But Jesus said he would come back within his disciples' lifetimes.
That's not what He said.
What event do you think Jesus is referring to in Matthew 10:23, Matthew 24:34, and Matthew 16:28 then?
Matthew 10:23: Jesus is talking to two different groups of disciples, the ones standing before Him in the fist century, and the Christians at the end of time. Our time this is related to:
"And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
Matthew 24:34: Jesus is talking to His People living in the end times. The generation that sees Israel back as a nation. The fig tree, and all the trees.
"Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh.
The generation that sees this will not pass away until ALL is fulfilled.
Luke said when you see the fig tree and ALL the trees.
"Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; When they now shoot forth,
ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.
Starting from the top and continuing clockwise: Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Egypt.
Lebanon (1943)
Following World War I, France acquired a mandate over the northern portion of the former Ottoman Empire province of Syria. The French separated out the region of Lebanon in 1920, and granted this area independence in 1943.
Syria (1946)
Following World War I, France acquired a mandate over the northern portion of the former Ottoman Empire province of Syria. The French administered the area as Syria until granting it independence in 1946.
Jordan (1946)
Following World War I and the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, the UK received a mandate to govern much of the Middle East. Britain separated out a semi-autonomous region of Transjordan from Palestine in the early 1920s, and the area gained its independence in 1946; it adopted the name of Jordan in 1950.
Egypt (1952)
Partially independent from the UK in 1922, Egypt acquired full sovereignty with the overthrow of the British-backed monarchy in 1952.
Israel (1948)
Following World War II, Britain withdrew from its mandate of Palestine, and the UN proposed partitioning the area into Arab and Jewish states, an arrangement rejected by the Arabs. Nonetheless, an Israeli state was declared in 1948 and Israel subsequently defeated the Arab armies in a series of wars that did not end deep tensions between the two sides.
www.cia.gov
Between 1943 and 1952, all of the coun-trees surrounding Israel also became nations again after many years of hyber-nation. All within five years of the Fig-Tree.
(Do you think it's a coincidence the world is still looking at a map of this region in 2023?)
Matthew 16:28: Jesus is talking to the first century People there. He might mean the mount of transfiguration in the next chapter, maybe ascension day in Acts, or maybe He was speaking to demonic angels that only He could see.
But what I'm saying is, an interpretation of this can't prove the parousia has failed. The empirical data for that is placed in another area of the Bible.
The only way that these prophecies could have come true is if stars fell from the heavens to the earth and the elect were raptured into heaven while the unbelievers were judged.
There's a bunch of symbolism in the Script right? The Dragon's tail swept down a third of
the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth.
Hebrew couplet: "When the
morning stars sang together, and all the
sons of God shouted for joy? Stars=Sons of God.
But how could we be here having that conversation if those events already took place?
Like now, events are taking place, but not all of them are being recognized for what the are. That's how it had to be.
So that even though we are not in darkness so that that day should overtake us as a thief, the Son of man is still going to be able to come at an hour that we do not expect.