The Return of Christ

In discussions on eschatology, the study of the end times prophesies, I keep encountering thinking that goes like this, “I know what the return of Christ is like, and since the simple and plain reading of scripture does not agree with the ideas I hold, therefor scripture must mean something other than what it reads.”

To be honest people do not say this directly, but in trying to discuss eschatology the responses I get do suggest this.

Lately I have been dealing with the Olivet Discourse found in Matthew 24,25; Mark 13; Luke 21. It is clear in the context of these passages that Jesus is talking to four of his disciples and answering their question of when the temple would be destroyed, when he would return and when the end of the age would be.

Jesus answer is a list of events that would be a sign of the fulfillment of their question. At no time in the discourse does he change subjects or time frames. Throughout the discourse Jesus tells the disciples what they and others of the disciples would experience.  He ends his list of events with a clear statement that the disciples would experience these events in their life time, their generation, and that even though he could not tell them the exact time, day and hour of when the fulfillment would happen, they would know it was about to happen, just as you know when summer is starting by the leafing of trees in spring.

Nothing in Jesus answer in the Olivet Discourse suggests a gap in time, from the start of wars and rumors of wars to the destruction of the temple, end of the age and Jesus return. Instead Jesus makes it clear that the fulfillment would be in the life time of the disciples.

This means that according to Jesus in words of the Olivet Discourse, the destruction of the temple, Jesus return and the end of the age occurred during the generation or lifetime of the disciples. 

The responses I get say that though the temple was destroyed, this is historic fact, in 70AD, Jesus did not return, because (fill in the blank)...and here the long list of why they think Jesus did not return as he said he would begins. I am sure you can fill in the blank with the ideas you have heard preached and taught about the return of Christ.

If we want to be true to scripture, and allow what is written to shape our own ideas, we must read the scriptures in context and try to understand what is written, without forcing our own ideas into understanding them. We do this type of interpretation called by scholars eisegesis, all too often when we read scripture. We think that the scriptures are written to us and are about our day and times. But they were not. There are many principles and doctrines that apply to all believers in all times, but much of the Bible is about historic events and times that were only directly applicable to those living through them. We can learn from these historic stories, and come to understandings of God’s will and ways from them, but can come to great errors trying to directly apply them to our day and time.

This is very true with end times prophecy. These things were not written to us, for us to be aware of events that might occur in our day and time. These were recorded and passed down to us to prove the faithfulness of God and the truth of Jesus prophesies, proving the truth of his Messiahship and Lordship over the New Covenant Kingdom of God.

Jesus in the Olivet Discourse is clear that the fulfillment of his prophetic statements about the destruction of the temple, his return and the end of the age took place in the life time, the generation of the disciples, in 70AD.