Immanent Return?

In Acts 1:11, Luke records that some people had gathered together about 40 days after Passover and Yeshua had ascended into heaven on a cloud and then two men appeared and said, "Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Yeshua who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven."

Luke is the only person making this claim that Yeshua would return. He never knew Yeshua and relies entirely upon the statements of others. The alleged persons who were present at the Ascension are unnamed. Mark's Gospel has two endings, neither of which is considered original. John has no Ascension nor does Matthew. The doctrine of the return of Yeshua to the earth rests upon the veracity of Luke in reporting what others have said. No jury would believe him.

The Apostles including Paul believed that Yeshua would return in their lifetimes to change the world. It did not happen. As late as the second century, when 2 Peter was written, the idea of the return was firmly established and yet had not happened. The author cautions the believer not to be hasty. The time of Yeshua's return has been set many times in history and he has not shown.

With all due respect, the belief is false. We have waited almost two thousand years and Yeshua has not returned. Yeshua would not even recognize the religions that still say his name.

However, I do not attack the Christians for their belief. Based upon the Prophets, Jews still await a Messiah who was prophesied to be here even longer ago than the prophecy of Yeshua's return. That event has not happened either. By the standards of Deuteronomy 18:20, it is permissible to ignore the claim of Yeshua's return and the coming of the Messiah. Based upon the same statement, we can ignore the statement in Chapter 18 that G-d will send someone like Moses. That has never happened either.

In reality, the expectation of an end time and an ultimate destruction of the earth is silly. Not only are we certain that the event will occur, it frankly has nothing to do with religion or spirituality. Only recently have scientists (Stephen Hawking) and politicians (Barack Obama) understood the real issue which is we must leave this planet and establish humanity elsewhere to protect the continuity of the species and we must begin to plan for the deflection of space rocks that can destroy us.

Believers live in the present. They do not live in the past or the future. Belief in the immanent return is not conducive to faith or reason. It justifies cruelty of man to man and justifies sinfulness based upon the length of time one believes he or she has until some prophetic event occurs.

As an article of faith, the belief in the coming of the Messiah and in the return of Yeshua should be eliminated. Frankly, this world is inhabited by millions of beings who know the truth, but are not seen or recognized by most humans, owing to a lack of the ability to see into their light spectra.

We should live our lives as if today were the last day on earth and we will meet our maker tomorrow. We should remain as sinless as possible in preparation for that event. It is certain. All of us will die. Waiting for some long expected, but non-occurring event, is not a way of life; it is a way of insanity.