THE PROBLEM
"Few doctrines unite and separate Christians as much as eschatology...One of the most divisive elements in recent Christian history." - Christianity Today magazine February 6, 1987; p-1-I

THE SOLUTION
The cry of "The Prophecy Reformation":
"ONCE FOR ALL DELIVERED" (Jude 3)
What does it really mean?

PREMISE
It's not the character or nature of God to have put anything in His Word that would create the amount of confusion, disagreement and conflict which we find among Christians over the various interpretations of end-time Bible prophecy, or that would make the Church look like such a joke in the eyes of the world. Surely, we moderns have misconstrued the whole thing. And, indeed, we have.

STARTING POINT FOR REFORM
Jude 3 is one of several key verses for those honestly interested in eschatological reform to seriously reconsider:
...contend for the faith that was once for all delivered [entrusted] to the saints."
If Jude was inspired and we take his words literally, at their plain, face value (*see footnote), this means that as of the time of the writing of his book (mid to late 60s A.D. - compare vs. 17-19 with 2 Peter 3:3-4):

1) The gospel had been "preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come" (Matt. 24:14). Other scriptures confirm this accomplishment (Rom. 1:8; Col. 1:6, 23; Rom. 10:18; 16:26; also Acts 1:8; 2:5; Luke. 2:1).

2) The canon of Scripture was also complete. A strong case can be made that all books later included in the Bible were written by that time.

3) Proleptically, "the end of all things is at hand" (1 Pet. 4:7) was so close (less than a handful of years away) that Jude speaks of it as prophetically present.

Jesus spoke in a similar proleptic fashion in John 17:4.

Jude says that the scoffers Peter said would be present in the "last times" were there in their midst (Jude 17-19).

4) The construction "once for all" means the very same as its use in Hebrews 9:12, 26; 10:10 and 1 Peter 3:18. The faith, as well as Jesus' entering "the Most Holy Place" and His "sacrifice," which are part of that faith, are all three totally done deals. That means, no more remains to be done. Nor was any only partially done. All are complete and accomplished facts and realities.

For these reasons and more, the cry of "The Prophecy Reformation" is, "once for all delivered." It's a direct corollary to the cry of Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation of the 16th Century that "the just shall live by faith." If any unbiased and sola-scriptura interpreter can prove either of these cries incorrect, this author is open to such input.

In the meantime, the starting point of eschatological reform is the recognition that the Christian faith is a finished faith, in complete harmony and perfect consistency with plain, face-value meaning of Jude 3. It's not one with any portion yet to be delivered. This past-fulfillment view is the defining characteristic and strength of the historic preterist position. And, while it's the starting point of the reform process, it's not the finishing point. More to come.

* All futurists [pre-mils, post-mils, a-mils and historicists] are forced to make a minimalist and non-literal interpretation of this verse to fit it into their postponement traditions. They explain that the intended meaning was - "only the main body of truth" or only "all you need to know." But this is not what it says.

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

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

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