Christ’s Return – Part 2
Hello, my name is Danny and I was an active Latter-day Saint for 60 years.
This is part 2 of Eschatology, meaning the study of end times – such as the Last Days, the End of the World, the Judgment, and the Second Coming of Christ.
I want to continue providing evidence from the very words of Jesus Himself and what He had to say directly about His eventual return. You see, we have a choice – either He returned like He said He would to those people He was talking to, OR He decided after making those promises, to delay His return for a much distant future date.
If Jesus didn’t return to those people in the first century - have you ever wondered what is delaying His return? Why has He not appeared by now? It has been hundreds and hundreds of years - that the faithful have been promised by their religious leaders that Jesus is coming soon. I think it’s way past the point of being embarrassing. I’m sure the rest of the non-Christian world is very amused by these unfulfilled promises.
I think for Christians, there is even a bigger problem. Being that Jesus Himself promised to return during the lifetime of His contemporaries in that first century. Jesus declares in Matthew 24:34 “Very I say unto you, This, generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” (Mark 13:30; Luke 21:32). That narrows the time frame as a biblical generation to within 40 years. Jesus’s disciples understood what that meant. And they continued to preach that their Master’s return was imminent, at hand, and would occur soon.
But today, 2,000 years later, churches teach that Jesus did NOT come back in the first century as He promised. How long can they keep promising the world that “Jesus is coming – soon,” without already looking foolish?
There have been numerous so-called “prophets” who have gone so far as to name a specific date, when Jesus would return - but they always have been proven wrong. What a blow to the credibility of Christianity and in some respects - the integrity of Jesus. No wonder unbelievers laugh at us. I think it is part of the reason Christians are leaving religion today.
Is there a solution to this problem? I believe there is! And the answer is revealed and solidly based in the biblical scriptures - which somehow has been overlooked by most Christians. But once you do see and understand the truth - you will never read the New Testament the same again. As my mother used to say – “It is as plain as the nose on your face.”
If ANY doctrine is clearly taught in the New Testament - it is that Jesus would return after He ascended soon after His resurrection. And there are many passages regarding His return found in the New Testament. There is no doubt that His apostles believed, preached, and wrote that Jesus was coming back. In fact, the New Testament is full of passages telling us His coming was imminent in the days of - the early church. All the controversy revolves around whether Jesus kept His many promises to return.
Some conclude that the apostles did think Jesus was coming again - but that they were just mistaken about the timing. That in the Bible the word “soon” when referring to His return, meant something other than “soon.” That the word “near” doesn’t really mean “near.” That “at hand” doesn’t really mean “at hand.” That “quickly” doesn’t mean “quickly.” And that “nigh” doesn’t mean “nigh.”
Here’s the inconsistency in that argument: For example, when James 5:8 said, “The coming of the Lord draweth nigh (near),” some say this did not mean His coming was getting close. However, when it says in John 11:55 “The Jewish Passover was nigh (near),” they change their tune to say this DID mean the Passover was getting near. Do you see the contradiction in their thinking?
So, if Jesus did not return within that “generation” – I guess whenever He does come, He will be coming “soon.” He was supposed to come in the first century, but apparently to Christians, He did not. So, they must come up with some alternative excuses as to why He didn’t, as He promised.
Personally, I have come to realize that the problem Christians have - with the doctrine of the Second Coming of Christ - is that they have simply misunderstood what Jesus and the apostles taught about it. Once they understand what Jesus and His disciples meant by what they said - then this huge dilemma will go away. The credibility of the Bible will be restored. Jesus will be shown as the true Son of God who NEVER lied, never failed, and always did exactly as He promise He would.
I believe we have found the answer in God’s written word – and we should be like the Bereans, of whom Paul said in Acts 17:11, that they “searched the scriptures daily” regarding what Paul was preaching them - to make an honest effort to determine “whether those things were so.”
When studying the Scriptures, proper understanding requires us to ask certain questions about a passage. Such as: Who was the writer? To whom was he writing? What was he writing about? Why was he writing? When did he write? What was the setting? What was the context? What were the circumstances at the time? What did the words mean to the original recipients of the letters? This is called proper exegesis of scripture. Exegesis means to understand what the original writer intended to say or teach. Leaving out our personal opinions and presuppositions. Like assuming Yeshua’s return is in the future just because it has been traditionally taught to us that way for centuries.
The apostles directly asked Jesus - when He would be coming back. And Jesus directly answered them. He didn’t beat around the bush. He said in Matthew 23:36 “Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.” Jesus said this in about 33 AD. I mean, come on!
