Why have many missed Jesus secon

Why many have missed Jesus'

second coming in 70 A.D.

Today, I want to explain why I believe many honest, sincere believers have missed the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in A.D. 70. As you may know from my previous teachings and statements over the years, I once believed that everything prophesied by the prophets, Jesus, and His apostles would occur at some future time.

That future time has been in the future for so many for over 2000 years.

Many people in 2026 believe that all the end-times events prophesied in Scripture will happen in their near future; millions have believed the same for generations because that is what they have been taught.

Many Jews, Muslims, and especially atheists, ridicule those who hold to “futurism”—the belief that many or all biblical prophecies remain unfulfilled and will be fulfilled at some point in the future.

In fact, many will say, “How can Jesus be the Messiah?”—because, in their view, most of what he said would happen never happened when he said it would.

Of course, this assumes that the prophecies in Scripture have yet to be fulfilled.

In 2018, I was first introduced to the idea that Jesus returned in A.D. 70. I completely rejected this teaching at the time. Looking back, I believe I simply wasn’t ready to receive it. Some of you, my brothers and sisters, may feel the same way—and that’s okay. I’m not here to force anyone to believe anything.

You’re free to believe what you choose, just as I am. No one is forcing either of us to believe anything.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 tells us that God makes everything beautiful in its time. At times, you may reject something in Scripture, only to change your mind years later as God’s Word brings clarity. That’s how it was for me—I simply wasn’t ready then.

So, I understand how many of you may feel.

It’s vital that each of us has received the Spirit of God, as Jesus told His disciples in John 16:13: the Spirit will guide you into all truth. And because God’s Word is truth (John 17:17), we trust that the Spirit will lead anyone who is sincerely seeking into that truth.

My encouragement to you is to follow the example of the Bereans in Acts 17:11 receive the Word eagerly and examine the Scriptures daily to see whether these things are so. Likewise, the apostle Paul urged Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:15 to study so that he could present himself approved to God. We should do the same.

As I’ve always said, don’t take my word for it—go and study the matter for yourself.
 
Important things to insure effective study.

1. Set aside any preconceived ideas you may have about the Lord’s coming.

You might hear about it from time to time—perhaps from Christians at work or in your neighbourhood who are fixated on the “end times.” You may also have been taught that these events will happen in the future, just before the end of the world.

Even today, many people see current events as signs that the Messiah is near.

The problem is that every war, cyclone, earthquake, or fire is treated as proof that the Lord’s return is just around the corner. People have been saying this for more than 2,000 years, and they likely will long after we are gone.

Right now, decide that you will NOT impose what you’ve been taught about the Lord’s coming and the end times onto the Bible. Instead, let Scripture speak for itself.

2. Approach Scripture with an open mind.

In other words, taking notes on a literal blank page matters less than becoming that blank page yourself—YOU.

With that in mind, let’s look at a few essential tools for studying the Scriptures more effectively.

Study Tools

1) Get a good bible - We recommend Bible Gateway, a free online resource that lets you read the Scriptures in many translations.

2) E-Sword - An excellent tool you can download to your computer or tablet, with features for exploring Hebrew and Greek word meanings.

3) Other free online programmes we use include: Bible Hub, Blue Letter Bible, and Scripture4all. We also recommend reading The War of the Jews by Flavius Josephus and The Histories by Tacitus . Both wrote historical accounts around the time of the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple.

We’ve included links to all these Bible study tools for you.

Now that you have a few tools to help you study Scripture more effectively, let’s move on to how the Bible describes end-time events.

Study Approach

1) Audience Relevance - When we read the Scriptures, we MUST consider the original audience. Understanding who a passage was written to is essential for accurate interpretation and application. Ignoring the historical and cultural context can lead to misinterpretation and to reading modern ideas into ancient texts.

Because the Bible addressed specific people in specific situations, keeping that context in view helps us grasp its intended meaning.

This is one major reason so many doctrines circulate today, and why there are an estimated 50,000 Christian denominations worldwide in 2026. Most hold different beliefs because they do not apply the principles outlined above when teaching and presenting the Scriptures.

Living in the Western world, we should remember that people in the East often do things differently.

They often interpret things differently than we do.

Over time, people’s lifestyles, language, and assumptions change, so we should keep that context in mind when interpreting Scripture for its original audience.

