Why has Jesus delayed his coming?

[youngskywalker]

Question for christians. Why has it been 2000 years and still no Jesus?

 

Jesus spoke as if he would come back during the lifetime of his contemporaries.

[Geraltt]

Question for christians. Why has it been 2000 years and still no Jesus?

 

Jesus spoke as if he would come back during the lifetime of his contemporaries.

He didn't speak as if he would come back during the lifetime of his contemporaries, he promised it.

 

“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.” (Mark 9:1). Almost identical versions occur in Luke 9:27 and Matthew 16:28 (Mark being the first gospel written, so Luke and Matthew were undoubtedly copied from Mark.)

 

So, we have a choice to make:

 

• Jesus didn't really exist and the entire story is metaphorical
  

 

• Jesus did exist, but he didn't say that
  

 

• Jesus did exist, and he did say that, but he was wrong
  

 

• Jesus said something like that, but it was remembered/copied incorrectly
  

Whichever choice is made, it casts doubt on the entire foundation of the religion. So choose wisely.

[amaysngrace]

He came back as the Holy Spirit.

[youngskywalker]

He didn't speak as if he would come back during the lifetime of his contemporaries, he promised it.

 

“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.” (Mark 9:1). Almost identical versions occur in Luke 9:27 and Matthew 16:28 (Mark being the first gospel written, so Luke and Matthew were undoubtedly copied from Mark.)

 

So, we have a choice to make:

 

• Jesus didn't really exist and the entire story is metaphorical
  

 

• Jesus did exist, but he didn't say that
  

 

• Jesus did exist, and he did say that, but he was wrong
  

 

• Jesus said something like that, but it was remembered/copied incorrectly
  

Whichever choice is made, it casts doubt on the entire foundation of the religion. So choose wisely.

I choose #1

 

He came back as the Holy Spirit.

 

So then one should understand the scripture as purely symbolic when it talks about end times?

[Geraltt]

Personally, I'd choose #4. As a post-theist, I think that Jesus - real name Yeshua - probably did exist, wandered through the desert gathering followers and was executed for crimes against the state (which wasn't hard to do back in the day).

 

But son of god? Divine? Rose from the dead after three days? Uh... no. At least there's zero evidence for it.

[Wallysbears]

My Mom had this old far side cartoon on her fridge for years. God was in the clouds looking down on earth and basically rolling his eyes.

 

I think of that cartoon every time i hear a religious question posted about real specifics in regards to a religion.

[Happy Lemming]

He didn't speak as if he would come back during the lifetime of his contemporaries, he promised it.

 

“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.” (Mark 9:1). Almost identical versions occur in Luke 9:27 and Matthew 16:28 (Mark being the first gospel written, so Luke and Matthew were undoubtedly copied from Mark.)

 

So, we have a choice to make:

 

• Jesus didn't really exist and the entire story is metaphorical
  

 

• Jesus did exist, but he didn't say that
  

 

• Jesus did exist, and he did say that, but he was wrong
  

 

• Jesus said something like that, but it was remembered/copied incorrectly
  

Whichever choice is made, it casts doubt on the entire foundation of the religion. So choose wisely.

 

I don't have the answer to OP's question, but may I say this post is very well written. It gives the reader choices to draw upon and warns the reader of making said decision. Moreover, no offense can be taken as the choice is yours to make.

 

Kudos to "Geraltt".

[MetallicHue]

Personally there are so many religious variants out there I think they may all be wrong. I believe in higher power but that’s as far as I go.

[Nilfiry]

If you look around, you might be able to find a line or two that will contradict the promised return. That seems to be a theme of the book after all.

[Geraltt]

If you look around, you might be able to find a line or two that will contradict the promised return. That seems to be a theme of the book after all.

The bible is FULL of contradictions and outright factual errors. But that's to be expected from a collection of bronze- and iron-age legends and myths, passed down through generations, gathered together by committee, copied and modified countless times (with all the attendant errors that come from such a process) and used by innumerable petty tyrants to further their own particular political, economic, military and theological aims.

