BotH
I'm sure that the prophecy of Jesus in Matthew 24:4-14 had a fulfillment in the first century. It wouldn't make sense if it hadn't. Josephus' writings confirm that there were earthquakes, false christs, etc, as part of the events leading to the tragedy in 70 CE.
However, Jesus' words had also a greater fulfillment in the future, because:
a) When he said to his disciples " But he responded, "Do you see all these buildings? I tell you the truth, they will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another!"(Matthew 24:2) When tourists visit the Old City of Jerusalem these days, one of the main attractions is the Wailing Wall (Kotel), which is a remnant of the ancient wall that surrounded the Jewish Temple 's courtyard. Since Jesus said "NOT ONE STONE WILL BE LEFT ON TOP OF ANOTHER", it seems rather odd that this wall made up of enormous stones, possibly the very stones that the disciples pointed out to Jesus in Matthews 24:1, is still standing. Therefore, one must conclude that Jesus' prophecy hasn't reached its entire fulfillment yet.
b) Matthew 24:22: " In fact, unless that time of calamity is shortened, not a single person will survive. But it will be shortened for the sake of God's chosen ones." The intensity of the calamity spoken of here, where all life would face potential extinction, (not just the jews sieged in Jerusalem) cannot apply to the calamity in 70 CE. Only in modern times is there the potential risk to wipe out all life on earth. Besides, if the Christians had fled Jerusalem after the first siege by Cestius Gallus in 66 CE, they wouldn't be present in Jerusalem by 70 CE; the "calamity" wouldn't need to be 'shortened for the sake of God's chosen ones', because they wouldn't be trapped by Titus' siege. But if we're talking about a global tribulation that would require shortening because of the 'chosen ones', this means that they would find themselves amidst the tribulation. How? Because the tribulation is global and they live in this world.
c) Matthew 24:30 - " Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory." - There's no record that such 'sign of the Son of Man' was ever produced in the first century, nor that 'all the peoples of the earth mourn' upon seeing the second coming of Christ. Surely this is still for the future.
d) Matthew 24:32, 33 - "Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door." This is key. Earlier on his journey to jerusalem, Jesus had put a curse on a barren fig tree, that withered. (Matthew 21:19; Mark 11:13, 14, 20) Now Jesus recalled that incident to the mind of his disciples. 'Learn a lesson from the fig tree'. What lesson? Fig trees were used as symbols of the nation of Israel. (Hosea 9:10; Jeremiah 24:1-10; Luke 13:6-9). The barren fig tree that was cursed was a symbol of the Jewish nation being rejected for their spiritual barreness and for rejecting the Messiah. So now Jesus reminds that incident to his disciples and says: 'When the fig tree branches reblossom, these things are about to start happening'. Now, the Jewish nation was rejected in 70 CE - the symbolic withering of the fig tree. Therefore, the reblossoming of the fig tree cannot be the birth of the "Spiritual Israel" in Pentecost 33 CE, because "all these things" would happen AFTER the symbolic reblossoming of the fig tree. Therefore, it refers to events that would happen in the distant future.
Eden
