Jesus' Failed Second Coming Prophecy & What this Means for Christianity

[Rational Agnostic]

The central doctrine of Christianity states that Jesus will return in his Father's glory with his angels to judge the living and the dead, gathering up his elect to take them to spend an eternity in heaven with him, while casting the unbelievers into eternal hellfire. However, what many Christians do not realize is that when reading the Bible, we find that Jesus himself actually gave a very specific timeframe of when this apocalyptic event was supposed to occur. And, as it turns out, this timeframe has long expired. Jesus predicted that he would return, and that the apocalypse and final judgment, would occur within the lifetimes of his disciples, certainly no later than 100 AD.

One example Scripture where Jesus mentions this is found in Mark 13:9-30, where (referring to the final judgment), Jesus states:

“You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit. “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. Everyone will hate you because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.

“When you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation’ standing where it does not belong—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the housetop go down or enter the house to take anything out. Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that this will not take place in winter, because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now—and never to be equaled again.
“If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them. At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time.

“But in those days, following that distress,

“‘the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light;
the stars will fall from the sky,
and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’

“At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.

“Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it is near, right at the door. Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.

A common explanation that apologists and pastors give to explain away this passage is that "this generation" referred to in verse 30 is not actually referring to the generation alive at Jesus' time, but instead is referring to a future generation, or perhaps defining "generation" to mean something different than its usual sense. But when we examine other passages in the Bible where Jesus makes this same prophecy, we see that clearly, this is not the case. Jesus is in fact referring to the literal generation alive at the time he was. Let's take a look at another instance where Jesus makes this same prediction of his return, but even more explicitly states that it will be within his disciples' lifetimes: Matthew 10:17-23. Notice that the language used in Matthew 10:17-22 EXACTLY mirrors the language used in Mark 13:9-13, which is very clearly a chapter about end times, so there is no ambiguity about what Jesus is referring to here. He is very clearly returning to his Second Coming and the subsequent end of the world. Mark 10:17-23 states:

Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

Here we can see very clearly that "this generation" referred to in Mark 13 is in fact the generation alive at Jesus' time, and that Jesus explicitly and unambiguously predicted that he would return within the first century A.D.

This failed prophecy is also found in Matthew 16:27-28, in which Jesus states:

For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.

“Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

So, clearly, the second coming of Christ and subsequent Apocalypse that was supposed to occur in the first century never happened, and Jesus was wrong. Yet, more than 2000 years later, billions of Christians around the world still earnestly believe that it will occur in the future, and are not aware that this prophecy already failed. The truth is, there is no reason to expect that this second coming will ever happen, and is anything more than a fairy tale. If Jesus was wrong about something as key and central to Christianity as this, there is no reason to trust that Jesus was right about anything else he said, and no reason to believe that the Christian god exists outside the imaginations of those who believe in him.

[TRANSPONDER]

We already know that for the denialist faithful, it means nothing. What the Bible appears to say is not what it means. It means that the prophecy will come true very soon, as it has for the past 1,000 years and will for the foreseeable future.

[Rational Agnostic]

We already know that for the denialist faithful, it means nothing. What the Bible appears to say is not what it means. It means that the prophecy will come true very soon, as it has for the past 1,000 years and will for the foreseeable future.

Except it doesn't mean this. There was a very explicit deadline that Jesus put on the fulfillment of this prophecy (Matthew 10:23, 16:28, and 24:34), and that was the lifetimes' of Jesus' disciples. Since the prophecy failed it's actually surprising that Christianity continued to exist as a religion after the first century AD. Just shows that most Christians don't actually read the bible or they would see that the entire religion was proven false in the first century.

[TRANSPONDER]

Yep.But they simply will not accept that because to accept that would mean the Bible is not telling the truth and that is something they will not admit.

Which they can do if they like. What should not be allowed to pass is hiding this matter from a public that is not so sunk in denial. If they can be found.

[JehovahsWitness]

...: Matthew 10:17-23. Notice that the language used in EXACTLY mirrors the language used in Mark 13:9-13, which is very clearly a chapter about end times ...

This is inaccurate, there is nothing in Matthew 10:17-23 that indicates its fulfillement is is limited to the first century.

MATTHEW 10:17-23

17 Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. 18 On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, 20 for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

21 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 22 You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 23 When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes

JW




RELATED POSTS

Does Matthew 10:23 (COMPLETE CIRCUIT) not indicate Jesus was announcing his return in the first century ?
viewtopic.php?p=978933#p978933

Did Jesus say the people "standing" with him would witness his return? (Mat 16:27)
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 24#p836624

For more on this topic please go to other posts related to...

LAST DAYS and ...THE SECOND COMING *and ... "DELAYS "DEBUNKED,

*The Return of Christ

[TRANSPONDER]

I think you are missing the point in the comparison o the talk on the mount of olives in Matthew and Mark

Mark 15 26 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.
27 And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.
28 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near:
29 So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors.
30 Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done.

The implication is this will happen in their lifetimes, more or less. As in saying some there listening would not 'taste death' before it happens, and the Sanhedrin themselves would see Jesus coming.

Now, you could save the excuses as we've all heard them, but those with their minds still open will surely get the nagging feeling 'This was all supposed to happen before the Bible was even compiled".