 

Consider this: there are more sects of Christianity (something like 33,000 - Source: World Christian Encyclopedia by Barrett, Kurian, Johnson [Oxford Univ Press, 2nd edition, 2001]) than there are sentences in the bible (just over 30,000).

 

One would think that a divine superintelligence would be able to keep the story straight.

 

Apparently not.

[d0nnivain]

You don't know that Jesus delayed his coming. He will come back in God's time. Your Q is posed on humanity's timeline.

 

Think about it. The Bible states that the world was created in 6 days. Evolution proves that it was more like 6 millennium. What that tells me is that God's time is different then ours.

 

Continue to be patient. The Bible also encourages us to be vigilant as we await the Second Coming. Matthew 25:13

[Nilfiry]

One would think that a divine superintelligence would be able to keep the story straight.

 

Actually, this is more due to a difference of interpretations. Two people can read the same manuscript and interpret the themes differently. Of course, the reasons for this can vary, but in this case, a perfect example is below....

 

He will come back in God's time. Your Q is posed on humanity's timeline....

 

...The Bible states that the world was created in 6 days. Evolution proves that it was more like 6 millennium. What that tells me is that God's time is different then ours.

 

This interpretation chooses to believe that the promise was factual but the scale is different. (Although, I have to question the accuracy of that 6 millennia part.)

 

On the other hand, one can argue that since Jesus was talking to humanity, why would he not use humanity's time scale, and instead use a divine time scale that is bound to cause confusion and misunderstandings? This is an example of being intentionally vague or misleading, which is what leads to different interpretations and thus so many different sects for the same religion. Most religions have this issue, not just Christianity.

Edited January 11, 2019 by Nilfiry

[youngskywalker]

 

Think about it. The Bible states that the world was created in 6 days. Evolution proves that it was more like 6 millennium. What that tells me is that God's time is different then ours.

 

Well thinking about it, what that tells me is that the bible is wrong and if it's wrong then it wasn't written by god.

 

My viewpoint is that the genesis story was just mythology of that day. I'm sure there were hebrew words that could have been used besides days... like, millennium, eons, or just "a very, very, long time". But they weren't used. Day's were used, along with "evening and morning were the first day"

[brigit87]

The bible is FULL of contradictions and outright factual errors. But that's to be expected from a collection of bronze- and iron-age legends and myths, passed down through generations, gathered together by committee, copied and modified countless times (with all the attendant errors that come from such a process) and used by innumerable petty tyrants to further their own particular political, economic, military and theological aims.

.

 

That's why I can't follow religion. I'm constantly seeking spiritual fulfillment but religious rules never make sense and sometimes seem evil.

[preraph]

Just realize that The Bible was written not by Jesus, not by God, but by men in the early stages of written communication. Not just one man and his opinion, but a whole bunch of men and their stories and opinions. And then every king revised the book to suit themselves and control the masses to their own advantage.

 

It's a storytelling book of varying perspectives and the historical value lies in the common threads and the general picture it draws of the era, not in the specifics, which are often contradictory, and were written a very long time ago and relate to that era more than any other.

 

And if you are one of faith, at least remember that if God created Man, he also gave Man brains so people could manage themselves and create their own path and solve their own problems so that he and his disciples didn't have to micromanage everyone.

[Geraltt]

That's why I can't follow religion. I'm constantly seeking spiritual fulfillment but religious rules never make sense and sometimes seem evil.

All religions - there are no exceptions - are based on falsehoods and created by fallible human beings, so it should be no surprise that they don't make sense and occasionally are evil.

 

What do you mean when you say "spiritual fulfillment?"

[brigit87]

All religions - there are no exceptions - are based on falsehoods and created by fallible human beings, so it should be no surprise that they don't make sense and occasionally are evil.

 

What do you mean when you say "spiritual fulfillment?"

 

A sense of peace.

[Garcon1986]

There was riffraff and dodgy stuff going on in other galaxies, so the Guv'na up there had to put people in detention and time out. Busy bloke that Jesus chap.

[Justanaverageguy]

He didn't speak as if he would come back during the lifetime of his contemporaries, he promised it.

