"This actually was fulfilled within a generation, 37 years later."
I would respectfully suggest you look at the views of N.T scholars on when the "prophecy" was written. Very few would give it a date prior to the events it is "prophesying".
What interests me is the early years after the death of Jesus, two or three groups of Christians seem to have been centered around Jerusalem, Paul of course used Antioch as his base. He gave the religion that he invented a huge start in the Gentile world, the Jewish Jerusalem based Christians doubtless not interested much in such outreach.
Paul's brand of christianity appealed to the common man and woman, and spread like a flame for a while, so much so that it eventually brought persecution upon itself.
Why did it appeal so ? I think it was Paul's "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor freeman, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus" that struck a chord with the common person.
Plus there was no necessity with Paul's religion to spend big money on Temple upkeep and on idols and offerings etc, which was why his message was unpopular with the devotees of Artemis in Ephesus.
Altogether a welcome Gospel for poor folk, and some rich folk too.
Doug has outlined above how Pauline Christianity progressed on its often bloody path, but those early followers of the Jesus myth in Jerusalem would not even be remembered today were it not for Saul of Tarsus and his strange visions.