The Days of Elijah?

Well, I hesitate to write what I am thinking; but, if I promised the "essential Sean," then I must deliver without cover-up.

I am frustrated by the misuse and twisting of scriptures that has been handed to down to 95% of Christendom today, especially concerning eschatology (end-times doctrines). Now, for the most part, I do not believe that differences in eschatology should create divisions in the church, and for that one reason I have stayed largely quiet on this subject around the majority of my Christian friends. It is not a "salvation issue" and therefore for a long time I have saved it only for those mature Christians honestly and personally seeking truth on this subject within the pages of scripture - which so far has been only a few individuals...

Anyway, I apologize ahead of time for writing about this subject on this blog -- but I've got to get this off my chest:

Are we living in "the last days" as mentioned in the Bible? I grew up being taught that "yes," we are now, in the 21st century, living in the "last days."

However, after a simple open-minded re-examination of this question in the pages of the Bible over the last couple of years, my answer is a confident "no."

I recently saw on the business card of an incredibly sweet and powerful Christian brother the quote "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." -Mat. 24:14. It occurred to me that the carrier of this business card believed that when Jesus made this promise to his disciples nearly 2000 years ago, that he was referring to our generation, nearly two millenia in the future. This is what most of us have been taught from youth, but is it really how Jesus meant for his words to be understood? There are three brief Bible points that I will make straight from scripture, and then I will step down off my personal biblical soapbox for a while :)

1.Every time in the New Testemant, when referring to the "last days" it refers to the days of Jesus and his disciples:
1 Cor. 10:11 - Now these things …were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.
Heb. 1:1-2 - 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 by His Son.
Heb. 9:26 - Now once at the end of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin.
James 5:1,3 - Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. …It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure!
1 Pet. 1:20 - Christ …has appeared in these last times for the sake of you.
1 Jhn. 2:18 - Even now many antichrists have arisen; from this we know that it is the last hour.

2.The gospel of the Kingdom WAS ALREADY preached as a witness to all nations (the whole then-known Roman world) in the first century:
Rom 1:8 - First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.
Rom 16:25-26 - Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:
Col 1:5-6 - For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel; Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world;
Col 1:23 - If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;

3. Jesus did not foretell the end of the physical world as we know it, rather he foretold the end of the (Jewish) AGE:
Mat. 13:40 -Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age.
Mat. 13:49 -So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just...
Mat. 24:3 -Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?"
Mat 24:34 - Verily I say to you, This generation will not have passed away until all these things shall have taken place.

In Conclusion, even the very presence of John the baptist proved to the Jews in the first century that the end of the age and the great day of the Lord was upon them - compare these two simple verses:
Mal. 4:1,6 - For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts... Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, before I come and smite the earth with a curse.

Mat. 11:7-14 - And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John... And if ye will receive it, this is Elijah, who was to come."

An extremely popular song was written by Robin Mark some years ago called "These are the Days of Elijah." It went around the world and has become a staple anthem over the last few decades in the Christian movement.

Are these REALLY the days of Elijah? Or was that nearly 2000 years ago?

Are we really that deceived?

Or maybe I'm just crazy... I guess that's more likely after all.