THE LAST DAYS
By W. G. Guy
2 Peter 3:3-4 – knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
2 Peter 3:8-9 – But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Many fail to realize that, according to the Bible, we are in the last days. To understand this fact we need to consider the passage of time on earth since the creation of man as being “millennial days” or periods of one thousand years. Look at these periods from the time that God formed man out of the dust of the earth and breathed His own spirit into man creating him in His own image and likeness about six thousand years ago. There are Biblical markers that track these millennial days as we will see later.
Genesis 1:26 – And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
It is also important to lay some foundational ground-work to what preceded God making man and placing him in the garden in Eden. The earth had been in existence for many millennia as referenced in scripture:
Isaiah 45:18 – For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the Lord; and there is none else.
These were the days when Lucifer was appointed as overseer of the world until his rebellion against God.
Isaiah 14:12-17 – How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; that made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof;
God judged Lucifer along with all those that he had corrupted which included all life that previously existed on the earth.
Jeremiah 4:23-26 – I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light. I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the fills moved lightly. I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled. I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the Lord, and by his fierce anger.
God had to destroy all earthly life forms with a massive flood that lasted for a long time. This was not Noah’s flood which came much later. This destruction was done to make sure all life as it existed then was eliminated. This explains the fossil remains that have since been discovered.
Genesis 1:2 – And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
The word “was” as used in the above verse is a misunderstanding by the translators because the word in the original language is became, (translated from hayah which is never translated “was” anywhere else in the Bible). So the earth became without form and void as a result of God’s original judgment; it was not created that way according to Isaiah 45:18 above.
There was some sort of civilization on earth under Lucifer’s dominion, but they were not human as man is now; they were humanoid but did not have the Spirit of God breathed in them as did Adam. The discovery of remains of the so-called “cave man” or Neanderthal man are what the evolutionists claim as the fore-runners of modern man, and scientists keep looking for the “missing link” between modern man and cave man; but will not find it. This is because, contrary to the godless evolutionists who deny God’s creation of man, they say man evolved from apes and monkeys – WRONG! They were not mankind as was Adam!
Psalms 139:14 – I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works;
Then, after eons of time, God began again to put new life on earth, this time with a new ruler fashioned in His own image and likeness.
Genesis 1:27-28 – So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
Man was given the dominion over the re-formed earth that was formerly in the hands of Lucifer.
Psalms 115:16 – The heavens , even the heavens, are the Lord’s: but the earth hath he given to the children of men.
Lucifer, now jealous, schemed and plotted to gain dominion back over the earth by beguiling man to violate God’s command. Lucifer, now called Satan, the accuser, (which now describes his character), has had dominion over the kingdoms of this world ever since as evidenced when he tempted Jesus.
Luke 4:5-6 – And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.
Now to get to back to the Biblical markers reflecting the millennial days: the so-called “re-creation” of the earth was not an actual creation, but a reformation of what already existed from when God originally created it as stated in Genesis 1:1. Notice that this reformation was done in six days as stated in Genesis 1:3-31.
God did not “create”, but said “Let” the things already in existence “Come forth”. Then on the sixth day He made man in His own image and likeness and gave him dominion (rulership) over the earth. Also note that God told Adam to “multiply and replenish the earth”. Replenish means to re-populate and replace whatever population that was here previously that was corrupted by Lucifer.
The six days referred to in Genesis 1 were 24 hour days as defined by, “evening and morning” were the next day. These six days were not one thousand year periods of time, or millennial days described in 2 Peter 3:8.
We begin with when God formed man and placed him in the Garden in Eden which was about four thousand years before Christ came, or about 4000 B.C. From Adam to the flood of Noah was about one thousand years, then to Abraham, (approximately 1996 B.C.) was another thousand years, or two millennial days. Then from Abraham to Saul, the first King of Israel about 1000 B.C., was another one thousand years, one more millennial day. From King Saul to Jesus Christ, about 4 B.C. was another one thousand years, another millennial day.
We now have a total of four millennial days from Adam to Jesus. From the time of Jesus to now is another two thousand years, or two more millennial days. This now makes a total of six millennial days which have been nearly completed. We are now at or near the end of the sixth millennial day.
Consider that in the Bible, the number seven is the number that represents completion or perfection. We will soon begin the seventh millennial day. What is the significance of the seventh day?
Genesis 2:2-3 – And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.
God rested! The seventh day is the day of rest, the cessation of human effort; it is called the Sabbath Day, and it IS significant!
Exodus 35:2 – Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day, a sabbath of rest to the Lord:
Soon we will begin the seventh millennial day – what is the significance of this next thousand year period?
Revelation 20:4-6 – And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
Jesus will return to earth with His saints and rule with them for the next thousand years – during the seventh millennium. This will be the Sabbath Millennium when there will be no human effort to resist the evil of Satan, because he will be bound during that period, and we will be at rest with Christ ruling. The saints will be here on earth, not in heaven! And Jesus will be declared LORD OF ALL:
Philippians 2:9-11 – Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Remember that Jesus said that He is Lord of the Sabbath? This refers to His millennial reign!
Luke 6:5 – And he said unto them, That the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.
We are almost at the end of the sixth millennium, so how then should we be living in preparation for the coming Sabbath rest of God?
2 Peter 3:11 – Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
Consider that references in the New Testament mentioning the last days refer to the last two millennial days; that time period that began with the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ right up unto today. The last two millennial days before the return of Christ.
Acts 2:17-21 – 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: and on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: and I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: the sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: and it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
2 Timothy 3:1 – This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
Therefore, prepare yourselves for the soon return of our Lord Jesus Christ. Scoffers beware, because His return will be sudden, and you don’t want to be on the wrong side when this happens. There is only one way to be prepared: Believe on Him and repent of your sins.
Acts 2:37-39 – Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
Romans 10:9-10 – that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
