The Coming of The Son of Man

Despite the stunning precision of Jesus’ prophecy concerning the events that culminated in the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in AD 70, many skeptics have argued that the Olivet Discourse actually discredits the Gospel accounts. The great philosopher and atheist Bertrand Russell once wrote, “I’m not a Christian because Jesus made this unbelievable prophecy, and it didn’t happen in the timeframe that He said it would.” On the one hand, the details Jesus predicted are historically irrefutable; on the other hand, to many observers, one crucial element appears conspicuously absent: Jesus Himself.

Here lies the irony: the early church saw no embarrassment here. The 4th century church historian Eusebius could say, without hesitation, that if anyone compares Jesus’ words with the historical accounts of the Jewish War, they will be compelled to admit that Jesus’ foreknowledge was truly divine. But how do we reconcile the apparent immediacy of the text with the seeming absence of Christ? The language used in V25-28 is cosmic collapse, decreation language, not uncommon in the OT prophets (see Isaiah 13, Ezekiel 32, Joel 2) and in each case describes an invading country being used as an agent of God’s judgment. Understood this way, Jesus did come back - in judgment - against Jerusalem during that 40-year generation, vindicating himself and his church.

Modern approaches often miss this by either pushing the fulfillment entirely into the distant future or reacting with speculation, anxiety, or indifference. But when we grasp the concreteness of Christ’s coming in AD 70, it actually strengthens rather than weakens our hope in his final return. The warnings of Luke 21:34–36 are not about panic but preparedness. Dissipation, distraction, and spiritual dullness are diversions from what we already know: judgment is coming. But for the person who trusts the word of Jesus, the Heidelberg Catechism speaks great comfort: “In all distress and persecution, with uplifted head, I confidently await the very judge who has already offered himself to the judgment of God in my place and removed the whole curse from me.” The Judge who comes is the Judge who was judged. And because of that, His coming—past and future—is not a threat to the believer, but our great and glorious hope.