Read 2 Timothy 3:1–9
But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.
2 Timothy 3:1
Too many Christians are like the pilot who informed his passengers,
“We are lost, but we are making very good time.” “These last days”
began with the ministry of Jesus Christ (Heb. 1:1–2) and will continue until He returns. They are called the “last days” because in them
God is completing His purposes for His people. Because our Lord has
delayed His return, some people scoff at the promise of His second
coming (2 Peter 3:3ff.), but He will come as He promised. Within this
period of last days there will be “times” (seasons) of different kinds,
but as the times draw to a close, they will become perilous.
There is no doubt that these characteristics started to appear in
Paul’s day, and now they have increased in intensity. It is not simply
that we have more people in the world or better news coverage. It
appears that evil is deeper and of greater intensity, and that it is
being accepted and promoted by society in a bolder way. It is not
that we have small pockets of rebellion here and there. All of society
seems to be in ferment and rebellion. We are indeed in “terrible
times” (2 Tim. 3:1).
Something to Ponder
What are some of the signs you’ve noticed that suggest we’re in the
“last days”?