The End Of The Last
Days
By Matt Leasher
In the decades that
followed the rebirth
of Israel
as a nation in 1948,
Bible prophecy
scholars have been
declaring the
realization that we
are in the last days
and that Christ is
coming soon. But as
the decades continue
to roll by many have
become weary of the
message that we are
in the last days and
have presumed
Christ’s return to
be far off.
The problem
with the people that
are losing hope in
Christ’s soon return
is that perhaps they
do not understand
just exactly what
the last days are in
light of the big
picture.
Hebrews 1:1-2 tells
us that the period
known as being the
“last days”
began when Jesus
Christ came into the
world.
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, (Hebrews
1:1-2).
The Holy Spirit
inspired the writer
of Hebrews to inform
us that the last
days began nearly
2,000 years ago.
What does that mean
to us now?
Many people,
(including myself),
believe that God
works in
dispensations and
that the time period
of man’s governing
the earth is 6,000
years divided into
three sections. The
first 2,000 years
being approximately
from Adam to
Abraham.
The next
2,000 years
approximately from
Abraham to Christ
and the last 2,000
years, (hence the
last days) being
from Christ to the
present.
This could
very well be the
reason that the New
Testament writers
often referenced
their day as being
the
last days,
however to us it was
nearly 2,000 years
ago.
Even though
it seems so long ago
to us for them to be
referring to their
day as the last days
it was still within
that last 2,000-year
dispensation. They
were just at the
beginning of it.
They knew
about these
dispensations. They
knew that they were
in the beginning
section of the
period of the last
days. If that was
nearly 2,000 years
ago then that means
that we are at the
last section of
that same period
known as the
last days.
In 2 Peter 3:8 and
Psalm 90:4 it tells
us that “a day with
the Lord is as a
thousand years.”
I don’t
believe this is just
an arbitrary
statement. I believe
this is written so
that we can use it
as a measuring rod
for knowing the
timetable of God’s
plan for the
redemption of
mankind.
So if a day
is as a thousand
years with the Lord
then it may be that
the six days of
creation written in
Genesis reflect the
6,000 years of man’s
governing the world
and that the 7th
day of rest is the
1,000 year reign of
Christ on earth that
is written about in
Revelation 20.
Hebrews 4:1-5
informs us that
there is a period
still yet to come
that has been
promised by God as a
time of rest for His
people.
Therefore,
since a promise
remains of entering
His rest, let us
fear lest any on you
seem to have come
short of it. For
indeed the gospel
was preached to us
as well as to them
but the word which
they heard did not
profit them, not
being mixed with
faith in those who
heard it. For we who
have believed do
enter that rest, as
He has said: “So I
swore in My wrath,
they shall not enter
My rest,” although
the works were
finished from the
foundation of the
world.
For He has spoken in
a certain place of
the seventh day in
this way: “And God
rested on the
seventh day from all
His works”; and
again in this place:
“They shall not
enter My rest.”
(Hebrews 4:1-5
emphasis added)
Notice that this
promise of rest for
God’s people is
about entering into
His rest and
the writer of
Hebrews quotes the
Genesis creation
account of the 7th
Day as he informs us
about this coming
period of rest.
The writer
switches back and
forth from the 1st
person to the 3rd
person.
The people
that are being spoke
about in the 3rd
person that will not
enter into His rest
are those that were
rebellious with
hardened hearts that
were in the
wilderness for 40
years during the
Exodus as he is
quoting from Psalm
95 there.
The apostle Paul
spoke of the “the
fullness of time” in
a manner that seems
to support that
God’s overall plan
for man is set up in
specific
dispensations of
time. In Galatians
chapter 4 Paul is
describing the
timing in which God
sent His Son into
the world and he
phrases it like
this:
“But when the
fullness of time had
come, God sent
forth His Son, born
of a woman, born
under the law, to
redeem those who
were under the law,
that we may receive
the adoption as
sons.” (Galatians
4:4-5)
If God’s
dispensations for
man are of three
2,000 year periods
and Christ’s coming
into the world was
at the transition
point from the 2nd
period into the 3rd
period which we are
currently near the
end of, then the
phrase,
“when the fullness
of time had come”
in the above verse
seems to support
this notion.
