Prophecy
1. While talking to his apostles about the impending persecutions which they would experience because of believing in him, Jesus said:
When they persecute you in one town, run away to another one. I assure you that you will not finish your work in all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
MATHEW 10:23.
Surely, it would be unreasonable for us to believe that Jesus meant that it would take more than two thousand years for his disciples to traverse the town of Israel – even if it was only on foot. By this verse, are we not to infer that Christ insinuated that he would return within the lifetime of his disciples?
2. Concerning the events that would precede his return, Jesus prophesied:
(i) that the Temple in Jerusalem would be destroyed (Matthew 24: 1,2; Mark 13:12; Luke 21: 5,6);
(ii) that his followers would be imprisoned, tortured and killed; (Matthew 24:9; Mark 13:9-13; Luke 21:12, 16); and
(iii) that he would come back at that time to cut short their suffering and then gather them to himself. (Matthew 24:22;30,31; Mark 13:20, 26, 27; Luke 21:27).
In answer as to when these three prophecies would come to fruition, Jesus categorically and unequivocally stated:
Verily, I say unto you, This generation shall not pass till all these things are fulfilled.
MATTHEW 24:34 (Authorized Version); corroborated by Mark13:30; and Luke 21:32.
Since a biblical generation is one hundred years (Genesis 15:13,16), are we not meant to understand that Christ would return within the first century A.D?
3. Again, while speaking "plainly" to his disciples regarding his own suffering, death, resurrection and return (Matthew 16:21-28; Mark 8:31-38; Luke 9:22-27). Jesus reiterated that he would return within one generation:
I assure you that there are some here who will not die until they have seen the Son of man come as King.
MATTHEW 16:28.
If there is any ambiguity about those he referred to as "some here" is it not clarified by the next Scripture?
4. Included among those who would still be alive at the time of the Saviour's return would be the Apostle John, the son of Zebedee, of who he said:
If I want him to live until I come, what is that to you?
JOHN 21:22.
Obviously, Christ could not have intended to mean that John would live for more than two thousand years. After all, his Father, the Almighty Jehovah, had decreed that the maximum human lifespan would not exceed one hundred and twenty years. (Genesis 6:3).
5. Another indicator pointing to a specific time of the return of the Messiah is found embedded in his message through the prophet of Patmos to the Church in Smyrna in which he said;
The Devil will put you to the test by having some of you thrown into prison and your troubles will last ten days.
REVELATION 2:10.
That the persecution would last a short time is in confirmation of Jesus' earlier proclamation in Matthew 24:22 that God would "reduce the number of days for the sake of his people." Because one day in prophecy represents one literal calendar year (Numbers 14:34; Ezekiel 4:5,6), are we not meant to understand that the first century Christians at the time when John was incarcerated at the rocky Island would be persecuted for ten years, after which he would retrieve them?
6. The purpose of the Second Advent is described by Paul in these words.
He will appear a second time, not to death with sin,
but to save those who are waiting for him.
HEBREWS 9:28.
This second coming is different from the first when Christ came to die on the cross as the ultimate sacrifice for the expiation of sin; and from the final return when he shall come with his angels to execute judgment of sin and to end Satan's system of sin on the last day. At his first return, Christ's sole purpose would be to "save" or extract, only "those who are waiting for him."
7. The Son of God assured his disciples that he would come back specifically for them:
After I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to myself, so that you will be where I am.
JOHN 14:3.
He later on asserted that of the twelve apostles only Judas Iscariot would not be taken to heaven, because he "was bound to be lost." (John 17:12).
The manner in which the followers of the Messiah would be taken to heaven is beautifully depicted in these words:
Those who have died believing in Christ will rise to life first; then we who are living at that time will be gathered up along with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord.
I THESSALONIANS 4:16,17.
By using the pronoun "we", Paul clearly understood Christ's message that he would return to retrieve his disciples during that same generation. Paul could not have meant that he and his compatriots would be "living" for more than two thousand years.
8. These people retrieved by Christ at the time of his first return would not only serve him and his Father in heaven (Revelation 7:15), but they shall come back with him on Judgment Day to render service to him as he presides over the heavenly court.
One who had been living forever sat down on one of the thrones. There were many thousands of people there to serve him, and million of people stood before him. The court began its session, and the books were opened.
DANIEL 7:9, 10.
It is worth noting that this scenic description of judgment day depicts two groups of people present at the divine court. In the first instance are the "thousands" serving Jesus. Are we not meant to understand that these are the same as those taken up with him at the time of his first return? Are these not the same people talked about by the Prophet Isaiah in these self-explanatory words?
The Sovereign LORD is coming to rule with power,
bringing with him the people he has rescued.
