The Age to Come (Mat 24:3)

The Age to Come (Mat 24:3)


My previous post talks about age and ages. If you can understand it in its proper context, then you will have clarity.

Side note: I suggest download the e-sword bible on your computer and hand-phone, and you will automatically have Strong's translation of the English words in King James Bible into their original Greek meaning, thus giving you very clear audience relevance.


In Mat 24:3,

Mat 24:3  ... "Tell us when this will be; and what will be the SIGN OF YOUR COMING and of the Close of the Age?" 

Interesting to note that the disciples does not use the term "2nd Coming of Jesus". That is because they are not thinking of a 2nd Coming (it's only we in the present day talk about a 2nd Coming).

The disciples do not even know that Jesus is going to die, rose from the dead and ascend into heaven. They were not thinking of Jesus dying and coming back a second time. They are asking, what is the sign of your Coming or your Arrival? Arrival as what? Arrival/coming as the Messiah.


Q: Why do we then call it a 2nd Coming?

We know that when Jesus rose from the dead, He actually appeared to many people, like Paul, Stephen, multitudes and many others in Acts. Does that mean He has already came a Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and several Comings.?


The reason many believers thought that there is a 2nd Coming of Jesus is because of Hebrews 9:26-28.

Heb 9:26  In that case Christ would have needed to suffer many times, from the creation of the world onwards; but as a matter of fact He has appeared once for all, at the Close of the Ages, in order to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself. 

Heb 9:27  And since it is reserved for all mankind once to die, and afterwards to be judged; 

Heb 9:28  so the Christ also, having been once offered in sacrifice in order that He might bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, separated from sin, to those who are eagerly expecting Him, to make their salvation complete. 


Many interpret v28 as the 2nd Coming of Jesus in the far future.

Let's look at its Context.

Heb 9:26-28 was not talking about Jesus appearing for a 2nd time in the future.

What does it means?

In v26, it says Jesus came once to do away with sin by His sacrifice. He appeared the 1st time to deal AWAY with their sin.

In v28, Jesus is coming a 2nd time, NOT to deal with their (audience) sin but to save them.

Q: Save them from what? 

A: Save them from the destruction that is coming upon their land and city and temple in AD70.


Hebrews was written in AD64 by Paul, according to bible scholars, to warn the Jews not to return back to Judaism. That means the destruction is very near, in a few years time.

See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epistle_to_the_Hebrews


After the 1st coming of Jesus, their sin was already dealt with at the death and resurrection of Jesus at the Cross. They were already forgiven of their sin, and made righteous in the eyes of God.


So when Jesus is coming a 2nd time, v28 does not say that Jesus is coming a 2nd time to deal with their sin. That was dealt with in the 1st coming. He is not coming a 2nd time in future to deal with sin as what Futurists interpretation is saying. Heb 9:26-28 deals with the period of time just before the judgement and destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple.


I have wrote about the End of the Age in:

https://advancingtruth.blogspot.com/2020/04/the-3-troubling-questions-in-eschatology.html


I wrote that the disciples believe the Mosaic Age is ending (End of the Age), and the Messianic Age (Age to Come) is coming. The Jews do not believe that the Mosaic Age and the Messianic Age can co-exist together. All through the Torah and their prophetic writings, they read of a Messiah who will come as King and make Israel great again, by defeating all the surrounding enemies in military combat.

The Zionists are part of these Orthodox Jews who literary wants to impose military rule and a Jewish kingdom for the Messiah to come.


Their concept is correct EXCEPT they do not accept Jesus as the Messiah, and they are still waiting for the return of their Messiah.


But for us who believe Jesus as the Messiah, the Messianic Age actually has started. 


Q: When did the Messianic Age start?

A: It started at the end of the Mosaic Age.

Q: When did the Mosaic Age end?

A: It ended after the death and resurrection of Jesus, and the complete destruction of the Jerusalem Temple. Everything that had to do with the Mosaic Age was gone. It has ended.


