Why Does the Prophecy Reformation Matter?

The Deception of the Elect
     Concerning Jesus' promised coming again (parousia) and various associated events, He warned that there would be "false prophets...to deceive even the elect - if that were possible" (Matt. 24:24). They would insist on a visible nature for this end-time event (Matt. 24:23, 26).
     Ever wondered how this deception of the elect could possibly occur in our day? We, "the elect" of the Church, have succumbed to or been guilty of falsely prophesying. How so? First, by our paralleled misunderstanding of the invisible nature for His promised and time-restricted coming on the clouds (Matt. 24:3, 30, 34; John. 14:19, 22). Secondly, by our proclaiming a half-truth faith in a world filled with competing religions and secular ideologies:

Half True: That the promised Messiah [Jesus] came, lived, died, rose from the dead and ascended to Heaven exactly as and when prophesied.

Half False: That He has yet to come again and finish the work He started - as and when He said He would and was expected to by His Holy-Spirit-guided first followers and every New Testament writer (John.16:13)

     For 19 centuries and counting, the Church has been attempting to side-step or down play this time-restricted, first-century "failure" or "nonoccurrence." As a result, it has been forced to settle for a faith that has not been "once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 3) and whose "end of all things" was not "at hand" in that same first-century context in which these inspired words were penned (1 Peter 4:7).
     Thus, the historic Church, and we in it today, have been guilty of falsely prophesying a half-truth faith to a still-waiting world. So, we must ask: if this half-truth faith has been as effective as it has, and as God has allowed, then how much more effective and God-empowered would be the proclamation and practice of a whole-truth faith - that is, one which really "was [past tense] once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 3)?

Other Reasons
     If Jesus hasn't come again as and when He promised, how can any departed saint be in Heaven yet, in the presence of God (John. 3:13; 14:1-3; 1 Thess. 4:15)? Aren't these culminating end-time realities mutually dependent? Then, isn't all we still have is the promise - which is what the Old Covenant system had? And, where now are the saved departed ones and in what form?
    Furthermore, if Jesus hasn't finished the work of redemption, why aren't we still under obligation to keep the law - all of it (Matt. 5:17-18)?
     Moreover, if our faith, is still incomplete after 19-plus centuries - 400 years longer than the covenant nation of Israel ever existed - doesn't this place the credibility and divinity of Jesus into question and put the inspiration and inerrancy of Scripture into play (Matt. 24:34; Luke 21:20-22; Heb. 10:37; Jas. 5:7-8)? Liberals and critics so claim.

| Why Does the Prophecy Reformation Matter? | The Misuse of Matthew 24:14 |

| Do You Believe the End is Coming? | A Solution to the Problem of the End-Times |

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