Has Jesus Returned?, Part 6

The True Gospel and Its Teachings

“According to LDS teachings the true Gospel will be taught in all parts of the world prior to His Second Coming. The LDS Doctrine and Covenants says (D&C 45:26, 33, 64-66):

“And in that day shall be heard of wars and rumors of wars, and the whole earth shall be in commotion, and men’s hearts shall fail them, and they shall say Christ delayeth his coming until the end of the earth. And the love of men will wax cold . . .and there shall be earthquakes in diverse places, and many desolations . . .” Wherefore I the Lord have said, Gather ye out from the eastern lands, assemble ye yourselves together ye elders of my church; go ye forth into the western countries, call upon the inhabitants to repent, and inasmuch as they do repent build up churches unto me. And with one heart and one mind gather up your riches that ye may purchase an inheritance which shall hereafter be appointed unto me. And it shall be called the New Jerusalem, a land of peace, a city of refuge and a place of safety for the saints of the Most High God.”

The Word of God and Its Impact

This ministry is dedicated to getting people to really consider the Word of God – to learn it, to teach it, to share it with all we come in contact with. We know that the Word does not return void. We know that it is the washing of the word that changes lives and perspectives, and we know that we come to know the true and living God by and through the Word in harmony with His Holy Spirit. NOTHING ON EARTH SPEAKS TO THE SPIRIT MORE CLEARLY THAN THE WORD THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT. And so we have commissioned to have the Word set to music. Nearly sixty memorable passages delivered word for word in the universal language of song. Check it out.

Perspectives on the End Times

Last week we ended with a passage, spoken from the mouth of the Lord Jesus Christ, that in my opinion puts all the debate over end times to bed. Jesus has been describing to His apostles all sorts of signs and wonders and fears in very apocalyptic terms to them and then He – our Lord and King, says: Matthew 24:34 “Verily I say unto you (MY APOSTLES RIGHT HERE AND NOW), This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” The passage is incontrovertible. And these words were spoke to them, at that time and NOT to us now. Get over it if it conflicts with what you want and read what it says. Then in the next line Jesus adds some even greater emphasis to these emphatic words. He adds: Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

Understanding the Last Days

I want to talk about this passage, and about what contextually speaking the phrase heaven and earth will pass away, and what the “last days” means from this reasonable biblical point of view. If we hear anything repeated over and over again today – among the churched and even the unbelieving communities – it is references to this being “the last days.” Add in the speed and clarity with which technology keeps us in the loop of nearly every evil happening and our fears and phobias tend to seem justified. Pandering to the fears keeps a majority of “believers” in the pews, reading the signs of these times and filling the storehouses with grain for the eminent tribulation ahead.

Is heaven and earth getting ready to pass away? Are we in the last days truly right now? What do YOU use to support such a belief? Is it because your pastor keeps reminding you of it – like they have been reminding believers for nearly 2000 years? More importantly, is it because the Bible says so? Really? The Bible tells you that these are the last days? I read the same Bible. How come I don’t read these things and you do? Perhaps the best way to put this debate to bed is to ask: When did the writers of the New Testament believe…

The Concept of "Last Days" in the Bible

So, in the New Testament, Jesus has come. He came to fulfill all the Law and the Prophets. The Old Testament prophesied of Him and His time, and the New Testament was a fulfillment of Him doing all that was said of Him. In the Old Testament book of Joel we read of one of these prophesies. It says:

Joel 2:28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: 29 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.

Peter's View on the Last Days

Jumping to the New Testament, on the day of Pentecost, we read: Act 2:14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, “Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: 15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. 16 But this (what you are seeing) is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; 17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: 18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days (in those LAST DAYS) of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: 19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke: 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: 21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

When did Peter believe the LAST DAYS were? Right then and there, my friends.

Hebrews' Perspective on the Last Days

If we jump to the first verse in the Book of Hebrews we discover when the writer of Hebrews believed the last days to be. Ready? Hebrews 1:1-2 says: 1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2 Hath in these last days . . . spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds.

These last days? These last days? We are talking almost two thousand years ago the writers of the New Testament narrative spoke and wrote that they were in the LAST DAYS? I mean, we can’t suggest otherwise . . . unless we are totally dishonest with ourselves. Unless we say things like, “We’ll they were writing by the Holy Spirit for us NOT. Which is not true – they were writing to actual people, in actual places who were reading THEIR words as inspired. And when they wrote IN THESE LAST DAYS the recipients of their words TRUSTED that they knew what they were talking about and that they were IN the last days.