 

“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.” (Mark 9:1). Almost identical versions occur in Luke 9:27 and Matthew 16:28 (Mark being the first gospel written, so Luke and Matthew were undoubtedly copied from Mark.)

 

So, we have a choice to make:

 

• Jesus didn't really exist and the entire story is metaphorical
  

 

• Jesus did exist, but he didn't say that
  

 

• Jesus did exist, and he did say that, but he was wrong
  

 

• Jesus said something like that, but it was remembered/copied incorrectly
  

Whichever choice is made, it casts doubt on the entire foundation of the religion. So choose wisely.

 

So unfortunately your list of possible "choices" here is not complete. It is missing the choice that reflects what Jesus actually promised. So I would like to add another option here.

 

Jesus the man existed. What he promised is that he would return in spiritual form - as the holy spirit. Here he would connect with his followers physical bodies blessing them with love, joy, peace and connection to God himself. Linking man with heaven. He would then use these people to continue his ministry spreading Gods message and continuing to heal the sick and work to help and restore the weak and vulnerable.

 

He referred to this numerous times in his teachings and called this the "Born again" experience. Where the holy spirit would be sent upon a person joining with their physical body making them directly connected to his and to Gods living spirit. "For the body is temple for the spirit"

 

EG: Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh is born of flesh, but spirit is born of the Spirit. Do not be amazed that I said, ‘You must be born again.’

 

That promise which he made. To send his living spirit upon his disciples after his death was directly was fulfilled at Pentacost. Its clearly described in Acts 2 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+2&version=NLT

 

On the day of Pentecost all the disciples were meeting together in one place. Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.

 

Here his promise to them directly was fulfilled. They entered into the kingdom of heaven - receiving the holy spirit - just as he told them they would while still flesh and blood. This is what he promised and this promise is still available to followers today. Those who earnestly seek him can still receive this gift. It is what the "born again" christian movement today is about. Followers who have shared in similar experiences and have the spirit dwelling within them.

 

See the second coming is not some singular event which happens to everyone at the same time. Rather it is an individual event where the spirit comes upon an individual person directly linking them with God's spirit. Its still available today and many many Christians have experienced it.

 

On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and called out in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said: ‘Streams of living water will flow from within him.’” He was speaking about the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive. For the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet been glorified.

 

That experience is reflected in the Christian iconography of the "Sacred heart" which visually shows how the experience feels. Its like a love so pure and powerful just exploding out of your heart. Often referred to as "setting your heart on fire" being baptised with fire or simply jesus offering his own spiritual heart to his followers. It literally transforms a person from the inside out. Cleansing and clearing past traumas and giving them his attributes. What they call "fruits of the spirit"

 

 

https://saltandlighttv.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/sacred_heart_610.jpg

 

http://wcdf-france.com/wp-content/uploads/sacred-heart-of-jesus-paintings-sacred-heart-of-jesus-painting-joseph-fanelli-far-one-of-the.jpg

 

If you read the words - pretty much every single Christian worship song sings about this experience. Most often written either by someone who already received it - or some one who is earnestly seeking it. Example here - listen to what the words describe.

 

When asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The kingdom of God will not come with observable signs. People will not say, ‘Look, here it is,’ or ‘There it is.’ For you see, the kingdom of God is already amongst you"

Edited January 16, 2019 by Justanaverageguy

[brigit87]

That experience is reflected in the Christian iconography of the "Sacred heart" which visually shows how the experience feels. Its like a love so pure and powerful just exploding out of your heart. Often referred to as "setting your heart on fire" being baptised with fire or simply jesus offering his own spiritual heart to his followers. It literally transforms a person from the inside out. Cleansing and clearing past traumas and giving them his attributes. What they call "fruits of the spirit"

 

 

It's what Eckart Tolle refers to as "enlightenment."

[Ronni_W]

Question for christians. Why has it been 2000 years and still no Jesus?

 

Jesus spoke as if he would come back during the lifetime of his contemporaries.

