Epochal Events (3) Last Days

The Bible teaches that the "last days" are finished. Many readers will find this hard to accept because they confuse the last days (plural) of the Jewish nation with the last day (singular), that glorious day when Jesus will return. The last days were the period of time between the ministry of Jesus and the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70.

An examination of the Scriptures shows that there are five references to the last days (Acts 2:17; 2 Tim 3:1; Heb 1:2; James 5:3; 2 Pet 3:3) and two referring to the last times (1 Pet 1:20; Jude 18). In four of the seven, the author considered that he was living in the last days. For example, Heb.1:2 states that Jesus ministry on earth was in the "last days". This does not make sense if the last days come just before the Second Coming. However, if this refers to the last days of the Kingdom of Israel before it would be destroyed by the Roman Empire, this makes a great deal of sense.

When we remember that Hebrews, James (1:1), and Peter's letters were written to Jewish Christians and that Timothy was a Jew, this really makes sense; all the references to the last days were in epistles written to the Jews. They would have understood that they were in the last days of their nation.

The Last Days refers to the period between Jesus birth and the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 when the Roman Empire would end the Kingdom of Israel, destroy the temple and scatter the Jewish people amongst the nations.

Taking prophecies about the Last Days and applying them to the current season will produce confusion.

The Last Days (7) - ►The Destruction of Jerusalem

The epochal event that marked the end of the Last Days and the beginning of the next season is the Destruction of Jerusalem. When the temple was destroyed and the Jewish people scattered in exile, the old order that had obstinately persisted on during throughout the Last Days was finally dead. The destruction of Jerusalem was the final ‘nail in the coffin’ of the old system.

Jesus predicted the fall of Jerusalem in Matthew 24:1-35, Mark 13:1-31 and Luke 21:5-33. Most Christians believe these verses describe events before the Second Coming. This is not true. I explain the reasons in detail in Jesus Big Prophecy.

To understand these verses, we must note the question that Jesus was answering. The disciples had commented on the glory and beauty of the temple, but Jesus warned that it would be totally destroyed.

Some of his disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus said, “As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down.” (Luke 21:5-6).

The disciples could not believe this would happen; the temple was the centre of their world, so they asked him when these things would happen. Jesus gave them the signs leading up to this terrible event.

He warned Christians to flee Jerusalem when it was surrounded by armies and idolatrous sacrifice was made in the temple. In AD 70, a Roman army surrounded Jerusalem and started a terrible siege. The Jewish historian Josephus described the siege and the terrible tribulation it caused. Conditions were so severe that mothers ate their babies to survive. Jesus' awful prophecies were fulfilled. However, Christians who had heeded Jesus warning left the city before the siege began and fled to the safety of the mountains.

The Destruction of Jerusalem was the epochal event that marked the beginning of a new season called the Times of the Gentiles. It was a judgment event for Israel.

For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written (Luke 21:22,24).

The Jews had rejected Jesus. Forty years later, the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and they were scattered among the nations. The destruction of Jerusalem was a judgment on the city that had crucified the Son of God and rejected his ministry.

During the Last Days, the fledging church was centred on Jerusalem. After the destruction of Jerusalem, the centre of gravity shifted to Asia Minor.

The Last Days (6) - Not Preterist

This analysis of the Last Days is not preterist. Anyway I do not like the term, as it does not make sense.

Interpretations of the apocalyptic books of the Bible have been divided into two approaches.

1. The preterist approach says that all the prophetic passages were fulfilled in the first century through the rise of the church and the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70.
2. The futurist approach suggest that all the prophetic scriptures will be fulfilled in the future.

I dislike all labels, but these two are particularly stupid, because they whack the scriptures with an axe to pack them into a single box.

The Destruction of Jerusalem was a spiritual significant event, so it is natural that it would be prophesied. However, this was not the last significant spiritual event I history, so it is logical that many subsequent events would also be prophesied. Pushing all the prophetic scriptures into the first century is foolish.