In short, your Watchtower explanation will not fool those who don't want to be fooled. Just like your 'passover week' excuse. Clever, ingenious, but in the end those not already wanting to buy any excuse will not be convinced that passover could be eaten any time during the week 'Surely they all ate on the same day, especially priests, and most especially Strict sadducees.

So these excuses for the End that should have happened centuries ago will not wash, no more than trying excuse the failed Nativity narratives or the rubbished resurrection tales. Though you are welcome to try. It's why we're here.

[1213]

The central doctrine of Christianity states that Jesus will return in his Father's glory with his angels to judge the living and the dead, gathering up his elect to take them to spend an eternity in heaven with him, while casting the unbelievers into eternal hellfire. However, what many Christians do not realize is that when reading the Bible, we find that Jesus himself actually gave a very specific timeframe of when this apocalyptic event was supposed to occur. And, as it turns out, this timeframe has long expired. Jesus predicted that he would return, and that the apocalypse and final judgment, would occur within the lifetimes of his disciples, certainly no later than 100 AD.

One example Scripture where Jesus mentions this is found in Mark 13:9-30, where (referring to the final judgment), Jesus states:
...

Jesus said that his Father only knows the day. Therefore he can't be wrong about the time, because he is telling even he doesn't know it. He knows only the things that must happen before it.

But no one knows of that day and hour, not even the angels of heaven, but my Father only. "As the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and they didn't know until the flood came, and took them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and one will be left; two women grinding at the mill, one will be taken and one will be left. Watch therefore, for you don't know in what hour your Lord comes. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have watched, and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore also be ready, for in an hour that you don't expect, the Son of Man will come.
Matt. 24:36-44

This failed prophecy is also found in Matthew 16:27-28, in which Jesus states:

For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.

“Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”...

And the disciples saw Jesus coming in his kingdom when this happened few days later:

And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, and James, and John his brother, and doth bring them up to a high mount by themselves, and he was transfigured before them, and his face shone as the sun, and his garments did become white as the light, and lo, appear to them did Moses and Elijah, talking together with him.
Matt. 17:1-3

[TRANSPONDER]

That' can't be right. The transfiguration (in the synoptics - John doesn't have one) occurred after the loaves and fishes What it is, is rather like the baptism (which I am sure inspired the idea) where God rubber -stamps Jesus' declared messiahship. This is not coming into his Kingdom. Jesus making the prediction of what will happen in the lfetimes of some listening to him was after the trip to Jerusalem and the Temple business. When arrested and put on trial by the Sanhedrin, he tells the Sanhedrin what they will see when the the Son of man apparently comes on the clouds to come into his kingdom, so it hadn't happened yet and the implication is that it would happen in their lifetimes, too.

Matthew 25. 31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."

This is later by a week or so than the Transfiguration, so there is no way you can pass that event off as 'coming into his Kingdom' in the sense of the Last Days and End Times and Second Coming, which even 2,000 years later is an exceeding rare thing to accomplish.

As the saying goes - back to the drawing - board on that excuse. I trust that you will not try our patience with it again.

And a happy New year (no guarantees though) to you - all.

[1213]

That' can't be right. The transfiguration (in the synoptics - John doesn't have one) occurred after the loaves and fishes What it is, is rather like the baptism (which I am sure inspired the idea) where God rubber -stamps Jesus' declared messiahship. This is not coming into his Kingdom. Jesus making the prediction of what will happen in the lfetimes of some listening to him was after the trip to Jerusalem and the Temple business. When arrested and put on trial by the Sanhedrin, he tells the Sanhedrin what they will see when the the Son of man apparently comes on the clouds to come into his kingdom, so it hadn't happened yet and the implication is that it would happen in their lifetimes, too.

Matthew 25. 31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."
...

Maybe I don't understand you correctly, but Matt. 25 is not about the same situation as Matt. 16-17.

[TRANSPONDER]

That' can't be right. The transfiguration (in the synoptics - John doesn't have one) occurred after the loaves and fishes What it is, is rather like the baptism (which I am sure inspired the idea) where God rubber -stamps Jesus' declared messiahship. This is not coming into his Kingdom. Jesus making the prediction of what will happen in the lfetimes of some listening to him was after the trip to Jerusalem and the Temple business. When arrested and put on trial by the Sanhedrin, he tells the Sanhedrin what they will see when the the Son of man apparently comes on the clouds to come into his kingdom, so it hadn't happened yet and the implication is that it would happen in their lifetimes, too.

Matthew 25. 31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."
...

Maybe I don't understand you correctly, but Matt. 25 is not about the same situation as Matt. 16-17.

Mark 9 also, and the transfiguration directly after, which makes nonsense of your idea or explanation that Jesus coming into his kingdom while 'some there' were still alive referred to something that happened less than an hour later.

It is all superseded anyway by the talk on the mount ofm Olives that says that the tumultuous Last Days are going to happen later and it will ionvolve jesus coming in a show of power to rule God's kingdom.

Now, I'm sure that a Christian will know the Bible better than an atheist does, so I can only say: don't cherry pick text out of context to fit some idea of your own. It does your cred no good.