“The end of all things is near.”  (1 Peter 4:7, NIV)

Many Christians today are asking the question: “Are we living in the end times?” They look at how much of our society has lost its moral bearings, how godlessness is growing, and how it is becoming increasingly a challenge to live faithfully as a Christian in the Western world. So they wonder: Is Jesus coming back soon?

My answer, based on Scripture, is yes, we are most certainly living in the end times. However, I don’t base that conclusion on any recent turn of events in American society or on the international stage. Strange as it may sound, I believe that the church has been living in the end times ever since Jesus died and rose again. Why would I say that? Because all through the New Testament, we see this plainly taught. For example, the author of Hebrews could speak of living in the “last days” in the middle of the first century:

“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.” (Hebrews 1:1-2, ESV)

Writing around AD 54, the Apostle Paul told the church of Corinth that Old Testament scripture was written “for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come” (1 Corinthians 10:11, ESV). When the Holy Spirit was given to the early church at Pentecost, Peter interpreted this event by quoting the prophet Joel:

“And in the last days it shall be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh…” (Acts 2:17, ESV)

Even more remarkable is Peter’s statement in his first epistle: “The end of all things is at hand” (1 Peter 4:7, ESV). Of course, we might reasonably wonder, If Peter in the first century could say “the end of all things is at hand,” why on earth are we still here 2,000 years later? That’s a fair question. There are other passages where the Bible says something similar. James even tells his readers that Jesus’ coming is so soon that you can already think of Him as “standing at the door” (James 5:9)!

Were the Apostles Mistaken?

Many have wondered, Did the Apostles get it wrong? Did they assume Jesus was coming back right away but were mistaken?

I think this type of question is resolved when we stop to first remember that the Bible claims to be the word of God Himself (2 Timothy 3:16-17). So, we aren’t just reading what the Apostles thought; we are reading the very words of God (1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Peter 3:15-16). Furthermore, Jesus promised His Apostles that the Holy Spirit “will guide you into all the truth… and he will declare to you the things that are to come” (John 16:13, ESV). So to assert that the Apostles might be in error in their teaching is actually to cast doubt on Jesus’ integrity.

But let’s consider something important about how biblical prophecy often works. Many have termed this “prophetic telescoping.” The idea is that when you look at biblical prophecies, it is often like looking at a mountain range. A single prophecy might appear to be fulfilled in that first mountain you can see, but what is not always explicitly stated is that there also may be greater fulfillment in the next mountain behind it and so on. In other words, when a prophecy is given, there are partial fulfillments, which tend to happen sooner. And then there are ultimate fulfillments which happen farther down the timeline.[1]

Another thing is that the Bible talks about the “last days” or the “end times” in terms of a phase in redemptive history. So, if you were to ask the Bible, “Are we living in the end times?” The clear answer is, “Yes, we are.” But that’s more a statement about us living in the final phase of redemptive history than it is about the precise timeline of Jesus’ return. The Messiah has come. He has suffered, risen again, and sent the Holy Spirit. The message of salvation is going forth.

The Bible views history as split by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. He’s the central figure, and His resurrection was the central event. Before Christ, God’s people lived in anticipation. We could call those the “former times,” when the prophets anticipated a coming Messiah (Hebrews 1:1). But after Jesus came and accomplished redemption, a new era began, an era when God’s people are permanently indwelled by the Holy Spirit. This is the church age, but it’s also the final phase of redemptive history.[2]

Ready and Alert

Now, you might say, “It’s awfully confusing for Peter to say ‘the end of all things is near’ if there was still at least 2,000 years to go.” Well, not if you see it as a call for vigilance. God was intentionally ambiguous about the timing of Christ’s return. It’s a fixed date on His calendar, but He wanted every generation of Christians to live with the expectancy that Christ could return very soon. And even today, we should live with that expectancy. Jesus could come back very soon. That’s what the Bible means when it says we are living in the “last days” or end times.

We are called to faithfully and expectantly await His soon return, knowing it always could be just around the corner. Regarding His return, Jesus called His followers to “Keep alert at all times” (Luke 21:36) and “be ready” (Luke 12:40). He said, “Keep watch, because you do not know the day on which your Lord will come” (Matthew 24:42).

Here’s something else we should consider. The Bible hints at the fact that Jesus would seem to take a long time to return, but each generation should anticipate His return with alertness.

In God’s eyes, Jesus’ return will be right on time, but there are indicators from Scripture that Jesus would seem to take a long time from our perspective. Why else would Jesus tell the parable of the ten virgins who waited for the bridegroom to come for the wedding? Five were wise and brought oil, and five were foolish and unprepared.

