Can we believe the Bible?, page-53

Without being a Christian apologist, it think it could be argued that the Bible is far and away a work dealing almost exclusively with spiritual concepts. The return of Christ in the lifetime of His audience has a non-literal meaning.

It is said that Christ rose from the dead after 3 days. We know the dead do not rise. The reality of Christ was His word, His teachings. After 3 days of grief and anguish the disciples gathered themselves and began to teach again as they had been taught and this was Christ rising from the grave. This is what is meant by rising from death after 3 days.

The same applies here. The return spoken of in the lifetime of the audience is that the teachings of Christ would begin to circulate again after His death and those who had heard Him in life would again hear those same teachings again after His death. The reality of Jesus was His teachings and this is what returned.

As for the power and glory, well Christianity became the most populous religion on earth and has wielded considerable power over billions of people.