Has Jesus Returned?, Part 6

Shawn McCraney emphasizes that LDS teachings claim the true Gospel will be spread worldwide before Christ's Second Coming, highlighting signs such as wars, natural disasters, and societal challenges, along with a call for repentance and unity. He discusses Matthew 24:34-35's context, encouraging deeper exploration of scripture and challenging contemporary interpretations of "the last days" to promote genuine understanding of the Word through the Holy Spirit.

"The last days" referred to in the New Testament are understood to have occurred during the time of Jesus, as evidenced by scriptures like Acts 2:14-21 and Hebrews 1:1-2, where figures like Peter and the writer of Hebrews indicated that they were in the last days almost two thousand years ago. The notion that these last days extend to the present is challenged, as the scriptural context suggests they were specific to the time of Jesus fulfilling Old Testament prophecies, contradicting interpretations that stretch this period over millennia.

The apostles, including John, wrote about "the last days" as a period specific to their time, marking the end of the Old Covenant and the beginning of the New Covenant through Christ and His Church, rather than referring to an ongoing era. This teaching emphasizes the importance of recognizing the historical context of biblical events while applying their spiritual lessons to our individual lives, without misinterpreting them as referring to the current age.

Shawn explains that the last days of the old covenant, marked by physical lineage and the Levitical priesthood, were ending to make way for a new spiritual covenant, emphasizing grace, truth, and a universal "royal priesthood" of believers, transcending distinctions like Jew and Greek. This transition signified a shift from physical worship locations and practices to a spiritual worship in "spirit and truth," culminating in the establishment of a "New Jerusalem" which represents a spiritual community in Christ rather than a physical city.

In Shawn's teaching, he explains that the biblical references to a "new heaven and new earth" are metaphorical, representing the transformation from the old covenant based on law and religion, embodied by ancient Israel, to a new covenant based on a personal, spiritual relationship with God through grace and faith. This shift emphasizes inward transformation with God's laws written on believers' hearts rather than adherence to external religious systems.

The central theme of Shawn's teaching emphasizes that everyone, from the least to the greatest, will ultimately come to know God, who promises mercy and the obliteration of past sins, under a new covenant that replaces the old. This teaching contrasts with differing interpretations on eschatological timelines and the nature of religious institutions, calling for a focus on salvation and understanding through personal faith rather than institutional affiliations.

The teaching addresses the interpretation of biblical prophecy, emphasizing that the events described in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, such as the return of Jesus with angels and the resurrection of the dead in Christ, are future corporate events that have not yet occurred. It critiques the focus on the immediacy implied by "quickly" or "shortly" in Revelation 22, arguing that these events must universally transpire, including the global preaching of the gospel, which did not happen in the apostles' lifetime.