THE DENIAL OF A LITERAL RETURN OF CHRIST A kind of realized eschatology is on the rise that, with its peculiar preterist interpretation of the Apocalypse, sees all of the New Testament references to the return of Christ as having been fulfilled by A.D. 70 and consequently denies a literal future return of Christ altogether. In this view only a golden era (Scripture’s “kingdom of God”) finally awaits the earth and its inhabitants as the gospel of Christ increasingly “Christianizes” the whole earth.