Why is it important?

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The typical "Jesus-is-coming-soon"-Christian believes that Jesus' prophecies in Matthew 24 refer to a "coming" of Christ which was not only future for the disciples, but is still future for us (1999).

A "preterist" believes these prophecies were fulfilled in the past, in AD70, during the "great tribulation" Israel experienced at the hands of the Roman armies (Luke 21:20). Preterists believe Jesus when He said:

"Liberals" have accused Jesus of being mistaken about the coming of the Kingdom. They say the verses above prove that the New Testament is fallible and unreliable, because the Kingdom "obviously" didn't come.

{21} From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. {22} Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!" {23} But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."
Matthew 16:20-23

Compare Micah's vision with the modern Televangelists. Consider the possibility that many "Christians" are an offense to Christ.

Preterists believe that Christ's Kingdom is not brought into existence by political action or nuclear war:

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. {4} For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, {5} casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
2 Corinthians 10:3-5

Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here."
John 18:36

But Jesus said to him, "Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.
Matthew 26:52

A "partial" preterist believes in a future second coming but doesn't have very many -- if any -- verses to prove it, since he believes Matthew 24 and most of Revelation have been fulfilled (in the fall of Jerusalem, AD70). (Some "partial preterists" admit that there are no verses at all which teach a yet-future "second coming," but they believe it anyway because "Holy Mother Church has always taught us so.")

Why Does it Matter?

"Partial preterists" call preterists "hyper-preterists," and excommunicate them, saying they are not even Christians, even though preterists believe the Bible. "Partial preterists" claim that full preterists have denied "the historic faith of the Church," even though full preterists are not accused of disbelieving any verses of Scripture.

Go figure.

This is alarming.

Not because excommunicating people is wrong.
It is worse for a church or pastor to claim to stand by an absolute standard of truth and never do anything about it. Jesus clearly commanded excommunication (Matthew 18:14-20).

What's alarming is the idea of a post-millennial partial preterist claiming that a full preterist is not even a Christian, and refusing even to examine the exegesis of the Scripture texts historically used to justify the idea of a yet-future second coming.

According to postmillennial partial preterists, our vision of the future is nothing less than Paradise Restored. We "optimillennialists" believe that God is going to put down every civil government that does not explicitly confess its dependence on and submission to King Jesus, and govern all its activities according to Biblical Law. This will result in God's blessings on the earth, according to the terms of His Covenant, a restoration of Edenic conditions throughout the earth. This will all take time. 

Thus, partial preterists are willing to excommunicate full preterists for not believing a doctrine even if it has no Scriptural support, and even if, by definition, it cannot possibly have any effect whatsoever on them in their lifetime. I have been told I am not a Christian because I do not believe in an event which under no circumstances is going to occur during my lifetime, and should have no effect on the way I live my life.

The idea of a future "second coming" of Christ has been perhaps the most pernicious doctrine in the history of Christendom. It causes people to wait rather than to work. If the Bible truly teaches it, then we must guard against that dangerous tendency, even while we believe the doctrine. But if the Bible does not teach it, we cannot guard against its dangerous tendencies. We must completely denounce the doctrine.

Many "partial preterists" will not even permit discussion of this important issue.