56. Was 'the end' IMMINENT after Jesus came to Jerusalem in AD30?

Even a newly born again child of God with a minimal knowledge of the Old Testament reading the New Testament scriptures would know that 'the END of the AGE' and 'the Day of the Lord' were imminent when Jesus ended his ministry in the setting of Jerusalem at approx AD 33...but even from AD 30 this was clear in the first message John the Baptist preached warning Israel .."Who warned you to flee the wrath about to come ... even now the axe is at the root of the tree". 

The gospels and epistles and Revelations contain more than 60 separate and emphatic references to the imminence of the Second Coming FOR THAT GENERATION and the soon coming great tribulation, resurrection and judgment on Israel for its rejection of her Messiah. We are told that the events related to this were 'at hand' (Mat 4:17, Rom13:12, Phil 4:5, James 5:8, 1 Pet 4:7)...and 'it is near' (Zep 1:14, Mat 24,31, Luke 21:31, Rev 1:3) ....and that they were about to happen 'shortly' (Rom 16:20, Rev 1:1, Rev 22:6)

The Jews of Jesus time were expecting an end of their age which was to come when Messiah arrived. Daniel was told the vision he had of 70 weeks was 'sealed until the time of the end' (Dan 12:9), Habukuk was told to write down the vision 'which was for an appointed time...at the end it will speak'. Malachi, Joel and many of the prophets also spoke of THIS very time (Acts 3:24)

Heb 9:26    ...but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. ....28 To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.     NKJV
 
Please note that Christ appeared ONCE at the END (or consummation) of the AGES in AD 33....being the age of the Patriarchs and the age of the Law. Christ's appearance signified the END of the Mosaic age (or the age of the Law) and ushered in the NEW Covenant age of grace (Jn 1:14-17). As we know today almost 2000 years later, it did not usher in the end of the world. This scripture also tells us of a second appearance... for those who eagerly await Him. There are NO scriptures which ever speak of a third or subsequent appearance.
 
This indicates that the second appearance was IMMINENT in circa AD 65 when the book of Hebrews was written. Those right there and then who were being addressed 'were eagerly awaiting Him'. This passage also implies that Christ would NOT necessarily be seen by those who do not believe.
 
Some will quote Acts 1:9-11 and claim that this passage says that Jesus will return in 'bodily form' at His second coming. Please note that the second word 'same' is not found in the Greek manuscripts.
 
Acts 1:9   Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, 11 who also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This (same) Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven." NKJV
 
Please note that the apostles themselves were NOT all expecting to see Jesus return (Luke 11:49-50) ... except perhaps one. (John 21:22-24)
 
Brethren Acts 1:9-11 is not intended to be in conflict with almost every other teaching on the coming of Christ including Jesus OWN WORDS (as detailed in Mat 24:26-31, Mark 13:21-26 and Luke 21:20-28) and Daniel 7:13-14 which is the main scripture Jesus refers us to on this topic. Just as Jesus was taken up into the clouds so He will return on clouds. Clouds however (in the O/Testament) almost always refer to the spiritual presence of God coming in JUDGMENT on nations. (Isa 19 to Isa 20...God rides a swift cloud...but Egypt saw the Assyrian armies) Yes, Jesus was with the apostles as a man for 40 days ...He had been resurrected bodily by the Spirit of God. But brethren the resurrected Jesus who returned, came back in the glory and power and the majesty of the His Father the ALMIGHTY...this is what the Old Testament prophets had promised ...and this is what the book of REVELATIONS tells us was then (i.e. in AD 65-67) about to take place! This was THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST to the world at that time   ... of who Jesus the man that they had killed really was i.e. GOD ALMIGHTY! (Rev 1:7, 13-18 and 22:13)
 
And brethren "Every eye shall see Him" is NOT even possible today in a physical sense (a large proportion of the world actually still do not have TV's or I-phones). But the Jews of AD70 certainly had it revealed to them in the way that they as a nation knew was the fulfillment of prophecies about who Jesus was...and they certainly knew they had been judged as promised by their prophets for rejecting and killing their Messiah! And the rest of the known world at that time also got to know about the fulfillment of the prophesied events as they saw Jerusalem and the temples destruction.
 