On the other hand, pushing them all into the future is equally unwise. If Peter described an event as happening before his eyes (Acts 2:16-17) it would be unwise claim it will happen in the future. If Jesus says an event will be experienced by the generation listening to him (Matt 24:34) we should be careful about twisting his words to shift them into the future.

I prefer a common sense approach that allows the scriptures to speak as they were written. Some will be fulfilled already and others await fulfilment in the future. Context and comparison will explain when they apply.

The Last Days (5) - Summary

The Last Days lasted for forty years.

The season began with Jesus ministry on earth

In these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe (Heb 1:2).

He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake (1 Pet 1:20).

The Last Days really kicked in when the Holy Spirit was poured out on all believers at Pentecost.

No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
‘In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people” (Acts 2:16-17).

The gospel was preached to the Jews throughout the last days.

The Last Days were a season of mercy that gave those who had refused to accept Jesus as their Messiah an opportunity to change their minds.

Most of the Jewish people hardened their hearts against the gospel. Many would scoff at the gospel.

You must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires (2 Pet 3:3)

In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires (Jude 18).

The gospel was taken into all the world.

The gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace (Col 1:6).

The Jews persecuted those who preached the gospel.

Jews who refused to believe stirred up the other Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers (Acts 14:2).

The Last Days and ended with the Destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70.

The Last Days (4) - Eziquotes

A small number of scriptures are used frequently by Christians to prove a point. I call the verses "eziquotes". A Christian will often refer to one off these eziquotes, as if they have proved a point they are making, without any further argument. They never examine the context of the eziquote, and they never discuss what the writer of the scriptures is actually saying. They just recite the eziquote, and that is that. Case proved.

2 Tim 3:1-5 is a classic eziquote.

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

Christians often quote these verses as proof that the second coming of Jesus is getting close. They say, “Look, young people are rebelling against their parents. Timothy Three proves that the second coming is near”. The eziquoters never discuss the context of this passage, and they never consider in detail what Paul is saying to Timothy. They just assume that they have proved their point by referring to the eziquote. However, they have not proved their point, because they are using the scriptures in a misleading way.

Context
For most of this letter, Paul warns Timothy about the opposition that he will face in his ministry and urges him to press on regardless. Paul cites his own experience. In chapter 2, he refers to the opposition from Hymenaeus and Philetus, who undermined the gospel by claiming that the resurrection of the dead had already taken place. When referring to widespread wickedness in the eziquote, Paul is warning Timothy that he will have to deal with people who are proud, boastful, rebellious, etc.

Paul was not giving signs of the second coming. He only mentions the second coming in one place in the entire letter (2 Tim 4:1-2), where he gives no signs, but simply urges Timothy to keep on preaching the gospel.

Chapter 3 of the letter has nothing to do with the second coming. Paul is not giving signs of anything. He is simply warning Timothy that he will have to continue dealing with this stuff as he fulfils his calling. Christians who use these verses as an eziquote giving signs of the time are wrenching it out of context.

The Meaning
Paul lists a number of sins in 2 Tim 3:1-5. The problem for those who use these verses as a sign of the times is that there is nothing unique about the sins on the list. They are all common and garden variety sins. Boasting, rebellion, pride, religiosity have been present in every culture in every age. These sins exist at all times, so they cannot be a sign of a particular time.

That is why these verses have caused so much confusion. Christians throughout history have seen children rebelling against their parents and assumed that the second coming is near. They have always been disappointed, because these sins are not a sign of anything. They are normal in the world. If we could ask Paul, he would tell every young evangelist that they will encounter these sins.

Paul explained how Timothy should respond to the sins listed in this eziquote. In the previous chapter, he describes the correct response.

A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will (2 Tim 2:24-26).

These are not signs, they are pastoral and evangelistic issues that must be handled sensitively. The objective is that those who are encumbered by sin will escape and come to repentance and faith.

Normal for the Season
The real problem with the sins on the list is their consequence. Those who sin in this way can go on to worm their way into households and deceive gullible Jewish people who were loaded down by sin (2 Tim 3:6-7) (gentiles did not care about sin). These people were Paul’s concern, not the second coming.