Key questions to ask as you study the Scriptures:

What - What was said.

Who - Who was speaking, and who was listening. (and, in letters, who wrote it and who read it).

When- was this said.

Where - was this happening.

Why- Why was this being said or happening?

Examples of Audience Relevance

Luke 1:3- The book of Luke was a letter written by Luke to a man named Theophilus.

Acts 1:1- The book of Acts was a letter written by Luke to a man named Theophilus. The former account or letter/book is referring to the book of Luke.

Romans 1:1 & 7 - The book of Romans was a letter written by the Apostle Paul to the assemblies and believers in Rome.

1 Corinthians 1:1-2 - The books of Corinthians was a letter written by the Apostle Paul to the assemblies and believers in Corinth.

Galatians 1:1-2 - The book of Galatians was a letter written by the Apostle Paul to the assemblies and believers in Galatia.

Ephesians 1:1 - The book of Ephesians was a letter written by the Apostle Paul to the assemblies and believers in Ephesus.

1 Timothy 1:1-2 - The books of Timothy was a letter written by the Apostle Paul to Timothy who was his son in the faith.

Revelation 1:4 - The book of Revelation was a letter written by the Apostle John to the assemblies and believers in Asia minor (Todays modern Turkey).

Most of the books in the New Testament of were letters written in the first century by first-century people to first-century people.

They were NOT WRITTEN TO US IN 2026.

1 Corinthians 10:11, We must always remember that the scriptures were written for us BUT NOT TO US!

Now that we have been given these examples of audience relevance let us now move on with why I believe many have missed the coming of Messiah in A.D. 70 and the FULFILLMENT OF ALL THINGS!

Reason # 1 - The Kingdom of God is Spiritual NOT Physical

Most believers have been and are looking for a physical fulfilment in the return of Jesus and the Kingdom of God.

Most believers have ignored statements that Jesus and his Apostles made about His Kingdom being spiritual and NOT Physical

Luke 17:20-21 The Pharisees asked Jesus when the Kingdom of God was coming, so he answered, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation” or as the English Standard Version reads “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed”, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ For indeed, the Kingdom of God is within you.” or as the English Standard Version reads: “the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”

For indeed, “the kingdom of God is within you” or “in your midst.” is a far better translation than “in you.” as the King James Version has it translated.

Jesus would not have told hostile Pharisees that God’s Kingdom was within them. He meant that the Kingdom was among them—because Jesus himself was there, the King who brings his Kingdom.

Another possible translation could be “the Kingdom of Heaven is in your grasp.”

Jesus says here in Luke 17 to the disciples, Pharisees and people listening to him teach who knew that the Kingdom of God was going to come soon. After all John the Baptist's message was “Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” Matthew 3:1-2, Jesus also preached “Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” Matthew 4:17.

Notice both John and Jesus said “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” The Greek word used for "Is at hand" is Eggizo and means near or is approaching.

It definitely does not mean thousands of years away!

Jesus was saying to everyone listening that they wouldn’t be able to point and say, “Look—here it is!” or “There it is!” You won’t see the Kingdom of God suddenly appear in Jerusalem, Australia, or anywhere else on earth. He clearly says the Kingdom does not come with observation—in other words, it is NOT SOMETHING THAT CAN BE SEEN WITH THE PHYSICAL EYES!

"Binocular" (adjective/noun) refers to using both eyes simultaneously to view, originating from 17th-century Latin bini ("two by two") and oculus ("eye"). It describes vision involving two eyes or, as "binoculars," a handheld, double-tubed instrument for magnification.

Many have asked questions such as:

“What evidence do we have that the Kingdom of God was established in AD 70”?

“What evidence do we have that the resurrection occurred in AD 70” and

“that Jesus returned in judgment etc”?

As always, we must turn to the scriptures to find the answers and who's more qualified to answer these question than the Lord Jesus Christ himself.

Jesus himself already gave us the answer in Luke 17:20 the Kingdom of God DOES NOT COME WITH OCULAR/VISUAL OR VISIBLE EVIDENCE!

“This echoes John 14:21–23, where Jesus says that whoever loves him will keep his commandments, and that he and the Father will come and make their home within that person. It also parallels Revelation 3:15, 20, where Jesus warns the lukewarm Laodicean church, yet says he stands at the door and knocks; whoever opens to him, he will come in and fellowship with them.”

