Sunday, June 2, 2013

The Second Coming of Jesus, Really?

The events shown in the New Testament following the death of Jesus would suggest that the disciples did not expect anything more from their savior.  He had been nailed to a cross and with him were killed at the messianic hopes.  The gospel according to Luke 24:13, we read the account of two of his disciples returning in disappointment to their home in Emmaus.   The reason for the disciples' feeling of disappointment was that they had believed Jesus to be the long-awaited Messiah as seen in Luke 24:21.  But they could see that Jesus had died without accomplishing what a Messiah was predicted to do.  In the story, Jesus enlightens them and in Luke 24:27 it says, "And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself."

Today, when I ask Christians, how is it possible for Jesus to be the Messiah when he clearly did not do the things a Messiah must do, I am given the answer that he will accomplish all things at his second coming.  Jesus was given another chance.  His death was only temporary.  He arose from the dead and will one day return and do all the things he did not do when he was alive his first visit.  (By the way, when he arose, would that not constitute a second coming since he left earth, and descended into hell?  Since according to Christians hell is some place not on the earth's surface...Just a thought).  

Therefore, any person, who, at some future date, establishes a Messianic era will be seen to be the true Messiah but presumably Christians will argue that such a person could only be Jesus who has returned. However, Messianic expectations are only to be fulfilled by a supposed SECOND coming, what was the point of the first coming?  Both John and Paul's epistles present Jesus as a pagan deity, who as Adonis, son of a virgin Myrha, and Hermes, son of the virgin Maia.  He was a member of a holy trinity as were Mithra and Osiris, Hermes Tris-Megistrus (the thrice-mighty Hermes).  He performed miracles like the Dionysus, who turned water into wine, and he was put to death as were the sixteen crucified pagan saviors before him.  According to this, Jesus was just another sinbearer, another of the god-men of pagan mythology.  

Let us examine the New Testament references to the second coming.  Matthew 10:23, Jesus addressed his 12 disciples, and told them that they will "not have gone over all the cities of Israel, til the Son of man be come."

Almost two thousand years have gone by since this supposed statement of Jesus was made and whether or not the 12 disciples managed to travel to all the cities of Israel, one thing is certain, the Son of Man did not come.

Matthew 16:28 explicitly states that "There are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of man coming in his Kingdom."  It is plain to all that none of those to whom Jesus spoke these words is still alive today.  Matthew 16:24, especially, indicates that he was speaking to his disciples.

Another whole chapter, that of Matthew 24:1-51, is considered to be a prophecy made by Jesus.  Fundamentalists believe that this prophecy will be fulfilled in the "last days", by which they mean prior to Jesus' supposed SECOND coming.  However, modern scholars claim that this chapter records events which had already taken place (since Matthew was written in approximately 80-90 A.D.).

I must point out something that is overlooked by most fundamentalists, is the fact that Jesus was addressing his disciples in private (Matthew 24:3):  "And they came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be?  And what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?"  Jesus then gave a list of happenings, adding to it, "Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: an you shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake" (Verse 9).  It appears from those words that the twelve disciples would be around to witness the supposed SECOND coming and the end of time.  Jesus continues, "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."  In Verse 33 he was even more explicit.  "So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors."  Verse 34 Jesus continues to elaborate, stating, "Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled."  Yet as the whole world knows, THIS generation did pass away without Jesus returning.  Fundamentalists likes to argue about the "THIS generation" means the generation alive when this prophecy comes to pass, which they believe has yet to happen.  But I need only point out that Jesus was definitely not speaking to some future generation, he was speaking to his disciples and directed this prophecy to them personally.  

In Mark 14:62, Jesus told the chief priests, "Ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power and coming in the clouds of heaven."  Yet history shows this to be a false prophecy, because the chief priest have been dead for 1900 years or more.  They never lived to see Jesus coming in the clouds of heaven, for, as the world knows, Jesus never returned.

It is evident throughout the epistles that Paul was not accepted by the apostolic group.  He met with opposition and contention throughout his ministry.  After establishing churches in Asia Minor (modern day Turkey) he found that all those in Asia had left him.  He wrote an epistle to the Romans, yet on his arrival in Rome, Italy, only three believers were there to comfort him in bonds.  In Corinth (Corinth is located in Greece) also, Paul was judged by fellow believers and so he said in 1 Corinthians 4:3, "But with me it is a very small things that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self."  He then told those who were contending with him, "...judge nothing before the time." In other words, Paul told them to wait "until the Lord come who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and will manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God".  It is obvious from these words that Paul believed Jesus would return in HIS lifetime to vindicate him in this controversy.  But Jesus didn't arrive, and the controversy continues to this day as modern scholars expose Paul as a fraud and accuse him of establishing a religion different from the one which Jesus and the apostles followed.

Jesus was expected to return during the lifetime of certain children to whom John addressed his epistle. (1 John 2:28), "And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming."  They all died without Jesus ever returning.