Jesus' Four Failed Prophecies About Him Returning In The Lifetimes Of His Apostles

[Sandra Jayne]

Here is something most Christians don't know:

Jesus promised no less than FOUR times in the gospels that he would return to earth and his apostles would live to see it, yet he never showed up.

Paul believed fervently that Jesus would return in his lifetime:

"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then WE who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord." 1 Thessolonians 4:16-17

Now Paul may have put this idea into the heads of the gospel writers when they started writing the gospels. They had Jesus make these four prophesies that he would return before the apostles died:

“For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay every man according to his deeds. Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.“ (Matthew 16: 27, 28)

For me, this is the one that cannot be excused away with rationalizations like "Jesus was referring to the future generation", or "Jesus was referring to God's time which could be thousands of years in the future". We have Jesus referring directly to the people listening to him when he made that failed prophecy "some of you standing here will not taste death until you see me return"

...they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other. Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.“ (Matthew 24: 25-34)

“Then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And then He will send forth the angels, and will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth to the farthest end of heaven. Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place…“ (Mark 13:26-30)

Here in Chap 10 Jesus is giving his apostles instructions on how they should conduct themselves when he sends them out to do God's work

Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. (Matthew 10:23)

Naturally Jesus never showed up. Why? Because we can assume he never said he would return--this was all invention by the gospel writers probably based on Paul's belief Jesus would return and Paul would live to see it. There are five rationalizations Christians have come up with for Jesus' no-show. All are patently ridiculous but you can read them in the link below:

Jesus’ Failed Prophecy About His Return

Some of the verses are aimed at the final generation before Armageddon.
The disciples themselves were confused when Jesus said, everything that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said that the Spirit will take from what is mine and disclose it to you. In a little while you will see me no more and then after a while you will see me.Then some of His disciples asked one another, “Why is he telling us, ‘In a little while you will not see me, and then after a little while you will see me’ and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?"…
Jesus meant they will eventually be with him in heaven after they die because flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God.
Others are sometimes misunderstood, when Jesus talked about some not tasting death before they see him coming in his kingdom:

About a week after saying what he did at Matthew Jesus took “some of” the apostles up on a mountain, likely Mount Hermon. There he was transfigured to appear in a vision with Moses and Elijah. And God said: “This is my Son, the one that has been chosen. Listen to him.”
The transfiguration was a vision of Jesus in Kingdom power and heavenly glory, as Peter later confirmed. Referring to the transfiguration, Peter explained that they had thus “become eyewitnesses of his magnificence.” He added that in the transfiguration Jesus had “received from God the Father honor and glory.” So, it appears that when Jesus said that before they died some of the apostles would see him in his kingdom, he was referring to the transfiguration scene that some of them witnessed shortly afterward.

Going through the towns of Israel was an illustration of what was to come:
On the occasion of saying those words, Jesus gave the apostles, for the immediate preaching campaign, a local territory assignment. It took in the territory of Israel in Palestine, namely, Judea, Galilee and Peraea. By covering this they would “complete the circuit of the cities of Israel.” So now Jesus used this temporary, limited territory assignment as an illustration of their final complete territory assignment. Before he ascended to heaven the resurrected Jesus made their territory assignment the entire world, for he said: “All authority has been given me in heaven and on the earth. Go therefore [everywhere in the earth] and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit.” The disciples at that time did not go 'everywhere in the Earth' so it was not directed at those personally but to future Christians.
The generation not passing away is a dual prophecy. the destruction of Jerusalem and the destruction of the wicked on the last day. The four symbolic winds are, according to Revelations being held back by angels to give as many as possible the chance at redemption and will be 'let go' on that last day.

 

[Sandra Jayne]

>>>>>>>>I think you have misunderstood, many of these verses are aimed at the final generation before Armageddon.

How did you arrive at that conclusion? Are you repeating something others have told you? How do you know they are right and Jesus' words don't really mean what they say? Did Jesus say anywhere in those verses that his his words are not for the ones listening to him but for a future generation? Where is Armageddon even mentioned anywhere in those verses? Wouldn't Jesus have said, "A long time into the future you will see me coming in the clouds with great power and glory" instead of "Some of you standing right here and now...."?

