ProlepsisOpen in the graph →

Prophecy

“We who are alive, who are left until the coming” and “I come quickly” (1 Thessalonians 4; 1 Corinthians 7; Revelation 1 and 22)

Saint Paul writing his epistles, artist’s impression attributed to Valentin de Boulogne (around 1618-1620).
Artist’s impression Saint Paul writing his epistles, artist’s impression attributed to Valentin de Boulogne (around 1618-1620). — Attributed to Valentin de Boulogne, Wikimedia Commons · Domaine public

⊘ Not fulfilled as written

Written c. 50–96 AD according to tradition; c. 50–96 AD according to historians. Event: c. 64–150 AD.

See the full entry: sources, objections, answers

In short

The announcement. The apostle Paul, around AD 50, writes “we who are alive, who are left until the coming” and says that “the time is short”. The book of Revelation, around 95, has Jesus say: “I come quickly”.

What happened. Paul dies in Rome, probably shortly after 64, without having seen this return. Later, a letter in the Bible, the second letter of Peter, already quotes people asking: “Where is the promise of his coming?”. Nearly two thousand years later, the announced return has not taken place.

What is still debated. believers answer that “with the Lord one day is as a thousand years” and that this “we” means all believers, whereas skeptics see in it a disappointed expectation that this answer makes impossible to disprove.

What is surprising

The New Testament itself contains the objection: 2 Peter quotes scoffers who ask where the promise is, since “the fathers fell asleep”, and answers that a day is as a thousand years. The delay was already a question among the first Christians.

Main objection (in French for now)

Paul se compte parmi ceux qui seront encore en vie à l’avènement (« nous les vivants, restés », 1 Th 4:15, 17 ; « nous ne mourrons pas tous », 1 Co 15:51) et règle même le mariage et les biens sur l’imminence (« le temps est court », 1 Co 7:29-31). Il attendait la fin de son vivant, et il est mort (lecture d’Ehrman : la fin attendue « du vivant des apôtres »).

The text (World English Bible)

For this we tell you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will in no way precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with God’s trumpet. The dead in Christ will rise first, then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. So we will be with the Lord forever.

1 Thess 4:15-17

But I say this, brothers: the time is short. From now on, both those who have wives may be as though they had none; and those who weep, as though they didn’t weep; and those who rejoice, as though they didn’t rejoice; and those who buy, as though they didn’t possess; and those who use the world, as not using it to the fullest. For the mode of this world passes away.

1 Cor 7:29-31

This is the Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things which must happen soon, which he sent and made known by his angel to his servant, John, who testified to God’s word and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, about everything that he saw. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and keep the things that are written in it, for the time is near.

Rev 1:1-3

Sources