 
So WHAT DOES HISTORY TELL US HAPPENED AROUND THAT TIME?... Would you believe that an independant secular Roman historian (amongst others) has recorded in detail that what Jesus promised was fulfilled in a way that the Jewish people of His day fully understood? If you have not read the history you will not understand the story. Flavius Josephus, a captured Jewish general, recorded 'The Wars of the Jews' for the Roman authorities in his captivity. (Books 1V - V1 are essential reading if you are ever to undertand 'the end times') 
 
There are quite a few scriptural references to the time of the apostles being 'THE LAST DAYS' ... (Acts 2:17, Heb 1:2, James 5:3 and 2 Pet 3:3) ...clearly these referred to the last day of their (present) age rather than the end of time itself. With a little study it soon becomes clear that the 'last days' were also the FINAL or 70th week of Daniel chapter Nine's timeline for Israel's judgment and the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple (vs 26)...  this is the book to which Jesus refers readers to understand this topic (Mat 24:15). Today almost 2000 years later we can be sure 'the last days' did not refer to the physical end of the world then. Further with the numerous failed dates which have since that time been set for this event by 'modern day prophets', surely we should now be able to accept that the scriptual phrase 'the last days' does not refer to a physical 'end of the world' for us today either?

 

Three key scriptures on which some critics conclude that Jesus was MISTAKEN about his claims as to when His second coming was to be 

 

Matt 16:28   Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdomNKJV
 

We are left to conclude that either Jesus DID return on the clouds in His kingdom as promised in AD70 (i.e. before AD 73 when 'this generation'  He was addressing expired) ....or that there are some from that audience in AD 33 who are now over 2000 years old and still alive and walking around somewhere with us ...or we have to allow for a possibility that Jesus or the scriptures got this promise wrong?

(Those who try to explain this verse away by claiming it refers to the transfiguration are wrong simply because Jesus tells us in vs 27 that this coming was to be with His angels and in the glory of the Father...and it was also to be the time when each one (all under the law) were to be rewarded according to their works vs 27. Neither of these events happened 6 days  later ... and not only some but ALL of the apostles were still alive then.)

 

Matt 26:62 And the high priest arose and said to Him, "Do You answer nothing? What is it these men testify against You?" 63 But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest answered and said to Him,"I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!" 64 Jesus said to him, "It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven."     NKJV

 
 We are here again left to conclude that either Jesus DID return on the clouds in His kingdom as promised in AD70 (i.e. before AD 73 when 'this generation' expired) ....or  that the high priest and other priests of that time actually did witness the return on the clouds in their life times ... or ...as some skeptics today are suggesting ...'Jesus might have got this one wrong too'?
 
 
Matt 24:34 Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.  35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.    NKJV
 
Please note that Jesus did NOT say "THAT Generation" ...allowing for an interpretation that he was referring to future hearers...but "THIS Generation" i.e. specifically the generation and the YOU he was addressing RIGHT THERE. (The Greek is in the near demonstrative...not in the far demonstrative). Every other use of the phrase 'this generation' has this same meaning and is not questioned ...so why should we allow an assumption that Mat 24:34, Mark 13:30 and Luke 21:32 are intended to be different? Do you believe Jesus about ALL these events having happened before AD73...or are you in doubt?
 
