Are we living in the last days? Part 3

 

Keith Green's Last Days Ministries sign*

 

Are we living in the last days? This is an excellent question and I’ve thrown my hat in the ring to answer it. I went through the New Testament and found every occurrence of last days and last times.

In Part 1 I pointed out that last days and last times refer to The period that began with the first advent. Even though this is not what people are thinking about when they ask the question, this is what the Bible teaches. We are living in the last days, the acceptable time, the day of salvation. And in these last days God is gathering out a people for Himself from all the nations. Thank you, Father, the door was open for me!

In Part 2 we saw that last days and last times can also refer to The days that come at the end of these last days, or what we often call the end times.

In Part 3 I want to look at one more phrase:

The last day – the day he appears, the day of resurrection

We only read the phrase the last day in the gospel of John.

John 6:39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.

 40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

 44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

 54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.

These verses are, to put it simply, amazing!

First, the promise is repeated four times, I will raise him up at the last day. Our hope expressed in nine powerful and wonderful words! Resurrection from the dead. New, heavenly, glorified bodies fit for reigning with Christ in the millennial kingdom and the new heaven and the new earth.

Second, all the initiative for our salvation is with the Father: He sent the Son to save us, He gave us to the Son, He draws us by the Spirit to His Son.

Third, the way of salvation is seeing and believing in the Son. How do we “see” the Son? In the Gospel, in the Word, by faith.

Fourth, I am persuaded v 54 has a reference to the Lord’s Supper. The bread and the cup are the communion of the body and blood of Christ. We are receiving Christ, we are receiving life and forgiveness. What grace!

Ah, back to the point. Last day. What does that mean? The very last day of this world and the beginning of the world to come. And just when is that? When the Lord returns in glory. And when He comes, the dead shall be raised, and we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, then appear with Him and return with Him in His glory. Maranatha!

John 11:24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.

Jesus had said to her, Thy brother shall rise again. (Her brother was Lazarus, who did indeed come back to life.)

Martha replied, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.

And then follows the most wonderful words, Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

Yes Lord! I believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God sent into the world by the Father that we might be forgiven, restored to the Father, receive life, and be raised from the dead on the last day. And the coolest thing, the most powerful thing, is this: eternal life and the resurrection are not things we receive or that happen to us. Jesus himself is the resurrection and the life!

And this is the witness, that God has given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who has not the Son of God has not the life.+

 

John 7:37 & 12:48 are the other two occurrences of the last day

+ 1 John 5:11-12 

* You can read Keith & Melody Green's story about Last Days Ministries here.

 

Are we living in the last days? Part 2

The Last Days Part 2 - The days that come at the end of these last days

Wait a minute! I thought my last post, Are we living in the last days? Part 1, said we have been living in the last days since the first advent of Christ?? You can read it here. I’ll wait while you catch up . . . . . 

It sure did! As the Apostle Peter wrote, Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.+ I also admitted this is not what most people think of when they talk about the last days. There is a reason for that. You see, last days also refers to the end times, or the end of the world.

2 Timothy 3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

Perilous times shall come, in the future. The last days, the days of the end times, will be perilous times, troublesome, dangerous, hard to bear.

James 5:3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. 

He is speaking to the rich, who have a tendency to be greedy, corrupt, and abusive. “Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.” (1-2) When? at the return of the Lord (7-8), that is, the last days.

2 Peter 3:3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts 

There have always been scoffers, but there shall come is future tense, this scoffing will increase in the last days.

There are last days still coming, they are the end times.

There is another phrase that also refers to these yet future last days, it is the last times. Three different Greek words are translated times in the King James (the version I use).

1 Timothy 4:1-3 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.

In the latter times or seasons, there will be a great falling away from the faith.

1 Peter 1:5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 

I love this, salvation ready to be revealed in the last times or season. Just when it looks like we lose, Christ will be revealed in the skies, bringing salvation!! Maranatha!!

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.

In the last times antichrist will come, and even now this antichrist spirit is at work, opposing Christ and in His name offering new doctrines and a new holiness. John uses the word for hour, the last hour. Man, we need to live in expectation of His return! Even so, come, Lord Jesus! 

Jude 1:18 How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.

Jude quoted Peter or Peter quoted Jude. Peter said last days, while Jude wrote last times. Same period.

There are many other signs of this final period we know as the end times and honestly, this is what people are thinking about when they ask, Are we living in the last days? We look around and it sure looks like the last times. So, Are we living in the last days? and I mean by that, the end times? Still an excellent question! And one we need to be careful answering.

Listen, Jesus himself was asked, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? He answered the question,* so there is an end of the world, there will be last days, and we can apparently have some kind of idea about it all. But the first thing he said was, Take heed that no man deceive you.±  It would seem there is a great danger of being deceived in this matter. So I will answer the question this way, again quoting the Lord:

Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.§

 

NEXT: The last day – the day he appears, the day of resurrection

+ 1 Peter 1:20
* Matthew 24-25, Mark 13, Luke 21
± Matthew 24:4
§ Mark 13:33

Are we living in the last days? Part 1

I heard a question two or three weeks ago, “Are we living in the last days?” This is a good question. An excellent question. And one I would like to answer.

Are we living in the last days? Absolutely, positively, without a shadow of a doubt, Yes!

But hold on - don’t quit your job or stop paying your bills! Let me 'splain.

First, there are several related expressions in the New Testament, last days, last times, last day.

Second, last days refers to the times of or days of Messiah. With the first advent of Christ, with his birth, the times or days of Messiah have begun.

The Last days - The period that began with the first advent

Acts 2:17 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:

This is Peter’s Pentecost sermon. He is quoting Joel 2 to explain why the disciples are all speaking in tongues – this was the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy. Joel had said, And it shall come to pass afterwards, but Peter, speaking by the Holy Spirit, says in the last days. Pentecost, the mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit, is a sign that we are living in the last days.

Hebrews 1:1-2 In many times and many ways God of old spoke to the fathers by the prophets, in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son

Here Paul (yes, I believe Paul wrote Hebrews) declares that the advent of Christ, his birth, his ministry of teaching and healing, his crucifixion and resurrection, is God speaking to us, is a revelation of God to us through his Son, a revelation that is superior, better, greater than his revelation through the prophets. And to our point, this is a sure and certain sign that we are living in the last days.

I suspect that this is a new thought to many people. And I confess it is not what most people think of when they talk about the last days. Nevertheless, it is true – we are indeed living in the last days. Been the last days since the birth of Christ!

This raises two questions: Why are these the last days? And, The last days of what?

Why are these the last days? They are called the last days because they are the last step in God’s plan to extend grace and mercy to mankind. Christ is the fulness of God’s revelation and plan of salvation. These last days are the day of salvation!

For He says:
“In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you.”
Behold, now is the accepted time!
Behold, now is the day of salvation!
(2 Corinthians 6:2)

The last days of what? The last days of this age. The Bible presents this perspective, this present world and the world to come. (This is its own study, one I hope to present soon.) So, last days refers to the last days of this world, the next step in God’s eternal plan is the world to come.

NEXT: The Last Days Part 2 - The days that come at the end of these last days