this with Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous speech; I Have a Dream.

“I have a dream that one day, on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day, even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

Some Americans say MLK Jr.’s dream has come true, as evident in sports, education, the economy, and politics, where whites and blacks participate equally. The dream has come true. This would be the preterites’ view. Others point to racial tensions, salary inequality, poverty, poor housing, gang violence, and social injustices against blacks. They say, “The dream hasn’t become a reality; we hope it will be one day.” This is the futurists’ perspective.

This is true of Mark chapter 13. Some see that these events described in this chapter have fulfilled between A.D. 30–70, while others see these yet to happen.

The temple in Jerusalem was a magnificent building built on a mountaintop with large stones. One stone, called the Western Stone, is approximately 15 meters (52 feet) long, 5 meters (16 feet) tall, and weighs around 560 tons!

As Jesus and the disciples left the temple and climbed the Mount of Olives, which is opposite the temple, one of the disciples said to Jesus,

“Teacher, see how great the rocks are and how great the building is.” (Mark 13:1)

Jesus replied to him,

“You see this great (mega) building. Not even one stone will be left on top of another; everything will be destroyed.” (13:2)

That must have shocked that disciple. The Hebrews took nearly 500 years to build that mega temple complex, almost 26 football fields or 36 soccer fields large. Who would be powerful enough to destroy that so utterly that not even a stone would be left unturned?

Fast forward 40 years . . . the Romans did what Jesus predicted, and the temple was burned and destroyed. Fast forward 2000 years, all that’s remaining of that temple complex is the foundation wall with the Western Stone, and everything above it is gone. A simple mosque, built in A.D. 705, stands on the ground where the temple once stood majestically!

Whatever Jesus predicted and recorded in Mark 13 had happened once (preterite) and might happen again (futuristic), provided another temple is rebuilt! The Hebrews wish to build it, but the Muslims will not allow their mosque to be destroyed for a Hebrew temple to be built.