Eschatology: That branch of systematic theology which deals with the doctrines of the last things (ta eschata)
The question is, last things of what? The Old Covenant or the church age and planet earth.
Genesis 49
1 And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days .......................10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come ; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.
According to the OT the last days would be in the time of Messiah.
Hebrews 1:1-2 and Acts 2 confirm that the last days occured at the time of Christ and the writing of the NT.
Micah 4
1 But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.
Again the OT prophet tells us the last days would be when the Lord establishes His house.
See Eph. 2:19-22
So are their two sets of "last days"? I do not believe that to be a scriptual position. The end of "something" was coming to an end according to the inspired writers of the NT.
Pet. 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
I Cor 10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
What "world" was ending? The physical world? Obviously not. It was the "age" that was ending.
I John 2:18Dear children, this is the last hour ; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour.
Last hour of what?
I Pet 4:7 But the end of all things is at hand : be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
All things are ending. Does this speak of the physical world? The church age?
I Cor. 4:29 But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none;
30 And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not;
31 And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away .
The time is short. The fasion of the 1st century world was passing away.
The Old Covenant/Jewish Age/ Mosaic economy was coming to an end. It was the "last days" of the Old Covenant world. Eschatology is the study of Old Covenant Israel's last days. Not the Church Age or the physical world.
Paul taught all of the eschatological events. Yet he ties them to Old Covenant Israel.
Acts 26:5 Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.
6 And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God, unto our fathers :
7 Unto which promise our twelve tribes , instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews.
Jesus came to fulfill all those promises:
Matt 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
Heaven and Earth( Old Covenant) would not pass until He had fulfilled all.
The book of Revelation describes all the eschatological events. The angel tells John when they would happen:
Rev 22:6 And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done .7 Behold, I come quickly : blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
Rev 22:10 And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand .
If we do not honor the clear time indicators then we can interpret Revelation any way we wish. If we honor the time statements then these events describe the end of the Jewish Age.
The prophet Daniel also told us when these events would occur:
Dan 12:7Then I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever, that it shall be for a time, times, and half a time; and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished.
All things would be fufllied when the power of the Holy people had been shattered. How would the Jews view this? I believe it refers to the destruction of their Temple. Luke describes it as well. Many commentaries acknowledge that Luke 21 is describing the events of AD70:
Luke 21:20 And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.
21 Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto.
22 For these be the days of vengeance , that all things which are written may be fulfilled .
"All things written may be fulfilled". What things were written at the time Jesus spoke these words? The OT prophecies. They were all fulfilled in the fall of Jerusalem. The eschatology of Old Covenant Israel was over. The New Heaven and New Earth are now here in fullness.
So are there two sets of "Last Days"? If not then Covenantal Eschatology is the only one that fits and honors the time-statements of the inspired Word of God.
Ecc. 1:4
Eph 3:21