The brilliant, learned and compassionate Goethe and Nobel Prize winning Dr. Albert Schweitzer, in his book "The Search for the Historical Jesus" concluded that Jesus' prophecies concerning his visible return during his own generation did not happen, making Jesus a failed prophet. In describing/summarizing his position Wikipedia says:
"...The concept that Christianity started as a Jewish apocalyptic movement is evidenced by the teachings of the historical Jesus concerning the end of days. Not only did he preach he would rise from the grave, but that he would also ascend to heaven and one day return to judge and rule over the world, saying that no one, including himself, knew the exact time of his return, but it would be before the end of his generation. Schweitzer verified the many New Testament references clearly explaining that 1st-century Christians believed in the imminent fulfillment of the promise of the World's ending within the lifetime of Jesus' original followers.[37] He noted that in the gospel of Mark, Jesus speaks of a "tribulation", with his "coming in the clouds with great power and glory" (St Mark), and states when it will happen: "This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled" (St Matthew, 24:34) (or, "have taken place" (Luke 21:32))
In The Quest of the Historical Jesus, Schweitzer observes the Bible contradicting the possibility of important events that never took place and never can take place as they are described; Jesus specifically states that we are to "not seal up the words of the prophecy" and promises that some of his listeners as well as the high priest at his trial would be alive to see him return to the Earth. "Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near" (Revelation 1:3). Saint Paul spoke of the "last times": "Brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none" (1 Corinthians 7:29); "God hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son" (Hebrews 1:2); "There be some standing here which shall not taste of death till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom" (Matthew 16:28) (or, "until they see that the kingdom of God has come with power" (Mark 9:1); or, "till they see the kingdom of God" (Luke 9:27).)
Schweitzer continues writing in The Quest of the Historical Jesus that it is totally unreasonable to think that "coming quickly", "near", and "soon" could mean hundreds, much less thousands, of years in the future. "Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near." (Revelation 1:3) "And he said to me, 'These words are faithful and true'; and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent His angel to show to His bond-servants the things which must soon take place." "And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book." And he said to me, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near" (Revelation 22:6, 7, 10, 12). "All these things shall come upon this generation" (Matthew 23:36). Schweitzer concludes that 1st-century theology, originating in the lifetimes of those who first followed Jesus, is totally incompatible with modern Christian belief.
In The Quest of the Historical Jesus, Schweitzer notes the passage "Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near." (Revelation 1:3) Similarly in St Peter: "Christ .. Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you" (1 Peter 1:20), and "But the end of all things is at hand" (1 Peter 4:7). "Surely I come quickly" (Revelation 22:20). Schweitzer felt that St. Paul clearly believed in the immediacy of the Second Coming of Jesus, in stark contrast to modern organized Christianity.
I find his exegesis very cogent. The whole of the NT is saying, "This is it folks! Jesus is coming back in our lifetime! Better get ready!":
[Mat 3:10 NKJV] 10 "And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
It is reasonable to suggest that if he had taken all of the saints, dead and living there would be no ongoing anything.
However, what if only the new covenant Jews/the "Israel of God" (including the apostles) were raptured as predicted and the gentile believers would not follow at this time? Paul seems to say that he was already raptured:
[Col 1:13 KJV] 13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated [us] into the kingdom of his dear Son:
[Eph 1:3 NLT] 3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.
Is it possible that Jesus did come back and did in fact gather into the air the righteous dead and the living new covenant Jews?
Or does Ephesians satisfactorily explain the rapture passages?
Or are Colossians and Ephesians both counterfeit?
Or was it a failed prophecy?
Notes:
The most ancient versions extant do not reference Ephesus in verse 1. Perhaps it was modified because all of Paul's other letters were written to "assemblies" while this letter was written to the cosmic/universal Assembly.
Many scholars hold the authorship of both letters seems to be the same person but Pauline authorship is unsettled because of apparent differences in style and content.