You are repeating propaganda that has been fed to you. Christian leaders don't like that Jesus said he would return in a few years and never did. That makes him into a false teacher and a liar. So they invented the idea that all these are unfulfilled prophecies, that way it makes Jesus not look like a failed prophet. Remember, the trick when someone confronts you with failed prophecies is to obfuscate with one of two excuses: 1. it a yet to be fulfilled prophecy that will happen sometime in the future, or 2. Jesus is speaking symbolically.

Always fall back on those excuses when someone corners you with the truth and you will always have something to argue back with.

Sometimes you just have to use common sense, I am unsure what your truth is and I certainly don't feel 'cornered' by it. It should be recognised that Jesus what conveying difficult concepts to people who were mostly uneducated and often used illustrations and comparisons to make his point.

If someone decideds they cannot believe that is fine but if Jesus was sent from God what would be the point of teaching things that were relevant to only a few thousand people?

In the last days people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. How true.

 

[samtonga43]

[QUOTE="SeekingAllTruth, post: 7061660
Always fall back on those excuses when someone corners you with the truth and you will always have something to argue back with.[/QUOTE]

Fallacy = False assumption.

 

[samtonga43]

I will second the claim that Yahweh is an evil god. First off, he claims this himself (Isaiah 45:7). But more importantly, there are numerous immoral laws set up by god.

As far as addressing the issue of the Garden of Eden - if god is omnipotent and omniscient then he could create a universe without evil that also have free will and all of the other things that Christians give as excuses for the Problem of Evil. Creating humans with the innate desire to touch things that are forbidden or to do the thing asked of them not to do then intentionally putting the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil within their reach then going "Dont eat this!!" is evil, especially since he did it to people who were so innocent and oblivious that they literally do not know better. It is literally god's fault that humans are sinful according to the story of the Garden of Eden. Did he know that the snake would trick them? Yes? Then why put the tree there and also the snake? Nonsense.

But back to god being evil on his own accord via his laws:

• Permits slavery (Leviticus 25:44-46, Exodus 21:2-6, Exodus 21:7-11)
  
• Permits rape (Judges 21:10-2, Numbers 31:7-18, Deuteronomy 20:10-14, Judges 5:30, Deuteronomy 21:10-14, Zechariah 14:1-2)
  
• Punishes rape victims instead of the rapists (Deuteronomy 22:28-29, Deuteronomy 22:23-24)
• Permits murdering children (2 Kings 2:23-24, 2 Kings 2:23-24, Ezekiel 9:5-7, Jeremiah 51:20-26, Isaiah 13:15-18)

And obviously, the Problem of Evil points out that god permits evil in the world anyways. If god is all powerful and does not stop the evils of the world, he is at fault. If god is all knowing and does not prevent the evils of the world, he is at fault. He created this world as is and thus is at fault. He created Satan knowing that Satan would be evil and therefore is at fault. At least, if you believe they exist at all.

Richard Dawkins said that, in atheism we should expect to find in the world “no design, no purpose, no evil and no good, nothing but blind, pitiless indifference.”

Shouldn't you be pitiless and indifferent about this thing you call 'evil'?

 

[SeekingAllTruth]

Sometimes you just have to use common sense, I am unsure what your truth is and I certainly don't feel 'cornered' by it. It should be recognised that Jesus what conveying difficult concepts to people who were mostly uneducated and often used illustrations and comparisons to make his point.

If someone decideds they cannot believe that is fine but if Jesus was sent from God what would be the point of teaching things that were relevant to only a few thousand people?

In the last days people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. How true.

it's been true for every generation. People always think they are the generation that will see the return of Jesus.

The Great Disappointment in the Millerite movement was the reaction that followed Baptist preacher William Miller's proclamations that Jesus Christ would return to the Earth by 1844, what he called the Advent. His study of the Daniel 8 prophecy during the Second Great Awakening led him to the conclusion that Daniel's "cleansing of the sanctuary" was cleansing of the world from sin when Christ would come, and he and many others prepared, but October 22, 1844 came, and they were disappointed.

Do you know how many thousands of times that scene has been replayed over the last 2000 years?

 

[samtonga43]

it's been true for every generation. People always think they are the generation that will see the return of Jesus.

Not if they are Christians who understand Scripture.

 

[SeekingAllTruth]

Not if they are Christians who understand Scripture.

That would exclude about 98% of Christians.

 

[samtonga43]

That would exclude about 98% of Christians.

How do you know that only about 2% of Christians understand Scripture?

 

[Brian2]

>>>>>>>>I think you have misunderstood, many of these verses are aimed at the final generation before Armageddon.

