Didn't Jesus say that the end times were to be within the lifetime of the apostles?

Question

I'm a Christian but some things don't make sense, please explain

Answer 1

The end times of the Jewish Temple Worship System would be within the lifetime of the apostles. A second set of events would not be. Here's how it goes:

When the Romans sacked Jerusalem and burned the temple in 70 AD, all the Christians who were living in Jerusalem, saw the signs, and left before the cataclysm occurred.

No Christians died there.

That's how Jesus could say:

Luk 21:6 These things which you see, the days will come in which there shall not be left a stone upon a stone that shall not be thrown down.
Luk 21:7 And they asked him, saying: Master, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign when they shall begin to come to pass?
Luk 21:8 Who said: Take heed you be not seduced: for many will come in my name, saying: I am he and the time is at hand. Go ye not therefore after them.
Luk 21:9 And when you shall hear of wars and seditions, be not terrified. These things must first come to pass: but the end is not yet presently.
Luk 21:10 Then he said to them: Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
Luk 21:11 And there shall be great earthquakes in divers places and pestilences and famines and terrors from heaven: and there shall be great signs.
Luk 21:12 But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and into prisons, dragging you before kings and governors, for my name's sake.
Luk 21:13 And it shall happen unto you for a testimony.
Luk 21:14 Lay it up therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before how you shall answer:
Luk 21:15 For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to resist and gainsay.
Luk 21:16 And you shall be betrayed by your parents and brethren and kinsmen and friends: and some of you they will put to death.
Luk 21:17 And you shall be hated by all men for my name's sake.
Luk 21:18 But a hair of your head shall not perish.
Luk 21:19 In your patience you shall possess your souls.
Luk 21:20 And when you shall see Jerusalem compassed about with an army, then know that the desolation thereof is at hand.
Luk 21:21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains: and those who are in the midst thereof depart out: and those who are in the countries not enter into it.
Luk 21:22 For these are the days of vengeance, that all things may be fulfilled, that are written.
Luk 21:23 But woe to them that are with child and give suck in those days: for there shall be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people.
Luk 21:24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword and shall be led away captives into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down by the Gentiles till the times of the nations be fulfilled.

Then, Jesus "shifts gears" and begins to speak about the far future, end of the age:

Luk 21:25 And there shall be signs in the sun and in the moon and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, by reason of the confusion of the roaring of the sea, and of the waves:
Luk 21:26 Men withering away for fear and expectation of what shall come upon the whole world. For the powers of heaven shall be moved.
Luk 21:27 And then they shall see the Son of man coming in a cloud, with great power and majesty.
Luk 21:28 But when these things begin to come to pass, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is at hand.

Then Jesus speaks the parable of the fig tree, the fig tree representing Israel.

This seems to indicate that the reemergence of the nation of Israel is a sign of the beginning of the end times.

Luk 21:29 And he spoke to them a similitude. See the fig tree and all the trees:
Luk 21:30 When they now shoot forth their fruit, you know that summer is nigh;
Luk 21:31 So you also, when you shall see these things come to pass, know that the kingdom of God is at hand.

Then, Jesus returns to speaking of Jerusalem back in the days of the apostles:

Luk 21:32 Amen, I say to you, this generation shall not pass away till all things be fulfilled.
Luk 21:33 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.
Luk 21:34 And take heed to yourselves, lest perhaps your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness and the cares of this life: and that day come upon you suddenly.
Luk 21:35 For as a snare shall it come upon all that sit upon the face of the whole earth.
Luk 21:36 Watch ye, therefore, praying at all times, that you may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that are to come and to stand before the Son of man.

A biblical generation is typically a 40 year span. A time of trial and testing is also indicated by the number 40.

It's no coincidence then, that Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed exactly 40 years after Jesus predicted it.

Odds are, if the Jews had, way back then, chosen to accept Christ, things in the Holy Land would be much much better today, too.

Answer 2

A close examination of that verse shows Jesus was predicting the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. This occured in the year 70 AD.

