The Last Days and Spiritual Awakening

In the New Testament, both Peter, Paul, Luke and the writer of Hebrews mention something called "the last days." Do you know what this is?Perhaps you believe that this will be a special period of time, at the end of this present era, in which the world will descend into unprecedented turmoil. Though many hold this view, I cordially disagree.I believe that "the last days" refers to the entire era of church history, from the first century church, through today and into the future. "The last days" will end at the second coming of Christ. Why do I say this?

• Peter (recorded by Luke) describes the period in which he lived "these last days" (Acts 2:16-21).
• The writer of Hebrews also calls the first century "these last days" (Hebrews 1:2).

What do we know about this period of time?

• Peter portrays "the last days" as a time when unbelievers will mock a godly worldview, gratifying their own sinful desires to an exorbitant degree  (2 Pet.3:3).
• Paul describes "the last days" in a similar way, providing a detailed list of characteristics and behavior (2 Tim. 3:1ff).

Some believe that a passage like 2 Tim. 3:1ff refers only to the final days of this church era. But the word days (kairoi, meaning "times") does not describe a single period of time. Instead, it refers to seasons or periodic intervals of time. This means that we should expect the entire church era to experience recurring seasons of remarkable decadence and turmoil.You will agree when I say that we live in a messed up world. Both national and global news headlines emphasize this sad reality. Terrorism, ethnic division, political angst and selfish individualism characterize our world today, to a remarkable degree.Does this mean that the end is near? Does this mean that we have no hope for a spiritual awakening? If you take the view that "the last days" are a one-time stage at the end of church history, then you will easily develop a pessimistic view about what God is doing in the world.But if you believe that "the last days" are the entire era of church history, experiencing recurring cycles of decadence, then you also believe that the entire era of church history experiences recurring cycles of spiritual awakening.How many times, since the first century, has the end of the age seemed near? Many. How many times has the world seemed ready for the antichrist to appear? Many.Remember, though, that even the first-century apostles considered their generation "the last days." Furthermore, they believed that the world was already primed for the appearance of the antichrist, and that was 2,000 years ago. In fact, John taught that the first century was already "the last hour," at which point the antichrist could have appeared (1 Jn. 2:18)!So we continue to live in "the last days" and "the last hour," and we continue to observe recurring cycles of decadence and awakening. Let us refrain from negative, pessimistic perspectives about the condition of our world. The world has been messed up, as it is today, for the entire 2,000 years of church history. The Lord may return very soon and the antichrist may soon appear. But the Lord may not return and the antichrist may not appear for another 2,000 years! We may yet live to see one or many more spiritual awakenings in America or throughout the world.

Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near (Isaiah 55:6).

Reject feelings of anger, fear or impatience caused by the turbulent, antagonistic condition of our world. Also reject the unbelieving, pessimistic attitude that gives up hope for more recurring seasons of spiritual awakening. Though the Lord may return in our lifetime, He may also choose to visit us with more recurring seasons of spiritual awakening instead!