Jam Tomorrow!

Twice in each of the Synoptic gospels Jesus says he will return before the generation ended. It looks like this was an early belief - perhaps Jesus even said it. But as time passed, the prophecy had to be re-worked.

That generation passed...

Looking at Mark, as the earliest:

Mark 9:1 And he said to them, “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.”

It seems likely that even by ca. AD 70 this was looking unlikely, so Mark leads straight into the transfiguration:

2 After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. 3 His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. 4 And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.

5 Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 6 (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)

7 Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”

The idea here being that the disciples were right then seeing the kingdom of God. It is rather weak; it is like a man prophesising to a crowd that some of them would still be alive when he takes them out for dinner in a couple of days. To be clear here, the transfiguration (assuming it happened) is a huge deal, and not comparable to going out for a meal. However, we are looking at the prophecy. Prophesising some people still being alive for something that will happen in a couple days is nonsense.

According to Mark, Jesus prophesised he would return after being crucified while some of his disciples were still alive. The prophecy failed. The author could not change what Jesus said, so had to put it in a new context so it could be rationised away. This was copied in Matthew 16 and Luke 9.

The second time is in a large description of the apocalypse, of which this is just a small snippet.

Mark 13:26 “At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27 And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.

28 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 29 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it[d] is near, right at the door. 30 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

Matthew is similar:

Mat 24:30 “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth[c] will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.[d] 31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

32 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33 Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it[e] is near, right at the door. 34 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

In the context in both cases is the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, which the authors of both Mark and Matthew understood to be a sign of the apocalypse. They have both re-worded the prophecy to indicate the generation that witnessed the fall of the Temple, rather than those Jesus was talking to.

Then that generation passed...

By the time Luke was writing, even that was looking unlikely.

Luke 21:27 At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

29 He told them this parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. 30 When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. 31 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near.

32 “Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

Now "this generation" refers to some vague generation in the future. And that is odd, as Jesus is now saying that some members of the generation around when the apocalyse happens will live to see the apocalyse. Jesus promise that some will still be alive has been reduced to a tautology.

Then that generation passed...

There is a branch of Christianity called Preterism that holds that Jesus has already returned, that the apocalyse has already happened, when the Temple fell. It seems to be a view that dates back to the mid-sixteenth century, and Catholism fighting back against protestantism.

A more common approach is to pretend Jesus meant this race or even just this period of time. Again, all Jesus is saying now is that the end times will be upon us when this age ends... which is pretty obvious really.

So much for Biblical prophecy.