In the Last Days

In the beginning of Peter’s sermon at Pentecost, he preached the following concerning the last days:

“And in the last days it shall be, God declares,

that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,

and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

and your young men shall see visions,

and your old men shall dream dreams;

even on my male servants and female servants

in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.

And I will show wonders in the heavens above

and signs on the earth below,

blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;

the sun shall be turned to darkness

and the moon to blood,

before the day of the Lord comes,

the great and magnificent day.

And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

— Acts 2:17–21

The last days are not merely some distant periods in the future. Biblically, the last days began with the coming of Jesus Christ and continue until His return. Peter stood at Pentecost and declared that what the prophet Joel had spoken was being fulfilled before their very eyes.

The promised Messiah had come. Jesus Christ had died for our sins, risen victoriously from the grave, and ascended to the Father. Then, just as He promised, the Holy Spirit was poured out upon His people. The Church was born and the Gospel began going forth into the world.

We are still living in those last days today.

For nearly two thousand years, the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been proclaimed throughout the world. The Holy Spirit continues His work, drawing people to Christ, transforming lives, empowering believers, and building the Church. God is still calling sinners to repentance and offering salvation through His Son.

But Scripture also reminds us that these last days are moving toward something—the return of Jesus Christ.

There will come a day when the opportunity to repent and believe will be over. Christ will return, and every person will ultimately stand before Him. That is why the message Peter preached at Pentecost remains just as important today:

“Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Friends, we should not spend all of our time trying to determine exactly how close we are to Christ’s return while neglecting the most important question: Are we ready to meet Him?

The message of the last days is not intended merely to make us curious about prophecy. It should awaken us spiritually. It should cause us to examine our hearts, repent of sin, draw closer to Christ, and faithfully proclaim the Gospel to those who do not know Him.

If you have never surrendered your life to Jesus Christ, do not continue putting Him off. Jesus died for your sins and rose again so that you could be forgiven, reconciled to God, and receive eternal life. Call upon Him. Repent and believe the Gospel.

And for those of us who already belong to Christ, these last days should not be days of fear or complacency. They should be days of faithfulness. We should be praying, sharing the Gospel, loving our neighbors, making disciples, living holy lives, and keeping our eyes fixed upon Jesus.

We do not know the day or the hour when Christ will return, but we do know that He will return.

Until that day, may we remain faithful to the calling He has given us. May we proclaim Christ boldly, love people compassionately, and live each day prepared to meet our Lord.

We are living in the last days. The Gospel is still being proclaimed. Salvation is still being offered. Jesus Christ is still saving sinners.

Call upon the name of the Lord and be saved.

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