Hello, my name is Danny and I was an active Latter-day Saint for 60 years.
I have been presenting biblical proof that Jesus returned in the first century to rescue His bride – those faithful believers in 70 AD - from the final destruction of Jerusalem as He promised He would. In this Part 3, I am going to wrap up what Jesus said about His Return, as recorded in the Four Gospel accounts. Then, I will take a break from that the following few weeks, to talk about who this bride of Christ was - and how the Messiah is the Bridegroom. After that, I will then return to the balance of the New Testament to see what the apostles taught and wrote about Christ’s return. And finally, I will examine the Book of Revelation – which is a vision of Jesus Christ, given to His beloved apostle John. And now just as a teaser, I’ll now read the bookend verses of that record. Revelation 1:1 “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John.” Doesn’t “must shortly take place” mean “shortly?” And then Revelation 22:20 “He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” Was He going to “come quickly” then, or delay it for hundreds of years into the future?
Picking up where we left off in our last video – Jesus taught His disciples a short but important parable. In those first century days, when people saw a fig tree begin to put out tender leaves - they knew summer was near. Likewise, Jesus said when His disciples began to see the signs of the times come to pass, they would know His return “is near, even at the doors.” Matthew 24:32-33 “Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.” What would be “near” and “at the door?” The Judgment on Judah! The desolation of their nation would be near. The destruction of their temple would be near. The end of the Old Covenant age, which was the world they asked about – would be near. And the return of Christ - His future Advent, would be at their doors. All to take place in their lifetime.
All these things had to happen within a generation of 40 years from when Jesus spoke to them, or else Jesus would end up being a false prophet. But history verifies that all Jesus’ physical and natural prophecies came to pass by AD 70. Along with spiritual changes to “heaven and earth” – represented by the world of Judaism – which passed away at that time. Only to be replaced by a “new heaven and earth” of a spiritual nature.
It is difficult to understand why Christians and Mormons are still waiting for Matthew 24 to happen. That’s because they believe that “this generation” refers to our generation – 2000 years later. It doesn’t seem to matter that no scripture supports this idea. I don’t think it takes a Bible scholar to understand what Jesus is teaching about His Return or Second Coming. I am very perplexed that someone reading those passages thinks it was meant for us 2,000 years later and not for those people at that time.
Fortunately, when I first left Mormonism and was not tethered to any Christian religious institution – I had no strong opinions about the Return of Christ. I didn’t realize how adamant Christianity was that the Return of Christ was to be a future event. Then, as I read the Bible in earnest to better understand it – my eyes were opened to the fact that most if not all prophecies spoken about the Second Coming had already been fulfilled.
I realize now that it would take real courage for Christian churches to admit they had been wrong in their eschatological positions. Then to begin teaching the truth about Christ fulfilling all that He promised to do leading up to His return. A whole new approach to understanding the Bible would need to take place. I know personally of one group of believers who were so disturbed by the new stance their pastor took on Christ’s Return - that more than half the congregation walked away from that ministry. They just couldn’t accept the message of victorious fulfillment. It’s hard to change your mind when it is set upon an idea. It takes humility to say you were wrong in what you believed. I understand that! For me, it wasn’t so difficult because like I said, I had not been that indoctrinated concerning a future return of Jesus. I simply let the Bible speak for itself, knowing the message was written to those people then in the first century and not to me. And what a blessing it is to look back on history to see how it all unfolded. And what the “new heaven and earth” that we are living in means and looks like.
Now, we turn to another crucial passage where Jesus states in Matthew 16:27-28 “For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. Verily I say unto you, There be some (of you) standing here (where? in Israel), which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.”
I believe He was talking to His contemporary audience about His judgment coming on that perverse generation who rejected Him and will crucify Him. But many Christians argue that Jesus was simply referring to His transfiguration, which happened only days later. But logically, if Jesus was talking about an event only a few days away – why would He say, “some standing here, will not taste death?” It doesn’t make sense to say that some of His living disciples would have died in less than a week. Furthermore, the transfiguration account being glorious, did not involve the Son of Man coming with His angels at that time to “reward every man according to his works.” So, to force the transfiguration onto this passage is to ignore the details of the prophecy. Jesus was preparing them for the end of the old covenant age. If we let scripture interpret scripture, the message is clear – Jesus kept His word to that generation.
In Mattew 16:27, the word “shall” as in “shall come” in the KJV is a terrible translation. The correct translation is the Greek word “mello” which means “about to be.” Young’s Literal Translation, which is a direct translation from Greek to English, translates it correctly. Instead of “shall come” it is “For the Son of man is about to come.” Jesus here has really locked Himself into a time frame. If He didn’t come back before all of those He was talking to died - then He would have been a deceiver and a liar. But He did return as He promised. Assuming the life expectancy of a man was 60 to 70 years old, and Jesus spoke these words in AD 32 - then His disciples could calculate the approximate longest time they might have to wait for His return. Some of the older men probably would die before He returned. However, a man in his twenties or thirties could still be alive by then – to witness the “Son of man coming in his kingdom.”
We have not found anything in Scripture that even faintly hints at the possibility that His Second Coming would be hundreds and hundreds or, thousands of years in the future. So, there are two alternatives - either Jesus lied and was a false prophet or He has already returned. The entire New Testament agrees and supports that He did return in the second half of the first century.
Now we come to another event, where Jesus makes a prophecy relating to when He would return. Jesus was being questioned by the corrupt high priest, Caiaphas before the Sanhedrin and Jesus tells them that they will see Him coming from heaven. Matthew 26:64 “Jesus saith unto him (Caiaphas), Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.” Jesus would come back even before all His present enemies, including Caiaphas and members of the Sanhedrin had died.
Then Jesus in warning His disciples - said to them in Matthew 10:23 “But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.” We can conclude from this passage that Jesus would be returning - while at least some of the apostles were still preaching, being persecuted, and fleeing from city to city. He did come back in the days of the early church, exactly has He promised – not thousands of years later.
Following His resurrection - in the last account of Jesus in the John’s gospel, it states in 21:21-23 “Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do (referring to John)? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he (John) tarries till I come (I return), what is that to thee? follow thou me. Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarries till I come, what is that to thee?” Jesus is saying, “If I want John to live till I come again, that is none of your business Peter.” Jesus knew He would be returning within a few decades, so His statement makes total sense.
All the passages in the Gospels spoken by Jesus that we have considered - agree as to the period during which Jesus would be returning. Not one single conflict exists in the New Testament. And no other passages in the Gospels give any other time frame than what we have seen.
I have received push-back from Christians on my channel. They consider it heresy for anyone to believe and teach that Christ has returned. But I simply ask, is there any reason NOT to accept and believe - what Jesus said about when He was coming? Do you want truth or the traditions of men? It’s probably not what your church teaches. It’s not what Christianity in general believes. I know that if I was to walk into a Bible teaching church today, including the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, promoting these beliefs – I would be immediately cautioned and would probably not be welcomed back.
SO, do you recognize now that Christianity does have a predicament on its hands and that problems do exist with its teachings about Christ’s Return? Can you see why all the promises of a future coming have failed? Is it because they are wrong and unscriptural? Read, study and pray until you understand it for yourself. And you will even see that balance of the New Testament agrees with the Gospels. I intend to present in future videos - what the other writers of the New Testament had to say about Christ’s Return. But, like a said - next week, I will begin an interim series of videos on who the Bridegroom and Bride are - and how they play a major role in both the first coming of the Messiah and Christ’s Return.
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God Bless!