Paul seems to
be telling us that a
certain dispensation
of time had to be
fulfilled before the
Son of God could
then come into the
world, hence – a
divine appointment!
This implies that
there is a
predetermined
scripted course of
events that God has
in place for us to
know our position in
history – or rather
His story!
Israel becoming a
nation again in 1948
is certainly the end
time sign letting us
know that things are
beginning to wrap up
and that we are
coming close to the
end of this last
2,000-year period.
Since all of
the prophecies about
the return of the
Lord in the end
times involve
Israel
being back in their
land we know that we
are close to His
return since Israel has
re-emerged unto the
world scene. Lets
take a brief look at
the scenario in the
last days that
involve
Israel
by going backwards
from the time that
the Lord Jesus
Christ will be
reigning on earth.
When Christ the Lord
returns He will sit
on His throne in Jerusalem, (see Ezekiel
43:7, Zechariah
14:16-21 and Matthew
19:28).
His throne
will be in the
rebuilt
Temple
that will be in
Israel.
All of the
nations of the world
will be gathered to
the
Valley
of Jehoshaphat, which is in
Israel,
traditionally in the
Kidron Valley between the Temple
Mount and the
Mount of Olives.
There the Lord will
enter into judgment
with them on account
of His people and
His heritage Israel,
whom they have
scattered among the
nations and divided
up His land, (Joel
3:1-2
paraphrased).
This is likely where
the “Sheep & Goat”
Judgment will take
place, (Matthew
25:31-46).
Just prior to
this the Lord Jesus
Christ will have
physically returned
to the earth to
intervene and cut
short the battle of
Armageddon, a.k.a.
Megiddo which is a
real place in
Israel, (Revelation
16:16).
Here Christ
will destroy the
antichrist and false
prophet and have
Satan bound for
1,000 years.
He will also
save the human race
from extinction for
if He did not cut
the days short of
this battle no human
flesh would survive,
(Matthew 24:22).
Three and a
half years prior to
this event the
antichrist will have
entered the rebuilt
Temple in Jerusalem
and will have
declared himself to
be God, (2
Thessalonians 2:4 &
Matthew 24:15). Just
prior to the
antichrist entering
the Temple the Two
Witnesses appointed
by God will be
prophesying in
Jerusalem probably
right on the Temple
Mount according to
Revelation 11, for
the first three and
a half years of the
Tribulation. So when
we trace the
prophesied end time
events backwards
from when the Lord
will reign on earth
to the beginning of
the Tribulation we
can see that
Israel
is the centerpiece
of all that is to
come in the last
days.
Before God’s
6,000-year plan for
mankind is finished
there will be 7
years of Tribulation
on the earth as
never has been
before, (Matthew
24:21).
This period
of Tribulation is a
time of testing for
those that were too
stubborn to come to
Christ during the
Age of Grace and a
final time of
purging
Israel
in preparation for
the
Kingdom
of
Christ
to be set up there.
Israel
will finally come to
know Christ as their
Savior, (Zechariah
12:10).
This will
also be a time where
God will purge the
world of evil and
wickedness ushering
in a period of
restoration in which
the world will be
restored to its
formal state of
perfection as it was
in the time of Adam
and Eve just after
the creation.
The Rapture of the
church is the next
thing to take place
on the prophetic
calendar. There are
no signs or events
that must precede
the Rapture.
However, the Rapture
must first occur
before the
antichrist can be
revealed (2
Thessalonians
2:7-8), and before
any of the
Tribulation events
can begin and yet we
can see many of the
Tribulation events
being set up and
falling into place
on the world scene
today. This is how
we know that the
Rapture is VERY
close. What are some
of the things that
we are currently
witnessing being set
up that will occur
in the Tribulation?
Let’s take a
look at just a few
of them.
1.) The current
turmoil of the world
economy – As I
am writing this the
current
international world
markets are
collectively
plummeting and the
economy is failing
on a global scale as
never before. In the
Tribulation the
economy will be in
dire straits. See
Revelation 6:6 and
James 5:1-6. This
will result in a
financially
vulnerable world
that will somehow
allow a “one world
order” where a world
dictator takes
control of all
buying and selling
known as the
antichrist or “the
beast”, (Revelation
13:11-18).