ISAIAH 40:10.
The second group comprises the "millions' who are appearing before the Judge to have their cases decided upon according to the divine books of record. Are these not the millions talked about by the Apostle in his epistle to the Christians of Rome and Corinth?
For all of us must appear before Christ, to be judged by him. We will each receive what we deserve, according to everything we have done, good or bad in our bodily life.
2 CORINTHIANS 5:10, (also ROMANS 14:10) and
MATTHEW 25:32).
The pronoun "we" in this second instance includes all generations because this judgment is at the end of time.
9. Also of noteworthy importance are these disparities in the events attendant to the two presumed returns of the Messiah.
(i) Whereas the first return is herald by the blowing of one trumpet sounded on that very day of retrieval (Matthew 24:31; I Corinthians 15: 51 -52; I Thessalonians 4:16), the Messiah's second and final return shall be announced by seven trumpet calls spanning a literal period of at least eleven years. (These could even be prophetic years) – Revelation chapters 8 to 11.
(ii) Whereas Christ would interact with only his followers who would have undergone severe persecution at his first return, he shall deal with both the righteous saved and the wicked sinners at the time of his second return.
(iii) Whereas his followers would be taken to live with him in heaven at his first return (John 14:3); he himself and his Father shall descend from heaven to live with the redeemed in the Holy City, the new earth at his second return, (Revelation 21; 2,3;22:3).
(iv) Whereas the unrepentant are left to continue inhabiting the earth at Christ's first return; they shall be thrown into the "lake of fire that burns with sulphur" upon his second. (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:14;15).
(v) Whereas the process of retrieving his followers at his first return would be over in a very short time – "as quickly as the blinking of an eye" (I Corinthians 15:51-53), the final encounter is a methodically slow and meticulous process of "separating the sheep from the goats: (Matthew 25:31-33), and investigating the books of heaven (Daniel 7:10; Rev. 20:12).
(vi) Whereas the earth would be left intact at his first return it shall be completely destroyed at the Messiah's second return. (2 Peter 3:10).
(vii) Whereas there would be no confrontation between the Son of God and the Deceiver Satan at Christ's first return, the Devil shall be finally defeated and thrown into the lake of fire at his second return.
(viii) Finally, at his second return, Jesus Christ shall establish God's Kingdom that will rule for ever and ever.
10. Regarding the end of the Age, Christ proclaimed six major prophecies, five of which are faithfully recorded as having been fulfilled.
(i) He predicted that he would be subjected to serious suffering in Jerusalem at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law. (Matthew 16:21). This prediction was fulfilled to the letter in Matthew 26:47-75 and 27:1-31.
(ii) He prophesied that he would be put to death. (Mark.8:31). This was duly fulfilled in Matthew 27:35-50.
(iii) The third glorious prophecy by the Son of God was that he would be raised from the grave after three days. (Matthew 16:21). He triumphantly arose from the world of the dead in Matthew 28:6 - 7 on the third day of his interment.
(iv) Jesus prophesied that the Lord's Temple in Jerusalem would be completely destroyed. This was accomplished by the Romans under the command of Titus in A.D.70; in conformity with Christ's words that "these things' would take place before the end of the first century A.D.
(v) Jesus predicted that his followers would suffer intense persecution. The Holy Bible gives us this graphic and horrifying record of the persecution of the first century Christians.
Some were mocked and whipped, and other were put in chains and taken off to prison. They were stoned, they were sawn into two, and they were killed by the sword." They went round clothed in skins of sheep or goats – poor, persecuted and ill-treated. The world was not good enough for them. They wandered like refugees in the deserts and hills, living in caves and holes in the ground.
HEBREWS 11:36-38.
Secular history narrates the sadistic and cruel excesses by Nero, against the early Christians beginning about the time of the martyrdom of Paul.
(vi) The sixth prophecy by Jesus of Nazareth concerns his return to earth before the expiration of the generation of his time. It is in regard to this particular prophecy that these salient questions arise:
(a) If we believe in the authoritative infallibility of the Holy Scriptures contained in the Bible, and if we believe that Jesus Christ is the son of the Living and true God, who would neither lie nor utter any idle or redundant word, ("I would not tell you this if it were not so." John 14:2); are we not to believe that this prediction was meant to be fulfilled in exactly the same literal manner as the preceding five were?
(b) Is it possible that, just like the Jews failed to recognize his First Advent in spite of the great preponderance of relevant prophecy in the Old Testament, could we too have missed his first return that may have taken place sometime during first century A.D?
(c) Could there be a record buried in the annals of first century history narrating the Saviour's return, which may have somehow been hidden from the world?
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