We often hear the phrases: “The end is near,” “We are in the last days,” and “These are the end times.” Many books and movies depict a coming disastrous doomsday. Our Bible even speaks of a great tribulation that comes in the end times. They all tend to generate anxieties about our future.
God declared many times that the natural universe He created and its days will not end. (a) [See endnotes for Scriptures] The cycles of days and seasons in this temporal realm will continue as long as the created natural realm exists. So when are the Scriptural end times?
Last Days And Times
When Jacob gathered his sons to “tell you what shall befall you in the last days,” (b) he described the personality traits of each son and what their offspring’s activity would be like. The NASB correctly translates the phrase as “in the days to come.” Their last days were not their end times.
Daniel was one of three Old Testament prophets that spoke about end times. On one occasion the messenger Gabriel told of the “time of the end” (c) for the Babylon Empire which happened when the Medes and Persians conquered Babylon. One time the chief Prince Michael declared “the latter days” (d) of the Mede and Persian Empire which fell to Greece. Daniel saw both of these end and later times. While days and people continued, it was the dominant reign of kingdoms that ended.
Before the declarations of those end times, Daniel tells of the coming of “One like the son of man… his dominion… will not pass away…will not be destroyed.” (e) This son of man would initiate a kingdom reign that would never cease. All partaking of this kingdom “will awake…shine as the stars of heaven…and lead many to righteousness.” (f) This coming kingdom reign would not end.
In the last chapter of Daniel’s book he speaks four times of a coming “end.” Twice he said “until the end of time,” once “until the end of these wonders,” and once “at the end of the age.” (g) This chapter spoke of an end that was beyond Daniel’s time. This end would involve “shattering the power of the holy people.” (h) Holy people were seen as those who followed the Law of Moses.
Isaiah and Micah are the other two prophets that spoke of the last days. Both said: “It will come about in the last days that the mountain of the house of the lord will be established as the chief of the mountains.” (i) Prophetic mountains always refer to nations and kingdoms. In the prophetic third last days the gatherings to God’s reign by people of faith would be dominant among all nations.
These Old Testament prophets spoke of end times and last days as historical seasons for ruling powers. Daniel lived to see two of them. The third was confirmed by Isaiah and Micah as yet to come. The “knowledge of” this kingdom awareness would eventually fill the whole earth. (j)
This son of man would initiate a kingdom reign that would never cease.
The Third End Of Time
Daniel’s “One like the son of man” was the anointed Jesus. (k) He introduced a kingdom perspective that was not based on a written Law, annual sacrifices for bad behavior, or gatherings to one earthly place. This kingdom authority would be based on personal interactions with God-in-Christ. These interactions would allow God to write His insightful ways “in their minds and on their hearts.” (l)
Jesus said “the time is fulfilled, and the 
kingdom of God is at hand (here now).” (m) He also spoke to the denying religious authorities of that generation, declaring: “the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation (Greek ethnos – a gathering people) producing the fruit of it.” (n) The fruit of this Renewed Covenant will be expressions that draw others into its reality.
Following the ministry of Jesus, the third prophecy concerning the holy people was in the process of being fulfilled. The ruling oversight of people of faith by the Jewish mindset was coming to an end. Their faith in the Law and their expectations of a natural style Kingdom were no longer relevant. (o) Jesus declared “a great tribulation” was coming “on this generation.” (p) Judaism’s apparent rule over faith ended in 70 AD as their seats of authority, the Temple and Jerusalem were destroyed.
Peter, Paul, and John each acknowledged they were living in Daniel’s prophesied end times. Below are several passages from the New Testament that verify this:
“For He was foreknown…but has appeared in these last times.” (q)
“When the fullness of time came, God sent forth His son, born of a woman,” (r)
“God…in these last days has spoken to us in His Son.” (s)
“For a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” (t)
“It is time for judgement to begin with the household of God…with us first.” (u)
“The end of all things is at hand.” (v)
“Upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” (w)
“Knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from your sleep.” (x)
“For this reason it says, ‘Awake sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’” (y)
John adds: “Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, from this we know that it is the last hour.” (z) The Greek word that is translated “antichrist” means “instead-of-Christ.” Some were claiming to be the returning Christ.
Jesus changed ideas about God’s Kingdom. His reign involves personal interactions with God’s presence. This reality will continue until “all the earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord.” (aa)
This kingdom authority would be based on personal interactions with God-in-Christ.
Faithful Until Our End
Today we can realize the biblical last days and end times have been fulfilled. The New Testament verifies that the third “end times and days” were for the generation that Jesus lived in.
There is another end that we can consider. Every person in this temporal realm will come to our own end of days. “A generation goes and a generation comes, but the earth remains.” (bb) While the following quotes were spoken to Jesus’ generation, they can also apply to our aging lives.
“In the last days, difficult times will come.” (cc)
“He who keeps My deeds to the end…” (dd)
“If we hold fast our confidence… firm to the end…” (ee)
“The one who has endured to the end will be saved.” (ff)
“Having been freed from sin…you derive your benefit… the outcome, eternal (ongoing) life.” (gg)
Jesus said at least three times: “I myself will raise him up on the last day.” (hh) This reference to a last day addresses our personal lives. When our earthly life ends, we consciously exit this natural sphere and continue into an eternal consciousness “for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” (ii) As our physical life ends, God-in-Christ “raises” our conscious awareness and we enter a fuller salvation that is void of the complications of this temporal life.
Jesus illustrated how the kingdom reign of God involves our personal acceptance and how our conduct demonstrates it for all to see. In this life, responders to God’s presence are called the “Body of Christ” (God’s anointed ones). (jj) Despite many perceptions, this type of kingdom reign would never cease to be in the earth and its responders will influence natural kingdoms.
Be encouraged! We can stay faithful to God and His guidance, all the way to the end of our days.
We can stay faithful to God and His guidance, all the way to the end of our days.
a) Genesis 8:20-22; Jeremiah 33:20, 25; Ecclesiastes 1:1-11; Psalm 104:5; 2 Peter 3:3; b) Genesis 49:1, KJV; c) Daniel 8:16-20, 23; d) Daniel 10:13-14, 20; e) Daniel 7:13-14; f) Daniel 12:2-3; g) Daniel 12:4, 9, 6, 15; h) Daniel 12:7; i) Isaiah 2:2; Micah 4:1; j) Isaiah 11:9; k) Luke 1:26-35; l) Jeremiah 31:31-33; Hebrews 8:7-13; 12:22-24; m) Matthew 3:2; 4:17; 10:7; Mark 1:15; n) Matthew 21:43; o) Luke 17:20-21; p) Matthew 24:21, 34; 23:36; Luke 21:9; q) 1 Peter 1:20; r) Galatians 4:4; s) Hebrews 1:1-2; t) 1 Peter 1:5; u) Romans 13:11; v) 1 Peter 4:17; w) 1 Peter 4:7; x) 1 Corinthians 10:11; y) Ephesians 5:14; z) 1 John 2:18; aa) Numbers 14:21; bb) Ecclesiastics 1:4; cc) 2 Timothy 3:1; dd) Revelation 2:26; ee) Hebrews 3:6, 14; 6:11; ff) Matthew 10:22; 24:13-14; Mark 13:13; gg) Romans 6:22; hh) John 6:40, 44, 54; 11:24; ii) 1 Peter 1:5; jj) 1 Corinthians 12:20, 27; Romans 12:5; Ephesians 4:12;
Keith Carroll, “The Relationship Guy”
Relational Gospel Founder
Created To Relate author