Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary 1 John 2:18

"Little children, it is the last hour: and as ye heard that antichrist cometh, even now have there arisen many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last hour." — 1 John 2:18 (ASV)

The reference to the transitoriness of the world in v.17 provides the link to what has preceded. One sign of the end of this transitory world is the appearance of false teaching and of the Antichrist. What the apostles warned of is now being fulfilled. The spirit of “antichrist” (GK 532) is present in the world, evidenced by the many “antichrists” who have already appeared. This is no surprise, however, but only further confirmation that the company of believers are living in the last hour.

The term “last hour” occurs only here in the NT. Like the similar terms “the last days” and “the last times,” it owes much to OT expectations (cf. Joel 2:28; Micah 4:1) and to later Jewish ideas. Jesus called the present age an evil age and looked forward to the age to come, which would be ushered in by God’s own intervention.

The NT writers thought of the “last days” in two ways.

(1) Theologically, they connected this period to the new age associated with the coming of Jesus. In the gospel of John this new age is designated by the statement “the hour is come” and is marked by Jesus’ death and resurrection (5:25). In Acts the new age is referred to as the “days to come” and is signaled by the pouring forth of the Spirit (Acts 2:17) and salvation through calling on the name of the Lord (Acts 2:21). But the NT writers did not believe this new age had completely come. They recognized it as being present provisionally in Christ and in the Holy Spirit. But because of this dawning of the new age, they saw the present age as already doomed and passing away.

(2) Eschatologically, the term “last days” designates the last days before Christ’s return (cf. 2 Timothy 3:1ff.; 2 Peter 3:3). In the gospel of John, the last day refers to the last resurrection and judgment (cf. Jn 6:39-40, 44, 54; 11:24; 12:48).

Should the term “last hour” here be understood theologically or eschatologically? More likely the former. Since the Greek literally translates “it is a last hour,” the term seems to describe the general character of the period rather than its specific time in history. In addition, the words used here involve no chronological or temporal assertions. Also, in his gospel, John uses “hour” (GK 6052) theologically to indicate the fulfillment of time—the time of redemption and salvation (4:21; 7:30; 8:20; 12:23).