We see that within you is the spiritual nature of the Kingdom of God and Paul also mentions that in Colossians 1:27 where he says Christ in you the hope of glory and this truly is what the Kingdom of God represents. Another example here in John 18:33-37 where Jesus is standing before Pilate at the judgment seat and Pilate asked him are you a king and he says that he is but that his Kingdom is not of this world.

This highlights the spiritual nature of the Kingdom of God. Paul points to this in Colossians 1:27, describing it as “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Likewise, in John 18:33–37, Jesus tells Pilate that although he is a king, his Kingdom is not of this world.

In other words, Jesus is saying his Kingdom is spiritual, not physical. If it were of this world, his servants would fight to prevent his arrest—but instead he states, “My kingdom is not from here.”

Many are taught to believe the insistence on a physical fulfilment, and this is what has really messed up the church for over 2,000 years and is the main reason why they missed the second coming of Jesus in 70 A.D.

One very important thing that I want us to all consider is how long does scripture tell us "The Resurrection" and "The Rapture" would take?

Both events took place at the same time and took the same amount of time. The answer is found in 1 Corinthians 15:51-52.

I want you to now blink your eyes!!!

How long did that take? Now I want you to write down everything that you saw and everything that happened at that moment you blinked your eyes.

That's how long it took for the ressurection, change and catching up of the believers. IF anyone at all witnessed it they would have not been able to write down anything as it was so quick. See: Matthew 24:27.

Everyone else was either too busy fighting in the battle or fleeing for their lives.

Before we move on lets now have a look at the signs recorded by Josephus, Tacitus and Eusebius.

Reason # 2 - The Example of Nicodemus and the Spiritual Rebirth

Another example of the Kingdom of God being spiritual and NOT physical in John 3:1-8 we see Jesus telling Nicodemus that except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God.

However, Nicodemus did not understand that what Jesus was speaking about was something spiritual and NOT physical by asking how can I enter my mother's womb a second time and be born?

As New Covenant believers looking back, we laugh because we think to ourselves Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a ruler of the Jews surly, he would have known what Jesus was speaking about and by Nicodemus asking such a question sounds stupid.

However, I don't think we would have done any better had we been in Nicodemus shoes. We have over 2,000 years of history we have the New Testament that's been put together for us and great theologians that have gone before us that have helped us to understand these scriptures and Nicodemus didn't have access to any of that.

So when Nicodemus asks how can I be born again physically a second time I don't think we would have done any better and the proof of that is the fact that 98% of the church for over 2,000 years are still looking for that physical fulfilment basically essentially making the same exact mistake and statements that Nicodemus said and made in John 3 here in 2026.

However, as we read on in the account Jesus makes it abundantly clear that he was speaking of something spiritual and NOT Physical. Let's read John 3:5-7.

We can clearly see here that Nicodemus was thinking and believing in a physical way, just as many believers in Messiah do today and have done so for over 2000 years.

This is NOT what Jesus nor his Apostles taught, everything that they taught was SPIRITUAL.

Reason # 3 -The Example of the Woman at the Well and the Spiritual water

Let's have a look at another example in John 4:10-26 we see Jesus talking to the woman at the well Jesus asks her for a drink of water.

Her being a Samaritan woman as it was at the time “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” the reason is that Jews had no dealings with Samaritans.

Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”

In other words, Jesus said I can give you eternal living water that wells up into eternal life and she asks Jesus to give her this water that she may not thirst or have to come here again to draw water.

It is evident that the Samaritan lady at the well believed that what Jesus described as spiritual was indeed physical.

A few verses later, in John 4:21, Jesus says, "Believe me, woman, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem worship the father, but he's looking for people to worship Him in spirit and in truth." This is an attempt to help her comprehend and understand that.

I want us to look closely at John 4:23-24 notice how Jesus says the hour is coming and now is. why is this? Matthew 12:6, John 2:19, Revelation 21:22.

Notice in verse 24 Jesus says that those who worship the Father MUST worship in spirit and in truth.

Jesus is greater than that temple, and currently here on earth we are that temple 1 Corinthians 3:16

Unfortunately, many believers in Messiah now believe that a temple will be erected in Jerusalem and that we will return there to worship Jesus, but this is NOT what Jesus taught. He stated clearly that the time will come when you will no longer worship the Father in Jerusalem or on this mountain.

