Have You Considered ...
Your response is pretty common among contemporary Christians. In fact, if popularity was the measure of truth you would be correct. Nevertheless, the popular view is frequently wrong and in this case it stands in opposition to the word of God.
Those who challenge the truth of scripture do, as Lewis notes, point out that Christ failed to come when He said He would. Most Christians never confront such people and so they never live with the embarrassment Lewis feels. In short, they just don't think about it. The result is that most Christians are unprepared to defend the faith they hold. We need to be more diligent than that.
Because of the training he received, Lewis concluded that Christ and His disciples got it wrong. Had Lewis paid attention to those who understand how Christ fulfilled the prophecies related to "the end", he would have seen a far more glorious picture.
Before God brought me to this study, I was like most believers - a panmillennialist. I just couldn't make sense of the scriptures relating to "the last days" (Read my story). The things that caused me the most problem were the very things Lewis addresses.
Before sharing some of those, I challenge you to STOP right here and do a little exercise. In 25 words or less, write down the story told in the Bible. Don't continue until you've done this! We spend so much time looking at details we tend to ignore the big picture. This statement must provide a framework for our understanding of God's word. Every interpretation we derive must fit within this border like pieces of a puzzle fit within the frame created by the edges.
When we attempt to build a construct outside the frame, we are headed for trouble. Let's turn our attention to a few verses which provide the frame for "the last days". (There is no way you would read through an exhaustive list but here are a few to start your study).
In Matthew 3:2 John the Baptist heralded the appearance of the Messiah saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." The word for at hand is eggizo (engidzo) which has at its root the meaning of being at arms length. It is so close you can reach out and touch it. Jesus echoes these words in Matthew 4:17, and the disciples proclaim it as they are sent out in Matthew 10:5.
Matthew 10:23 takes things a step further when Jesus says, "But whenever they persecute you in this city, flee to the next; for truly I say to you, you shall not finish going through the cities of Israel, until the Son of Man comes." THEY were going to be so persecuted they had to move around and Christ declared that He would come BEFORE they had been to every city in Israel.
Matthew 16:27-28 gives a more precise timing for Christ's coming: "For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and WILL THEN RECOMPENSE EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS. Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who shall not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom." Modern prophets notwithstanding, Jesus says that some of those who heard Him would still be alive when He came. Either those folks are very old or the modern prophets are wrong.
In Matthew 23:32-35. Jesus in His rebuke of the Pharisees gives them a serious warning, "Fill up then the measure of the guilt of your fathers. You serpents, you brood of vipers, how shall you escape the sentence of hell? Therefore, behold, I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city, that upon you may fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. Truly I say to you, all these things shall come upon this generation." That generation did exactly as Jesus said it would and history records that judgment fell on that generation. Popular Christian teaching says Jesus didn't come as He predicted. There is no wiggle room here; that view makes Him a deceiver and liar.
Matthew 24:32-34 "Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender, and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; even so you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door. Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place." This statement narrows the timing of the events in what is known as the Olivet discourse. The whole context is Christ's coming, judgment, and the kingdom of God. Again, He affirms it will happen in "this generation". Jesus doesn't just say it, He is emphatic, "truly"!
In Luke 21:20-22 the context is about what the disciples are going to witness as they fulfill their calling. Jesus says, "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that her desolation is at hand. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are in the midst of the city depart, and let not those who are in the country enter the city; because these are days of vengeance, in order that all things which are written may be fulfilled." Was Jerusalem ever surrounded by armies? Have the rest of the things here ever happened? Indeed they did in A.D. 70. If the events which signaled the fulfillment of all things actually happened, how can fulfillment of His prophecy still be future?
On the day of Pentecost, Peter informed the crowd, "For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only the third hour of the day; but this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel: 'AND IT SHALL BE IN THE LAST DAYS,' God says, 'THAT I WILL POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT UPON ALL MANKIND; AND YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS SHALL PROPHESY, AND YOUR YOUNG MEN SHALL SEE VISIONS, AND YOUR OLD MEN SHALL DREAM DREAMS; EVEN UPON MY BONDSLAVES, BOTH MEN AND WOMEN, I WILL IN THOSE DAYS POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT And they shall prophesy.'" Peter observes the the events Joel prophesied would take place "in the last days" were happening right then! If they were in the last days, the last days either came to fulfillment in that generation, or they have continued for over 2,000 years. Nowhere is a biblical generation defined as such a lengthy time period.
Skipping over many other verses lets consider a few from Paul. In 1 Corinthians 10:11-12, Paul explains the value of remembering their history, "Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall." He reminds his readers that although all the Hebrews came out of Egypt, not all lived to enter their rest. They needed to remember it because they lived in a similar time. Christ had atoned for sin, but they are waiting for His appearing (parousia) to announce their salvation (Hebrews 9:28). He does not want them to be lost in the wilderness so to speak. The "ends of the ages" was during that generation, not future!
