John 21:20-25—Jesus' Failed Prophecies + PDF Discussion Guide

Clarifying Confusion Concerning Christ's Coming
When it comes to prophecy, we must seek to understand the Bible accurately and not read into it things that are not there. Critics and liberals have had a field day attacking the supposedly failed prophecies of Jesus as relates to the timing of His second coming.

The New Testament makes frequent reference to Jesus "coming." However, such references do not always refer to the second coming. Instead, these texts sometimes refer to types of coming different from the second coming. One example of this concerns Jesus coming—not in person—but impersonally, and not in world-wide judgment, but in localized judgment against rebellious Israel.

People rightly conclude that there is only one second coming. However, Scripture itself never refers to Jesus' return in person as the "second coming" (it never uses the words Trinity, rapture, missionary or Bible, either). Rather, it states that He will "appear" a second time:

ESV Hebrews 9:28 … Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time …

In a sense, it might help avoid confusion if we called it the second appearing of Jesus instead of His second coming. When we speak of the second coming, we mean His second coming in person, when he actually appears. Another other type of coming the New Testament speaks of is Jesus' impersonal coming in a localized judgment against rebellious Israel. This judgment coming took place in A.D. 70, within the lifetimes of the apostles.