Will Jesus ever return?
How do we deal with the fact that Jesus has not returned as those in the primitive church had been taught and
believed? How do we now deal with the fact that Jesus has not returned in these the "Latter Days"? If I
am blessed to live to see my grandchildren, my training as a child did not prepare me to someday hear my children,
and even less likely, my grandchildren being taught that "they will usher in the second coming of
Christ", because this it what I was taught, and has been taught in each generation since the restoration of the
gospel.
Modern day scriptures have carefully introduced a new time for the first advent of Christ, using the phrase
"meridian of time." "Meridian" is not found in the KJV or in the BoM. The use of
"meridian" could be used to explain why Christ didn't return as soon as his early church had expected.
Since we do not know how long time has existed, and only know the middle of time, we have absolutely no way of
determining the end of time and can now justify Christ not coming back for even tens of thousands of years from
now.
There are several problems with the "meridian" of time concept. For starters, the Bible indicates that
Christ came in "these last days." The feeling of Christ's quickly returning is very evident in the New
Testament. Next, how does the term "Latter-Day" fit in with "meridian"? We know that
scripture history goes back at least 4,000 before the first advent of Christ. If He came in the meridian of time, his
second advent would not occur until at least 4,000 A.D.? If time actually began millions or billions of years ago (as
evidence from our own planet, solar system, galaxy, and universe indicates) then the second coming of Christ might
not happen until an end-of-time that would be so far in the future that "Latter-Day" would seem to be
inappropriate.
I have listed below the "meridian" scriptures followed by scriptures that led early Christians to believe
that Christ was coming back very soon. To early Christians "meridian of time" would not have had any
meaning because they believed they were living at or near the end of time or the last days.
D&C 20:26 Not only those who believed after he came in the meridian of time, in the flesh, but all those from the
beginning, even as many as were before he came, who believed in the words of the holy prophets, who spake as they
were inspired by the gift of the Holy Ghost, who truly testified of him in all things, should have eternal life,
D&C 39:3 The same which came in the meridian of time unto mine own, and mine own received me not;
Moses 5:57 For they would not hearken unto his voice, nor believe on his Only Begotten Son, even him whom he
declared should come in the meridian of time, who was prepared from before the foundation of the world.
Moses 6:57 Wherefore teach it unto your children, that all men, everywhere, must repent, or they can in nowise
inherit the kingdom of God, for no unclean thing can dwell there, or dwell in his presence; for, in the language of
Adam, Man of Holiness is his name, and the name of his Only Begotten is the Son of Man, even Jesus Christ, a
righteous Judge, who shall come in the meridian of time.
Moses 6:62 And now, behold, I say unto you: This is the plan of salvation unto all men, through the blood of mine
Only Begotten, who shall come in the meridian of time.
Moses 7:46 And the Lord said: It shall be in the meridian of time, in the days of wickedness and vengeance.
JST Genesis 5:43 And God cursed the earth with a sore curse, and was angry with the wicked, with all the sons of
men whom he had made, for they would not hearken unto his voice, nor believe on his Only Begotten Son, even him
whom he declared should come in the meridian of time; who was prepared from before the foundation of the world.
JST Genesis 6:60 For no unclean thing can dwell there, or dwell in his presence; for, in the language of Adam, Man of
Holiness is his name; and the name of his Only Begotten is the Son of Man, even Jesus Christ, a righteous judge,
who shall come in the meridian of time.
JST Genesis 6:65 And now, behold, I say unto you, This is the plan of salvation unto all men, through the blood of
mine Only Begotten, who shall come in the meridian of time.
JST Genesis 7:53 And the Lord said, It shall be in the meridian of time; in the days of wickedness and vengeance.
JST Hebrews 9:26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world; but now once in the
meridian of time hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
The following are just a few of the verses from the KJV indicating an imminent return of Christ. Some even
indicate that Christ first came in these last days - not the meridian of time.
Daniel 12:4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, [even] to the time of the end: many shall
run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.
Daniel 12:9 And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words [are] closed up and sealed till the time of the end.
Revelation 22:10
10 And he saith unto me,Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.
Joel 2:1 BLOW ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land
tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for [it is] nigh at hand;
Joel 2:28-32 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: And also upon
the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. And I will shew wonders in the heavens
and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into
blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come. And it shall come to pass, [that] whosoever shall call
on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD
hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.
Acts 2:1-4 AND when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And
suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were
sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were
all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Acts 2:16-21 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; 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: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will
pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs
in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into
blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: And it shall come to pass, [that] whosoever shall call on
the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Hebrews 1:1-3 GOD, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
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; Who being the brightness of [his] glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all
things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty
on high;
Revelation 3:11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
Revelation 22:7 Behold, I come quickly: blessed [is] he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
Revelation 22:12-13 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward [is] with me, to give every man according as his
work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
Revelation 22:20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
Paul made it sound possible that he and many others would still be alive at "the last trumpet."
1 Corinthians 15:51-52 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a
moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised
incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-19 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that
ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them
also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which
are alive [and] remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall
descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ
shall rise first: Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the
Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
1 Corinthians 7:29 But this I say, brethren, the time [is] short: ...
1 Peter 1:19-20 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was
foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
1 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.