The Last Hour of the End Times
In the first installment, we discussed the question about the last hour revealed in Rom. 13:11-12 and asked, “Do you know what they knew? Today, we’re asking the question, the last hour, Do you see what they saw?
In making the case for the first century church and their awareness and understanding of the end times, it is beneficial for us to examine what they saw that gave them unshakeable confidence that they were living in the last hour of the end times.
While it is a common practice for modern Theologians and Evangelicals to speculate that the end times are upon us, those who take an intelligent approach to the inspired text are persuaded otherwise.
We often wonder why it’s taking so long for the masses of the population to begin holding these men accountable for their failed predictions and misdirected pronouncements.
The Last Hour and the Last Day
Paul told the Romans that it was the hour to awake out of sleep, implying the last hour before the dawn of the new eschatological (end times) era of the coming kingdom of God. This is the day of the Lord, the new day of salvation.
Writing to the Hebrews Christians Paul spoke of their “seeing” the day approaching.
“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. (Heb. 10:25)
The day of the Lord had drawn near, a point we established from Rom. 13:11, above and in our “last hour” post. How near was it? Paul said they could “see” the day approaching. Approaching is from engidzo, “to draw near”.
This is equivalent to the language used in Romans which stated that “now their salvation was nearer than when they first believed.” The time was so near to them that they could see the day approaching.
No Blood Moon Tetrads Signaling the End
Note also that there are no blood moons cited in t his verse. They did not need the help of John Hagee and his sufficiently debunked blood moon theory to warn them of the approaching day. When the Bible does speak of a moon turning to blood, it is in the singular, i.e. only one. ( Joel 2:28-30; Acts 2:20 ; Rev. 6:12).
While it is not out of the question that a lunar eclipse would occur in connection with this event, the language is usually understood in a figurative sense.
The Prophetic Framework for the Last Day
Paul draws his message from the Old Testament. The framework for his end time teaching is not CNN, the New York Times or other modern day prophet. Rather, it is Deuteronomy 32, from the Song of Moses.
Compare: “Vengeance is Mine, and recompense; Their foot shall slip in due time; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things to come hasten upon them. (Deut. 32:35). Moses, looking past the interim generations of Israel’s history, sees this terminal generation when the day will be at hand.
Paul recognizing the signs of the times assures the Hebrews they are seeing the very day Moses prophesied. With an inspired prophet (Moses), the Divine record of Torah, and the Apostle Paul with the apostolic church, they all confirm the day had drawn near and they could see it.
We encourage you to trust your own judgment to see as they saw in the first century. The last day had drawn near and they had all the information and signs needed to see it. For more studies on the last days and end times, see our 13 volume set of DVD’s or the 14 volume Audio CD Set, available for immediate shipping.
