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The greatest problem some encounter when seeking a proper understanding of the return of Christ may be one of the easiest to resolve. It requires reading, faith to believe and common sense. What is the key that unlocks this door of difficulty? It is time. If this one factor were understood the questions would quickly change from when is the Lord coming to how and did he come?
As long as the underlying fundamental of time is understood and accepted, we have the framework that can lead us to understanding how. If we reject the element of time, particularly imminent time as will be demonstrated below, we are often left open to form all types of fanciful theories about when Jesus' second coming would occur.
Let's look at what the Bible says about the time of Jesus' return.
SOME THEN LIVING WOULD NOT DIE UNTIL JESUS RETURNED For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.? Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.? (Matt. 16:27, 28).This text speaks of Jesus coming in the glory of the Father with the Holy angels. He would reward each man according to his works.
What is the reward?
Eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek. (Rom. 2:7-10).When would this take place? When would it happen?
Assuredly, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom. (Matt. 16:28)There's the time factor. Jesus said some who are standing here. That means at that present time when Jesus spoke these words. He was looking at and talking to people living in his day and time. To them he said some of you will not die until I come in my kingdom to reward every man.
That is quite a statement don't you think? It is also quite a prediction for a man who would soon be crucified. That is a statement that says for it to come true Jesus would have to rise from the dead. That statement would be impossible for any ordinary man to fulfill. Yet, it was possible for the Son of God.
Now that we've read the scripture, it's time for us to have faith to believe it. Does it not mean what it says? Are we not required to have faith in what is written? So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Do you believe the Lord Jesus Christ when he says he would return in the glory of the father before some who stood in his presence died? Can God tell a lie? That is what you would have to believe if you denied the statement in this text.
Is it easier to believe that God is a liar than to believe these words are true? So, either way, you're going to believe one or the other. You will believe that God is a liar, or you will believe that these words are true. Please understand that your belief will not change the facts of the case.
For example, you are reading words on your computer screen. You may deny their existence and say there are no words to read but will that change the fact that you are reading these words? It doesn't change that at all, now does it?
Likewise, if anyone chooses not to believe Jesus' words, it does not change the fact that he fulfilled them as he said he would. This brings us to another point to consider. All the people who were living at the time Jesus spoke these words are now deceased. That means if Jesus did not fulfill his promise to return in their lifetime, i.e., before they died, it is impossible for him to do so today.
In other words, he cannot come back during the lifetime of people who are already dead. Both my parents are dead. I cannot with rationality say that I will come and visit them before they die. They're already deceased. Now, I did have occasions to visit them before they died and that I did. That's what Jesus promised, that he would come before some of his disciples died.
Here's where faith comes in. Is it easier to believe that Jesus came when and as he said he would (before some disciples then living died) or is it easier to believe that after almost two thousand years some of them are alive today? They would be pretty old wouldn't you say? No doubt they'd be the guests on just about every talk show not to mention the Discovery channel.
Now I could believe that my parents are yet alive on earth, even though I went to both of their funerals. They died at ages that it would yet be reasonable to believe they could still be alive for it was in this generation, just a few years ago. One died in the 70's, the other in the 90's. Were they alive today they'd both be under 80 years of age. That's not impossible for I have relatives today who are older than 80.
Yet, even if I chose to believe they were alive, would that change the facts? No, it wouldn't. They would yet be deceased. How much more irrational would it be about 40 generations later for some of my descendants, or (anyone) to believe that my parents would yet be alive? Impossible. So, if anyone living in the year 3605 A.D., 1600 years from now, read that I (in the 21st century) would visit my parents before they died, would it be reasonable for them to understood that to mean I was going to do that in their (the reader's) future? Would they believe that my parents were yet alive? Either conclusion would be absurd don't you think?
Likewise, for anyone today to believe after almost 2000 years that disciples in the first century are yet alive or that Jesus was yet to come before some of them died would have an even greater absurdity to contend with. His promise was that he would come before they all died, an event which he fulfilled within about 40 years of making that statement.
Finally, some seek to avoid this by claiming that a 2000 year gap exists between verses 27 and 28. In other words they reason that verse 27 which speaks of Jesus' coming describes a yet future event and contains no imminent time statement. Secondly, they reason that the promise to come before some died refers to Jesus' coming either at the transfiguration, just six days later (Matt. 17:1-5) or on the day of Pentecost. (Acts 2)
First, the word "assuredly" in the text is never used to introduce a new subject. In every other occurrence in which it is used in the New Testament, it always serves to add emphasis to the subject already mentioned. Jesus does not introduce a new subject but rather adds emphasis to his statement in verse 27 by asserting a time element that only a Divine Being could fulfill.
Secondly, we have no evidence that any of Jesus' disciples had died within the six days between the utterances of Matt. 16:27, 28, and the transfiguration scene of Matt. 17:1-5. Only one of those disciples, Judas, died before Pentecost of Acts 2, after Jesus' resurrection and ascension. Jesus' prediction was that some who stood here. Some is plural and means more than one, so the Pentecost of Acts 2 would not qualify based on the death of Judas, a single person.
Third, the coming of the kingdom was future to the transfiguration and the day of Pentecost. See Luke 21:31. We must rule out a coming of the kingdom on Pentecost for the same reason that the transfiguration is ruled out. The death of a single person does not meet the demands of the text. Again, it is some of the disciples would not die until Jesus returned. Only one had died by Pentecost of Acts 2, thus that time frame does not fulfill the coming of the kingdom.
Only one event in scripture satisfies all the demands of the text. That event is the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 as taught in Matthew 24 and Luke 21. See particularly Lk. 21:20-22). Jesus came in glory before that generation passed, Matt. 24:30, 34. That was also the time of the coming of the kingdom, Luke. 21:31, 32.
In the time between the day of Pentecost and the destruction of Jerusalem, many of Jesus' apostles and disciples had died. James had been killed by Herod, (Acts 12). Tradition has it that Peter was crucified upside down and that Paul was also executed. According to Jesus' words it appears that only one apostle, John survived until he returned, John 21:22, 23. Thus, some of the disciples had in fact died before Jesus returned in judgment on the nation.
His words are true. He promised to return in the lifetime of some of his disciples who were present with him in the first century. He kept his promise. He returned. It's all about time. Isn't it time that we understood the imminent time element of Bible prophecy?
Copyright © 2005 by William Bell. All Rights Reserved. Used by permission.
(For additional articles, books, and CDs from William Bell, go to www.allthingsfulfilled.com.)
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