Jesus says, “The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.” (Matthew 25:5, NIV)

The foolish virgins who are not ready for the bridegroom’s sudden arrival end up excluded from the wedding feast.

In the chapter before that, Jesus talks about the faithful servant who is ready when his master returns and then compares that to the wicked servant who grows negligent when his master takes longer than expected.

“But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 24:48-51, ESV)

In both cases, there is a hint that Jesus will take longer than expected to return. But it doesn’t go so well for those who start to live like Jesus is never coming back. That is why Peter says “the end of all things is near,” and Jesus said He was coming soon (Revelation 22:20). From a divine perspective, He is coming soon (2 Peter 3:8-10). These are calls to be ready. Christians are to live as servants expecting their master’s soon return.

Sober and Effective Prayer

The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. (1 Peter 4:7, NIV)

It’s fascinating how often drunkenness is contrasted with being filled with the Spirit in Scripture. The priests of Israel were not allowed to drink alcohol if they wanted to enter the Tabernacle. Samson’s mother is told not to drink alcohol during her pregnancy so that her son can be filled with God’s Spirit for his life’s mission. An angel prophesies that John the Baptist “is never to take wine or other fermented drink,” because “he will be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Peter has to correct people on the Day of Pentecost who assume that he and his fellow believers are drunk when they are actually filled with the Spirit.

And then there’s Paul’s explicit command: “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to reckless indiscretion. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.” (Ephesians 5:18, BSB)

Drunkenness is primarily about escapism. People get drunk to avoid the troubles of life. They run from the battle and resort to the bottle. People look to the bottle to calm their fears, dull their senses, and relax.

But being filled with the Holy Spirit is about rescue from our old way of life. It’s not about running away; it’s about overcoming. Rather than encouraging us to hide from challenges, the Holy Spirit urges us to face our problems in reliance on Him – and overcome.

If being drunk dulls our senses, being filled with the Spirit sharpens them. People run to alcohol when they want to have a good time. But it is the Holy Spirit who brings the true joy and peace we are craving.

That’s why, contrary to what some think, Christians actually have a lot of fun together. The Spirit Himself creates the joyful atmosphere that we share together. While the Bible doesn’t forbid us from ever drinking alcohol, we don’t need alcohol to have a good time. And it’s worth noting that four out of the six sins that Peter mentions in 1 Peter 4:3 refer to abuse of alcohol.

So Peter is saying in verse 7, “Keep the gunpowder dry, so that you can fire off those effective prayers that can radically change circumstances. Tune in to what the Spirit is doing rather than tuning out.”

On September 17, 1788, the Austrian army achieved the unthinkable. They managed to lose the Battle of Karansebes before the enemy even made it to the battlefield. When the Ottoman army was delayed in arriving for the battle, the Austrian army got bored and decided to try the local Schnapps. After getting wildly drunk, the Austrians suddenly mistook one another for the enemy and began firing on each other. When the Ottoman army finally did reach the battlefield, all they found was an encampment of 10,000 wounded or dead Austrians.

Let’s not be like the foolish Austrians at the Battle of Karansebes. Let’s stay alert and sober, because there is a real spiritual war taking place right now. We are right in the thick of it, and the devil would love for us to begin turning our muzzles on one another and forget that he is the real enemy.

When you’re thinking deeply about Christ’s return, you will be moved to pray more effectively, renounce hidden sins, and demonstrate sacrificial love for others. Live expectantly in these last days. Anticipating His soon arrival compels us to live both soberly and passionately for the glory of our coming King.

Have thoughts on this post? Feel free to comment below!

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[1] One clear example of this in Scripture is the prophecy of the coming “day of the Lord,” which had immediate partial fulfillment in the days that prophecy was given, but will one day have ultimate fulfillment on the day the Lord returns to judge and to save. For example, when Zephaniah writes of the day of the Lord (Zephaniah 1:7-8, 14-16), he describes it both as a coming event in history when Jerusalem will be destroyed (1:4, 10-12), but he also talks about it as an event at the end of history when people are wiped off the face of the earth (1:2-3, 17-18).

[2] This doesn’t rule out what the Jewish rabbis have called “Messianic Age,” which I believe will be fulfilled in the Millennium spoken of primarily in Revelation 20:1-10. I would simply incorporate the Messianic Age as a time of greater realization of blessing and peace with Christ’s reign on the earth in this age. I get this from passages like Ephesians 1:21, which speaks only of “this age” and “the age to come,” which I believe is the new creation and eternal state (Revelation 21-22).