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Although Jesus did not know the ―day and hour‖ of who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man
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his return (Matt. 24:36), he knew it would take place coming in His kingdom.‖ (Matt. 16:27-28)
before his generation had expired (Matt. 24:34). This Jesus promised his followers that the kingdom would
clearly precludes a delay spanning two millennia or soon come (Matt. 16:28).3
even a single century. —Tyndale Concise Bible Commentary
6
NLT Study Bible, Luke 21:5-38.
7
William MacDonald and Arthur Farstad, Believer’s Bible
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Commentary (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1995), Rev. 1:3. NLT Study Bible, Matt. 24:34.
8 11
MacDonald and Farstad, Rev. 22:10. Edward E. Hindson and Woodrow Michael Kroll, KJV Bible
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Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary, Rev. 22:10. Commentary (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1994), 1949.
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Jesus Predicted a First-Century Return
Copyright © 2008-2009 by Michael A. Fenemore
Revised: 2009 Sep 10
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Some take it as meaning ―race‖ and thus as an To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord
assurance that the Jewish race (nation) will not pass And the day of vengeance of our God;
away. But it is very questionable that the Greek term To comfort all who mourn (Isa. 61:1-2)
γενεά (genea) can have this meaning.
—NET, Matt. 24:34 study note ―this generation‖ For the day of vengeance was in My heart,
And My year of redemption has come. (Isa. 63:4)
How could the Jews not be in existence at the
return of Christ? They were the very people to whom This does not refer exclusively to the resurrection
Jesus was returning; to destroy some (Luke 21:22) of the dead. Christ‘s promise in Luke 21:28 referred
and reward others (v. 28). Why would anyone ever to living Christians watching and waiting for his
make such an unnecessary statement as ―Truly I say return. If the first-century Christians were not
to you, you will still be in existence when I return to raptured at the destruction of Jerusalem, then they
you?‖ Clearly, the ―Jewish race‖ argument is not just were not redeemed as promised.
weak, it is ridiculous. Objection: Granted, Rev. 1:3 and 22:10 say, ―the
time is near.‖ However, this phrase should not be
Objection: You suggest the gospel was preached taken literally. Peter said, ―with the Lord one day is
to the whole world by A.D. 70. That is impossible. like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one
Answer: Actually, it was preached to the whole day.‖ (2 Pet. 3:8).
world by A.D. 57. Please read Was the Gospel Answer: Over 600 years before Revelation was
Preached to the Whole World? written, Daniel‘s vision was sealed because the
Objection: In your comment regarding Luke events predicted would not occur for a long time:
21:28, you suggest the disciples‘ ―redemption‖ refers ―these words are concealed and sealed up until the
to the rapture. However, it could simply be referring end time‖ (Dan. 12:9). However, in Revelation, the
to their protection from events related to the Jewish prophecy was not sealed because the time was near.
war with the Romans. Such a clear and straightforward use of figurative
Answer: First-century Christians were expecting seals to signify the timing of these predictions cannot
to see Jesus appear out of a cloud ―just the same justifiably be obfuscated by 2 Pet. 3:8. The obvious
way‖ he disappeared into a cloud at his ascension symbolism would be rendered meaningless (sealed
(Acts 1:9-11). The instruction to ―lift up your heads,‖ means a long time; unsealed means a short time). The
i.e., look upward, points to the rapture; the day when thousand-year hypothesis sounds appealing only to
they would be ―changed‖ (1 Cor. 15:51) having their futurists desperate to neutralize Rev. 1:3 and 22:10.
bodies transformed to be like Christ‘s glorious body
(Phil. 3:21). The Greek word ἀπολύτρωσις Contrast these instructions with those of Daniel 12:4.
