Confusion about the end of the world has been with us for a long time. Prophecy charts, best-selling books, and even blockbuster movies have all claimed to reveal what the Bible teaches about the “last days.” Yet for all the noise, many believers are left uncertain. What exactly does Scripture say? How should we understand Christ’s promises about His kingdom and His return?
Endtimes Research Group was born out of those very questions. For years, like many others, we accepted the dispensational framework that dominates much of modern evangelical thinking. It seemed to offer neat answers and tidy timelines. The rapture would come first, then seven years of tribulation, followed by a literal thousand-year reign of Christ on earth. These ideas were laid out in charts and preached with great confidence. At the time, they appeared to make sense.
But as we studied Scripture more carefully, we began to see cracks in the system. Certain passages simply did not fit. The answers we had been given raised even more questions. This set us on a journey—one that would lead us from dispensationalism to a fuller and richer understanding of God’s Word through partial preterism.
Our desire in sharing this journey is not to stir up debate for its own sake. We are not here to attack brothers and sisters who hold to dispensational views. Instead, we want to offer hope, clarity, and a fresh look at the Scriptures. We believe the Bible tells a story far more encouraging than constant fear of world events. It tells of a kingdom already established, of promises already fulfilled, and of a victorious Christ reigning now.
Our Early Journey in Dispensationalism
Like many in the modern church, we were introduced to the Bible through the lens of dispensational teaching. Books like The Late Great Planet Earth and the Left Behind series made a deep impression. Pastors and teachers explained the prophetic timelines with certainty. To question the framework was almost unthinkable.
Dispensationalism was attractive for several reasons. First, it was clear. The charts and timelines laid everything out in a way that seemed orderly. Second, it was exciting. The idea that we might be the final generation, whisked away at any moment, gave a sense of urgency. Third, it was popular. Conferences, books, and sermons reinforced the system everywhere we turned.
But even during those early years, questions began to rise. Why did Jesus say “this generation will not pass away until all these things take place” (Matthew 24:34) if He was speaking of events thousands of years in the future? Why did Paul write that “the appointed time has grown very short” (1 Corinthians 7:29) if the end was still millennia away?
At first, these verses were explained away. We were told they had “double fulfillments” or that they really meant something else. Yet the more we read the Bible for ourselves, the less satisfying those answers became. The cracks in the foundation grew larger.
The Turning Point: Wrestling with Scripture
The real turning point came when we committed to reading passages in context, rather than through the filter of charts and timelines. The Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24, for example, became impossible to ignore. Jesus was not speaking in vague generalities. He was addressing His disciples directly. He gave clear time markers: “This generation.” “You will hear.” “When you see.”
Other passages reinforced this. In Hebrews 8:13, the writer said the old covenant was “becoming obsolete and growing old” and “ready to vanish away.” That was not a distant event but something unfolding in their time. Revelation itself opened with these words: “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place” (Revelation 1:1).
As we wrestled with these passages, we realized the tension could no longer be dismissed. Either Scripture was mistaken, or we had misunderstood it. The problem was not with God’s Word but with the system we had inherited.
Discovering Partial Preterism
It was in this place of wrestling that we discovered partial preterism. The word “preterism” comes from the Latin praeter, meaning “past.” Partial preterism teaches that many of the prophecies often pushed into our future were actually fulfilled in the first century, especially in the events leading up to and including the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70.
This view does not deny Christ’s future second coming, the final judgment, or the ultimate resurrection of the dead. Those great promises still stand. But it does affirm that when Jesus said certain things would happen in that generation, He meant exactly what He said. His prophecy of the temple’s destruction was fulfilled within forty years, just as He foretold. His words about judgment on Israel came true in vivid detail.
Partial preterism brought clarity where dispensationalism left confusion. Suddenly, the time statements in Scripture made sense. The warnings to the first-century churches were no longer forced into a distant future but were understood in their immediate context. The “last days” referred not to the end of the physical world but to the end of the old covenant age.
Most importantly, this view shifted our focus. Instead of always looking for the next world crisis or the latest headline, we began to see the beauty of Christ’s present reign. He is not waiting to be crowned King someday. He is reigning now, and His kingdom is growing like leaven in the dough (Matthew 13:33).
The Mission of Endtimes Research Group
Out of this journey came the mission of Endtimes Research Group. We exist to help believers study prophecy with fresh eyes and renewed confidence in God’s Word. Our goal is not to tear down others but to build up the church.
We believe the dispensational system has left many Christians anxious, fearful, and distracted from the work of the kingdom. Constant speculation about wars, rumors, and world leaders has consumed much of the church’s energy. But when we see that Christ is already reigning and that many prophecies have already been fulfilled, our perspective changes. We no longer live in fear of tomorrow’s headlines. We live in the hope of Christ’s finished work and His ongoing victory.
Our mission is simple:
- To present biblical teaching on prophecy in a clear and accessible way.
- To encourage believers that God has kept His promises.
- To highlight the hope and strength we have in Christ’s present kingdom.
- To invite others to study these things for themselves, with an open Bible and a willing heart.
We want Endtimes Research Group to be a place where new believers find encouragement, seasoned saints find clarity, and all of us grow together in the confidence that Jesus truly is Lord.
Closing Thoughts: An Invitation
The journey from dispensationalism to partial preterism was not an easy one. It meant unlearning ideas we once held tightly. It meant letting go of popular frameworks and learning to trust the plain words of Scripture. But it has been worth it.
We now see the Bible with greater clarity and consistency. We see the faithfulness of God in fulfilling His promises. We see the kingdom of Christ not as a distant hope but as a present reality. Most of all, we see the hope and confidence that comes from knowing Jesus reigns today.
We invite you to walk this journey with us. Read the Scriptures with fresh eyes. Ask the hard questions. Wrestle with the text. And discover the encouragement that comes from knowing God’s Word is trustworthy.
Endtimes Research Group is here to serve you. Explore our studies, sign up for our newsletter, and join us as we continue to search the Scriptures together. The future is not one of fear but of hope, because Christ is on the throne, and His kingdom will never end.