Oh, believe me, I’ve heard the ways futurists fumble around and try to explain passages like this. “Ya see, Shawn, the last days started way back yonder and continue to us today! Dat’s what they meant!” The whole Old Testament economy under the LAW of Moses lasted only about 1500 years and we are supposed to believe that “Last days” spoken of by Peter and the writer of Hebrews has lasted for nearly 2000 years! It’s disingenuous, it’s artificial and its as twisted as any form of twistianity found in Mormonism.

There is absolutely NO biblical support that suggests that the LAST DAYS started in the New Testament and have extended out to our day and age. What last days does the Bible speak? Who was the Bible written to? What was being wrapped up, what was ending once Jesus came and fulfilled all that was prophesied would be fulfilled and ended? Does the Bible anywhere say anything about the book being written so it could all be applied to our day and age? Extending “the last days” is one of the only options futurists have to explain their view that Jesus has not returned and is just around the corner.

Understanding the Last Days

or claim that the apostles, when they wrote about the Last Days had no idea what they were talking about. And that position is even worse. We are NOT living in the last days now my friends – not from a biblical perspective. The Bible was written to the Jews, and to the early converts (most of whom were Jews) and is a record of how Jesus glorious Good News sprang forth to the world and of a wrapping up of all God did dealing with them.

In 1st John, the beloved apostle wrote this: 1st John 2:18 “Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.” We’ve talked about the Last Days (a term used by Peter and the writer of Hebrews) and now John, who wrote last among the apostles, giving us an even more specific allusion to time! He says: It is “the last time” twice (in the King James, and that, better translated from the Greek term horah (who-rah) is hour. Peter used the term Last Days in his narrative written years before John but when we get to John’s epistle he says, “the last HOUR twice.” When a generation gets to the Last Day of the LAST DAYS they are then left with remaining hours, and then ultimately, the LAST HOUR. This is what John is saying here – nearly two thousand years ago – the LAST HOUR!

John's Revelation

John was sitting here on the Mount of Olives with Jesus and was one of the apostles who asked, “Lord, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of thy coming, and the end of this age?” (which futurists love to read, and of the end of the world). And John, so many years (decades) later saw everything Jesus had warned about coming into play, he, who KNEW the signs of the end of their world, was bold enough to put away the phrase “last days,” and actually used, “last hour.” He was encourage his “little children” to hang on, that the end was imminent, that the end was more than near, it was at hand. Now, if they were in the last days – even the last hour – then . . . how could we still be in the last days . . . now? We aren’t, my friends – not physically. We are reading an actual book with an actual history and actual application to them, right then and we have the privilege to read about God’s works with them. In reading and studying these lessons we would be fools to not see the application that all they experienced to our lives spiritually.

Spiritual Lessons from the Last Days

I mentioned this last week. Not one thing is lost on us spiritually in the lessons these people learned physically. We are in the last days, the last hours too of our individual lives. We will be similarly judged, we will be similarly saved or destroyed, and as they were His people we become His Sons and Daughters by faith. I mean the spiritual application to our lives would take years to properly articulate, but it is high time we take the idiocy of taking this contents of this book – especially when it comes to making it apply to us and this age – and trying to twist it all to this time.

The Passing of the Old Covenant

What was actually ending in these LAST DAYS and HOURS of the NEW TESTAMENT? What was passing away in the early church established by the Hebrew Apostles? The Age of Moses and the Prophets was in its last days and was passing away, making way for who and what? Christ and His Church. The age of the Old Covenant was in its last days and was passing away, making room for the new Covenant. Which is described HOW in the Bible? LISTEN CLOSELY TO WHAT THE WRITER OF Hebrews SAYS IN CHAPTER 8 beginning at verse 6, which says: 6 But now hath he (Christ Jesus) obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. 8 For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: 9 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in

The New Covenant and the End of an Era

The day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: And they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.

End of the Old and Beginning of the New

Then the age of being in God’s family by blood, by genealogy, by being Abraham’s descendent, was coming to an end. These were the LAST DAYS of that. Now there is no difference between Jew and Greek, male and female, bond and free – they were in the LAST DAYS of all of that and the world with the age of anyone coming into the family of God opening up to the world. Additionally, the age where natural Jerusalem being “the place where men ought to worship,” (as Jesus said) was giving way to the time when, as Jesus said, “when ye shall neither worship in this mountain nor yet at Jerusalem” will worship the Father. Instead, those were the LAST DAYS of all of that. Now, (again as Jesus intimated) the Father seeks those to worship Him in spirit and in truth.”

