Whenever I talk with Hyper-Preterists, I always wonder how anyone can be so blind as to believe that it took 2,000 years to discover the A-B-C’s of eschatology.  Actually, I know the blindness is, in many cases, self-imposed.  But it is sometimes possible for even the most confirmed advocate of “past fulfillment“ to drop Hyper-Preterism and return to the truths of the Gospel.    

   Mind, it is not the long time advocates of which I despair so much as the “confirmed newbies.”  Someone who has been immersed in Hyper-Preterism for years and years will have seen that the system is riddled with fatal flaws.  The newbies are still on their initial buzz, and haven’t gotten over the elation of having won a few debates.  

   The seasoned advocates know there is a problem.  But in many cases, they’ve spent the best part of their lives endorsing error.  So if they should leave, then where will they go?  That is a big question which poses a bigger challenge.  How does one leave Hyper-Preterism without losing his shirt? 

   The answer is painfully simple.  You can’t go out naked.  You have to exchange one shirt for another.  Before you can leave Hyper-Preterism, you have to know where to go. If you don’t have another place prepared for you, then you won’t leave the one you’re in. 

   The difficulty is, that most Hyper-Preterists see their doctrine as an advancement over orthodox Christianity.  Having not sufficiently studied what the other side has to say, they believe their theology marks the end of the road.  I’ll agree that Hyper-Preterism is a terminus.   But it is not a destination.  It is a dead-end.  In order to get back to the main drag you have to retrace your way.  

   You have to remember where you first veered off on your journey.  If you can identify your first mistake, then you’ll know where to go back and take the other fork in the road.  

   Let me give you an example.  My first mistake was to accept the allegorical method of interpretation. Having once accepted this, it was no obstacle for me to agree with such views as the Hyper-Preterists advocate.  So, in leaving Hyper-Preterism, I naturally had to question my initial conclusions, and find a valid theological alternative.  Thankfully, I found one in the “historical, grammatical, and contextual” method of interpretation.  I also discovered that precious pearl of doctrine known as “Biblical Precedence.”  

   In order for confirmed Hyper-Preterists to leave their system, they have to have another option which is theologically viable.  Unless we can give them this, we’ll be talking to a brick wall.  Of course, presenting an alternative scenario will not always do the trick. 

   Having learned to look at texts in a certain way, the Hyper-Preterist will often ridicule your suggestions.  We must be patient.  A grave side-effect of the Hyper-Preterist heresy is destruction of evangelical faith.  In certain advanced cases, the disease may be so ingrained that the person seems beyond recovery.  But as nothing is impossible with God (Matt. 19: 26), we must continue to pray.

   Then there is the issue of credibility and prestige.  That is a major obstacle with many confirmed Hyper-Preterists.  After all, if they admit they’re wrong, then their credibility will be compromised.  Many cannot tolerate the humiliation that would come with an avowal that they were mistaken in their views. 

   But consider it this way.  If 2,000 years of orthodox Christian teachers are fallible, then how much more the Hyper-Preterist?  Are the clouds beginning to clear?  If the answer is no, then keep thinking about it.

   When all is said and done, the question will really be: is the Hyper-Preterist willing to exchange shirts?  Either he is, or he isn’t.  If he isn’t, then there probably a number of “very good reasons” (note: Hyper-Preterists always have good reasons!), and little we say will make an impact. 

   But if you can find that one or two individuals who are willing to don the other shirt, then you’ll see that Hyper-Preterism is not irrecoverable.  Just whatever you do, don’t forget to burn the old shirt!