Jesus said His kingdom would not come with observation, and that it was a spiritual kingdom, within the believer, and not of this world. It was undoubtedly linked w/ the destruction of the temple in 70AD, and spoken about with adverbs showing a soon return to the recipients of the new testament letters. 40 years after Jesus' ascension was quite a wait, but it fits within the parameters of a 'generation' and allows for adverbs like 'soon' and 'without delay' to mean what they say to its original audience. Perhaps we should ask ourselves if our expectations are too 'physical' and literal. The new jerusalem and new heavens and earth may represent the new covenant, which has been in effect since the old covenant world was wiped out by Roman invasion. Can any Christian really say Jesus isn't here today? Do we not fellowship with Him and experience His presence when we praise and pray? Just something to think about - preterism is worth a good study... otherwise we have to face the fact that the Bible's description of the imminent timing of the parousia is erroneous, and possibly not inspired. I'd rather think the Bible is God's Word, and honor the time statements for what they obviously say and mean. We may need to re-evaluate the nature and purpose of His coming, and His kingdom. Was it to grant escape to believers? Or was it to reconcile the world back to God and end the separation that sin had caused? I don't know for sure if it's true - it's quite a stretch from the mainstream beliefs today, but hey, it was once heretical to believe the earth wasn't flat, but round. Here are some Scriptures that got me thinking;
Verses supporting preterism - then decide for yourselves... you're not a heretic for studying the possibility - God wants us to be like the Bereans who daily searched the Scriptures to see if what they were taught is true. God bless all... here is another good link if you are interested in studying the timing of Jesus' return further:
http://fulfilledcg.com/ They made a video aptly named, "You Gotta Be Kidding, Right?"