How did you arrive at that conclusion? Are you repeating something others have told you? How do you know they are right and Jesus' words don't really mean what they say? Did Jesus say anywhere in those verses that his his words are not for the ones listening to him but for a future generation? Where is Armageddon even mentioned anywhere in those verses? Wouldn't Jesus have said, "A long time into the future you will see me coming in the clouds with great power and glory" instead of "Some of you standing right here and now...."?

You are repeating propaganda that has been fed to you. Christian leaders don't like that Jesus said he would return in a few years and never did. That makes him into a false teacher and a liar. So they invented the idea that all these are unfulfilled prophecies, that way it makes Jesus not look like a failed prophet. Remember, the trick when someone confronts you with failed prophecies is to obfuscate with one of two excuses: 1. it a yet to be fulfilled prophecy that will happen sometime in the future, or 2. Jesus is speaking symbolically.

Always fall back on those excuses when someone corners you with the truth and you will always have something to argue back with.

I have not been following you discussion but with a quote like "Some of you standing right here and now...." you must be talking about Matt 16:28, Mark 9:1, Luke 9:27 which does not say that they would see Jesus return (they did not even know He was going and coming back at that stage) and which is followed by the Transfiguration, in all 3 gospels, which fulfils what Jesus said.

 

[SeekingAllTruth]

I have not been following you discussion but with a quote like "Some of you standing right here and now...." you must be talking about Matt 16:28, Mark 9:1, Luke 9:27 which does not say that they would see Jesus return (they did not even know He was going and coming back at that stage) and which is followed by the Transfiguration, in all 3 gospels, which fulfils what Jesus said.

Then why didn't Jesus say, "Some of you standing here will not have gone through all the town of israel until you see me transfigured into brilliant light with Moses and Elijah" or something similar? Why does Jesus have to be so opaque about what he is trying to say. Again, I think the gospel writers writing 75 years in the future or so just wrote a confusing sentence that can be interpreted a variety of ways. Yours is one. There are 6 more on that link in the OP.

 

[SeekingAllTruth]

How do you know that only about 2% of Christians understand Scripture?

Because statistically only a handful Christians actually open their Bibles.

However, more than half of Americans have read little or none of the Bible.


Less than a quarter of those who have ever read a Bible have a systematic plan for reading the Christian scriptures each day. And a third of Americans never pick it up on their own, according to a new study from Nashville-based Lifeway Research.

Lifeway Research: Americans Are Fond of the Bible, Don’t Actually Read It - Lifeway Research

When we talk about actually understanding what they read the numbers shrink even further.

 

[Skywalker]

Here is something most Christians don't know:

Jesus promised no less than FOUR times in the gospels that he would return to earth and his apostles would live to see it, yet he never showed up.

Paul believed fervently that Jesus would return in his lifetime:

"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then WE who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord." 1 Thessolonians 4:16-17

Now Paul may have put this idea into the heads of the gospel writers when they started writing the gospels. They had Jesus make these four prophesies that he would return before the apostles died:

“For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay every man according to his deeds. Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.“ (Matthew 16: 27, 28)

For me, this is the one that cannot be excused away with rationalizations like "Jesus was referring to the future generation", or "Jesus was referring to God's time which could be thousands of years in the future". We have Jesus referring directly to the people listening to him when he made that failed prophecy "some of you standing here will not taste death until you see me return"

...they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other. Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.“ (Matthew 24: 25-34)

“Then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And then He will send forth the angels, and will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth to the farthest end of heaven. Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place…“ (Mark 13:26-30)

Here in Chap 10 Jesus is giving his apostles instructions on how they should conduct themselves when he sends them out to do God's work

Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. (Matthew 10:23)

Naturally Jesus never showed up. Why? Because we can assume he never said he would return--this was all invention by the gospel writers probably based on Paul's belief Jesus would return and Paul would live to see it. There are five rationalizations Christians have come up with for Jesus' no-show. All are patently ridiculous but you can read them in the link below:

Jesus’ Failed Prophecy About His Return

In those verses Jesus was speaking in his humanity, meaning that he was limited by time and space.

“For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay every man according to his deeds. Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.“ (Matthew 16: 27, 28)

...they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other. Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.“ (Matthew 24: 25-34)

“Then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And then He will send forth the angels, and will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth to the farthest end of heaven. Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place…“ (Mark 13:26-30)

Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. (Matthew 10:23)

 

[SeekingAllTruth]

In those verses Jesus was speaking in his humanity, meaning that he was limited by time and space.

