Hebrews, "these last days" refer to the days of Christ's first advent (Heb. 1: 2), even as

John in his first epistle said: "it is the last time" (2: 18). It is manifest that each writer

views the subject from his own point of view, Peter's "last days" would be the last days

of the dispensation associated with the Kingdom and Israel, whereas Paul's "last days"

would be the closing days of the dispensation of the mystery. We are concerned when

we read in II Pet. 3: 3, that in the last days shall come scoffers who shall walk after

their own lusts and deny the second coming of the Lord; but we should be still more

concerned to learn that the closing days of this most favoured dispensation will end in

apostasy parallel to the conditions of ancient paganism (for proof of this statement see

later exposition), and characterized by the same dreadful motive "after their own lusts"

(II Tim. 4: 3). With such passages of scripture written for our learning, and with the

consciousness that the end of the present dispensation cannot be far off, the reader will

not be easily moved to believe that a great spiritual revival is on its way, even though

such should be "a consummation devoutly to be wished".

In the first epistle to Timothy the apostle had been led to speak of the outstanding

character of the "latter times" husterois kairois "latter seasons". Not only is there the

change of word "days" in II Tim. 3: and "seasons" in I Tim. 4:, but also the second

epistle speaks of the "last" eschatos "the extreme end", whereas I Timothy speaks of the

period that is "left over" husteros of the season. Consequently, the state of affairs

described in the first epistle must be understood as leading up to the crisis of the second

epistle. The apostasy starts in I Tim. 4:, for the word "depart" is the Greek word

aphistemi from which our word apostasy is derived, it marks the beginning of the

movement that ends with the awful reprobation of II Tim. 3: This departure from the

faith is the outcome of "giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons" which,

while including antagonism against the essentials of the Gospel, points markedly to

"spiritism", a cult that is developing with alarming rapidity and captivating millions.

While "seducing spirits" are not named in II Tim. 3:, their fell work is to be seen in the

word translated "perilous" times or seasons. This word "perilous" is the Greek word

chalepos, the word employed in Matt. 8: 28 to describe two demon possessed men

who lived among tombs exceeding "fierce".

Such is the prophetic picture of the last days of this dispensation. The truth forsaken,

those who hold it despised or persecuted, the whole dominated by the doctrines of

demons; no wonder the apostle spoke of a day that should come when men would turn

away their ears from the truth and be turned unto fables. We said earlier that the

characteristics of these last days of II Tim. 3:, were like those of the early days of

paganism. We gather this from a comparison of II Tim. 3: 1-4, with Rom. 1: 28-32.