Jesus, the unascended human Being on Earth, attained his personal Christhood in that lifetime. Thereafter, he frequently referred to himself from that position,

which he had attained by his own hard, spiritual work -- as being one with the consciousness of the Cosmic-Universal Christ, which we could also say is the Consciousness of God,

("I and my Father are One." Meaning, 'In consciousness, I am in harmony/alignment with God's Will and God's Laws'.)

 

The promise is that Christ will return. What people fail to understand is that Christ can only return through other people also attaining their own personal Christhood,

where, like Jesus, they recognize, do the spiritual work for, and manifest on Earth their own oneness with the Consciousness of the Cosmic-Universal Christ;

which is the true Spiritual Identity in God of each individual human Being.

 

The Holy Spirit is comprised of the entire Cosmic-Ascended Host, and not just one member of it...which Jesus became after that lifetime, by attaining his Victory of his permanent Ascension.

Edited January 23, 2019 by Ronni_W
Clarification

[Geraltt]

Jesus, the unascended human Being on Earth, attained his personal Christhood in that lifetime. Thereafter, he frequently referred to himself from that position,

which he had attained by his own hard, spiritual work -- as being one with the consciousness of the Cosmic-Universal Christ, which we could also say is the Consciousness of God,

("I and my Father are One." Meaning, 'In consciousness, I am in harmony/alignment with God's Will and God's Laws'.)

 

The promise is that Christ will return. What people fail to understand is that Christ can only return through other people also attaining their own personal Christhood,

where, like Jesus, they recognize, do the spiritual work for, and manifest on Earth their own oneness with the Consciousness of the Cosmic-Universal Christ;

which is the true Spiritual Identity in God of each individual human Being.

 

The Holy Spirit is comprised of the entire Cosmic-Ascended Host, and not just one member of it...which Jesus became after that lifetime, by attaining his Victory of his permanent Ascension.

.

What you're seeing here is a fine example of both special pleading and post hoc justification. No relationship to reality, not grounded in anything other than desperation.

 

I know. Because I used to do it too.

[Ronni_W]

So then one should understand the scripture as purely symbolic when it talks about end times?

Well...yes and no. "End Times" doesn't refer to the destruction/annihilation of this planet, but the ending of specific Spiritual Cycles, of which there are any number.

The New Testament's Book of Revelation can be thought of as a 'Christian Book of the Dead', because it deals with the process of how we transition from this lifetime into Bardo,

(see also 'The Tibetan Book of the Dead', Gyurme Dorje translation); and also speaks to the process of 'the Second Death', which is the spiritual death of any given Lifestream.

 

Well thinking about it, what that tells me is that the bible is wrong and if it's wrong then it wasn't written by god.

Well, of course God did not write the Bible...or any other spiritual text on Earth.

These are the words of the prophets, saints, messengers and disciples, often given to them through metaphysical or intuitive means (what today we call 'channeling').

It is still happening today, or else there could not be such a thing as 'the Living Word' or 'a Living Christ'.

 

That is not to say that the spiritual texts, ancient and modern, do not contain gross errors, whether deliberately or innocently inserted.

Jesus spoke to this when he said, to the priests and rabbis of the time: "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You traverse land and sea to win a single convert,

and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are. Woe to you, blind guides!" -

- From this, we can, if we choose, clearly see that Jesus knew that there was something very wrong with what they were teaching about spirituality, and how they were doing it.

It's applicable to Christians because The Old Testament is also the Jewish Tanahk.

 

My viewpoint is that the genesis story was just mythology of that day.

You are correct that the Genesis story is not to be taken literally; it is a metaphor, but, nevertheless, an accurate one. 'Day' is just to denote that a period of time had passed, and, more specifically,

to point to the seven-step process of manifestation.

Edited January 25, 2019 by Ronni_W
Clarification

[Garcon1986]

When the Old Man comes back its going to be like the Scottish comedian Kevin Bridges said, look at the effing state of this place, its like a frat party, the popes getting grounded hehe.

[GorillaTheater]

Maybe Jesus did come back, looked around, did a double-Godzilla facepalm, and left again.