The Biblical Last Days

Since publishing the previous post "Are We In the Last Days?" I have been asked to write a bit more about "The Last Days mentioned in the Bible".
This is a huge topic as it is mentioned in so many of the Biblical Books and raises several questions about what Christians often refer to as the "second coming" of Christ.

I won't repeat the references from the previous post that showed that most of the New Testament writers were aware they were living in the last days, which I suggested were the last days of the Old Covenant or Mosaic era - I'll just add a few more.

The writer to the Hebrews opens his letter with:

In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but 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. [Hebrews 1 : 1 - 2 NIV]

And a bit later added:

But he (Jesus) has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. [Hebrews 9 : 26b NIV]

It seems clear that the time of Christ's arrival, ministry, death and resurrection was considered to be in the last days of the "wrapping up" or climax of the Mosaic ages.

When we consider what Jesus taught about "the last days" or "the end", we see an interesting mix of reward and punishment in store for the nation of Israel.
In the explanation of the Parable of the Weeds in Matthew 13, the end of the age is truly in focus.

Jesus identifies the generation in which he is living as the one that will be experiencing God's judgement. (Matthew 23 : 36)
And Matthew chapters 24 and 25 give vivid predictions of the destruction of the temple, the sign of Jesus' coming and the end of the age, and the rewards and punishments of those in that generation.

Secular history confirms the physical fulfillments of these predictions, and debates have raged for centuries over the non-physical - preterist, futurist, pre-mill, post-mill, a-mill discussions abound. (But those debates are well outside the focus of this BLOG.)

Hope that's enough to tempt you to put your study specs on and satisfy your curiosity about "the last days". I'll get back to our usual theme of the extravagant grace of God in the next post.

Blessings, Barry