Sign of Times (Part VIII)

By Moonings

PAUL’S DESCRIPTION OF LAST DAYS

So far, in our attempt to prove that the church must go into spiritual decline before Christ returns, we have mainly discussed two Parables of the Kingdom. But our case rests not only on two somewhat mysterious parables, but also on explicit teaching. Both Paul and Peter state clearly that the church in its final stages would be riddled with corruption.

Consider what Paul says in 2 Timothy.
This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 Timothy 3:1

The popular interpretation today is that the intended compass of the phrase "last days" takes in the whole Church Age, from Pentecost to the return of Christ. What Paul supposedly means is that the Church Age, which had recently begun, would bring times of great peril for believers. This interpretation is by no means unreasonable. Indeed, because the Church Age is the final period of history before the Second Advent of Christ, the New Testament sometimes uses expressions similar to "last days" to identify the Church Age.

18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
1 John 2:18

26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
Hebrews 9:26

But similar phrases in different contexts need not have the exact same meaning.
Even the meaning of the phrase "last days" shifts according to context. In the following occurrence,
Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for ['in'] the last days.
James 5:3

it refers to the present time, understood as falling within the short span of life and the short span of history. But in the next occurrence,

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:
Acts 2:17

the same phrase has double meaning. Peter is quoting a prophecy of Joel, which, as most commentators agree, foresees two distinct events. One is Pentecost, the fulfillment that Peter declares. The other is the future outpouring of the Spirit upon Israel when they behold Christ at His coming (Zech. 12:10; Rom. 11:26-27). So here, the phrase "last days" simultaneously refers to the time commencing at Pentecost—that is, the Church Age—and to the time of Christ's return.

The Book of Hebrews offers another use of the phrase.

1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds.
Hebrews 1:1-2

The wording here is unique. Whereas Paul in 2 Timothy 3:1 says "in last days ['en eschatais emerais']," the comparable phrase in Hebrews 1:2 is "upon these last days ['ep eschaten ton emeron touton']," the "these" indicating that the days in question are the last days recently. The phrase in verse 2 of the above passage stands in contrast to the phrase "in time past" (literally, "of old") in verse 1. The meaning of the passage is that whereas in time past God spoke through the prophets, lately, or, in recent time, He has spoken through His Son.

The question remains, what does Paul mean by the phrase "last days" in 2 Timothy 3:1? Paul himself lived in the Church Age. Yet, in referring to the Last Days, he uses a verb in the future tense. "Perilous times shall come." And he maintains the same tense throughout his discussion of the Last Days. He obviously thought that the Last Days had not yet arrived, but would arrive in the future.

The context leaves no doubt that Paul placed the Last Days at the end of the Church Age. A few verses later, he says,

But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
2 Timothy 3:13

Paul evidently believed that church history would follow a linear trend downward, as more and more people came under the influence of unscrupulous deceivers. Such men, called "evil men and seducers [literally, 'impostors']," would "wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived." A more exact translation clarifies the prediction. Paul in fact says that such men would "advance to the worst, deceiving and being deceived." He foresaw a day when the very worst self-deceivers and deceivers of others would control multitudes in the church. Publicly, such men would be convincing replicas of real Bible Christians, but privately, they would wallow in the depths of abomination. Paul gives no hint that better leaders would follow the worst. Thus, the worst must emerge at the very close of church history. We cannot justly dismiss the implication that his "last days" of special peril fall at the same time.

In the next chapter of 2 Timothy, Paul gives an expanded picture of the time when the very worst deceivers would arise.

3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
2 Timothy 4:3-4

In this graphic description of the poisonous teaching that would plague the church of the Last Days, Paul places the blame where it belongs. False teachers would succeed in becoming influential only because the church would warmly embrace them. Churchgoers would "heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears."

Those who would be intolerant of sound doctrine are compared to dogs. Like dogs, they would follow anyone, regardless of his character, who stoops to scratch their ears. And like dogs, they would turn their ears to hear whatever is pleasant. The analogy goes a bit further. They would be doglike also in not being fussy about what they eat. They would chew with pleasure on any teaching that gratifies carnal appetites.

After warning of perilous times in the Last Days, Paul provides a list of traits that would then be characteristic of religious people.

2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
2 Timothy 3:2-5

We find no reference here to murder, rape, or any other high felony, because Paul is speaking about people in general. He is describing not the criminal minority, but the respectable majority—not the atypical, but the average. Ordinary people in ordinary churches would be egotistical ("lovers of their own selves," "boasters," "proud," "heady," "highminded"), irreverent ("blasphemers"), materialistic ("covetous" is, literally, "lovers of money"), and hedonistic ("unholy," "incontinent," "lovers of pleasures"). They would enjoy few loving relationships, for they would be "disobedient to parents" and "without natural affection." Yet they would readily make enemies, for they would be "unthankful," "trucebreakers," and "traitors." And they would treat their enemies ruthlessly, for they would be "fierce" and "false accusers." Being "despisers of those that are good," they would persecute the righteous.

Despite this load of wickedness weighing on their souls, they would pretend to be Christians ("having a form of godliness"). But, as Paul observes, they would know nothing of real Christianity. They would be guilty of "denying the power thereof." The true sense of the word translated "denying" is closer to "rejecting." That is, they would reject the power of God to change their lives. Instead of aspiring to holiness through divine grace, they would prefer to remain in their filthiness.

The admonition to the sincere believer in the Last Days is, "From such turn away." Comfort, reputation, and every other human consideration might urge him to continue in fellowship with hypocrites, but to maintain fellowship with God, and to defend his family from attacks that would spoil their faith, he must make the break. He must turn away. But where should he go? He must attach himself to a band of genuine believers, however small it may be.