The “last day” according to the Bible, means the last period of the devil’s wicked rule over the earth. It is not a day of 24hours. St. Peter said “that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years, as one day.” – 2 Peter 3:8; see also Psalm 90:4.
The last day or last days is also known as “the latter day”, “the time of the end” or the “end of the world”. (Job 19:25; Daniel 12:9; Matthew 13:39; 24:3) All these terms refer to the same period of time in which this world of sin will be brought to an end. Several prophets foretold of great events that would take place in the last day. It is the time of the second coming of Jesus Christ and the setting up of God’s Kingdom on earth. Other events of great importance that will take place in it include resurrection of the dead saints and some of the ancient worthies, the gathering of God’s people, the judgement of the living, the great tribulation, and the Battle of the Great Day of God Almighty which will bring evil or iniquity to an end. – Isaiah 2:2-4; Matthew 13:37-43; 24:3-8,14,21,31; John 11:24; 12:48; 2 Timothy 4:1; Revelation 16:13-16; 20:1-3; etc.
Many prophesies of the Bible that have fulfilled or that are in course of fulfillment, make us know that we are now in the last day. It was foretold that at the time of the end of the world “many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.” (Daniel 12:4) This prophesy is already fulfilling. Many people go up and down or travel to and fro today by cars, ships, aeroplanes and other means of transport. Traffic has been made very easy and fast, and it is rampant all over the world. Also there is increase of knowledge- both the knowledge of God, and that of the world. The knowledge of the truth is growing and the gospel is gaining ground more and more. As for the knowledge of the world, its increase is attested to by the ever-rising number of schools and colleges turning millions of graduates every year, and the advancement in science and technology.
When Jesus Christ was asked by his disciples about the signs that would mark the end of the world, he answered and said: “Take heed that no man deceive you. For many will come in my name saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet; For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. – Matthew 24:3-8. True to this prophesy of Jesus Christ the signs he mentioned were seen when the nations of the world were engulfed in a global war, World War 1(1914-1918). That was followed by a wide spread disease known as the Spanish Influenza which sent many people to their graves; there was extreme scarcity of food and many people also died of hunger; and earthquakes at an alarming rate and frequency have been ravaging different parts of the world. There is no doubt, therefore, that we are now in the last day. Furthermore, St. Paul wrote to Timothy saying that in the last days “perilous times” would come, and went further to describe the ungodly characters of men that would be prevalent during the period. He stated “…For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God, Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” – 2 Timothy 3:1-5. It needs no further research to know that what the apostle foretold as marks or signs of the last days in regard to the characters of men, is the order of the day today. That the world is now full of dangers unprecedented in human history is an indisputable fact. Men’s hearts fail them for fear because of the uncertainty of the future. There is trouble everywhere, crimes are increasing; crimes are increasing the trend of drug abuse is still upwards; and deadly diseases such as cancer, AIDS and so on, are taking their tolls daily. Worse still, there are fears over the weapons of mass destruction that are now in the hands of men in this turbulent world. Surely, the word of God is always true, and the Bible is fulfilling.
Moreover, the apostle Peter stated that in the last days scoffers would arise and make a mock of the truth of the gospel and the whole idea of Christ second coming. These, he said, would be men who are ruled by their own evil desires and who have no regard for the word of God. (2 Peter 3:3,4) Today, there are many people like that who ridicule or make jests of the word of God as foretold by the apostle. They laugh at the mere mention of Christ’s second coming and are quick to ask, where is he? They are ignorant of the fact that Christ return is in spirit. All these according to the Bible, prove conclusively that we are now in the last days of this present evil world. However, the end of this period will be marked by the great tribulation and Battle of the Great Day of God Almighty when the devil and all his followers, visible and invisible, will be destroyed. But a great multitude of Faithful Christians who obey and hold to the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ will survive. They, like Noah and his family passed through the deluge, will enter into the new world, the world without end, the perfect kingdom of God- Matthew 24:21; Revelation 7:9-14; 16:13-16, etc.
And so, knowing that we are how in the last days, we need to be sober-minded and to serve God zealously and faithfully in order to be in favour with Him always. Said St. Peter, “But the end of all things was at hand; be ye, therefore sober and watch unto prayer.” (1 Peter 4:7) And Jesus Christ warned that we should be on our guard as nit to become occupied with too much feasting and drinking, and cares of this life, “and so that day come upon you unawares.” He said: “Watch ye, therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” – Luke 21:34-36