2.) The increase
of earthquakes -
Jesus told us that
one of the things we
are to watch out
for, as a sign of
His soon return, is
the increase of
earthquakes in
various places,
(Matthew 24:7).
We live
in a technological
time where an
earthquake can take
place on the other
side of the world
and we will know
about it in minutes.
Back in Jesus’ day
if an earthquake
occurred on the
other side of the
world you would
probably never hear
about it. So we know
that this prophecy
is intended for our
day and the use of
technology has
certainly kept us
informed of the
increase in
earthquakes that we
are witnessing and
in various places!
3.) Cashless
society - A mere
30 years or so ago
it was hard to
conceive how a world
leader known as the
antichrist would be
able to monitor
everyone so that
they could not buy
or sell unless they
had his mark on
their hand or
forehead. Now with
technology as
advanced as it has
quickly become not
only is it possible
but it is in the
process of being set
up! Cash would have
to be eliminated for
the antichrist to be
able to
electronically
monitor all buying
and selling. These
days it is common
for people to get
paid on payday have
their check
electronically
direct deposited and
use their debit or
credit card to spend
that money without
ever touching cash.
The whole time all
of their
transactions are
being documented.
Cash could be
eliminated and it
wouldn’t really
change the average
way of life all that
much. One of the
motivations for the
elimination of cash
would be to end the
war on drugs as all
drug deals are done
anonymously with
cash as well as most
other black markets.
The country of
Poland
is purposely
striving to become a
cashless society by
the year 2014!
4.) Technology
- While technology
has done wonders in
the field of science
and medicine,
technology is also
greatly assisting to
help set up the
system that the
antichrist will use
to control the world
and everyone in it.
The microchip is
already being used
in some places in Europe to contain a person’s personal information such as
health records,
citizenship status,
police records,
etc., and is about
the size of a grain
of rice that is
implanted into the
person’s hand. It is
also being used as a
scanning device for
entrance into
secured buildings
and identification.
The micro chipping
of animals to
monitor their
whereabouts has been
in use for years so
the same technique
could just as well
be used for humans
in the future.
Skeptics often say
that it would be
impossible for the
antichrist to
microchip everyone
on earth but what
they are forgetting
is that with the
combination of the
Rapture and all of
the people that will
be killed in the
early part of the
Tribulation,
(Revelation 6),
there won’t be
nearly as many
people on earth as
there is now when
the time comes that
this would be
implemented,
(Revelation 13).
Not to
mention that there
will be quite a few
people that will not
take the mark of the
beast as well,
(Revelation 20:4).
5.)
Israel’s
enemies - All of
the alliances that
the Bible prophets
have foretold would
be against
Israel
in the last days are
currently in place
now. There is Russia, Turkey
and
Iran
for the Gog-Magog
War and
Lebanon, Syria, Jordan (Palestinians), and Gaza for the Psalm 83 War.
The time is
also ripe for the
fulfillment of a
nuclear destruction
of
Damascus
that seems to be
strongly predicted
in Isaiah 17.
Damascus
happens to be a
current popular
meeting place at the
crossroads for all
of these nations
that plot against
Israel.
Egypt also has just recently
broken its frail
alliance with
Israel
adding to the list
of nations that are
against Israel.
Libya is also mentioned as being in
conjunction with the
Gog-Magog posse,
(Ezekiel 38:5), and
we are currently
witnessing the
changing of the
guard occurring
there.
In the end,
the prophet
Zechariah predicts
that ALL of the
nations of the world
will eventually be
against Israel, (Zechariah 12:3), but the nations that
are predicted to be
coalitions in the
wars against Israel that shall usher in the
beginning of the
Tribulation are now
currently in place.
These are just a few
of the many things
that point to the
soon to come
Tribulation period.
To the average
person most of this
goes by unnoticed
but to the Bible
believing watchmen
these things are
screaming at us!
They scream at us
because we know that
the Rapture will
precede all of these
things and that
Christ has commanded
us to watch for
these things so that
we’ll know it is
near and be able to
warn others. It is
our duty!
