A Paradigm Shift - Was Jesus wrong?

Regarding Matthew 24:

"Say what you like," we shall be told, "the apocalyptic beliefs of the first Christians have been proved to be false. It is clear from the New Testament that they all expected the Second Coming in their own lifetime. And, worse still, they had a reason, and one which you will find very embarrassing. Their Master had told them so. He shared, and indeed created, their delusion. He said in so many words, 'this generation shall not pass till all these things be done.' And he was wrong. He clearly knew no more about the end of the world than anyone else."
It is certainly the most embarrassing verse in the Bible. Yet how teasing, also, that within fourteen words of it should come the statement "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father." The one exhibition of error and the one confession of ignorance grow side by side....

The facts, then, are these: that Jesus professed himself (in some sense) ignorant, and within a moment showed that he really was so. To believe in the Incarnation, to believe that he is God, makes it hard to understand how he could be ignorant; but also makes it certain that, if he said he could be ignorant, then ignorant he could really be. For a God who can be ignorant is less baffling than a God who falsely professes ignorance. The answer of theologians is that the God-Man was omniscient as God, and ignorant as Man. This, no doubt, is true, though it cannot be imagined." ~ (Essay "The World's Last Night" (1960), found in The Essential C.S. Lewis, p. 385)

So was Jesus wrong as our beloved C.S. Lewis suggested?

Personally, I don't think so, here is why:

“So when you (them, not you) see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. (Matt 24:15-16)

Eusebius Pamphilius (325)
"But the number of calamities which every where fell upon the nation at that time; the extreme misfortunes to which the inhabitants of Judea were especially subjected, the thousands of men, as well as women and children, that perished by the sword, by famine, and by other forms of death innumerable,--all these things, as well as the many great sieges which were carried on against the cities of Judea, and the excessive. sufferings endured by those that fled to Jerusalem itself, as to a city of perfect safety, and finally the general course of the whole war, as well as its particular occurrences in detail, and how at last the abomination of desolation, proclaimed by the prophets, stood in the very temple of God, so celebrated of old, the temple which was now awaiting its total and final destruction by fire,-- all these things any one that wishes may find accurately described in the history written by Josephus." (BOOK III, Ch. 5)

C.S. Lewis was right in that, "it is clear from the New Testament that they all expected the Second Coming in their own lifetime" (and I've never know anyone to disagree with that). What has been taught over and over again is that Jesus and his disciples had it wrong.


Most excuse this by hanging their hat on this verse:


"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone". (Matt 24:36)


The problem is, Jesus also made statements like this:


"Truly I say to you, 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." (Matt 16:28)


Now you probably believe this was the transfiguration that happened six days after Jesus made this statement (See Matt 17:1).


Well, if it was, then where were the angles and did Jesus reward every man according to their works during the transfiguration? (see Matt 16:27)


I've asked this question before, and I'll ask again because I think it's important: If Jesus was predicting the end of the world, why was He telling THEM to flee Judea??? (See Matt 24: 15-16 above).


I've quoted Eusebius above, who has also stated that Christians in Judea fled (during what was taking place in the first century) just as Jesus instructed them to. The problem is, it's often ignored and it's not taught what actually took place in 70 AD.

The burden of proof is on the shoulders of those who year after years need to adjust their predictions, often called "prophecy updates".

Jesus gave his disciples "signs" to look for, they saw those signs and proclaimed that the time was near.

To be continued...