Jesus taught, and his disciples believed, God’s kingdom would be established on earth in the first century, and he would reign as king in this restored kingdom of Israel (https://muddlingthroughtheuniverse.wordpress.com/2018/03/25/1st-century-21st-century-expectations/).
It obviously didn’t happen, and now, almost two thousand years later, I think it’s worth pondering if God changed his mind, or if he knew all along it wasn’t going to happen.
Let’s consider the story of Jonah. God told Jonah to tell the inhabitants of Nineveh that their city would be overthrown in 40 days (Jonah 3:4); however, because they turned from their evil ways, God relented and did not do what he said he would.
If God knows all aspects of the future, it’s hard to see how he was not being dishonest and deceptive when he stated, unconditionally, that the city would be overthrown. It seems those who argue for unlimited omniscience would have to say that although God fibbed, the end justified the means.
On the other hand, those who believe God knows the future partly as possibilities would say God’s statement of destruction was completely truthful, but when the Ninevites unexpectedly repented, God changed his mind.
Fast forward to AD 29 or 30 when Jesus told his disciples that although he did not know the day or hour of his return, he would return while some of them were still living (Matt. 10:23, Matt. 16:28, Mk. 9:1; Mk. 13:30, Lk. 9:27, Lk. 21:32).
Was Jesus wrong as C.S. Lewis posited, or was he saying exactly what God told him to say? If it was the latter, did God already know Jesus would not be returning in the first century, or did God change his mind and not send Jesus back to earth because the Israelites by and large refused to repent?
If it was the latter, when did the resurrected Jesus learn about the change of plans, and how did he take it? Presumably better than Jonah, right?
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Jesus’ Return & Reign
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