The apostle John is
a perfect role model
as being a New
Testament watchman
warning the brethren
about being watchful
in the times we live
in. In his first
epistle he said
this:
Little children, it
is the
last hour; and
as you have heard
that the Antichrist
is coming, even now
many antichrists
have come, by which
we know that it is
the last hour. (1
John 2:18)
John’s warning about
the coming
antichrist is stated
as being in the
“last hour”
which is where we
are currently at in
history. John
certainly knew the
judgments that would
be coming upon the
world, being the
writer of the book
of Revelation,
(Christ being the
author).
So if John is
warning us almost
2,000 years ago that
the antichrist is
coming then how much
closer are we to it
now! He warns us
that
many antichrists
have come by which
we know that it is
the
last hour.
According to
John, an antichrist
is “he
that denies that
Jesus is the Christ
and denies the
Father and the Son,”
(1 John 2:22).
Obviously there
can’t be an
“anti-christ” unless
there was first a
“Christ” (which
means “anointed
one”), and we know
that to be Jesus of
Nazareth and as I
mentioned earlier in
this article, the
“last days”
began when Jesus
Christ was sent into
this world.
When the last days
are mentioned in the
Old Testament it is
usually phrased as
“in the latter
days” which
implies a future
time or
dispensation, (see
for example
Deuteronomy 4:30 and
31:29), but when the
last days are
mentioned in the New
Testament it is
usually phrased as
“in these last
days” as
being in a present
era or dispensation,
(see for example the
above verse from 1
John 2:18 and
Hebrews 1:1-2).
This is
further indication
that
“the last days”
is a period or
dispensation and not
just an arbitrary
statement that we
are not able to know
the time of. In
fact, Daniel 8:19
confirms that the
end of this age is
for an
“appointed”
time.
“And he said, “Look
I am making known to
you what shall
happen in the latter
time of the
indignation; for
at the appointed
time the end
shall be.” (Daniel
8:19)
The angel told
Daniel that the end
of this age of
indignation is set
for an appointed
time, which means
that there has been
a preordained
appointment made for
the end time events
that are to come.
There is nothing
arbitrary about it.
We live in a
predetermined age
that has been
predetermined by the
sovereign Lord. See
also Acts 17:31.
Many people tend to
let there watchful
guard down because
of the statement
that Jesus made
saying that we don’t
know the day or the
hour of His return
and that only the
Father knows that
day and hour,
(Matthew 24:36).
This is true
but Jesus also
commands us to be
watchful of the
times and seasons so
that that Day does
not come upon us as
a snare, (Luke 21:35
& Mark 13:35-37).
There are
more admonitions
from our Lord Jesus
about watching the
times and seasons
than there are about
not knowing the day
or the hour.
In fact,
Jesus rebuked the
people of His day
for not knowing the
time of their
visitation, (Messiah
Jesus’ first
advent), even though
they could predict
the weather by
watching the sky,
(Luke 12:54-56). The
only way the people
would have known who
He was and when He
would be there is by
searching the
Scriptures and they
only had the Old
Testament at that
time. So how much
more should we be
aware of the times
we are living in
pertaining to His
Second Coming by
searching the
Scriptures that we
have now. In the Old
Testament Christ was
concealed but we
have the New
Testament where
Christ is revealed.
The apostle Paul
assured us that we
who are Bible
believing followers
of Christ would not
be in darkness
concerning His
return.
But you, brethren,
are not in darkness,
so that this Day
should overtake you
as a thief. (1
Thessalonians 5:4)
Judging from the
time table that God
has provided us in
His Word, the signs
He told us to watch
for and the current
events that are
going on around the
world, we can
clearly see that we
are not only living
in the period of the
“last days” but we
are at the
end of the last days!
We are in the latter
section of the last
set out of three
sets of 2,000-year
periods.
Due to
discrepancies and
differences in the
early first few
century calendars it
is difficult to
precisely pinpoint
exactly where we
are on God’s
timeline of His
6,000 year plan.
However, we do know
that Christ was
walking this earth
2,000 years ago.
While we may not
know the day or the
hour we certainly
know the season that
we are living in and
that should be more
than enough to have
us all looking up!
“Now when these
things begin to
happen, look up and
lift up your heads,
because your
redemption draws
near.” (Luke 21:28)