That hour came in A.D. 70 when the temple in Jerusalem and the city was completely obliterated by the Roman Armies.

Reason # 4 -The Example of Jesus the Cannibal?

John 6:47–59 In verse 52, the Jews quarrelled among themselves, asking, "How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?" after Jesus told them that they had to eat his flesh and drink his blood or else they would not have life.

Once more, it is evident that they are transforming what Jesus taught as spiritual into physical. Jesus was not talking about actual food, meat, or blood.

Jesus was telling the people that they needed to put their trust in him to get both the forgiveness of sins and the eternal life that only he possessed. In a spiritual sense, people are digesting his flesh and drinking his blood if they put their confidence in him. They are, nevertheless, trying to physically understand this.

John 6:60, a few verses later, says, "This is a difficult teaching; who can comprehend it?"

Many of his disciples reportedly stopped following him after that, most likely because of misinterpreting Jesus' teachings as an exhortation to cannibalism. Like the miscommunication between Nicodemus and the woman at the well, they are attempting to turn it into something tangible or physical.

This recurring error may be seen throughout the New Testament, even to this day, because people back then commonly attempted to interpret spiritual realities and truths into concrete or physical concepts.

Given that we live in physical bodies in a material cosmos and need physical sustenance, this propensity makes perfect sense. We are conditioned to think in very specific terms from the moment we are born. But according to the Gospels, Jesus usually discusses spiritual issues that are difficult for people to comprehend.

This misconception, in my opinion, is also evident in the context of the second coming and the church. The Hebrew word for church is "Qahal," while the Greek term for church is "ecclesia," which is typically translated into English as "assembly" or "gathering."

Reason # 5 -The Example of Jesus coming in the Clouds

God warned Moses in Exodus 19:11 that he will descend upon Mount Sinai, but how would he do so? will he descend physically? Let's read what the Bible says, starting with Exodus 19:16–20.

Most people when you speak to them about the giving of the ten commandments think of Moses speaking to God in a burning bush. Exodus 3:1-10

What most people don't realise is that the burning bush experience is NOT the same as what happened on Mount Sinai at the giving of the Covenant.

For the sake of time, we will not go into how long between these two events.

Exodus 19:11 states that "the Lord will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people." Additionally, Exodus 19:16–20 shows that the people witnessed the Lord's descent.

thundering and lightning

a thick cloud

the sound of the trumpet was very loud that all the people who were in the camp trembled.

According to verse 18, when the Lord descended upon Mount Sinai in fire, it was entirely covered in smoke. The entire mountain trembled as its smoke rose like a furnace's smoke.

We see that God came down but not how we expect him to come. Yet he still came down on that mountain as it clearly states in verse 20 "Then the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai, on the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up."

Messiah came in Judgment in A.D. 70 and using the Roman Armies destroyed the Temple, the city of Jerusalem and all remaining Israelites were taken into captivity and sold off as slaves.

Israel was no longer a nation made up of a physical people, in a physical city with a physical temple.

Everything that Jesus said would happen, happened and it happened when he said it would happen. "In that generation" see Matthew 24:34; Mark 13:30 and Luke 21:32.

Reason # 6 -Symbolism is often used throughout Scripture but many fail to recognise!

The Sun, Moon, and Stars were never about galaxies falling from Space

Modern prophecy teachers read the Bible like a disaster movie script. Every mention of the sun darkening, the moon turning to blood, or stars falling from heaven becomes a prediction about cosmic collapse, asteroid impacts, or the end of the physical universe.

But the Bible itself already explains what “sun, moon, and stars” symbolize.

It begins with Joseph’s dream in Genesis 37:9-11.

Joseph says: “I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.”

Jacob immediately interprets the symbolism: “Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?”

The meaning is not hidden.

The sun represented Jacob.

The moon represented the matriarchal line.

The eleven stars represented the tribes of Israel.

This is the foundational symbolic key for later prophetic language. Celestial bodies represented rulers, tribes, kingdoms, covenant structures (Such as the Temple in Jerusalem etc), and political authority.

Not literal astronomy.

This is why the prophets repeatedly use cosmic-collapse imagery when nations fall.