“For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay every man according to his deeds. Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.“ (Matthew 16: 27, 28)

...they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other. Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.“ (Matthew 24: 25-34)

“Then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And then He will send forth the angels, and will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth to the farthest end of heaven. Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place…“ (Mark 13:26-30)

Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. (Matthew 10:23)

eh! i don't buy it.

 

[samtonga43]

Because statistically only a handful Christians actually open their Bibles.

However, more than half of Americans have read little or none of the Bible.

So, i see I must repeat --- how do you know this?

 

[Skywalker]

eh! i don't buy it.

What about the context of those verses do you think is a reference to the first century?

 

[SeekingAllTruth]

What about the context of those verses do you think is a reference to the first century?

Yes. If I say to a crowd, "Some of you standing here..." am I referring to 3000 years into the future?

 

[SeekingAllTruth]

So, i see I must repeat --- how do you know this?

I quoted the percentages in the above post. 2% is just a figure to represent very few people.

 

[Skywalker]

Yes. If I say to a crowd, "Some of you standing here..." am I referring to 3000 years into the future?

Jesus may have been talking about the judgement of Jerusalem or something related to it. It's related to this verse. Matthew 23:37

Matthew 23:37

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!

Was Christ Mistaken About His Second Coming?

As a matter of fact, the Son of Man, having emptied himself (Phil. 2:6ff) of the independent exercise of his divine powers by the incarnation, did not know the time of his second coming (Matt. 24:36). Though he knew not the day nor hour of that great event, Christ did hint that there could be a considerable delay before he would come again.

For example, in the Parable of the Talents Christ represents himself as a man who delivered talents to his servants to be developed while he was gone into another country (heaven). In Matthew 25:19 he declared:

“Now after a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and maketh a reckoning with them” (emphasis added).

It is not correct, therefore, to assert that Christ believed in his imminent return!

But secondly, there were other senses, figurative senses, in which the, Lord promised to “come.”

For instance, in foretelling the persecution which the Jews would inflict upon the early disciples, Christ said:

“[W]hen they persecute you in this city, flee unto the next: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone through the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come” (Matt. 10:23).

This is not a reference to the Lord’s personal, second coming; rather, it relates to his judgmental coming upon the Jewish nation in consequence of their rejection of him!

The passage is parallel to Matthew 24:30, which is clearly related to the destruction of Jerusalem, an event to be accomplished in the days of that generation (24:34). Hence it was a disciplinary coming, somewhat analogous to the promises of punitive “comings” to some of the churches in Asia Minor (cf. Rev. 2:5, 16; 3:3).

 

[samtonga43]

I quoted the percentages in the above post. 2% is just a figure to represent very few people.

And again, how do you know that
2% (very few) Christians actually open their Bibles?

 

[Unity of Mankind]

God said, "I will choose your delusions" - Isaiah 66:4.
The failures only exist in your own misinterpretations and translations of it. You don't see what you don't want to see.

The Bible does not fail, unenlightend minds fail to apprehend it's transcendental mastery.

The son quickens whom HE WILLS - John 5:21

I believe each time a Messenger sent by God, such as a Moses, a Jesus or a Mohammad appears, the spiritual principle pointed out in John 5:21 reoccurs.

How can one be "quickened" if they are not willing to examine claims of future Messengers? Future Revelations from God through Messengers appear according to the changing circumstances of mankind.

It is obvious that the present day circumstances of mankind are unique from all previous historical circumstances, which is one obvious reason why God has sent a "Promised One" foretold by the Founders of previous religions wherein, for example, in the Old Testament of the Bible, "swards would be beaten into plowshares and man would not learn war anymore."

Only the "Promised One" foretold by previous religions, which includes Christianity as a religion, has the power to unite mankind, and thereby fulfill the coming of a "Prince of Peace" wherein the prophecy embedded in the "Lord's Prayer of Jesus Christ", namely that God's will would be done on earth as in heaven, can come true.

As I recall in the New Testament of the Bible Jesus said He came not to bring peace but the sword and that His work was finished and He was no longer in the world. Rather than returning to the world Himself Jesus promised the coming of the "Son of Man" which has been fulfilled by the appearance of a Prophet, or Manifestation of God, Who has been destined by God to fulfill the role of "Prince of Peace".