In The Last Days

“Knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming?” 

(2 Peter 3:3-4)

The Last Days or Bible prophecy is not something that many churches seem to be talking much about currently.

And that's a shame.

Ask people about the Rapture or the End Times and they'll likely laugh at you, or tell you you're crazy. Some might say, "What is that?"

Two thousand years ago, the Apostle Peter described the pessimistic attitude of people in the Last Days, pertaining to the return of the Lord:

“Knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” (2 Peter 3:3-4)

A couple of things immediately jump out at me in this passage:

1. The scoffers who come in the last days will be walking according to their own lusts. They will not be focused on, or interested in the coming of the Lord. So they will scoff at and ridicule those of us who are watching for the imminent return of Jesus with great anticipation. The scoffers will be walking according to their own lusts, focused on material gain and pleasure. Getting  more stuff. Trying to get ahead. Win the rat race. Gotta get that new Audi. Get that bigger house. Move up the corporate ladder. Get that hot new girlfriend.

2. The scoffers will also be trying to turn the attention of followers of Jesus away from His soon return by explaining it away by saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” They will try to tell you, "It could be another thousand years. So why even worry about it! What's your hurry? Eat, drink and be merry today. There are no signs of His coming!"  These people are too busy trying to fulfill the lusts of their flesh and don't want to be distracted by all this last days rapture talk. So they try to dissuade you from thinking and talking about it. Misery loves company.

Peter goes on to say about the last days scoffers:

“For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.” (2 Peter 3:5-7)

I believe the scoffers don't want the Lord to come back to judge the world any time soon because they know they are guilty before Him and will be judged accordingly. They're too busy enjoying the pleasures of sin for a season and they don't want that season to end. So they try to explain it all away. But they are only living in denial... Delaying the inevitable.

It is claimed that 27% of the Bible is prophecy. It's an integral part of God's Word. He wants us to know it. So why do so many churches and Christian people ignore it? 

It is my opinion that the average "Christian" does not really understand the times we are living in. Just where we are at prophetically in the history of the world. Tell them we are living smack dab in the Last Days and they will probably look at you with suspicion.

That is why it is so important for pastors and bible teachers to teach the entire bible, with all the prophetic books and passages, including the book of Revelation. "Oh, that's too difficult to understand." Or, "That book is too controversial" they may try to tell you. But the Body of Christ suffers when those entrusted to shepherd the sheep omit portions of the bible because they don't understand it, or feel it is too controversial. 

I am certainly no expert on bible prophecy.

But I have absolutely loved studying it for the last twenty years. And I have been blessed to listen to some gifted men teach it. A few years ago my wife and I were blessed to listen to a pastor teach through the entire book of Revelation over a one year period. Every Tuesday night we would sit together in front of the stereo and be glued to hear what had previously been a very difficult book for us to understand. At the end of this blog I will post a link to the web site where you can listen for free to a comprehensive study of the entire bible, including the prophecy books and the book of Revelation.

A lot of people today want to debate the timing of the Rapture, and many other biblical topics. But to me the Rapture is not a controversial doctrine to debate. It is a promise from Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. Here is a precious verse of this promise to us from Him:

“Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.” (Revelation 3:10)

The debate centers largely around the interpretation of the word "from." Jesus promises us He will keep us from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world. Define the word from in the original Greek and it means He will keep us "completely out of a particular time and place." Some will argue that it means He will only preserve us in that time and place, not remove us from it altogether. And thus the debate rages on. I absolutely believe He will remove us completely out of the world during this time of tribulation on earth as He begins to judge the world. Many don't agree with this though. There are several interpretations out there. But I will not debate them here on this blog with you. That is not my purpose or desire.

Again, the study of bible prophecy is vastly important. God wants us to know. If you are a pastor or have been called to be a bible teacher, please do not cheat your people out of this important part of the Word of God. People need to understand the times we are living in. The promises found in bible prophecy give God's people great hope and encouragement in a world that grows darker and more hopeless every day. 

Here is a great free resource that we have personally found to be extremely helpful for studying bible prophecy, as well as the entire bible:

http://www.joncourson.com/teaching/teachingshome.asp

God's Word declares:

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105)

—God is Love and Love Never Fails.