In Isaiah 13:10, the prophet describes the fall of Babylon: “The stars of heaven and their constellations will not show their light. The rising sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light.”

Yet history records that Babylon fell to the Medes and Persians in the sixth century BCE. The physical universe remained intact.

The scholar John H. Walton explains that ancient Near Eastern cosmic language was often used metaphorically to describe political upheaval and the collapse of social order, not literal astronomical catastrophe.

Likewise, Ezekiel 32:7 uses identical imagery against Egypt: “I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give her light.”

Notice in the beginning of Ezekiel 32:7 it reads: "When I put out your light" Audience relevance as we always stress when used throughout scripture, we have the Prophet Ezekiel speaking the Word of Yahuah (God) to Pharaoh King of Egypt.

1) Who = God through Ezekiel to Pharaoh King of Egypt.

2) When = 585 BC.

3) Where = Tel Abib near the Chebar River in Babylon (modern-day Iraq).

This is another example of Audience Relevance, I won't go to the Why or What for the sake of time, however I am sure you understand by now the importance of applying audience relevance when reading scripture.

Again, Egypt’s political downfall is in view, not the destruction of the galaxy.

Contrary to what many are incorrectly teaching scripture tells us that the "Earth abides forever". - See Ecclesiastes 1:4.

Michael D. Coogan notes that prophetic cosmic imagery in the Hebrew Bible functioned symbolically to portray divine judgment upon nations and kings.

This symbolic tradition continued into Jewish apocalyptic literature.

John J. Collins, one of the leading authorities on apocalyptic texts, writes in his studies on Jewish apocalypticism that cosmic disturbances commonly symbolized historical and political crises involving earthly kingdoms.

Now, let’s look at the phrase “heaven and earth” as it was originally used in the Old Testament. Our first example can be found in Leviticus 26:18-20.

18 ‘And after all this, if you do not obey Me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. 19 I will break the pride of your power; I will make your heavens like iron and your earth like bronze. 20 And your strength shall be spent in vain; for your land shall not yield its produce, nor shall the trees of the land yield their fruit.

Here the Lord is telling Israel the outcomes of disobeying His commandments.

Notice the word “your” in front of the word “heaven” and “earth”.

Remember, God is speaking to the twelve tribes of Israel; therefore, the “their heaven and earth” used here is figurative for their land NOT for the cosmic heavens and the physical planet earth.

Let’s examine another reference to “heaven and earth” used by Moses when he spoke to the children of Israel while still in the wilderness. Deuteronomy 4:26.

26 I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that you will soon utterly perish from the land which you cross over the Jordan to possess; you will not prolong your days in it but will be utterly destroyed.

This verse warns the Israelites about the consequence of disobedience. Here Moses uses the phrase “I call heaven and earth to witness against you….” In using this figurative expression of “heaven and earth”, Moses is reminding the children of Israel of the covenant God has made with them at Mt. Sinai and he is reasoning with them to keep that covenant.

What is the witness against the children of Israel?

It is the "Book of the Law" or "Law of Moses" given to them for breaking the covenant which was the ten words Deuteronomy 4:13. These Commandments often referred to as the 603 commandments added to the original ten are what convicted them of their wrongs and would testify or witness against them. Deuteronomy 4:23

Moses admonishes them not to forget the covenant that the Lord had made with them.

Deuteronomy 31:24-26 24 So it was, when Moses had completed writing the words of this law in a book, when they were finished, 25 that Moses commanded the Levites, who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord, saying: 26 “Take this Book of the Law, and put it beside the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there was a witness against you;

Moses commanded the Levites to place the Book of the Law at the side of the Ark of the Covenant under the Mercy Seat in the Holiest of All, “that it may be there for a witness against them”. The "You" in this verse is the nation of Israel.

Here, God said that the Book of the Law would “witness against them”. In Deuteronomy 4:26, it said that “heaven and earth” would witness against them.

In Deuteronomy 31:24-26, it said that the book of the Law would witness against them. Therefore, we can say that what is commonly known as the Mosaic Covenant or the Law of Moses was also called their “heaven and earth”.

For more information on this subject please see our article: Why was the LAW given?

Again, we see Judah and Jerusalem being addressed as “heavens” and “earth” in Isaiah 1:1-2.

Isaiah 1:1-2, 1 The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. 2 Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the Lord hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.

