Christ’s Return (Intro)
Hello! My name is Danny and I was LDS for 60 years.
In today’s video, I want to talk about a concept called eschatology. The word “eschatology” comes from a combination of Greek words meaning “the study of last things,” or “the study of end times.” Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines it as “a branch of theology concerned with the final events in the history of the world or of humankind.”
In my earlier years as a Mormon, I read the prophecies of Joseph Smith and the teachings of the early LDS leaders concerning the events of the “last days” before Jesus’s Second Coming. And, how the Latter-day Saints would need to one day gather at Independence Missouri, which Mormonism believes is the original location of the Garden of Eden. Because they call themselves “Latter-day” Saints, they believe that they will prepare for His impending return and the commencing of the Millenium. Christian churches are also emphasizing the urgency of preparing for the impending end of the world. Eschatology has played a huge part in Christianity’s theology. It is a popular hot topic in which novels have been written about and movies produced. Last days! End times! Final judgment! Those terms evoke excitement and anticipation, along with dread and concern - in the hearts of believers.
But did you know that Jesus told His followers He would come back, while some of them were still living? Yeshua, speaking of His return, declared in Matthew 24:34 “Verily I say unto you, This, generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” Also recorded in Mark 13:30 and Luke 21:32. The great Christian author, C.S. Lewis wrote this about that passage, “It is certainly the most embarrassing verse in the Bible.” What was he talking about? Lewis is saying that if Yeshua did not keep His promise - then He misled and deceived His own apostles and those who followed Him.
The conclusion reached by most Christian pastors and leaders today is - that Jesus was simply wrong about when He would return. Mainstream Christianity and Mormonism have no credible answer – so, they simply conclude that Jesus and His apostles must have been either mistakenly incorrect or deliberately wrong. But how can the very Son of God be mistaken or make a promise He did not intend to keep? You see the predicament! For generation after generation - Christians and Mormons alike have been declaring with great emphasis that “Jesus is coming soon.” All “the signs of the times” are present, they claim. And they have been crying “wolf” for hundreds and hundreds of years, as Jesus continuously fails to appear. What a predicament!
Today, with the decline in church membership and people leaving the pews with their faith - the talk and preach about Christ’s Second Coming have ramped up in these religious institutions, as an effort to create concern and fear in people. Hoping they will return to church to preserve a secure spot for themselves, when the world FINALLY comes to an end.
Several years ago, I became interested in learning - what the Bible had to say about the Lord’s Second Coming. So, I read the Old and New Testaments carefully, looking for solid support for this important event. I always assumed it was to be a future event. I had never considered or even heard of any another option.
But then I discovered, there are various viewpoints and opinions about eschatology and its timing in world history. For example: There are those who believe that all the prophesies in the Bible about the last days and the Second Coming of Christ were fulfilled in the First Century. Those people are called Preterists. The word Preterist comes from the Latin “praeter,” meaning "past” as “in the past.” There are two main types of Preterism: Partial Preterism, that believes most end-time prophecies were fulfilled in 70 AD, but still expects a future Second Coming, resurrection, and judgment. And Full Preterism, which holds that all prophecy, including the Second Coming and resurrection already took place in 70 AD. I had never considered that viewpoint before carefully reading the Bible in full context.
Then at the opposite end of the spectrum there are the Futurists, whose viewpoint is - that most of the prophecies in the New Testament still await a future, literal fulfillment. This viewpoint is very popular today. Again, with the rapid decline in religion, church leaders are increasing their rhetoric about the pending Second Coming - to put fear in the hearts of their congregates and to keep them from leaving. Religious institutions are threatened with a decrease in tithes and donations, as people decide they have had enough and are walking away.
The more I carefully read the Apostolic Record in context, the more convinced I became that New Testament references demonstrated - that the Second Coming of the Lord was imminent to those first century Jews and Gentiles. Once I read these passages, I would never be able to read the Bible again the same way - without the strong overwhelming thought that the “last days” before Christ’s coming were those First Century days - given to those First Century peoples.
The Apostolic Record as I prefer to call it - is a collection of Gospels and Epistles or letters - 27 in all, contained in the New Testament canon of scripture. And the all-important question is - who were they written to? The Bible tells us they were written to those people, living at that specific time in ancient history. The Four Gospels were written about the life and ministry of Yeshua. Followed by a history regarding the actions or Acts of the Apostles. The Pauline Epistles were written directly to designated communities – like Rome, Corinth, Galatia, Ephesus, Philippi, Colossae, and Thessalonica. And to individuals like Titus, Timothy and Philemon. The General Epistles were written to the Hebrews, and letters from other Apostles like John, James, Peter, and Jude. Ending of course, with Revelation which is an apocalyptic vision given to John the Beloved by Jesus Christ - describing the end of the world AGE and the establishment of the heavenly New Jerusalem.
Here again is the big question: Were the Gospels and Epistles and Revelation written directly to those people specifically - or were they written to us living in the future, two thousand years later? Is it possible to simply accept the Apostolic Record at its word and as a treasured ancient document preserved for us to read, study, and to gain valuable insights from? Combined with the Old Testament - the New Testament has become the most important written word of God we have. I propose that we keep in mind - that those words were written to those people then, and about them - who lived two millennia ago. Not to and about us living in the 21st Century and beyond. The idea that Yeshua was NOT going to return in that first century - is NOT taught anywhere in the Apostolic Record. Almost every book in the cannon of scripture speaks of His return in their lifetime - even before most of them had died.
Let’s consider what AI has to say: “The New Testament was not written directly "about" us (modern people) but was written for us, meaning it was intended for ancient audiences but carries timeless truths about God, humanity, and Jesus Christ that are relevant and applicable to everyone today, serving as a guide for faith, life, and understanding God's covenant. While rooted in specific historical contexts and cultures, its core message about salvation and the human condition speaks across millennia, revealing God's plan for all people.” I totally agree with that. So why can’t churches and people today - realize and accept that truth?
On the contrary, I would venture to say that most Christians including Mormons, believe in a futurist viewpoint. But I am here to propose and argue that Christ already returned during the “Last Days” which was 66-70 AD. It might take some time to cover the overwhelming evidence that supports my case. But the evidence comes from the pages of the New Testament itself. It might take several videos to cover this topic. And I’ll try to keep each one of them concise, informative, and insightful. In any event, I promise that your, thinking about Christ’s Second Coming will never be quite the same again – whether you agree with me or not. My line of reasoning may not be the most popular one, but I firmly believe it is the most accurate one. You’ll have to decide for yourself.
Stay tuned for more videos on this extremely important and interesting topic of End Times Eschatology.
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