 
ALL these things which were to have taken place before this generation had passed away include ALL of the following:-
 
1) False Christs, wars, famines, pestilences vs 4-8
2) Tribulation, lawlessness and a falling away vs 5-13
3) The gospel being preached in ALL the world vs 14
4) The Abomination of Desolation manifesting and the flight of believers from Jerusalem vs 14
5) The the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple vs 2-3, 14-22 
6) The coming of the Son of Man on the clouds vs 23-28, vs 30
7) The stars falling from heaven vs 29
8) The gathering together of the elect vs 31, vs 32-44
9) The END of the age vs 3, vs 6, vs 13 & vs 14
 
Does your eschatology allow you to believe Jesus confirming words in Mark 13:30...and Luke 21:32... that all the details He said would happen before that generation passed away actually DID HAPPEN ... WITHIN THE TIMEFRAME HE SAID THEY WOULD OCCUR? Or are you also a doubter?
 
 
Old Testament timing confirmation
 
 
The Old testament contains a very precise and confiming restraint on the time by which the fulfillment of these items would take place. 
 
 

Dan 9:24 "Seventy weeks are determined
For your people and for your holy city
,
To finish the transgression,
To make an end of sins,
To make reconciliation for iniquity,
To bring in everlasting righteousness,
To seal up vision and prophecy,
And to anoint the Most Holy.   NKJV

But brethren please read the rest of this chapter ... it tells us of Messiah being killed (vs 26a)... and the consequential destruction of Jerusalem and the temple (vs 26b-27)

Then the clincher in final chapter of Daniel

 
Dan 12:1-7
"At that time Michael shall stand up,
The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people;
And there shall be a time of trouble,
Such as never was since there was a nation,
Even to that time.
And at that time your people shall be delivered,
Every one who is found written in the book
2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,
Some to everlasting life,
Some to shame and everlasting contempt. 
3 Those who are wise shall shine 
Like the brightness of the firmament,
And those who turn many to righteousness 
Like the stars forever and ever. 
4 "But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.
5 Then I, Daniel, looked; and there stood two others, one on this riverbank and the other on that riverbank. 6 And one said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, "How long shall the fulfillment of these wonders be?" 
7 Then I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever, that it shall be for a time, times, and half a time; and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished.    NKJV
 
 
Brethren these scriptures are the same ones Jesus quoted from in Mat 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21...and He refers us to them for a reason. The resurrection of the dead was also to have happened at the time of the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple.
 
When Israel's (i.e. your people, the nation) or the holy people's power was completely shattered refers to the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem... ALL these things shall be finished or fulfilled by that time!
 
(The destruction of the temple demonstrated that the Old Covenant was ended... ie no more sacrifices have been offered since)
 
All these things in Daniel specifically includes the killing of Messiah in the 69th week followed by the tribulation, the resurrection of the saint and the judgment which were ALL to have been fulfilled WHEN Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed, and the priesthood terminated, and the sacrifices stopped (ie the POWER of the Holy people was their covenant with God). The LAW which encapsolated this was made OBSOLETE by the introduction of the New Covenant and then finally vanished away (Heb 8:13) as demonstrated by the above events in AD70. This was what the scripture refers to as "the time of THE END"
 
History records that in this judgment 1.1 million Jews were killed and vast numbers taken captive as slaves. Israel LOST it's promised land and ceased to exist as a nation for  almost 1900 years and the Hebrew language was also lost. 
 
ALL of this is recorded in history as fulfilled by AD 70....and there is NO possibility these prophecies could EVER be repeated.... (unless God first restores the OLD covenant with Israel) (contrary to 2 Cor 3:7&11, Heb 7:18, Heb 8:6-13) ...and ends his EVERLASTING New Covenant with the church?)
 
(The temple would then also need to be rebuilt first (where Islam's Aqsa mosque now sits)...the priesthood records which were destroyed in the AD 70 fire would need to be recovered so that priests of proven genealogy could be appointed. ... and animal sacrifices recommenced....and even then this would ALL be no more than the works of the FLESH because GOD now lives in the hearts of His people....and no longer in dwellings made by human hands)
 
 
BUT THEN we come to the Last Hour
 
 
After the scriptures speaking about 'weeks of years' ... and then 'this generation' ... and then 'the last days' ....John the apostle puts the time of the END and of Christ's return as critically close as can be....
 