In this passage, the “heaven and earth” being addressed is the nation of Israel.

This brings us directly to Jesus in Matthew 24:29

Jesus says: “The sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven.”

Modern readers immediately think: “The universe is ending.”

But first-century Jews steeped in Isaiah, Ezekiel, Joel, and Daniel would have recognized this as covenantal judgment language.

Jesus had already been speaking about:

* Jerusalem surrounded by armies,

* The Temple’s destruction,

* People fleeing Judea,

* Tribulation upon that generation,

* And the coming collapse of the old covenant order.

The context is entirely first century.

N. T. Wright argues that Jesus’ apocalyptic language in Matthew 24 refers primarily to the destruction of Jerusalem and the end of the Temple system in A.D. 70, using traditional Jewish prophetic symbolism rather than predicting the literal destruction of the cosmos.

Similarly, R. T. France states in his commentary on Matthew that the imagery of sun, moon, and stars reflects Old Testament metaphorical language for national catastrophe and divine judgment.

Even conservative scholars acknowledge this symbolic background.

The problem is that modern prophecy culture ignores ancient literary conventions and reads modern scientific literalism into ancient Jewish texts.

The result is endless nonsense:

*Every eclipse becomes a prophecy.

*Every blood moon becomes a warning.

*Every meteor shower becomes “proof” the rapture is near.

*Every war is the start of World War 3 or the battle of armegeddon.

Meanwhile Genesis already gave the interpretive key thousands of years ago.

Sun.

Moon.

Stars.

Israel.

The imagery was covenantal and political long before modern Christians turned it into science fiction.

When Jerusalem fell in A.D. 70, Israel’s symbolic “heavens” collapsed. The Temple burned. The priesthood ended. The sacrificial system vanished.

An entire covenant world came to an end.

That was the “heaven and earth” being shaken.

Not galaxies falling out of outer space.

For those still not convinced the Apostle Paul told the believers in Ephesus, Ephesians 6:12

12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

When we understand the structure of that system in the first century we can understand more clearly that Paul is speaking about those who are in power and authority and also the Covenent that they were currently under and which was about to end.

Notice in this verse "The rulers of the darkness of THIS AGE!

What age? The Old Covenant age which was what Hebrews 8:13 is refering to as being ready to vanish away and that it did in A.D. 70.

Reason # 7 -This Revelation must come from our Father in Heaven!

There are many instances in scripture that we see where revelation must come from our Father in Heaven.

Let's read Matthew 16:13-28.

Jesus asks his disciples who do men say that I the son of man am? “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

Notice the disciples were relying on what they heard others say? This we often encounter when we discuss this matter with other people, they will often go around the subject without giving a direct answer as to what they believe from scripture and why.

Often, they will repeat what they have heard others say.

Jesus turns to them and says, “But who do you say that I am?”

Often when confronted with questions people will turn to things like google and to their family and friends and in many instances to their Pastors. Of course, they will be told different things and they will often times come back at us with questions. The issue is they do not answer these questions from what they have personally researched on.

The question I ask everyone is: "Why do you believe what you believe"? 2 Timothy 2:15 Paul in writing to Timothy encourages him to be diligent and study the scriptures to rightly divide the Word of Truth.

This one major issue we see in our world today no one studies the scriptures for themselves. They have become lazy I often refer to these people as Pew Potatoes.

This is why Jesus asked his disciples "But who do you say that I am?"

Simon Peter answered him and said, "You are the Christ the Son of the Living God". “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

In other words, man cannot reveal these things to you only our father in heaven can and will if you are sincere with his Word.

When we pick up from verse 21, we see that Jesus showed his diciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.

Now this where most people switch off as Peter did as we will see.

It's too negative!

We are supposed to be a happy people, a joyful people and all we can teach about is Judgment that came on the nation of Israel it's City Jerusalem and the Temple.

Peter took Jesus to the side and began to rebuke him Peter said to Jesus “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” Peter and all other Jews of his day were expecting a Messiah to come who was going to re-establish the Kingdom to Israel See Acts 1:6 and would sit on the throne of David and this is what the Jews and many Christian or Messianic believers teach today.

This is why the Jews will deny Jesus is Messiah because he doesn't match what they were told and taught the Messiah was going to be. Let's read how Jesus responds to Peter Matthew 16:23.

