Last Days

There is a wealth of information within the bible that reveals the “last days”. My understanding of what the last days are can be simply stated in this: the physical and spiritual condition of the people that live on earth just before Jesus returns to remove the dead in Jesus and His bride from earth; and before He begins judgment (tribulation) upon the remaining people of earth.

The bible declares in Matthew 24:37-39 ‘(37) But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. (38) For as in the days of Noe were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, (39) And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be’. Also 2 Peter 2:5 ‘And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bring in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;’

Here the bible witnesses that people [generally] were living in those days basically doing what we are doing today: eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage [marrying is the act of marriage and giving in marriage is as a parent giving a daughter into marriage] and living ungodly lives. In the Strong’s Concordance the Greek word for ungodly is: G765 ἀσεβήςasebēs as-eb-ace' From G1 (as a negative particle) and a presumed derivative of G4576; irreverent, that is, (by extension) impious or wicked: - ungodly (man). This sounds like world society today to me.

Paul writes of the condition of people in the last days in 2 Timothy 3:1-5. ‘(1) This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. (2) For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, (3) Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, (4) Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; (5) Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away’.

Just looking at the USA, from what I’m witnessing in the news concerning the political scene, I’d say Paul is extremely accurate in his writings.

Jesus writes of the coming of the Son of man [Jesus Himself] to earth again. Notice what is written in Luke 18:6-8 ‘(6) And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. (7) And shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long with them? (8) I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?’

When Jesus came to earth at His first coming, He came as the Father’s sacrificial lamb. The Father placed all of man’s sin onto Jesus and man put Jesus to death. Being a spotless lamb without sin, the Father accepted the sin of others onto Jesus as the sacrifice for their sin, thus freeing mankind from death into hell. Then, to ensure man could have access to heaven, Jesus rose from the dead. He became the only door unto heaven whereby man could enter into heaven. Since access to heaven is through Jesus only [John 14:6], Jesus requires something of man. It is written in John 3:3-8 man must be born again if he/she is to enter into heaven. Man is also required to live life in accordance with the will of the Father and to finish their race. Born again backsliders are gambling with their spirit and soul. Jesus states in Matthew 7:21 ‘Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven’.

I leave deciding if we are living in the last days to the reader.