Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site uw-june Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!floyd!vax135!cornell!uw-beaver!uw-june!palmer From: palmer@uw-june (David Palmer) Newsgroups: net.religion Subject: Wandering Jew and the Second Coming Message-ID: <1048@uw-june> Date: Sun, 26-Feb-84 15:49:18 EST Article-I.D.: uw-june.1048 Posted: Sun Feb 26 15:49:18 1984 Date-Received: Tue, 28-Feb-84 08:23:43 EST Organization: U. Washington, Computer Sci Lines: 20 <> Jesus said that the Apocalypse would come before all of the people living at that time were dead. Since the Apocalypse has, apparently, not come, it would be consistent to assume that there is at least one person now living who was living when Jesus made that pronouncement. The Wandering Jew, according to legend, was someone who refused to acknowledge Jesus' messiahhood. For this he was condemned to live until the second coming. Every time he grew to be 100 years old biologically, he returned to the age of ~30, the age he was when he was condemned. Have any churches (and if so, which?) made the Wandering Jew part of their theology in order to reconcile Jesus' words with the long Apocalypse-free period? Is there any other theological explanation? (e.g. Many of those who were alive at that time accepted Jesus and gained eternal life, G*d decided to give the world more time to get its act together, etc.) David Palmer