To show this, lets look at the verses in Matthew 24. (There are parrellel passages in Mark 13.)

First the apostles were observing the beautiful buildings of the temple. (Matt 24:1, Mark 13:1)

Jesus said that not one stone would be left upon another when the destruction came. (verse 2).

The apostles asked 3 questions. 1. When will these things happen? 2. What will be the signs of your coming (in judgement)? and 3. What will be the sign of the end of the world? (Verse 3) There were three questions asked and the following verses answered these questions.

"These things" in the first question refers to the things Christ has been talking about, the distruction of the temple. I believe the coming in judgement in the second question refers to his figurative coming in judgement on Jerusalem, not the end of the world. The third question talks about the end of the world.

Some group questions one and two together. These were asked first and were answered first. This answer appears in verses 4 through 35.

Note some reasons this section does not talk about the end of the world:
1. As you have stated, some who heard this would not die untill all these things had been fulfilled. (vrese 34)
2. They were to flee the city. If this was the end of the world, why flee? Where could you flee to?
3. They were to pray it would not be winter, or on the Sabbath. Also, woe to them who are with child. If end of the world, what difference would it make.

Verse 36 and following, however, speaks of the end of the world.
Notice the shift between talking about "those days" and verse 36 and following that talks about "that day"!

The days leading up to the distruction of Jerusalem would have signs. History tells us that when the Romans attacted Jerusalem, Christians fled away from the city. Others fled into the city, within the "safety" of the city walls, and were distroyed.

Of "that day", however, no one knows the signs. It will be sudden and without warning. The verses after verse 36 answer the third question asked.

(As for the "last days". We are currently living in the last time. See 1 John 2:18. We have been in the end times for almost 2000 years.)

Answer 3

In his first letter to the churches, the Apostle John wrote, "Children, it is the last hour" (1st John 3:18). By "hour" the Apostle John was referring to the age. That is, the age of grace in which all men have a chance to turn to Christ for salvation. In Revelation 22:20 Jesus says, "Yes, I am coming quickly." The Greek word that Jesus used for "quickly" does not imply that His return would happen in a very short time necessarily. The word Jesus used for "quickly' is a word that means "imminent." That is, that Jesus' return could be at any moment.
No, Jesus did not say that His return would be in the Apostle's lifetime; for we know that that didn't happen. Jesus did say that the end times would begin once He ascended. He said that we would not know the exact hour of His return; but we could know the season by the things He told us to look for. I believe we are in the final stages of that season.
I won't take the time and space to type out everything Jesus prophesied concerning His return. You can read it in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 17 & 21.

Answer 4

Its not the lifetime of the apostle, but within the lifetime of the Chruch of GOD in the earth.

The apostles died already. But those people that Jesus said will remain alive on HIS return are Christian living on the end days or specifically on HIS return.

(1 Thessalonians 4:16)
For the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ shall rise first.

(1 Thessalonians 4:17)
Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. And so we shall ever be with the Lord.

(1 Thessalonians 4:18)
Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Answer 5

The Living Word is the answer, find answers for your life from THE BOOK. I don't think that end time will come before the death of the Apostles. He came not only for the Apostles, He came for you and Me. He knew that we would be here this day on this earth. End Time- No one knows exec pt HIM, "Like a Thief in the Night He will come". In fact, He has given us some signs that we might know the end time is near. Read the Book of Revelation, you will be blessed.

Answer 6

Yes. "There are some here who will NOT taste death till the Son returns." Other verses lead one to believe it was supposed to happen in their lifetimes... not 2000 yrs later. And there is Nothing in the Old Test to back this idea up.

Answer 7

In the Bible, I understand that He said that nobody knew the date, only His Father in Heavens knew. Therefore, He didn't say

Answer 8

A lot of commenting on that has been done on that matter. It's interesting to read through all of it. I'm sure you will if you want to do so.

Answer 9

He didn't say that. He said that nobody knows the day or the hour of His return. We are to be ready for it.

Answer 10

I think so.

Oops. Guess the Bible does have some mistakes. (Or Jesus was a liar?) Whatever.