Paul longed for his people to come to salvation.

I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, those of my own race, the people of Israel (Rom 9:2-4).

Although he was called to be an apostle to the gentiles, the first thing he did in any new town was to go to the Jews who lived there and share his faith. Only when they rejected him, did he go to the Gentiles and share the gospel. Now as he was getting near the end of his ministry and the opportunity provided by the Last Days were coming to an end, he was probably realising it was not going to happen. Jewish hostility to the gospel had increased rather than declined.

Most of the opposition to Paul’s ministry came from Jewish people. He used his experiences in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra as examples that Timothy knew about (2 Tim 3:10-11). In each of these cities, the opposition had come from Jews who had followed him around (Acts 13:50; Acts 14:2; Acts 14:19). Paul was warning Timothy that until the Last Days came to an end, Jewish teachers would be a major obstacle to the gospel. As a Jew, Timothy could expect to experience the same kind of trouble as Paul had experienced.

The hostility of the Jews would get worse before it got better.

Evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse (2 Tim 3:13)

As the last days of their system drew to a close, the hostility of Jewish teachers and leaders would get worse, but Timothy must not give up. He should press on with his calling and preach the gospel boldly.

Join with me in suffering for the gospel (2 Tim 1:8).
Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season (2 Tim 4:2).

This Jewish persecution would only stop when the season of mercy to Israel ended. While the temple system was still in place, Jewish teachers would still have credibility. They could oppose the Christian message. Worse still, they could twist the gospel by adding Jewish customs like circumcision and food laws. There hostility would become irrelevant when the temple was destroyed in AD 70 during the destruction of Jerusalem. Once the temple and its sacrifices had been obliterated, the Jewish teachers lost their credibility. They could not claim to be at the centre of God’s revelation when their temple had been destroyed and they were scattered outside the land.

Paul knew that God was having mercy on Israel for a short season. During that season, they would be a pain by opposing the gospel, but it was worth it, because the same season might allow them time to see the light.

Christians who cling to this eziquote, because they want to believe that Jesus is coming soon, totally misunderstand what Paul was saying to Timothy.

The Last Days (3) - Mercy

The Last Days were not an important season for the Gentiles, as the ministry of Jesus had opened up salvation to everyone. The gospel had gone out into all the world and that would continue to happen after the season had ended.

The gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world (Col 1:6).

The Last Days were a season of mercy for Israel. This short season gave all the adults who were present when Jesus was crucified the rest of their lives to change their attitude to him. Anyone who was an adult in AD 33 when Jesus died would be quite old by AD 70 when the Last Days came to an end. This season of mercy gave them a chance to admit they were wrong and put things right with God.

Jesus had prophesied that the religious and political leaders of Israel would continue to reject him (Matt 23:33-39). However, God is always fair, so he gave the Jews plenty of time to acknowledge Jesus as their messiah. Nearly forty years would pass before their fate was set in stone. Unfortunately this season of mercy was mostly wasted.

What should have happened? When Jesus made his perfect sacrifice on the cross, the Jewish leaders should have put a stop to the sacrifices in the temple. These sacrifices had always pointed forward to Jesus perfect sacrifice, so once it had come, they were obsolete. When Jesus ascended into heaven and was ordained as the perfect high priest, the priests in Jerusalem were out of a job. They should have resigned and gone home, or better still, gone out and preached the good news. Once the Holy Spirit had been poured out at Pentecost, every believer was a temple of the Holy Spirit, so there was no need for a special place for God to dwell on earth. The temple in Jerusalem was redundant and could be turned into a museum.

However, the priests and political leaders were so attached to their old order that they could not let it go. They continued to offer animal sacrifices in the temple. These offerings could not point to Jesus anymore, so they became a blasphemous insult to him. The priest who carried on in their role became usurpers of Jesus ministry.

Worse still, the Jewish leaders attacked the fledgling church right from the start. Throughout the Acts of the Apostles, the most serious persecution came from the Jewish leaders.

