When Did The Last Days Begin?

Q. In Acts 2:17-21 Peter is quoting the prophet Joel about the last days.  So,  did the last days start during Peters time,  as he seems to believe,  and continues even today?  How can we know we are not simply excited about big changes in society and call it the end times.  There were big changes going on during Peters time as well and yet he died without seeing the return of Christ.  Might we simply be doing the same thing and are also destined to die without seeing Christs return? Peter seems to have felt the “rapture” was near but many, many centuries have passed since his death.  Don’t get me wrong,  I too feel the rapture is close but I keep having this nagging doubt and feel that we are going to be like Peter and all die without seeing the Lords return.

A. The phrase last days is used 5 times in the New Testament and covers everything from the entire Church Age (2X) to the Great Tribulation. (3X)  In 2 Peter 3:3 Peter used the term in its narrow sense.

We now know something that Peter didn’t know in Acts 2, and that is Israel had to be set aside for a period of time while the Lord built the Church.  This was disclosed in Acts 15:13-18, using a quote from Amos.  Since then the world has been waiting for Israel to re-appear as the first major sign that the last days really are upon us.  Jesus said that many of the people being born when the first signs appeared would still be alive when He comes back. (Matt. 24:34)