The Last Day

 

Journalist Bill Vaughan once said, “An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves.” This year, if he were still alive, he might say it’s the optimist who stays up to see the old year leave, hoping a better one is coming.

Most of us are tired of the daily count of covid cases and the constant change in rules that to protect us from getting it. People are crying for a return to normal, whatever that might be. On this last day of 2021 I want to look again at what the Bible says about the last days. While the general hope is that life will improve and stay that way, Christians know that God says this is not the case. However, not all of the prophecies spell disaster and judgment. Isaiah 2:2–4 gives this good news:

It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it, and many peoples shall come, and say: ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.’ For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.”

This hardly seems possible right now with daily news of conflicts and saber-rattling. It is easier to relate to what a heavenly being told Daniel: “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end. Many shall purify themselves and make themselves white and be refined, but the wicked shall act wickedly. And none of the wicked shall understand, but those who are wise shall understand.”

Peter’s NT sermon in Acts 2:17–21 is even more specific:

“ ‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ ”

This is a mix of good news for God’s people amid all sorts of scary wonders in the world. While the word “magnificent” is used, this will be glorious only for those who know Jesus and terrifying for those who do not.

This next passage is a warning for God’s people and a description of today’s newspaper headlines:

2 Timothy 3:1–5. “But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.”

2 Peter 3:3–7 is even more pointed as it describes godless people: “Knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, ‘Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.’ For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.”

Another indicator of the last days is when people reject Christianity and abandon the church. This too is in the news . . .

1 John 2:18–19. “Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.”

 GAZE INTO HIS GLORY. The Bible does not give dates, only indications. Some scoff. Others are hopeful that God will change His mind. For me, one day at a time. Focus on Jesus. listen for His instructions and be obedient. Let Him be my source of peace and joy. He came the first time; He will come again, just as He promised. I am secure because He said, “And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.” He also said, “The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day” meaning He will end all the bad news defeating all who defy Him and every knee will bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord! In the end, Jesus wins!

 

Excited to see Jesus

Christians are instructed by God to be watchful and in anticipation for the return of Jesus Christ. Some think it will never happen, but most of the discussion is about when rather than if.

Jesus gave signs of the end of this age and the beginning of the next heralded by His Coming. Peter repeated what the Lord said, and the early Christians fully expected it to happen soon. Now, two thousand years later, some of my fellow travelers are still saying, “Are we there yet?”

Today, I read these verses and find myself longing for His return . . .

“And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Acts 2:17–21)

Most of my desire to see Jesus comes from the state of the world. Earthquakes by the dozens, extreme weather, political and moral chaos — when will it end? Or will it? A slide downhill happens easily while making it more positive can take decades, even centuries.

It seems much of the world has turned its back on God. Little wonder that the media seldom reports on what God is doing — such as reaching people in the Middle East through dreams and visions, and bringing thousands of soldiers in at least one American military base to faith in Christ. We can turn our backs on God, but that does not stop Him.

Tozer’s remarks are positive and hopeful. He says that God dwells in a state of perpetual enthusiasm, delighted with all that is good and lovingly concerned about all that is wrong. He does His work in a fullness of holy zeal, filling people with delight and fire at His presence.

The first disciples gave their lives to serve their Savior. They were convinced of His grace and truth and wanted the world to know. They changed this planet forever. A few contemporary Christians have that same zeal. One said, “I'm having too much fun declaring & demonstrating the Kingdom of God, it's okay if He waits till he returns!" (R. Alan Woods, 2013)

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Lord Jesus, faith in You ought to continue with those results. We ought to boldly share our faith, unconcerned with those who mock us and with a a zeal that affects our world, changing that increasing sense of hopelessness to the perpetual enthusiasm that comes from loving You with all our heart — and from an eager desire to see Your face.

We have all we need . . .

After Jesus died and rose again and returned to heaven, His followers gathered in one place. Did they know what would happen next?

When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2:1–4)

The Spirit was poured out in a visible sign of fire. At this time, His anointing equipped the disciples to share the Gospel with the multitudes who arrived to celebrate the harvest. They were amazed to hear God’s good news in their own languages but wondered if these disciples had too much wine. This tells me that the arrival of the Holy Spirit changed their behavior from grief over Jesus leaving them to great joy and celebration!

Peter defended the disciples saying they were not drunk but doing exactly what had been prophesied by Joel:

“And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Acts 2:17–21)

Christians often speak of the last days as a future time, but the Bible indicates that the last days began with the Ascension of Christ. It will end with a short time of wonders in the heavens and signs on the earth, but those ‘last days’ began with God pouring out His Spirit, first on the disciples and then on all people. Lives will be changed when those who hear call on the name of the Lord and are saved.

Many long for another Pentecost, another great outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Tozer notes that the first time it happened, the people were “all together in one place.” If this is a condition for another event, the togetherness might be possible, but hardly likely would we be in one place! There is no building or place large enough.

That said, God has always encouraged oneness of mind among those who are His. As the psalmist says, “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!” (Psalm 133:1) Over and over the Bible exhorts us to “Let brotherly love continue.” (Hebrews 13:1) This love is at the heart of unity.

Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. (1 Peter 3:8)

It is also a fruit of the Holy Spirit, that same One who was poured out at Pentecost. And lest we forget, that was not the only time it happened, only the first time. As the disciples shared the good news, they ran into some opposition. The Spirit at first gave them the ability to speak in different languages — now they asked for boldness and powerful abilities that would convince people that what they were telling them was from God . . .

“And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness. (Acts 4:29–31)

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Precious Jesus, as I read this, I’m delighted at the reminder that the Holy Spirit gives His people whatever we need to do whatever You want us to do. It might be boldness. It might be the words to say to a visitor or a neighbor. It might be an unusual ability to help someone. It might even be the strength to call sin sin. Grant us the love and unity we need to speak the same thing, to agree on the basic truth that You did for our sin, then rose the third day. Because You are alive we can enjoy new life and the promise of eternity with You. Because the Holy Spirit is alive, we have all we need.