Biblical Theology 2: Inaugurated Eschatology 2

The use of the phrase 'latter days' in the NT outside of Paul

  • Acts 2:17- quoted in Joel 2. 'it will be in the last days'
    • Spirit to be poured forth
    • Visions, dreams, wonders, prophecy
    • Joel 2:28 doesn't use 'latter days' but 'after this' 
    • Peter is interpreting Joel 2. He sees Joel as conceptually referring to the latter days
    • End of the world language is used when evil empires fall
    • The language points to the final end of the world
    • The Jews would have thought that the beginning of the resurrection is occurring from the text. Paul talks about the resurrection of Christ being the start of the new creation
    • We are in the latter days due to the resurrection of Jesus. The end time prophecy's are starting to be fulfilled
    • Jesus resurrection is the beginning of the resurrection of Israel. When scripture says 'Pour out Spirit on all flesh' means all flesh in Israel. Hosea 6:2 'after two days he will revive us'. Jesus resurrection is Israel's resurrection. Jesus is the true Israelite who did what Israel should have done.
  • Hebrews 1:2 
    • 'in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son whom he appointed heir of all things'
    • Don't think latter days is the future. The latter days is anything from the resurrection of Jesus.
  • Hebrews 9:26 
    • 'but now once at the consummation of the ages he has been manifested to put away sin'
    • Christ enters into heaven (v24) which is in the presence of God and the temple of God
    • 'Temple of God' phrased is used ten times in scriptures. 
    • The old testament was always meant to be temporary and point to the physical temple of Jesus Christ
    • 'The lamb and God are its temple' Revelation 21:22
    • Ezekiel 40-48 was fulfilled with Jesus' first coming
  • 1 Peter 1:20
    • Christ has appeared in these last times for the sake of you...who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory
  • 1 John 2:18
    • It is the last hour,, the anti-Christ is coming and anti-Christs have come. 
    • They had heard this from Christ in Matthew 24. Jesus was alluding to Daniel 7,8,11,12
    • 1 John 2:22 the anti-Christ is anyone denying that Jesus is the Son of God
    • The anti-Christ gets the one who is at ease (Dan 8)
    • The anti-Christ is coming and is already here
    • The anti-Christ enters at multiple points in history to influence false teachers. 
    • This also means that the great tribulation has begun
    • We are not fighting our own personal sin-we are fighting to stay loyal to the covenant
    • There will be a final anti-Christ but he is already exercising his power
  • Jude 18-19
    • In the last time there will be mockers. This is what Jesus predicted. 
  • James 5:3
    • it is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure
    • things are set up so that we can have the coming of Christ at any time
The use of the phrase 'latter days' in the NT outside of Paul which refer exclusively to the future
  • 2 Peter 3:3
    • in the last days mocker will come with their mocking following their own sinful desires
    • False teachers were saying 'he hasn't come yet so he won't come'. Peter says 'one day is a thousand years to the Lord and a thousand years one day'
  • John 6:39-40,44, 54
    • the will of him who sent me is to lose nothing but raise it up on the last day
  • John 11:24
    • Resurrected life can be had now- shown by Jesus as he raises Lazarus
    • 'I know that he will be raised in the resurrected on the last day' - Martha (Lazarus sister)
  • John 12:48
    • 'the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day'
    • The resurrection of the body happens in the future, the resurrection of the spirit happens now
    • OT prophecy about resurrection includes regeneration as regeneration is the resurrection of the spirit
  • John 5:25
    • 'an hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God'- now and not yet!
    • Daniel 12:2- 'some who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life'- our spirits were raised to life when we were saved
    • How can Dan 12:2 apply to gentiles? Christ is true Israel. All promises are yes to the Gentiles in Him. 
  • 1 Peter 1:5
    • We are guarded by faith to be saved in the last time

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