Thanks for playing. No, really, not
that kind of "thanks for playing", with a "Bzzzzzt" in front of it. Just, thanks!
Moving on.
I think I've written about hindsight before, but I'm too lazy to look for it. (Oh man, that's lazy! All I'd have to do is click on the thread search button and type in hindsight, and voila! Way quicker than typing all this parenthetical nonsense. Anyway, moving on (again).
) Isn't hindsight great? In particular, it's very useful for interpreting prophecies, at least when said prophecies have already been fulfilled.
The Jews thought their Messiah was going to, you know,
save them! From the Romans! Set up a kingdom! An actual kingdom kingdom, with a king and subjects n stuff. So when Jesus shows up and sets up a spiritual kingdom (you all know the story), they were taken by surprise. Er, sort of. They actually (most of them) didn't even recognize that this was any kind of fulfillment at all.
Of course, Christians can see (in perfect hindsight) the real meaning of those prophecies. Makes you wonder, though, doesn't it? How will the prophecies yet unfulfilled, with the wide variety of interpretations and expectations, actually turn out? (And
which prophecies are yet unfulfilled is another matter!
)