Then, and hear this Latter-day Saints especially, the Last Days of a Levitical priesthood were coming. The genealogies of the Jews were about to totally be wiped out in the destruction of the temple and the time was coming when God would establish a “royal priesthood of believers – male and female. The Law of Moses – harsh and condemnatory – ending – in its last days, replaced by grace and truth and love of Christ Jesus.

The New Jerusalem

And so (finally, it’s taken me some time) we come to the words Jesus said in Matthew 24:35: “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words (to you Apostles about all of this) shall not pass away.“ Listen closely, The old physical Jerusalem was in its last days and would soon be gone. In its place a NEW JERUSALEM, a NEW SPIRITUAL CITY which is above, which is the mother of us all, the city of the Living God, the Heavenly Jerusalem was about to come. Ever wonder what Paul meant when he said in Galatians 4:26: “But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.” This is not a physical Jerusalem restored. It is ALL SPIRITUAL NOW. We have no idea who are real Jews of the right priesthood or lineage. And it does NOT really matter because in Christ there is NEITHER JEW NOR GREEK.

Where is the New Jerusalem? Hebrews 12:22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, Nothing to do with physical restoration or repatriotization, or Zionism, or any of that. Christ did something better, gave something better, established something better and it was no longer tied to the physical of a physical people and nation.

Speaking to Jewish converts to Christianity, the writer of Hebrews said: Hebrews 13:14 “For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.” So when Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away” (within “that generation,” by the way) He was NOT speaking of literal heaven and literal earth (as zealous, unthinking literal futurists LOVE to imply) but he was speaking of EVERYTHING related to that world, that age – they were in the last days of all of that. He was preparing for a “new heaven and a new earth, wherein dwell righteousness,”

2nd Peter 3:13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein

Understanding the New Heaven and New Earth

In Isaiah, there is a fascinating set of passages which say to the nation of Israel: “But I am the LORD thy God, that divided the sea, whose waves roared: The LORD of hosts is his name. And I have put my words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, Thou art my people.” I am showing you this passage to help illustrate Hebrew writing style and inference. Here God is saying that He brought Israel through the Red Sea, and then at Sinai He put His words in their mouths by giving them the law and then establishing them as His people. In doing this God says this line: “That I may plant the heavens and lay the foundations of the earth.”

We all know that He literally planted the heavens and literally laid the foundations of the earth well before this so we can see that such language is figurative. That in culling the Nation of Israel out for His purposes God is figuratively (or spiritually) planting a new heaven and new earth. So when Jesus says: “Heaven and earth will pass away it is THIS HEAVEN AND EARTH established when God created and carved out Israel that He is speaking about NOT the literal heavens and the literal earth upon which we are still living some 2000 years later. Get it?

The Passing Away of the Old World

Remember what Paul said in 1st Corinthians 7:31? He said “the fashion of this world passeth away.” Which world? The only FASHION of a world Paul could have been writing about was the Nation of Israel, Judaism. John says something similar in 1st John 2:17 “And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” Both Paul and John were speaking of the world and the fashion of it “PASSING AWAY.” It was happening. It was not the natural world. It was the heavens and earth created when God culled the Nation of Israel out.

And in place of this former system of Law, and condemnation, and religion, and ordinances, and objective rites and demands, was a far more glorious way: God would write His laws upon our hearts and minds and He would be our God and we would be His people SUBJECTIVELY – NOT through yet ANOTHER SYSTEM!

The New Covenant

Speaking of the LAST DAYS of the Former system being replaced by Latter-days of subjective relationship, Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 3:11 “For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.” John put it this way in describing what remains and what it looks like, saying: 1st John 2:8 Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.

WAAAY back then the whole former system was utterly getting ready to completely decay. The new has NO vestiges of the OLD or former. The new is spiritual, heavenly, based in grace, not in law whatsoever, based in faith first followed by love. Church and playing church and using the New Testament as a new law to beat each other with was never the plan. He writes His laws upon our hearts and minds and no man needs to teach His neighbor anything for we (believers) will all know Him.

Let me end with Hebrews 8:8 where the writer says plainly, of the former Jerusalem, of the former Law, of the covenants, of religion, of demands, he says: Hebrews 8:8 For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: 9 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. 10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: 11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the

Understanding the New Covenant

Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.

