Last days

Last Days • Sermon • Submitted 3 years ago

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The final epoch of history which is marked by the coming of the Messiah and the establishment of God’s kingdom. In the NT it is portrayed as the period between Jesus Christ’s first coming and the consummation of all things at his return, and is marked by godlessness and the persecution of God’s people.

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Transcript

OT expectation of the last days

The Messianic kingdom

Isaiah 2:2–4 ESV

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.

See also Is 9:6–7; Is 11:1–9; Is 65:20–25; Je 33:15

The restoration of Israel

Je 33:16; Ho 3:5

See also Is 25:9; Je 30:9; Je 50:4; Joe 3:1; Zec 8:23

The day of the Lord

Is 13:6–12; Eze 30:3; Joe 2:11; Joe 2:30–31; Am 5:18–20; Ac 2:19–20

Jesus Christ’s coming introduces the last days

The timing of his revelation

1 Peter 1:20 ESV

He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you

The announcement of God’s kingdom

Mark 1:15 ESV

and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

The fulfilment of Messianic promise

Luke 4:18–21 (ESV)

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

because he has anointed me

to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives

and recovering of sight to the blind,

to set at liberty those who are oppressed,

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

The outpouring of the Spirit

Acts 2:16–18 ESV

But this is what was uttered through the prophet 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.

Revelation in the last days

Hebrews 1:1–2 ESV

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.

See also Mt 13:16–17; Ro 16:25–26; Eph 3:9; Col 1:26

Redemption in the last days

Hebrews 9:26 ESV

for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

See also Da 9:24; Ac 2:21; Joe 2:32; 2 Co 6:2; Is 49:8; 1 Pe 1:18–20

Features of the last days

Godlessness

2 Timothy 3:1–5 ESV

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.

Deception and apostasy

1 Timothy 4:1 ESV

Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons,

See also Mt 24:4–5; Mt 24:10–12; 1 Jn 2:18–19

Scoffing

2 Pe 3:3–4; Jud 18–19

Persecution

Da 11:33–35; Mk 10:30; Lk 21:12–17

Jesus Christ’s return brings the last days to a close

It ushers in a new era

Hebrews 9:28 ESV

so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

It is identified with the day of the Lord

2 Co 1:14; 1 Th 5:2; 2 Pe 3:10

Living in the last days

Heb 6:5 Between Jesus Christ’s comings, believers have a foretaste of the age to come.