How do Christians determine which messianic prophecies are to be fulfilled by the 'Second Coming'?

Question

Background:

It has been a Christian belief that Jesus would return to Earth since the earliest days of the religion. The 1st century Pauline epistle to the Thessalonians says:

For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God - 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17

The 4th century Nicene Creed contains the second coming as a creed of belief:

He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.

Christians have also taught that this second coming will be when several as of yet unfulfilled messianic prophecies will be fulfilled by Jesus. Justin Martyr makes this point in the 2nd century Dialogue with Trypho:

And it was prophesied by Jacob the patriarch that there would be two advents of Christ, and that in the first He would suffer, and that after He came there would be neither prophet nor king in your nation (I proceeded), and that the nations who believed in the suffering Christ would look for His future appearance ... (- Ch. 52 Dialog with Trypho, emphasis added)

But I and others, who are right-minded Christians on all points, are assured that there will be a resurrection of the dead, and a thousand years in Jerusalem, which will then be built, adorned, and enlarged, [as] the prophets Ezekiel and Isaiah and others declare ... (- Ch. 80 Dialog with Trypho, emphasis added)

Unfulfilled prophecies:

Dialogue cites one of these. These unfulfilled messianic prophecies generally (since not all Christians agree that these will occur in the future, but breezing through Christian literature indicates most believe one or more of these will occur post second-coming) include:

• Building the Third Temple, restoration of temple services (Ezekiel 37:26–28, Ezekiel 46)
• Ingathering of the Jews to Israel (Isaiah 43:5–6)
• World peace and end of war (Isaiah 2:4)
• Universal knowledge of the God of Israel, cessation of religious teaching (Zechariah 14:9, Jeremiah 31:34)

Second coming?

What are the indicators in the unfulfilled prophecies that they will occur in a 'second coming'? How do second coming believers (specifically those who believe some messianic prophecies will be fulfilled in the second coming) differentiate the second coming from a failure to fulfill these prophecies?

Answer 1

Christians have the very words of Jesus to go by, for he foretold his return to Earth (before he had even left the Earth). Matthew chapter 24 is a good example to use to answer this question.

The disciples had asked when the temple at Jerusalem would be cast down, thinking that would be linked to his foretelling his second coming. Jesus did not say that it wouldn't, but history shows that his spectacular return to usher in the Day of Resurrection and Judgment has not yet happened, even though the temple was destroyed in A.D.70. The OPs quoted texts show that. Hindsight is an important factor in determining what prophecies have already happened with regard to Jesus, and which are still future.

Whereas there are some who say Jesus did return after Jerusalem's destruction, the majority of Christians see half of that chapter as still being future. And, as also pointed out in the OPs question, lots of Hebrew scriptures prophecy particular details that have not yet happened.

This is where it's wise to distinguish between different interpretations of such prophecies (eisegesis - presuppositions, agendas, or biases being the basis of interpretations) and what Jesus actually said. There are two mains 'camps'. One interprets certain things to happen shortly before Jesus' returns, leading to a literal 1,000 year rule of Christ on Earth with the temple being rebuilt etc, the other saying that shortly before his return certain prophecies in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12 and many others in the book of Revelation will happen. But many other prophecies are about what happens after he has returned. Logically, those prophecies can only be said to have happened after Christ has suddenly returned, to usher in the Day of Resurrection and Judgment.

That, in a nutshell, is the problem, and those two particular 'camps' are saying different things about Jesus' prophecies. Don't forget that the whole of the book of Revelation is given by the resurrected Christ, through his angel, to the Apostle John before the end of the 1st century. Eisegesis abounds regarding that book of prophecy!

I will not enter into that. This is just to point out that there are, indeed, two main 'camps' amongst Christians. Those 4 bullet-points given at the end of the question apply to those who believe in a literal rebuilding of the temple, literal sacrifices resuming at it, and so on. Very many disagree with that interpretation-system. As one such, I would just conclude by suggesting that the satanic huge deception perpetrated on humanity just before Jesus' return, as stated in the prophecy in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12, will catch many unawares. As I recently gave a detailed answer on that text to a question posted way back on 30 December 2013 by Nelson, I would refer to that. The link is Does the Bible suggest that there would be a literal apostasy of the early Christian church?

Answer 2

There are a few popular Eschatological systems. Some denominations endorse one. In other denominations, it is left up to individual believers or churches. Among the frameworks are preterism, futurism, premillennial dispensationalism, and historicism.

Each system has something to say about history and the future. It provides an interpretational framework that helps you sort prophecies into a qualitative sequence. Common Imagery in different prophecies often denotes a common time of fulfillment. For example, the last trumpet may be taken to equal the seventh trumpet of Revelation.

Some prophecies are assumed to have multiple fulfillment, making things more complicated.

The assumption that a series of prophecies in the same part of a book will be fulfilled in that order is common but not always warranted. Several times in Revelation or Daniel we are given a verbal clue that a new vision is beginning, hence a time jump is occurring. Quite the puzzle.

Answer 3

I think the last paragraph shows a slight misunderstanding of the premillenial position.

What are the indicators in the unfulfilled prophecies that they will occur in a 'second coming'?

The fact that they are unfulfilled.

How do second coming believers differentiate the second coming from a failure to fulfill these prophecies?

We don't have to. We don't admit that God can fail to keep His promises or to fulfill His prophecies. It follows then that if a prophecy is as yet unfulfilled, the fulfillment is in the future.