“ Some of the prophecies remain unfulfilled. Also, it did not happen within the generation of the first disciples. Perhaps Jesus was wrong. ”
Well, either Jesus was wrong or we misunderstand the context. Christian apologists maintain that Jesus was speaking of the generation in which the sun was darkened and the moon was turned to blood. Additionally, there were many unauthorized changes that crept into the subsequent manuscripts. The apostles clearly did not believe that Jesus’ return would be in their lifetimes. They knew, for example, that Jerusalem would be destroyed and the Jews scattered among the gentile nations. They knew that after many years, the Jews would be recovered and brought back to their ancestral homeland. They knew of other prophecies that had to be fulfilled, including the battle of Armageddon, or Gog and Magog. The book of Revelation was not to be fulfilled “shortly,” but John’s intention was that the events in his revelation would begin to be fulfilled shortly. And those events did begin to be fulfilled, but not in totality. He wrote of two prophets, or witnesses, who would be called to defend Jerusalem using the power of God. After being slain, their dead bodies would be left in the street for three and a half days. Then life would enter back in them and they would be resurrected and caught up to meet the returning Jehovah, or Christ.
After Jesus was resurrected, he spent 40 days with his disciples. What did he teach them that he had not taught them in mortality. Other manuscripts say that he taught them the “mysteries” of the Kingdom of God. What those were were not recorded, but believers could conclude that he taught them, among other things, the prophecies that would be fulfilled. Knowing the prophecies that still remain, I can say that the Second Coming of Jesus is still aways off. And though the Jews are still returning and Israel has been reestablished, the great earthquake has not yet happened nor has the sun been darkened and the moon turned to blood. The Jews have not rebuilt their temple and the “beast” has not revealed himself.
Thus, I’m convinced that Jesus was not “wrong,” nor did the apostles believe that the return of Christ was imminent. People who make the charge that the apostles thought Jesus’ return would be in their lifetimes do not take prophecy into account. I’ve heard some fairly well educated people say that the apostles did harbor that belief; however, they tend to be ignorant of Christian eschatology. Many preterists say that Jesus did fulfill his “return,” but they’ve never told me how that fulfillment came about.
