FIRST JOHN

The Last Hour

1 John 2:18

INTRODUCTION

Before looking at this passage, I want to comment on what I think is a fallacy of most views on the second coming: they're simply not big enough. Each view may explain some of the verses on the second coming but not all of them. Surely the true view does justice to ALL the verses on the second coming and not on just a select few which we like.

In the previous session we saw that we live in a period of time in which both light and darkness co-exist. The image is that of the dawn in which whereas you have light in the east, you have darkness in the west. We will continue in this state until Christ returns and ushers in the full light of the noon-day sun.

Yet although darkness and light are both existing at the same time until Christ returns, at times it has seemed that only darkness was the only thing existing. In the early to mid 1940's it appeared as if evil was going to triumph over the world through the fascist regimes. As late as 1980 it appeared that good was on the wane, while evil was waxing through the Soviet Empire. The U.S. was losing its influence. We had double-digit inflation and unemployment; Iran was parading our embassy personnel around in handcuffs and eyes blindfolded; the Soviet Union had invaded Afghanistan. There is a reason why darkness seems to be winning from time to time. John in this passage gives us insight into just why it appears that way from time to time.

THE LAST HOUR (2:18)

Normally whenever we study the second coming of Christ, we jump right to Revelation or Matt. 24. The same author who wrote Revelation though also wrote 1 John. The insight he gives us in 1 John is necessary for us to understand Revelation better. According to 2:18 what time is it?

How does John know that he is at that time in history?

Notice one thing about this verse. John doesn't say just one time "it is the last hour"; he repeats it. He says it twice in order to impress upon his readers the seriousness of the situation he finds himself in. He wants them to take very seriously that it is the last hour.

At this point all sorts of rationalizing take place. "It's not THE last hour," some will say. "Hey, look, there's no article in the Greek. It should read: 'it is a last hour.'" Etc. Etc. Etc. The great Greek scholar A. T. Robertson (a Southern Baptist even) takes care of this last objection. The plain reading of this verse teaches John believed it was the last hour.

According to Jesus what is the one event which will occur which will precede His second coming (Matt. 24:15)?

Paul says that same event must occur before Christ returns. How does he describe that event in 2 Thess. 2:3-4?

Too many of us get all bent out of shape about Iran, Israel, the European Union, wars, etc. as evidence that the end of near. Only one event/person must emerge before the end occurs. John in agreement with both Paul and Christ claim that the person who must appear is Antichrist and that the event which must occur is the abomination of desolation (John discusses that in Rev. 11 where the beast speaks blasphemous words against God and His tabernacle).

John claims that he is in the last hour because antichrists have emerged. Was he wrong? No. This may get a little tricky, but it is really important if you are going to understand the way the NT treats the second coming. According to Paul the Antichrist, the Man of Lawlessness, must appear before Christ returns. There is a final emergence of Antichrist at the end of history. HOWEVER, according to Paul when will this mystery of lawlessness be at work (2 Thess. 2:7)?

There is a final appearance of Antichrist; however, the force which will be behind him, the force of Antichrist, has been operating throughout history. According to Rev. 11:8 what city was Jesus crucified in?

In Revelation what is the name of the great city which persecutes the people of God (17:5)?

The "son of perdition" is a technical name for the Antichrist (see 2 Thess. 2:3-4). Who else is called "son of perdition" in John 17:12?

John 13:21-30 gives us one of the most chilling descriptions of the movement of Satan and Antichrist in the entire Bible. Jesus has just announced to His disciples that one of them will betray Him. Peter then asks John to find out whom Jesus is referring to. Jesus replies that He will dip the morsel and give it to the traitor. When Jesus gives the morsel to Judas, Judas has arrived at the moment of decision. Judas knows that Jesus knows. He goes ahead and makes the conscious willfull decision to betray Jesus. At that moment John writes: "Satan then entered into him." Judas leaves the room and goes outside. John then makes the cryptic remark: "And it was night" (13:30). By this he did not mean that it was midnight. Rather he meant that it was spiritually dark. The forces of evil had been unleashed. The prince of darkness was now going to have his way by using his antichrist, Judas Iscariot.

Revelation which at least speaks about the persecution of Christians by the Romans towards the end of John's life (90-100 AD) identifies for us the seat of the Antichrist. According to John what city is persecuting Christians during his day (Rev. 17:9)?

I hope now that you are getting a bigger picture of the NT view of history. Antichrist is not a ONE-TIME figure. One will emerge at the end of history to complete all the rebellion which has occurred through history; however, this mystery has constantly been at work in history:
Sodom (Rev. 11:8)
Egypt(Rev. 11:8)
Babylon (Rev. 17:5)
Judas Iscariot (John 17:12)
The Roman empire at the end of 1st century (Rev. 17:9).

As long as Satan is allowed some freedom, the conflict between Satan and his human agent (antichrists) and Christ will rage on. Probably the greatest example of the tribulation has already occurred in the situation between Jesus and Judas Iscariot spoken of above. Darkness did descend upon the world in a dramatic intense fashion. Christ was persecuted and killed; the antichrist was destroyed (Judas hung himself); while Christ accomplished a tremendous victory on the cross over Satan (Col. 2:15). The final occurrance before the return of Christ will finish out THE GREAT TRIBULATION of the cross event.

With the emergence of antichrists appearing during John's day, John knows that it is the last hour. What he was experiencing was a true taste, preview of what will happen upon the final emergence of Antichrist.