John told his readers that they were then living in the last (G2078) time (G5610). Many preachers, today, try to tell us that we are living in the last time, now, 2000 years after the days of Jesus. Yet, this understanding cannot be supported in the word of God. In fact, the end has been falsely predicted over 200 times throughout the centuries.[1] The writers of the New Covenant text also predicted Jesus would return in their expected lifetimes. If they were correct, then, obviously, modern students of the Bible grossly misunderstand the Second Coming, and the last time. On the other hand, if the New Covenant writers were wrong, why should we believe the rest of their witness? A false prophet is a false prophet, no matter how respectable looking he may be. The failed predictions over the years have exposed many false prophets. What we need to consider is: are the writers of the New Covenant Scriptures among them?
Peter, also, told his readers that they were then living in the last time (1Peter 1:5), and that time or season would be fulfilled at the coming of Christ in a little while (1Peter 1:6-7). In the days just prior to Peter’s death, the end of all things was at hand (1Peter 4:7), and Christ was then, at that time in the first century AD, ready to judge the living and the dead (1Peter 4:5, 17). And, keep in mind that Peter’s understanding of the last time was based upon what the prophets wrote, and how he heard Jesus interpret them (cp. Isaiah 30:12-13; Matthew 7:27; 24:43). In other words that day would come as a thief in the night (2Peter 3:10; cp. Matthew 24:42-43) and in Peter’s expected lifetime in the first century AD (1Peter 1:9-13; cp. Matthew 16:27-28; 23:34-36)
Paul also claimed that his Gospel, namely the things he taught concerning the resurrection and the coming judgment of the living and the dead, was based upon the Law and the Prophets (Acts 24:12-15). Moreover, he, too, wrote that the end was then near, i.e. in the first century AD (cp. Romans 13:11; 1Timothy 4:1), and the end would come through war (1Thessalonians 5:3; Daniel 9:26), suddenly, as a thief in the night (1Thessalonians 5:2)!
So, Peter’s last time (kairos – G2540), which he said was occurring in the first century AD (1Peter 1:5) was the same as Paul’s last time (kairos –G2540), in which he claimed some would depart from the faith due to the seductive teachings of false prophets (1Timothy 4:1-3). Moreover, Paul’s seducing spirits and doctrines of devils (1Timothy 4:1) seem to be the same as antichrist in John’s epistle (1John 2:18). Finally, Paul connects his and Peter’s last time (kairos – G2540; cp. 1Timothy 4:1 & 1Peter 1:5) with John’s last time (hora – G5610; see 1John 2:18), when Paul tells his Roman readers “…knowing the time (G2540), that now it is high time (G5610) to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed” (Romans 13:11).
So, if all the New Covenant writers spoke of the same last time and concluded that it was to occur in the first century AD, what did the last time refer to? It referred to the end of the Old Covenant. Jesus’ days (Hebrews 1:1-2) and the days of the New Covenant writers (1Peter 1:5; 1John 2:18) were the last days of the Old Covenant or the last time of the Lord’s dealing with mankind through a national entity (i.e. the Jewish state). From 70 AD and onward and forevermore, the Lord would deal with mankind through his Church and their preaching of the Gospel to each succeeding generation. Just prior to Israel’s entry into the Promised Land, Moses gathered its leaders together (Deuteronomy 31:28) to tell them what would happen to the nation of Israel in the latter days (verse-29). In the next chapter (Deuteronomy 32) Moses predicted that Israel would become as Sodom (Deuteronomy 32:32), and “Their wine is the poison of dragons, and the cruel venom of asps (Deuteronomy 32:33), to which compare the generation of vipers in the New Covenant (Matthew 3:7; 12:34; 23:33).
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[1] The Second Coming of Christ has been predicted over 200 times according to folks who keep a list.
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