The 'Coming'

This is a hypothesis my mind is proposing at the moment. Perhaps you can help me test it:

Many of the Old Testament Prophetic passages in which Messianic prophecies are found, included the theme of the return from (Babylonian) captivity and the rebuilding of the Temple.

First-century Jews understood that some of those details had already seen their fulfilment in history. And yet many Jews also saw a bigger picture in many of the details in the same passages.

For example, many Jews still looked forward to Messiah's 'coming' (Gk. 'parousia') - and they usually thought of it as somewhat of a unit.

It was only with the benefit of New Testament eyewitnesses that believers came to understand clearly that Messiah's 'parousia' was to include two major phases: His first 'coming', and His second 'coming'.

So, while it's correct in one sense to think of the 'parousia' as a single package inclusive of each of the following Messianic themes in Prophecy, it is also equally correct, on the basis of Apostolic revelation, to 'rightly divide' the theme of Messiah's 'parousia' into events...

* Some of which have now already been fulfilled, by Messiah's first 'coming' or soon afterward

(events such as Messiah's birth in Bethlehem; His life and ministry; His death and resurrection; and His ascension and glorification; and the ongoing outpouring of the Spirit upon all flesh)

* Some of which were fulfilled later in the first century A.D.

(such as the destruction of the Temple and scattering of the Jews)

* Some of which are seeing ongoing fulfilment

(such as the reign of Christ in heaven, the continued outpouring of the Spirit upon all flesh; and the continued preaching of the gospel to all nations); and

* Others of which are still future

(such as Messiah's second 'coming'; the resurrection of the dead; the final judgment; and new heavens and earth).

It's okay to think of each of those details as forming part of the overall theme of Messiah's 'parousia' ('coming') generally considered; or it's equally okay to think of it in terms of some details having been fulfilled already, while other details are bigger than that and are yet to be fulfilled in the future.

That is after all how many Jews approached prophetic texts. They were able to see that some details in a prophecy had been fulfilled, while at the same time seeing a bigger picture in other details - all from the same passage. And many early Christians followed in the Jewish manuscript-tradition.

To instead force the whole theme of the 'parousia' ('coming') exclusively into the 'past' box or exclusively into the 'future' box is more of a Post-Enlightenment, Post-Modern way of thinking, rather than an 'original audience relevant' way of thinking.

So, Messiah's 'coming' and kingdom and everything associated with it have already been inaugurated in some sense, but are not yet consummated in every sense.