Lastdays Prophecy

Lastdays prophecy involves events which would occur in the closing period of the Jewish age. In the New Testament, the Jewish age is noted in the phrases, "this age," while the Christian age is called the "age to come." It is erroneously referred to as eternity beyond the earthly life). This is an assumption based on the largely held belief that endtime events are yet unfulfilled.

Much of the media has been hyped with the likes of Hal Lindsay, who predicted in his Late Great Planet Earth smash seller, that the end of the world would occur within one generation or 40 years after the Modern state of Israel resettled in what was once Biblically known as the holy land. There are five major themes relating to last days prophecy. They are the Parousia or coming of Christ, commonly called the Second Coming, the Resurrection of the dead, the coming of the eternal kingdom, the end of the age, and the judgment.

Peter says that lastdays prophecy was specifically not for the times of the Old Testament prophets, (2 Peter 1;9-11)They were inquiring to learn about the endtime but were told to rest for the prophesies would not be fulfilled in their time. However, the apostles were told to expect them. They taught their listeners to do the same.

Last Days Prophecy: The Parousia

This is a message of the end of the Jewish age. John is the prophet who came in the power and Spirit of Elijah in the last days of the Jewish age before the great and terrible day of the Lord, (Luke 1:17, Matthew 11:14; 17:10-13).

The Holy Spirit by whom the nation would be baptized also came as prophesied in the last days, (Joel 2:28-32; Acts 2:16-20). Both John and the Holy Spirit were signs of an imminent and impending doom of the city of Jerusalem.

Jesus promised to come before some in his generation died. He was so precise in his language that he said some who stood in his presence would not die until they had seen him coming in his kingdom. "For the Son of Man will come in the glory of his father with his holy angels, and then he will reward each according to his works. Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom, (Matthew 16:27, 28)

During the last week of his earthly ministry, Jesus predicted that he would return before all in that first century generation passed away. Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place." (Matthew 24:34)

The time statements, "before some standing here taste death" and "this generation" have confused bible students for centuries. Why, because they do not take these statements at face value. They do not use a literal interpretation of them but rather take the view that Jesus is speaking of time metaphorically or elastically. Further, some reason, that their generation, not the Lord's, would be the last days generation of which he spoke.

Many embarrassing moments of prophetic prattle were recorded live on TV in the past century. Such men as Harold Camping, Edgar Whisnant, and the granddaddy of all unfulfilled prophetic predictions, Harold Lindsay, predicted the 80's marked the terminal generation for the last days events to occur. Well, were yet here and counting. Their brand of lastdays prophecy fulfillment amounts to little more than fanciful interpretations of current news events sprinkled with a few misinterpreted biblical statements that match close enough in language to make them fit.

The Parousia is an event which is concurrent with the resurrection, 1 Corinthians 15:23, the judgment, James 5:7-9, and the day of the Lord, 1 Corinthians 1:7,8. Everywhere the term Parousia is mentioned in the New Testament, there is an imminent time statement in the context. This research can easily be done by anyone who wants to investigate it. Above, James recorded that the Parousia had drawn near. Paul said, the resurrection would occur before all fell sleep, (1 Corinthians 15:51).

The apostles all understood the language of Christ to mean that he would return in their lifetime. Hence, the spoke of an imminent impending return in the epistles.

Last Days Prophecy: The Judgment

Each time Jesus uses the terms "now is" in John, he speaks of something that was imminent. "Now is" in John's gospel equals "at hand" found in the synoptic gospels.

Peter, wrote that the time had come for "the" judgment to begin at the house of God, (1 Peter 1:17). Paul said God had appointed a day in which he was about to judge the world (Acts 17:30, 31) and later reasoned with Felix about righteousness, self-control and the judgment which was about to come. (Acts 24:24) The last days prophecy of the judgment is the message of the Old Covenant prophets.

Lastdays Prophecy: The End of the Age

Four times in Matthew, the phrase "end of the age" is used, Matthew 13:39, 40, 24:3, and in Matthew 28:19. It is incorrect to speak of the end of the planet. The apostles never understood this to be the meaning of their words.

However, they did see themselves living in the end of the age in the first century. Paul said the end of the ages had come upon them. Jesus offer up himself as our atoning sacrifice in the end of the age, (Hebrews 9:26, 27). But Jesus was born, lived and died in the Jewish age. He therefore could only be speaking of the age in which Christ the Messiah lived. The end of the age refers to the end of the Jewish age.

Last Days Prophecy: Resurrection

However, Paul says he taught no other things than those which Moses and the prophets said should come, (Acts 24:15). With the prophets as our guide, navigating through the forest of resurrection texts becomes much easier.

The resurrection occurs at the end of the age, (Matthew 13:39, 40), called the harvest. Daniel's lastdays prophecy speaks of the time of the end, saying that time equates with the great tribulation and the ends with the power of the holy people being destroyed, (Daniel 12:1, 4, 7). The harvest equates with the ingathering of the firstfruits (1 Corinthians 15:20) at the sound of the last trumpet, (Revelation 10:7; 11:15, 1 Thesalonians 4:15; 1 Corinthians 15:51).

Christ the first of the first fruits (Exodus 23:19) had already been offered. 50 days later on Pentecost, the second wave of firstfruits began to be harvested throughout the last days, (James 1:18; Revelation 14: 2)

No other group can be considered firstfruit saints therefore the firstfruits resurrection began in the first century generation. At the end of the age was the resurrection. This marked the fulfillment of the prophets and the passing of the law."The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law." (1 Corinthians 15:56). According to Matthew 24:31, the trumpet sounded at the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. Thus the resurrection of the dead , as found in the New Testament, happened in connection with Jerusalem's fall.

Lastdays Prophecy: the Kingdom

Daniel's lastday prophecy spoke of the coming kingdom, (2:44, 45), foreseeing the great endtime conflict in which the "little horn" would make war with the saints, (Daniel 7:21), but ultimately seeing the saints overcome and possess the kingdom.

The victory of the kingdom would be so complete that all the former kingdoms would be broken into pieces and their bodies given to the burning flame.David saw the enemies of the kingdom put under Christ's feet while he became king and priest after the order of Melchizedek, (Psalm 100:1-4; Zechariah 6:12, 13).

When were these prophecies fulfilled? Some believe the kingdom has not yet arrived and that the church is a substitute for Jesus' failure to establish the kingdom. Jesus however, along with John, announced that the kingdom was at hand, (Mark 1:14,15, Matthew 3:2; 4:17).

Peter said the prophets diligently searched and sifted through their words trying to find the time of the end of all things and the coming kingdom. They were told that their prophetic message was not for their times, but for those who lived in Peter's day. (1 Peter 1:10-12) Peter writes the end of all things had drawn near and the time had come for judgment to begin, (1 Peter 4:7, 17).

Paul saw the kingdom, Parousia, judgment and resurrection as concurrent events, (2 Timothy 4:1). Jesus prophesied that when Jerusalem was encompassed by armies, then its desolation was near, (Luke 21:20-22), During the same time, the kingdom of God would come, (Luke 21:31), before the generation then alive in the days of Christ and his apostles died. (Luke 21;32). This places the arrival of the kingdom in the first century. Lastdays prophecy was fulfilled in the first century.