Last Means Last Except . . . post 2

A Never-Ending Last Days

We also use the word “last” to describe days past, not future. “In the last few days” would be an example. But that would be stretching the meaning of “last” too far in the Hebrews passage. Clearly, the author is speaking of the end of something because he warns people about something passing away and of something else appearing and that they should view those “last” days in faith, as if they’re headed toward a destination, a goal, a finish. But the finish is something better than what was past, not something worse. Those who suffered in the past were giving their lives for us, for something to come, for something better. Hebrews 11. The Israelites who left Egypt were headed somewhere; they wandered because of disobedience, not because the goal could not be accomplished. The “last” days refers to the time just before the accomplishment of the mission or goal for which the faithful saints gave their lives.

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The Book of Acts & the Last Days

The Disciples Acted Like the End was Near

Consider the book of Acts. In Acts 2, after the crowd made comments about the disciples appearing drunk, Peter preaches and quotes from the prophet Joel:

“For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.'” Acts 2:15-21.

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Last Means Last Except . . .

Double Meaning & Continual Ending Tricks

Let’s get one thing out of the way. When you encounter a scripture passage with clearly literal elements mixed with symbolic or allegorical elements, you interpret the literal parts literally and the allegorical parts allegorically, not the other way around. Second, everyone recognizes symbols in scripture, including those who shout the loudest about not interpreting the scripture symbolically. Third, you interpret the bible’s symbols using the bible’s symbols, not your modern spin on those symbols. These three points will take you a long way toward interpreting the bible, not only correctly, but also much more intelligibly.

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Matthew 24 – This Gospel Must Be Preached in All the World

This Gospel Must Be Preached in All the World, Then Shall the End Come

Most people reading the bible do not know how to interpret prophetic language. Instead of using the bible to interpret the bible, they use the newspaper or the most simplistic method. Here’s an example from Matthew 24. “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” Matthew 24:14.

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Last What?

Last” means Last, right?

We could talk about the fact that the Hebrew and Greek can mean “last,” as in “final.” Same for the word “end.” But is that the way to study scripture? Or does scripture interpreter scripture? Is the context more important? By the way, that last question is really important. Did I just use the word “last” in a different way than last? The last question I asked was not the last question of this post or this blog or in history. It was simply the most recent sequential question before I said it was really important.

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Matthew 24 – Correct Interpretation

Jesus Did Not Try to Trick Us

Let’s get one thing out of the way. When you encounter a scripture passage with clearly literal elements mixed with symbolic or allegorical elements, you interpret the literal parts literally and the allegorical parts allegorically, not the other way around. Second, everyone recognizes symbols in scripture, including those who shout the loudest about not interpreting the scripture symbolically. Third, you interpret the bible’s symbols using the bible’s symbols, not your modern spin on those symbols. These three points will take you a long way toward interpreting the bible, not only correctly, but also much more intelligibly.

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Time Matters

The Greatest Event of All TimePast, Present, & Future

You can rest in this:  Jesus Christ has finished the work, & God’s Kingdom is now inevitable, not only because God is all-powerful but also because it legally/covenantally must succeed & conquer all, if for no other reason than the fact of Christ’s suffering, death, & resurrection. And the success of God’s kingdom is a glorious, a wonderful, a joyful thing for his covenantally faithful believers. It’s God’s promise of redemption for the earth, the heavens, all mankind. And it started with Christ’s coming to earth – the FIRST time!

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Timing & Confidence

The Timing of the End Matters to Your Confidence

Timing is very important to your view of the last days or end times. My view is very different from most of the popularizations of these terms. Imagine, if you will, that you’re a player on a football team, and you show up for the game after it’s over but don’t know it. You might go out on the field to do battle for your school with no other team mates. You might end up playing for another team whose game was scheduled after yours. If you lost because you played another team all by yourself, having missed the game, you would go to school the next day and report your bad news. Your school mates might tell you, “Hey, we won, don’t be so down. But where were you?” You might be happy to know your team won but sad to know you weren’t part of the effort. What if no one told you and let you go away thinking you had lost the game? What if it were the championship game and ruined your entire year? You get the point. Timing is not everything, but it can sure mess alot of things up.

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