Perspectives on Revelation 22

From: David Chrenko

Subject: Revelation 22

Message Body:

Hi Shawn, Sheryl and I are fine, and I hope you and Mary are the same. Shawn I've been watching your teaching on Revelation 22, and I have to be honest. I don't agree with your position. I hate disagreeing with you, as our friend, and as one who taught me so much about why Mormonism isn't Biblical Christianity. I may be misunderstanding your words, but it seems you're getting focused on your understanding of "QUICKLY" aka "SHORTLY" – and missing the rest of what He's saying will transpire at that time. Surely, you realize all those events haven't occurred yet. When Jesus returns – it's with his angels. Has that happened yet? All the Jews will mourn him as a son. Has that happened yet? Mark 13:10 "And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations". That didn't happen during the apostles' lifetime. These are clearly future events – and they are indeed corporate in nature. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17: "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain SHALL BE CAUGHT UP TOGETHER with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord". This isn't an individual "meet Jesus when you die" thing – but a corporate event in the future. Please consider what I've shared, Shawn. Love you, brother! ~ Dave

Discussion on Doctrine

From: Christopher

Subject: Doctrine

Message Body:

I agree that it is possible for the second coming of Jesus to have happened in 70 AD. I have enjoyed watching your shows these past few weeks. I am perplexed, why would you continue to bash all Christian denominations? We may believe differently, personally I am a Roman Catholic, but we can agree on the means for salvation. I see the truth in some of what you speak, but not in regards to religious institutions such as Baptists and Catholics etc. If it wasn't for the Catholic Church we wouldn't even know about Jesus and his saving grace. The Catholic church has manuscripts and documents dating to the 1st century AD which proves that the early Christians believed the same thing as Catholics do today. Were there other sects? Of course there were. But the Catholic church can trace papal office from Pope Francis back to St. Peter. You do not have to believe this, that doesn't mean it isn't true. I would love to speak with you via any means you are willing to speak with me. You have my email and I will provide my phone number below. 1-812-629-6691

I believe that your calling is to bring LDS members out of the Mormon church into God's saving grace. I have prayed about your ministry and I think that you are pulling away from your purpose. The Church does not control its members as you claim. The Church guides people into the arms of God. I challenge you to read Matthew chapter 18, 1st Corinthians 5, and Acts 20:28. These chapters and verses speak about the accountability of the flock. Priests and Ministers are supposed to be held accountable by elders so that their message remains in line with the true doctrine of Christ Jesus. I am afraid that you have lost your way. Please be more tolerant towards mainstream Christianity, we are all Christians so we should act as Christ taught us. From: David Chrenko

Subject: Revelation 22

Message Body:

Hi Shawn, Sheryl and I are fine, and I hope you and Mary are the same. Shawn I've been watching your teaching on Revelation 22, and I have to be honest. I don't agree with your position. I hate disagreeing with you, as our friend, and as one who taught me so much about why Mormonism isn't Biblical Christianity. I may be misunderstanding your words, but it seems you're getting focused on your understanding of "QUICKLY" aka "SHORTLY" – and missing the rest of what He's saying will transpire at that time. Surely, you realize all those events haven't occurred yet. When Jesus returns – it's with his angels. Has that happened yet? All the Jews will mourn him as a son. Has that happened yet? Mark 13:10 "And the gospel must first

Understanding Future Corporate Events

Hi Shawn, Sheryl and I are fine, and I hope you and Mary are the same. Shawn I've been watching your teaching on Revelation 22, and I have to be honest. I don't agree with your position. I hate disagreeing with you, as our friend, and as one who taught me so much about why Mormonism isn't Biblical Christianity.

I may be misunderstanding your words, but it seems you're getting focused on your understanding of "QUICKLY" aka "SHORTLY" – and missing the rest of what He's saying will transpire at that time. Surely, you realize all those events haven't occurred yet. When Jesus returns – it's with his angels. Has that happened yet? All the Jews will mourn him as a son. Has that happened yet?

The Future Return of Jesus

Mark 13:10 "And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations". That didn't happen during the apostles' lifetime. These are clearly future events – and they are indeed corporate in nature. 1 Thessalonians 416-17: "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain SHALL BE CAUGHT UP TOGETHER with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord".

A Corporate Event

This isn't an individual "meet Jesus when you die" thing – but a corporate event in the future. Please consider what I've shared, Shawn. Love you, brother! ~ Dave