(apolutrosis) used here for ―redemption‖ is the same In Daniel the time was far off; here it is near.12
—KJV Bible Commentary
word Paul used in Rom. 8:23 when he spoke of ―the
redemption of our body.‖ He employed it again in Objection: Granted, Jesus predicted a first-
Eph. 4:30 referring to ―the day of redemption.‖ It‘s century return. However, C. S. Lewis, arguably the
doubtful anyone would argue this phrase refers to greatest Christian author of the 20th century,
protection from the war. In other places, apolutrosis concluded Jesus was wrong: ―He clearly knew no
always refers to releasing or setting free. It never more about the end of the world than anyone else.‖
means protection. Luke 21:28 foresees first-century Answer: Lewis took this preposterous position
Christians being set free from their physical bodies. because although he was honest enough to admit a
By tying the redemption of first-century Christians to first-century return was predicted, he evidently failed
his vengeance on the Jews, Jesus was simply to consider the possibility it may have actually come
reiterating Isaiah‘s prophecy: to pass.
1
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, Under the Old Covenant, anyone making false
Because the Lord has anointed me… predictions in the name of God was to be executed:
To proclaim liberty to captives
And freedom to prisoners; 12
Ibid. 2719.
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Jesus Predicted a First-Century Return
Copyright © 2008-2009 by Michael A. Fenemore
Revised: 2009 Sep 10
20
‗…the prophet who speaks a word presumptuously in There is only one acceptable conclusion: Jesus
My name which I have not commanded him to speak, was right. Otherwise, he was a false prophet to be
or which he speaks in the name of other gods, that counted with the ―liars‖ and ―fools‖ deserving
prophet shall die.‘ 21―You may say in your heart, ‘How execution. If he was wrong, we Christians are
will we know the word which the Lord has not
wasting our time studying his unreliable predictions
spoken?’ 22―When a prophet speaks in the name of the
Lord, if the thing does not come about or come true, in the supposed ―inerrant‖ or ―infallible‖ Word of
that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken. The God.
prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be All scripture referring to end-time events must
afraid of him. (Deut. 18:20-22) relate to the persecution of Christians under Nero, the
Roman civil war and the Jewish revolt against Rome
At least three times, Jesus prefaced a prediction of
(A.D. 64-70) which culminated in the destruction of
a first-century return with the emphatic phrase
the temple and the end of animal sacrifices. The
―Truly, I say to you‖ (Matt. 10:23; 16:28; 24:34). If promised return of Christ, resurrection, rapture and
he was wrong, he was a false prophet worthy of judgment must have occurred during that period. The
death. Lewis unwittingly created justification for
interpretation of every difficult prophetic passage
Christ‘s crucifixion. must be consistent with this premise. Please read
Jeremiah reaffirmed the criterion by which a Timeline: The Great Tribulation.
prophet should be validated:
Only when his predictions come true can we know that Download this article in PDF format at
he is really from the LORD. (Jer. 28:9b, NLT)
http://www.Preterism.info
Jeremiah was referring to the false prophet
Hananiah who was killed by God for making a time- Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the New
restricted false prediction (Jer. 28:1-17). American Standard Bible®, copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968,
Ezekiel condemned false prophets: 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman
Foundation. Used by permission.
Thus says the Lord GOD, ―Woe to the foolish prophets
who are following their own spirit and have seen Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible,
nothing.‖ (Ezek. 13:3) New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by
permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois
Zechariah strongly condemned false prophets: 60189. All rights reserved.
…his own father and mother will tell him, ‘You must Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET)
die, for you have prophesied lies in the name of the are from The NET Bible® Copyright © 2005 by Biblical Studies
LORD.’ And as he prophesies, his own father and Press, L.L.C. www.netbible.com All rights reserved.
mother will stab him. (Zech. 13:3b, NLT) Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible First Edition; Bible.
English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible (Biblical Studies Press,
God ensures predictions made by his prophets do 2006; 2006).
not fail:
Samuel grew and the Lord was with him and let none
of his words fail. (1 Sam. 3:19); Behold now, there is a
man of God in this city [Samuel], and the man is held
in honor; all that he says surely comes true. (ch. 9:6)
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This is what the LORD says…―I am the LORD… 25I
expose the false prophets as liars…I cause the wise to
give bad advice, thus proving them to be fools. 26But I
carry out the predictions of my prophets!‖ (Isa. 44:24-
26, NLT)
If Christ‘s predictions failed so abysmally in the
first century, why would any sensible person trust
him for a future fulfillment — or salvation?
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