Now if I turned to any of you and called you Satan you would not want to know me anymore because I wasn't being very loving right?

Let's continue reading from Matthew 16:24-28:

27 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.

28 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.”

Now when we read this, we see that his disciples to whom he was speaking did believe that he would return in the Glory of His Father. We have seen from the scriptures brought out above that coming in the clouds was symbolic of God coming in Judgment which is what we see Jesus reffering to here.

But the story doesn't end there!

Jesus said to his disciples "there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom"

There were going to be some of his disciples (Standing there at that time) that were not going to die until they saw Jesus coming in the clouds of Judgment to set up His Kingdom.

The question I pose to all here is that IF this is indeed true, and Messiah has not come in His Kingdom (which many believe) that means we have some disciples and maybe even others that were there listening somewhere here on planet earth that are over 2000 years old.

We must always look to the Bible for the answers to our questions I have had people say to me that yes John and the other disciples can still be alive and over 2000 years old because according to Matthew 19:26 what is impossible with men is possible with God.

If only these people apply this logic to the rest of scripture.

Genesis 6:3 tells us that God reduced the maximum human life expectancy to 120 years, transitioning away from the multi-century lifespans seen in earlier generations i.e. many living to 900 or more years.

If this is so and it is then we have the following issues.

1) God clearly reduced the lifespan of humanity down to 120 years old, 2000 years before he came to the earth in the person of Messiah.

2) God NEVER said he would increase the lifespan of any human being anywhere in scripture. If anything, history shows an even further reduction in lifespan to approximately 73.8 years so if you are older than 73.8 years old consider yourself blessed.

This of course has nothing to do with what we eat or how we heat up our food but has everything to do with Psalms 90:10.

3) So if we believe that Jesus was going to return 2000 years from that moment in scripture (Which many believe today) we have got to conclude that there were some standing there on that day (2000 years ago) who are alive today somewhere over 2000 years old and not only does this contradict scripture and historical facts but also makes Jesus a liar.

Brothers and Sisters, Jesus came when he said he was going to come "In THAT Generation" see Matthew 24:34, Mark 13:30 and Luke 21:32. This means that not only are some standing with Jesus that day still alive and over 2000 years old, but we also have a whole generation still alive today IF all those things have NOT HAPPENED YET!

Reason # 8 -Those (NOT THESE) were the Days of Elijah back in the First Century - What?

One often comment that we always get is "Messiah could not have come back in A.D. 70 as this has not happened and that has not happened yet".

What about this? and what about that?

My answer is simply "What about them?"

Let's now have a look at Malachi 4:1-6

I want us to pay close attention to verse 5, notice how the Lord says that he will send Elijah the Prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.

Verse 5 Says: "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord."

Scripture clearly tells us that Elijah the Prophet would be sent 'BEFORE' the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.

Let's now read Matthew 11:1-24. Matthew 17:10-13. Mark 9:11-12.

I want us to look at Matthew 11:14; Matthew 17:12-13 and Mark 9:11-13.

Matthew 11:14-15

Matthew 17:12 Jesus tells his disciples clearly that Elijah has already come. After hearing what Jesus said the scriptures tell us that his disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist.

Now Jesus asked his disciples a question and I am asking you all the same question today Jesus said in verse 14 and 15, "And IF you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.

Are you willing to accept the truth concerning the return of Jesus back in the first century. He himself has just told his disciples Elijah has already come and that person was John the Baptist. BUT are you willing to receive it?

Verse 15 says He who has ears to hear, let him hear! Does this phrase sound familiar?

Reason # 9 -The Day of Pentecost was the declaration of those days being the last days and the fulfilment of Matthew 24:14

Let's now read Acts 2:1-21

The key events in these texts are as follows:

The Holy Spirit's Arrival: The disciples are gathered in one place when they experience a sound like a rushing mighty wind and see tongues of fire resting on each of them. They are filled with the Holy Spirit and begin speaking in different languages.

The Multitude's Confusion: Devout Jews from out of every nation were at Jerusalem keeping the feast of Shavuot or as we know it Pentecost hear the commotion. They are bewildered because these Galilean disciples are speaking fluently in the native languages of the visitors' homelands.

