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