The Final Countdown (1 John 2:18)

“Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour.” (1 John 2:18)

Dangerous situations constantly abound. Every day, our news reports and Facebook feeds deluge us with dastardly foes and destructive forces. How do we respond in a dangerous situation? Do we shut down? Do we panic? Do we raise our voices? All of these responses only unnerve those around us; but more importantly, they betray our lack of trust. John, however, behaves differently. With an air of parental calmness, he lays down the facts for his dear children. He is well aware that we are in the final hour, in the closing moment of a grand battle in which our enemy exhausts all his remaining supply in a last-ditch effort of survival. The great Accuser of the brethren is cornered, frustrated, and ferocious. His strategy today is to make this last hour feel as if it will never end. As Calvin once said, “Satan aims directly at the throat of the Church when he destroys faith in the coming of Christ.”

Of all the redemptive history behind us, only one lay before us – the return of Christ. The clock is ticking, the moments are passing, and the last hour is upon us. This is not the time for us to lay down our guns in defeat nor to fire off rounds haphazardly out of fear. The last hour is a time for standing strong, for holding the line, for finishing well. Jesus, the true Christ who serves as our prophet, priest, and king, prepared us for this moment. As a prophet, he warned us of this hour; as a priest, he intercedes for us during this hour, and as a king, he rules and defends us throughout this hour. As antichrists mount their final assault, we may place our arms around the necks of younger Christians and calmly say, “This is the last hour, but this is not our last hope. Stand firm; the Christ is with us.”