Last Days

Last Days

Gen. 49:1

            Genesis may seem like a strange place to find a text regarding last times.  Nevertheless, here it is right here in Gen. 49:1.  I must say that there is a lot of confusion as to what the last times may signify.

                   It is a reference to the Time of Jacob's Trouble.  Perhaps it is called that because it was Jacob to whom this word was given, but it is a time when God will judge Israel.  It is given again in Deut. 4:30, "When thou art in tribulation and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days..."   What is its time?  Peter announced it at Pentecost when he quoted from the prophecy of Joel, Acts 2:16-18, "But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, ..."  He identified the Spirit of Pentecost.  It extends back as far as Christ's first Advent, Heb.1:2, "God, spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, ..."  God spoke to the world in the last days through Christ.  This time lasts until the return of Christ to this earth, Acts 2:29, 30, "Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David,...Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;"  These last times are also declared by John in 1John 2:18, "Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time."  He identifies the time as being that of Antichrist.  He speaks of Antichrist (singular) which was and is yet to come, but he identified the time saying that there are many antichrists (plural) in the world already.

                   Many times people say to me Preacher, don't you think we are living in the last days?  I usually answer Yes, we have been ever since the day of Pentecost.  That is not what they want to hear, but it is scriptural.

                   The fact that we are in the last days, however, is no time for defeatism.  The day is coming when Israel as a nation will repent and be forgiven, Zech. 12:10; 13:1, "And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness."   Don't let anyone tell you that this means the church.  It is the inhabitants of Jerusalem.  Jesus may return at any moment, Matt. 24:44, "Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh."  This is an age of Grace, Acts 2:21, "And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved."   Now you tell me that is works salvation, and I will tell you that you don't know what you are talking about.  I must say that only elect ones will so call on our Lord, but His promise is that anyone who does shall be saved.  That is grace.  It is gracious election out of ruined sinners, recipients of absolute atonement, called by His compelling love, and given everlasting life..