We've mentioned the "at hand" phrase before. Paul uses it in Philippians 4:5, "Let your forbearing spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near." This is a recurring theme in Paul's letters which points to the soon coming of Christ.
In 1 Thessalonians 4:15 he writes, "For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, and remain until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep." The "we" here is not an editorial "we" as some like to posit. Paul knows that some will be alive when Christ comes because that is what Christ said would happen.
The author of Hebrews opens his letter with a most revealing statement, "God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world." (Hebrews 1:1-2). One cannot help but recall the parable of the vineyard owner in Matthew 21:33-41 as these words are read. Throughout the ages God had revealed His will in a variety of ways and His people continued to reject Him as their Sovereign. Now, "in these last days", He sends His Son as the final warning of what will happen if they do not repent.
Hebrews 8:13 is particularly telling, "When He said, 'A new covenant,' He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear." Hebrews is a late book in the New Testament. Honestly, have you ever paid attention to the fact that the author indicates the Old Covenant has not yet disappeared? What are we to make of this?
In contemporary terms, we might think of the whole situation as a case of a disputed last will and testament. Hebrews 9:16 affirms that the "death of the testator" was necessary for the will (covenant) to be executed and the heirs to receive their inheritance. The first century believers were the rightful beneficiaries of that will, but the Jewish leaders challenged their claim and the stage was set for a High Court ruling like the world had never seen. The Judge issued His ruling in the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. The covenant claim of the true "Israel of God" (Gal. 6:16) was upheld. The Old Covenant usurpers were condemned and destroyed.
Even while the will was being contested, first century believers were its beneficiaries. However, it was only after the "dispute" was settled that they (and we) received their full inheritance. The event was future to the recipients of the Hebrews letter, but they are NOT future to us. Read on!
In Hebrews 10:35-38, the author is most emphatic about the need for their perseverance, "Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. FOR YET IN A VERY LITTLE WHILE, HE WHO IS COMING WILL COME, AND WILL NOT DELAY. BUT MY RIGHTEOUS ONE SHALL LIVE BY FAITH; AND IF HE SHRINKS BACK, MY SOUL HAS NO PLEASURE IN HIM." Note the phrase "very little while". The Greek for this phrase is hosan hosan mikron. We shouldn't have any trouble understanding mikron since our English micron is a transliteration of this word. Now, a micron is pretty minute by itself, but the Greek construct hosan hosan with it intensifies the meaning. It is hard to imagine how the writer could express the nearness of the event as being any shorter as this was being written! The text further assures the readers that there will be no delay in Christ's coming. Two thousand years and counting would, in the view of an objective interpreter, constitute a significant delay and to make matters worse, modern prophets teach there was a delay, contrary to God's clear word.
This same imminency is seen in James 5:7-9, "Be patient, therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not complain, brethren, against one another, that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door." If modern prophets are right, will someone please get the door!
Peter affirms the timing of the last days again in 1 Peter 1:20-21, "For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God." They were the terminal generation, but in terms of the Old Covenant, not the end of planet earth. His ministry began with the announcement of the last days and here, near the end of his life reminds his audience anew of the time in which they live.
Peter is even more emphatic in 1 Peter 4:7, "The end of all things is at hand; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer." There's that "at hand" word again. He doesn't say it is far off, thousands of years in the future; rather it looms large in their view in the first century. Earlier Peter observed that they were already enduring the "fiery ordeal".
No discussion of the imminency of fulfillment could ignore Revelation. There are many places we could go but for now, just look at the "bookends": Revelation 1:1-3, "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must shortly take place; who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near" and several statements in Revelation 22 - "And he said to me, 'These words are faithful and true'; and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent His angel to show to His bond-servants the things which must shortly take place. 'And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book."" (vs. 6-7), "And he said to me, 'Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near.'" (vs. 10), "Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done. (vs. 12), and "He who testifies to these things says, 'Yes, I am coming quickly.' Amen. Come, Lord Jesus".
What part of "MUST" do we have trouble with? From beginning to end, John proclaims that the revelation he has received is about to come to pass.
Believe me, this is the brief overview of scripture which tells us about the timing of Christ's coming! If you've read this far, may God bless you for your diligence. My purpose in highlighting these passages is to demonstrate that seeing the prophecies related to the "second coming" as being fulfilled in the first century is at least a biblically supportable view. If you continue your study, you will learn that until about 200 years ago, it was also the predominant view! I hope you will stay the course. If you do, you will be richly rewarded.
Now for the next question. Do you believe there is any biblical basis for believing that Christ's coming took place in the first century?
© Copyright 2003 - Jim Wade
Updated 07/07/03