Some biblical terms have a considerably broader application than the 3
1⁄2 year time of crisis immediately preceding Jesus Christ's return.
This can lead to some confusion should we try to force these terms into
a strict end-time-only usage.
The Last Hour
The apostle John, writing in the first
century, used the expression "the last hour" in referring to his day: "Little
children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist
is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that
it is the last hour" (1 John 2:18).
Like others in his day, John likely thought Jesus Christ's return was
imminent (Acts 1:6; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18). But God has a considerably
different perspective of time. A day with Him is like 1,000 years and 1,000
years as one day (2 Peter 3:8; compare Psalm 90:4).
John did warn us to be on the lookout for "antichrists," a term used for
any professing to be like Christ but actually working against Him. A trend
that began in John's day will continue to the time of the end, when this
false representation of Jesus Christ and His teaching will grow worse.
The Latter Times
Paul, Peter, John and Jude use the
terms last days, last time and last times to describe
the final part of man's era. Paul warned Timothy that some Christians
would leave the truth of God at the time of the end. He called this
general future period the "latter times": "Now the Spirit expressly says
that in latter times some will depart from the faith" (1 Timothy 4:1).
