The First Epistle of PeterThe End of All Things

1 Peter 4:7 “But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.”


1. The End of Things For A Man
2. The End of Things Man By the Flood
3. The End of All Things


1. The End of Things For A Man

“Mine age is departed, and is removed from me as a shepherd's tent: I have cut off like a Weaver my life: he will cut me off with pining sickness: from day even to night wilt thou make an end of me.” [Isaiah 38:12]

Have you arrived at this point?

A man or a woman is filled with wisdom … when he or she comes to the LORD and prays like David did in Psalm thirty-nine verse four: “Lord, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is: that I may know how frail I am.” [Psalm 39:4]

This is prayer: Make me to know my “end” so that I may have knowledge of how weak I am.

 If you know your end, my friend, then your pride will inevitably be weakened.

Humility will become a friend.

Humility will come to live with you.

Listen to what the Spirit of God [through Job] says in Job chapter six, verse eleven: “What is my strength, that I should hope? and what is mine end, that I should prolong my life?” [Job 6:11]

Do you see what I see? Job is asking the right question.  You will be wise if you ask the same question.  Job knows that his end is … PEACE.

See this in Job chapter twenty-six in verse ten: “He hath compassed the waters with bounds, until the day and night come to an end.” [Job 26:10]

Next, look at what God gave us [through David] in the book of Psalms. “Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off.” [Psalm 37:37-38]

The end of the “perfect man” is very different than the end of the “wicked”.

There is a desired “end” for a man. God desires to give the “perfect man”“peace.” Amen!


2. The End of Things Man By the Flood

Here we are today in the 21st century.  We are almost at the same point as they were in the days of Noah.  The “end of all flesh” is coming just as it came in the days of Noah.

 This historical narrative is found in the book of Genesis in chapter six, verse thirteen: “And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.” [Genesis 6:13]

Their “end” came to all of them [except for eight souls inside the ark] for a very good reason.  God simply had enough of the men and their wicked ways in the antediluvian world.  God destroyed this earth with a world-wide flood, and “the end” came for millions of souls.

Now, consider “the end of all things” found in our verse.


3. The End of All Things

Do you want to know something?  The “end” is more important than the beginning.  How a story will “end” is more important than how it began.  How your life will “end” is far more important than how your life began.  Do you know that?  Do you understand that?  How your race ends in life is far more important than how your race began in life.

Now, what is this thing we have here [in verse seven] of First Peter chapter four?

Again, the first part of verse seven: “But the end of all things is at hand.”

What can this “end” be … that “is at hand”?

Question for you, just what is the Spirit of God making reference to here?  What is “the end of all things”?

Is this “end” the same end that is eluded to in the book of Matthew, chapter twenty-four? 

Read there in verse six: “And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.” [Matthew 24:6]

 If this is the same “end”, then verse fourteen is referring to the very same “end”.

Read it with me: “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.” [Matthew 24:14]

There we see it again: “the end” shall “come.”

Now, certainly the “end” is coming.  It is more certain than the end of your nose.  In Mathew chapter twenty-eight in verse twenty there is “the end” also, “the end of the world”. “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” [Matthew 28:20]

This verse points to the Bible truth “the end of the world” is coming.

In the book of Daniel [chapter eleven] God showed to Daniel [by way of prophesy] that there is an appointed time for “the end” to come.  See verse twenty-seven: “And both these kings' hearts shall be to do mischief, and they shall speak lies at one table; but it shall not prosper: for yet the end shall be at the time appointed.” [Daniel 11:27]

These kings … somewhere in the future from Daniel’s day … will be involved in some “mischief” before the time of “the end”.

Now, for Daniel chapter twelve, verse four: “But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.” [Daniel 12:4]

Does this not describe the times we live in … “knowledge shall be increased”?

What Daniel received was to be sealed until [a future date] to a time “even to the time of the end”.

Now, when we are near the "end of all things", the one, who is without father or mother, is the same who is “the beginning and the end” will reveal “the time appointed” to us.

This is the Son God, Jesus Christ! “Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.” [Hebrews 7:3]

This is the Son God, Jesus Christ! “And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.” [Revelation 21:6]

The “end of all things” … occurs when these present heavens and the earth are burnt up “with fervent heat.”

This is shown to us in Second Peter chapter three starting in verse ten. “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” [2 Peter 3:10-13]

This “end of all things” occurs when Jesus Christ delivers up the Kingdom of Heaven to God the Father.

This event will happen at the end of the 1000 year millennial reign of Jesus Christ here on this earth.

Here is the chapter and the verses where this is located.  It is First Corinthians chapter fifteen [verses twenty-four through twenty-six] and it describes and nails down the very exact event that is tied by the Spirit of God to First Peter chapter four, verse seven. “Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.” [1 Corinthians 15:24-26]

This is the event that we all [as the believers in Jesus Christ] need to be sober “and watch unto prayer.”  We will be there … when the “end of all things” comes.

We will see it! 

We will then … make the departure from time in a transition to eternity.