 
1 John 2:18   Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour     NKJV
 
and Peter confirms its imminence strongly as well 
 
1 Peter 4:7   But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers.  NKJV
 
We all know the world continued after Peter's warning...but the Jewish world and its covenant with God certainly ended in AD70.
 
 
Matt 25:13 "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is comingNKJV
 
The apostles did not know the day nor the hour ... but they certainly believed and taught that Jesus's coming was VERY CLOSE. They ALL spoke of the imminence of his return in their epistles. Like the illustration of a pregnancy which Jesus used, they did not know the exact day or hour... but after 8 and a half months when the birth pains HAD commenced they certainly knew it was very close. They also knew it would not be much more than 9 months overall. (It would be unreasonable to suggest that this could extend to almost 2000 years.)
 
 
Brethren, the birth pains had started for the early church with persecution and conviscation of property and is recorded in Acts and the epistles (i.e 2 Thes chapter 1)...and Revelations 3:10-11. 
 
 
In Luke 21:7 The apostles ask 'what sign will there be when these things are ABOUT TO take place'. The Greek word mello is used here to emphasise imminence. Jesus tells them in vs 20 that when they saw Jerusalem surrounded by armies that its desolation was near ... this happened in AD70.
 
For confirmation of how the imminence of Christ's return at the time of the early church in AD33 - AD65 has been understated in most translations of the bible available today, do a study on the Greek word 'mello'(3195). This is mind blowing to many and shows also how today we do not understand the simple hermeneutic of 'audience relevance'. If Jesus said to his disciples in AD 30 that a certain event was about to take place in 'three days time', that does NOT mean 'three days time from when people 2000 years later read His words' but three days from when it was said to THE AUDIENCE right then and there back in history.
 
I attach a link for those who want to know truth and are prepared to spend a while being like the Bereans and searching the scriptures (and Greek lexicons) to find a solid foundation.
 
http://www.biblicalfulfillment.org/id26.html
 
 
 
Could the apostles have been mistaken?
 
 
ALL the apostles wrote as though they KNEW Jesus was coming soon and that the time was at hand. Jesus before His death had told them it would be in THIS generation (biblically about 40 years). Jesus had explained it to them after his death ...Luke 24:27...He 'opened their understanding'... Luke 24:45 .... He spent 40 days with them 'speaking of things pertaining to the Kingdom of God'.  They certainly did not speak of or teach a 2000 years break somewhere between the 69th and 70th weeks of Daniel's prophecy. (If as some state, without any scriptural verification that the apostles were mistaken about the timing of these events, then how can we believe that any other things they wrote were scripture and given by the inspriration of the Holy Spirit? ... refer John 16:13... who was poured out at Pentacost to 'reveal ALL TRUTH .... and things to come') There are NO scriptures which even imply that a 2000 year period was to pass before Jesus' return and reign on earth in the KINGDOM of God would commence. Ask yourself if Jesus would bother to tell the apostles so much about this time if it was something which would have had no relevance to their or anyone elses lives for almost 2000 years?
 
Brethren, Jesus spoke of the new kingdom of heaven or the new covenant reality in which the church would exist after His return in judgment of Israel in AD70, This is the realm in which the early church post AD 70 existed and the same realm in which we today also can live!
 
This is the NEW Jerusalem of Revelation 21 and 22. (Gal 4:24-26, Hebrews 12:22-23)
 
 
Was Jesus telling us that He was coming 'soon' to keep us on our toes?...and to keep us living holy?
 
 
This is a bit like saying Jesus lied but it is OK because He had good intentions. Brethren this interpretation is a JOKE....Jesus is the THE WORD of God ...and THE TRUTH and 'in Him there is NO shadow of turning'.
 
The Holy Spirit of God dwelling in us keeps us holy....not our own works motivated by fear.
 
 
 
 
 
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