Jesus promised that the end times and his second coming would happen in the disciples' generation.

Matthew 24:34 (New International Version) Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.

What precisely was promised to happen in that generation? Is the above verse a mistranslation? Did we misunderstand him? Did Jesus change his mind? Did Jesus give a false expectation on purpose? Was Jesus just assuming he would return soon?

In trying to find a sensible answer, I found myself asking the one question I was least willing to consider. "What if he returned on time?"

This critical re-examination of the traditional view of the end times compares Biblical prophecy with historical accounts to uncover if Christ returned in the first century.