The Last Days. . . the End of the Age.

It's probably safe to assume that the majority of us have heard during a sermon or bible study that the Apostles were apparently mistaken regarding the following scriptures, that they didn't really understand that all of this was to come to pass in the future. Or, maybe these verses are "skipped over" when they come up in a block of text. That's understandable since the truth and meaning of these prophetic scriptures have been (unfortunately) mis-read for well over a century.

Have you ever considered the possibility that these Spirit led men of God actually knew what they were speaking about?

* Hebrews 1:1,2  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 9:26
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.

* Acts 2: 14-17  But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: ¹⁵ For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. ¹⁶ But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; ¹⁷ 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:

*  Hebrews 10: 25  Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

*  1 Peter 4:7
⁷ But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.

*  1John 2:18  Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour.

*  Gen.49:1   And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.

The writers of the new Covenant were not confused, nor were they speaking of this taking place 2000 years in the future, to Jews living at that time. They were speaking of the “end” of the old Covenant “age”, which was just about ready to be fulfilled.

Matthew 23:34-38 (KJV)
³⁴ Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:

And just when was this going to happen. . . . . . . . . ?

³⁵ That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
³⁶ Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.

³⁷ O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! ³⁸ Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.

Matt. 24:1  And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.

² And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

³ And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

To begin to understand the meaning of the following scriptures, require that we understand the time of which He was speaking. When this is established by study, then the fulfillment of, will become clear.

One of the most misplaced scriptures in the Bible is world. The gk. for this is kosmos. The word used in v. 3 above is actually aion, which meaning is (age) (<G104> (aei); properly an age; by extension perpetuity (also past);

And by implication the (world) / kosmos; specially (Jewish) a Messianic period (present or future) :- age, course, eternal, (for) ever (-more), [n-]ever, (beginning of the, while the) world (began, without end)

So . . . when Jesus warned of these things to come, He was not speaking of the end of the world, but the end of the age, the Old Covenant age.