Sometimes we forget that, according to Scripture, Christians have always believed that they were in the "last days." For example, the writer of Hebrews said:

God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world (Hebrews 1: 1-2 New American Standard Bible).

The Apostle Peter also had this understanding. The only difference is, Peter called it the "last times." Peter said:

For He [Jesus] was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you (1 Peter 1:20 ).

I've always got a kick out of the Apostle John. He was the kid of the group. And, as would be expected from a younger brother, John saw things even closer. He didn't say it was just the "last days" or the "last time," he said is was the "last hour." John said:

Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour (1 John 2:18).

Partly from passages like these, we have developed the doctrine of "imminence." According to this doctrine, because it's clear the early Christians thought they were in the end-times, they thought Christ could return at any moment. That being the case, we also should consider Christ's return as imminent.

For those who hold to the pre-tribulation rapture of the church theory, this gives support to the idea there are no signs associated with the rapture. If there were, they reason, the return of Christ couldn't be imminent unless certain signs had occurred. In fact, some, such as the late John Walvoored, believed the doctrine of imminence was the cornerstone of the pre-tribulation rapture doctrine.

Others, like myself, have problems using the doctrine of imminence to prove the pre-tribulation rapture. Although imminence does support the pre-tribulation rapture theory, like the other pre-tribulation arguments, I believe it falls short of establishing it. It only gives support to those who already believe it. There are other valid reasons for why the early Christians said they were in the "last days," the "last times" and the "last hour."

You see, the early Christians understood the entire church age, itself, was the foretold "last days." We know this because, after the Holly Spirit had been poured out as Jesus had promised, Peter stood up and said:

For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only the third hour of the day; but this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel: "AND IT SHALL BE IN THE LAST DAYS," God says, "THAT I WILL POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT ON ALL MANKIND; AND YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS SHALL PROPHESY, AND YOUR YOUNG MEN SHALL SEE VISIONS, AND YOUR OLD MEN SHALL DREAM DREAMS" (Acts 2:15-17). 

So, how long will these last days continue? After all, some may say, they've already been here for over two thousand years now. The way I see it, these last days will continue until our assigned mission has been accomplished. They will last until we have, by the direction and power of the Holy Spirit, taken Christ's message "to the remotest parts of the earth" (Acts 1:8). 

Where are we today? We're still in the last days.

But, I believe it's the last of the last days.