When Peter stood on the streets of Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, the world was never the same. The Spirit of God rushed into that upper room and filled trembling disciples with power. Peter explained it with the words of Joel:

“And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.”

That moment marked the beginning of what Scripture calls the last days. Not when world wars shook the nations. Not when earthquakes rattled the earth. But when God poured out His Spirit and announced through Peter that salvation was here and available to all.

We have been living in those last days for more than two thousand years. Every day since Pentecost has been one more step in this incredible story between Christ’s first coming and His promised return.

So what does that mean for us?

Peter did not quote Joel to terrify the crowd. He quoted Joel to tell them that God’s mercy had broken in. These are the days when the Spirit of God is being poured out on all flesh. These are the days when ordinary people, sons and daughters, young and old, can hear God, know God, and live in His Spirit.

The last days are not about God watching for failure but about God pouring out His life. Grace means we are already forgiven, already accepted, already beloved.

But we must not take that grace lightly. These last days are dangerous if we treat the Spirit casually. We can grieve Him with pride, bitterness, or unforgiveness. The age of grace is not an excuse to sin. It is an invitation to yield to the Spirit who has been poured out on us.

“And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

The Bible is honest:

“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy…”

Families splinter. False teachers deceive. Hearts grow hard. Sin is celebrated.

These are dangerous days, but they are also glorious days for the gospel. The same sun that melts the ice hardens the clay. The peril of the last days only proves the urgency of grace.

And we must remember this: just because Christ has not returned yet does not mean He will not. Delay is not denial. Do not grow cold in the waiting. These days of peril are also days of testing, for the world and also for the church.

The hope of Jesus’ return is not given, so we can mark dates on calendars. It is given so we can live holy today.

“And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.”

If I believe Jesus could come today, it changes how I live today. I will be quicker to forgive. I will cling less tightly to this world. I will walk more carefully, not out of fear of losing His love, but because I know His love and want to walk in its light.

Holiness is not about gritting your teeth to do better. It is about Christ living His life in you. And one of the clearest marks of that life is forgiveness. To cling to bitterness is to grieve the Spirit. To forgive is to walk in freedom.

Every generation since Pentecost has lived in the “already and not yet.” Already Christ has come. Already the Spirit is here. Already, salvation is real. But Christ has not yet returned. Not yet has every wrong been set right. Not yet has the kingdom come in fullness.

That means we live in the middle. And the middle is the place of mission. These are not days to hide in fear but to stand in faith.

“Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”

We do not stand in our own strength, but in Christ, who is our life. These days, however, are not about recognition or fame. They are about faithfulness when no one sees. The last days are our chance to endure, to obey, and to trust God in the waiting.

We are not wandering aimlessly. We are heading somewhere.

“And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.”

Every prayer, every trial, every step of faith is moving us closer to the day when Christ will return.

One day, Jesus will come. He will wipe away every tear. He will right every wrong. He will make all things new.

Hope is not wishful thinking. It is a confident expectation, rooted in the cross and anchored in the love of God. Waiting in these last days is not wasted time. It is preparation time. It is the Spirit shaping us for the day when faith will finally be sight.

Yes, these are the last days. They have been since Pentecost. And that is good news. Because it means we are living in the age of grace. The Spirit is still moving. The gospel is still powerful. And Christ is still coming.

So do not waste these days in fear or distraction. Live them awake, courageous, holy, and hopeful. Rest in the love of the Father, walk in the Spirit, and watch for the Son.