If the second coming happened in 70 AD, why isn't there any record of it?
There were lots of believers who would have lived through the second coming of Christ but none, and I mean NONE, of the writers during the late first and early second centuries mention it. In fact, not only do they not mention the second coming of Christ, they clearly believed that the second coming, the resurrection of the saints and the judgment were to happen in the future. Where are the first person witnesses to the second coming of Christ and why didn't they show up to tell Didache, Barnabas, Hermas, Clement, Polycarp, and Ignatius that they had it wrong?
Was the second coming of the Earth's Creator done in secret? Is it that no one knew that it had happened at the time and the world was just going to have to wait another 1500+ years until Luis de Alcasar figured it out? Didn't Paul tell everyone what to look for? Wouldn't those witnessing such an important event as the second coming of Christ have realized that it was happening? If they did, where is their testimony? Why is there no evidence whatsoever of a belief in the already past second coming of Christ prior to the publication of "Vestigatio arcani sensus in Apocalypsi" in 1614? A book that was written (i.e. a doctrine that was concocted) for the sole purpose of combating the Reformation, by the way.
Maybe all the real Christians were raptured out! That would certainly explain the deafening silence of history concerning God's second coming. Except, then you'd have to believe that either John wasn't a real Christian or that once again all the late first and early second century historical evidence concerning John's death near the year 100 is wrong and that no one showed up to correct the record. (Astoundingly, there are preterists who believe this! - It seems there is no limit to how far they'll go to force both the bible and history itself to fit their eschatology.)
Resting in Him,
Clete
There were lots of believers who would have lived through the second coming of Christ but none, and I mean NONE, of the writers during the late first and early second centuries mention it. In fact, not only do they not mention the second coming of Christ, they clearly believed that the second coming, the resurrection of the saints and the judgment were to happen in the future. Where are the first person witnesses to the second coming of Christ and why didn't they show up to tell Didache, Barnabas, Hermas, Clement, Polycarp, and Ignatius that they had it wrong?
Was the second coming of the Earth's Creator done in secret? Is it that no one knew that it had happened at the time and the world was just going to have to wait another 1500+ years until Luis de Alcasar figured it out? Didn't Paul tell everyone what to look for? Wouldn't those witnessing such an important event as the second coming of Christ have realized that it was happening? If they did, where is their testimony? Why is there no evidence whatsoever of a belief in the already past second coming of Christ prior to the publication of "Vestigatio arcani sensus in Apocalypsi" in 1614? A book that was written (i.e. a doctrine that was concocted) for the sole purpose of combating the Reformation, by the way.
Maybe all the real Christians were raptured out! That would certainly explain the deafening silence of history concerning God's second coming. Except, then you'd have to believe that either John wasn't a real Christian or that once again all the late first and early second century historical evidence concerning John's death near the year 100 is wrong and that no one showed up to correct the record. (Astoundingly, there are preterists who believe this! - It seems there is no limit to how far they'll go to force both the bible and history itself to fit their eschatology.)
Resting in Him,
Clete