It started in Matthew 21, when Jesus made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem and then cleansed the temple. In Matthew 23, He denounced the scribes and Pharisees and ended by pronouncing a coming judgment upon them and Jerusalem. Matthew 23:35 “That upon you (religious leaders) may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth.” Matthew 23:36 “Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.” And referring to the people listening to Him then, and there - Yeshua declared in Matthew 23:38 “Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.” What did He mean by saying “your house”? He was referring to their temple, Judaism, their lives, families and land, their nation, religious system, their priesthood etc. The “house” of Judah - all destined for complete utter destruction and desolation.
Now, listen as I read this passage. Matthew 24:1-3 “And Jesus went out and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. (They were pointing out to Jesus the magnificent buildings of the temple complex. But instead of being impressed, Yeshua makes this stunning prophecy.) And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples (Peter, James, John and Andrew) asked him privately, came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, (they wanted to know the answer to these three specific connected questions) when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” The term “world” in the King James Version is a poor translation of the Greek word “aion” which means “age” in other versions of the Bible. They were referring to the Mosaic age - the age of the Old Covenant, the age of Law of Moses, and the age of the prophets. The end of that “age.” It’s important to note - they were not asking for signs about the end of the natural world.
Then Jesus proceeds to deliver the great Olivet Discourse also recorded in Mark 13 and Luke 21. Matthew24:30-35 “And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, (earth meaning region) and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other (hyperbolic language). Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh (near): So, likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away (the old covenant economy of Judaism), but my words shall not pass away.”
From secular history, we know that the Roman armies destroyed Judea, Jerusalem, and the temple, by 70 AD. Matthew chapters 23-24 are about the things that would be happening in the approaching years - from the time Jesus made these prophesies in 30-33 AD. until the end when He came for them in 70 AD. And right on time - the Roman armies entered the city and destroyed the temple. Completely fulfilling an Old Testament prophecy in Micah 3:12 “Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest.” The complete fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy of the destruction and its coming within the exact time-period - are two perfect examples that His words are true.
The secular historian Flavius Josephus in his book – The Wars of the Jews which I’ve read - said the Roman general, Titus wanted to spare the Jewish temple as a monument to his and Rome’s success. However, one of his soldiers threw a firebrand through a window and set it ablaze. Titus’s soldiers tried to put it out but failed in their attempt. That’s because God meant it to be. Jesus had already sealed its doom forty years earlier.
Jesus answered His apostle’s questions. He told them they would have to endure many things before all these things came to pass. He gave them signs to look for and advice on how to react to those coming events. Matthew 24:4-5, 11-12, 23-26 “And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And many false prophets shall rise and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.” Jesus is saying that if people claim He is in the secret chambers of the temple, don’t believe them. I believe that applies today as well.
Matthew 24 mentions Vs 6-7 Wars, famines, pestilences, and earthquakes. Vs 9-10 says they would be afflicted, betrayed, hated, and killed. Vs 12 Many will leave the faith. Vs 14 The Gospel would be preached in all the world - meaning in all the known Roman Empire. Vs 15-20 When they see the abomination of desolation, they should hurriedly flee from Judea to the mountains. Vs 21-22 There would be great tribulations, such as they had never known. The abomination of desolation is made clearer in Luke 21:20-21 “And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto.”
Documented history tells us that in the mid 60’s AD., the Romans began to attack the region of Judea - and then they attacked Jerusalem in AD 70. Subsequently, more than one million Jews died, and the survivors were taken as slaves and prisoners of war. As faithful believers – the Bride of Christ - fled to the mountains for safety.
This horrible calamity coming upon His beloved city - Jerusalem and His people is what moved Jesus to tears during His triumphal entry into the city. Luke 19:41-44 “And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.”
Later as they arrested and condemned Jesus, they led Him away to be crucified. And a great company followed Him including many weeping women. Jesus made the following comment recorded in Luke 23:28-30 “But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children. For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck. Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us.” This is similar, to what He said in Matthew 24:19 “And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!” In other words, it would be better not to have children at this time - who would also have to suffer the misery of those terrible events.
Well, I don’t want this video to go too long - so I’m going to end here. But I want to pick up next week as we continue to seek correct understanding about end-time predictions and fulfillment of Christ’s Return.
Until next time, God Bless! And don’t forget to like and subscribe. Watch more videos like this on YouTube or at TalkingtoMormons.com.