Skeptical Sunday: Jesus Is Not Coming Back
For almost two thousands years, some sects of Christianity have been predicting and believing that Jesus’ second coming is just around the corner.
In 1843, William Miller proclaimed that Jesus would return between March 21, 1843 and March 21, 1844. When that prophecy failed, the date got pushed to April 18, 1844. And when that one also failed, the date got moved forward once more. The new date was October 22, 1844. That day came and went, and Jesus did not return. This became known as the Great Disappointment.
In 1988, Edgar C. Whisenant had 88 reasons why he thought the rapture would occur in that year. Like the Millerites over a century before him, he too kept pushing the date forward after his previous prophecy failed. It went all the way up to 1994, but clearly it did not happen then either.
Hal Lindsey also thought the second coming would be in the 1980’s. He was wrong too, but he’s still on TV and the internet, claiming that Jesus’ return will happen soon.
The list of second coming predictions continues. So does the list of people predicting that Jesus is coming back shortly: Jack Van Impe, John Hagee, Benny Hinn, Rod Parsley, etc., etc., ad nauseum.
Many of these people and their predictions were obviously wrong. The current and future predictions most likely will be wrong also… and for a good reason. Jesus is supposed to have already returned. He said himself that he would return in the first century AD.
In Matthew 24 (and also in Mark 13 and Luke 21), Jesus’ disciples asked him what will be the sign of his coming and the end of the world? He told them not to be decieved by the many false Messiah’s to come and said there would be wars, famines, pestilences, and earthquakes. False prophets would arise and decieve many. And a great tribulation, such as not seen since the beginning of the world would take place. The sun and the moon would darken, the stars would fall, and the powers of the heavens would be shaken. Then he would make his return.
He said all of this would happen, and then he said: Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
It seems pretty clear doesn’t it? Jesus tells his disciples that their generation will not pass until all of these things happen and his prophecy is fulfilled.
Since that didn’t happen, Jesus made a false prophecy and isn’t coming back. Case shut, right? Well, not entirely…
At least not according to some sects of Christianity.
In another case of saying that what the Bible clearly says isn’t what it means, they claim that when Jesus said this generation it was either referring to some far off generation, like ours, or that this generation actually means that Jewish people would not pass away until Jesus’ second coming.
This page makes the claim that Greek word for generation, genea, was used as a synonym of genos which means race, stock, nation, or people. Thus, Matthew 24:34 to them would say “This people shall not pass away until all these things are fulfilled.”
But, looking at this concordance shows that word used is in fact genea, thus indicating generation and not race, stock, nation, or people.
On the BibleStudy.org page I have linked above, they postulate that Jesus was likely speaking in Aramaic and when saying generation, used the word sharbeta, which could mean either generation or race in Aramaic. Naturally they go with the latter to prevent Jesus from being wrong and uttering a false prophecy.
But here’s why that doesn’t work either: Jesus was speaking directly to his disciples. To claim that, despite Jesus talking to his disciples and telling them about signs they themselves would see, what he was really talking about is an event sometime in the far future (especially 2000 years away), doesn’t make sense. His disciples wouldn’t be alive to see the signs he told them they would see, including his second coming in the clouds.
Jesus’ speech was specifically to his disciples. He addresses them in 14 verses in Matthew 24 using the words ye and you, like so:
Mat 24:6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet
Mat 24:9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake
Mat 24:15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
Mat 24:20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:
The claim that Jesus meant some other, distant future continues to get weaker (as if it wasn’t already weak enough) when you read Matthew 16:28, which has Jesus again talking to his disciples. In it he says: Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.
Similar verses are in Mark 9:1 and Luke 9:27.
Apart from Jesus’ own words, what further complicates this nonsensical notion that this generation means sometime in the distant future are other verses in the New Testament which show that there was a widespread belief that the end was near back then.
1 Thessalonians 4:16 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:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Hebrews 1:2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
James 5:8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.
1 Peter 4:7 But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
2 Peter 3:3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
4. And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
1 John 2:18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
Revelation 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
2. Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
3. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
Revelation 22:20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
It clearly was not the last days in the first century, nor is it now. Each generation, past and present, point to what they believe are signs of the end times. They point out natural disasters like hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, drought, epidemics, famine, etc., happening around the globe. Next they point to other events which they believe fulfill Biblical prophecies, then tie it all together and claim that the end times are upon us and Jesus’ return is just around the corner.
But each generation has one thing in common with the previous one: they were all wrong. This won’t stop future generations from doing the same thing as their predecessors, even though they will likely being wrong too. But believers will continue to predict and have faith that the end of the world is at hand and that Jesus’ return is imminent. And their belief is so strong that they will find some way to rationalize away the evidence and facts against this idea, and will continue to keep on believing, despite what the Bible clearly says to the contrary.
Links
The inspiration for this entry: Biblical Proof that Jesus is not Coming Again
Interpretation of Jesus’ and Paul’s prophecies about the end of the world
Skeptical Inquirer: The Second Coming of Jesus
Jesus Advises Vigilance – Analysis and Commentary of Mark 13:30-37
WE ARE STILL HERE and it’s déjà vu all over again! — This is an article by a pastor discussing all the failed end of the world prophecies.