During the Last Days, the gospel was preached throughout Israel, but most of the people hardened their hearts.

What the people of Israel sought so earnestly they did not obtain. The elect among them did, but the others were hardened (Rom 11:7)

The Jews did not take advantage of the mercy shown them during the Last Days of the old order, so God had no choice but to bring the temple system to and end and scatter the people among the nations.

The Last Days (2) - Confusion

Many readers will find this hard to believe that the "last days" are finished. The reason for the muddle is that the last days (plural) of the Jewish system are confused with the last day (singular), that glorious day when Jesus will return. The Last Days are really the period of time between the ministry of Jesus and the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. The Last Day is the day when Jesus returns. They are very different. The first is a season, whereas the last day is an epochal event.

An examination of the Scriptures reveals five references to the last days (Acts 2:17; 2 Tim 3:1; Heb 1:2; James 5:3; 2 Pet 3:3) and two referring to the last times (1 Pet 1:20; Jude 18). In four of the seven, the author considered that he was living in the last days. Hebrews James and Peter's letters were written to Jewish Christians and that Timothy was a Jew, so all references to the last days were in epistles written to the Jews. They would have understood that they were living in the last days of their national system.

The term Last Days refers to the period between Jesus birth and the destruction of Jerusalem. The Last Day is in the future, but the Last Days are in the past.

The Last Days (1) - Old Order Gone

A new season called the last days began when Jesus arrived on earth.

God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by his Son whom He has appointed heir of all things (Heb 1:1-2).

The Last Days ended with the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. During this short season, the Old Testament religious system ground to a halt.

The letter to the Hebrews explains that the temple sacrifices only applied until beginning of a new order that began with Jesus.

The gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper. They are only… external regulations applying until the time of the new order (Heb 9:10).

The death and resurrection of Jesus marked the end of the Old Testament system and the beginning of a new order. Jesus ministry was the epochal event that brought in the Last Days of the Old Testament order. It struggled on for a while, but its days were numbered.

The ministry of Jesus ended Jerusalem’s role in God’s purposes.

1. The temple in Jerusalem had been the centre of sacrifice; but Jesus death on the cross put an end to sacrifice forever. Jesus became the only high priest that will ever be needed, so the animal sacrifices in a temple were redundant.

2. Jerusalem had been the throne of the King of Israel. When Jesus ascended to the right hand of the Father, everything changed. When he was crowned as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, a role of the King of Israel was finished.

When Jesus entered the presence of God as the perfect High Priest and was appointed as King of Creation, the old order was finished.

God sent the Holy Spirit into the church to do his work in the world.

He has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father (Rev 1:6).

The body of Christ became the new kings and priests who serve God in the world, so the old order was finished. It carried on as if nothing had happened, but its days were numbered. The old order was in its Last Days.

Antithesis 4 - Last Days

The Last Days are finished. Most Christian find this hard to accept, because they confuse the last days (plural) of the Jewish nation with the last day (singular) when Jesus will return. The last days refer to the period of time between the ministry of Jesus and the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70.

The claim that we are in the last days is really quite arrogant, when coming from a church that is so flabby. Those who think that the modern church is going to complete everything that God has planned for the church in this age have a fairly truncated understanding of what he plans to do.

Race to the Bottom

Why do Christian like to claim 2 Tim 3:1-5 for their age.

There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.

In every century, Christians have said these verses are being fulfilled in their time. Every generation seems to believe that they are living in worse times than those that went before. We seem to be on this race to the bottom.

I have noticed that this belief is strongest in times and places when the church is doing badly. This makes me wonder if Christians identify with this passage, because it provides an excuse for failure. If we are living in the last days, then we cannot be expected to be anything more than feeble.

This view is also quite egocentric. We must be special, because the book of Revelation is about us. I have not seen much evidence yet that this generation is special.

I am not interested in being shaped by "last days thinking". I want to be part of the generation that claims Daniel 7:27 for its time.

Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be handed over to the saints, the people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him.