The Accusation: While many onlookers wonder what this phenomenon means, sceptics mock the disciples, claiming they are simply drunk on new wine.

Peter's Defence and Sermon: Peter stands up to correct the crowd, noting that it is only the "third hour of the day" (around 9:00 AM), so drunkenness is highly unlikely. He explains that this event is the direct fulfillment of the prophecy from the Old Testament prophet Joel.

This is what unlocked it for me as I was reading this passage it suddenly dawned on me. And I hope that it will also open your mind and heart also and accept the facts presented right out of the pages of the book we all know as the Bible.

Peter was telling these people that what they were witnessing and what they were experiencing was THE FULFILLMENT of the prophecy given by Joel.

By using the phrase: ''this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel'' In other words this is THAT very event.

He did not say this is the beginning of that event, or this is like what was prophesied but THIS IS IT!

And I direct our attention to verse 17 where he says ''And it shall come to pass in the last days''

The Prophecy of Joel: Peter quotes Joel to explain that in the last days, God will pour out His Spirit on all people, enabling sons, daughters, servants, and the elderly to prophesy and see visions, culminating in the assurance that anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Delivered from what?

Most people would say sin, why? because that is what has been taught for so long.

It was deliverance from THE WRATH to come. Matthew 3:7, Luke 3:7, 1 Thessalonians 1:10.

Lets read Colossians 3:1-7 the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience - the same generation that Messiah said all these things would take place Matthew 24:34; Mark 13:30 and Luke 21:32 and the same generation that Peter pleaded with the people to save themselves from in Acts 2:40.

This wrath to come brothers in Sisters was the destruction of Jerusalem, the temple and the disobedient nation of Israel back in the first century.

One of the things Jesus said in Matthew 24:14 is that the gospel message of the Kingdom must be preached in all the World as a witness to all nations -"And then the end will come".

Question: When the Gospel was preached at Pentecost… who was there to hear it?

Answer: Acts 2:5 And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven.

Representatives of every nation heard the Gospel then… in 33 AD at Pentecost or Shavuot in Hebrew was a feast to which people travelled far and wide, they carried the Gospel back to their homelands…. “every nation under heaven.”

You may ask "how this could possibly be…?" well even if I could not explain it, it would still be true because that is how the scriptures define “the Gospel being preached to all the nations” and the scriptures must always interpret the scriptures.

The word for “world” in Matthew 24:14 is “oikoumene” which means the “inhabited earth” which very often in the New Testament simply means the Roman Empire.

The Apostle Paul says that the Gospel was even preached to every creature under heaven at the time he wrote to the Assembly at Colosse around AD 60–62 and was even bearing fruit in the whole world. Colossians 1:5-6.

He also told the Romans when he wrote to them in the mid to late 50's AD, that their faith was being proclaimed to all the nations and throughout the whole world. Colossians 1:23.

Conclusion

In order for one to recognize that Jesus actually came back in 70 A.D. we have to let go of the physical fulfilment paradigm it just does not fit scripture.

Jesus states in various scriptures that the kingdom of God does not come by observation; it is a spiritual kingdom. Those living in the first century were not going to witness its physical manifestation in the sky or anything similar. This notion is quite distressing to some Christians I have encountered.

When they learn of my perspective, despite having prayed with many of them and knowing me for some time, they often label me a heretic, questioning my hope and even my identity as a Christian.

This has led to some becoming quite paranoid, asking what my intentions are. I comprehend their reactions, as my views challenge their expectations of a physical rapture, a physical resurrection, or a transformation of the body, and the belief that they might evade physical death.

Such ideas can be very troubling for many, and I recognize that. However, it is important to note that one cannot remove something that was never present in the first place; the scriptures did not assert this concept originally.

I am not truly taking anything away, but to those individuals I interact with, including some of my fellow brothers and sisters, it appears as though I am. My intention is to read the scriptures accurately, which is what I strive to do. Nevertheless, I have had some brothers and sisters who have become quite upset with me, and I typically refrain from engaging with them further, as it is not my desire to cause distress or upset anyone.

Remember, it is only after all scripture has been examined on any particular subject can true Bible doctrine be established.

Most people that have allot of questions when given the information will not even attempt to pray about it, examine it or look at it any further.

My sincere hope for all of us here today is to examine the information that you have been given thoroughly and with an open heart and mind.