This Messianic Age was called the Age to Come (by the audience back then).


Jesus quoted this two Ages together in one sentence in Mat 12:31-32

Mat 12:32  And whoever shall speak against the Son of Man may obtain forgiveness; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, neither in THIS (Greek: Aion: period of time) nor in the COMING AGE (Greek: Aion: period of time) shall he obtain forgiveness." 


Jesus was talking to the Pharisees. This is a clear example of the meaning Mosaic Age and the Messianic Age.

He is telling them, that if they refuse to accept the purpose of the Holy Spirit as concerning the conviction of their sin, then there will be no forgiveness for them in the present Mosaic Age, and the Messianic Age (Age to Come).


Think about this: The Age to Come does NOT refer to the future Age in heaven, because there is no sin or forgiveness of sin in heaven.!


When we want to understand the Bible (called bible exegesis), it is only correct and applicable if we consider:

- Context relevance

- Audience relevance (who is the author, audience, what is the setting and the purpose of the book.)

Thus it is INCORRECT to say Mat 24 (sign of His Coming), refers to an audience that is more than 2000 years in future. This is dishonest bible interpretation.


The disciples talk about a specific place, a specific time, and Jesus answered them specifically TO them (NOT TO us).

Jesus is saying when you see THIS then you will know THIS, and THIS generation will see them.


Q: Is this the time?

AFTER the Resurrection of Jesus, He appeared to His disciples, and again the disciples asked Him the question, "when are you going to set up your kingdom?"


Act 1:6  ... they asked Him, "Master, is this the time at which you are about to restore the kingdom of Israel?" 

How did Jesus answered them v7 .. Jesus said time and dates belong to the Father.

v 8: ... you will receive power .. and be witnesses unto me in Jerusalem ... and to the ends of the earth.


Jesus answer to "when will you restore the kingdom?" by a reply "you shall receive power and be my witnesses to the earth".

He is saying Look to the Holy Spirit and be my witnesses everywhere.

The Power of the Holy Spirit and being His witnesses => equivalent to setting up the kingdom of God.


The Holy Spirit was out-poured at Pentecost in Acts 2.

God has never taken back the Holy Spirit (so people, don't say God takes back the HS when we misbehave, by quoting the Old Testament).

Important:

We are NOW living in the Power of the Holy Spirit.

We are NOW witnesses unto Jesus.

We are NOW living in His Kingdom and His Kingdom is in us.

And the Age to Come (Messianic Age) has already started and we are living in this Age.


Peter understood this while under the power of the Holy Spirit.

Peter never understood what Jesus meant earlier as he did not want the capture of Jesus to take place. He fought back against the soldiers that wanted to take Jesus to the cross. In fact, he was so discouraged that he went back to his fishing and gave up on following Jesus after the death of Jesus.

But when the Holy Spirit came upon him in Acts 2, he was a different person. The HS gave him tremendous understanding into the scripture as Jesus said it would in John 14:26.


In Acts 2:16-21, Peter, a fisherman, under the power of the Holy Spirit, suddenly understood the correct interpretation of Joel 2:10, when he preached his 1st sermon and quoted Joel.


Peter understood that the Mosaic Age is coming to an end.

He said the son, moon, earth, stars, they are going to change and break down.

The sun will be darkened and the moon turned to blood.

You see, the sun, moon, stars etc. are important cultural symbols to the Jews. All Jews understood what they mean, only us who are non-Jews don't.

Just like in Gen 37:9, Joseph said that the sun, moon, stars are going to bow to Joseph.

Sun is his father, moon is his mother, stars are his brothers (Gen 37:10).

This was  the culture that was carried down from the time of Abraham.

God told Abraham to count the stars, for the stars means his descendants.

These symbols and images are part of the culture in Judaism.

So, in Acts 2:20, when Peter said the sun is to turn to darkness, and the moon to blood, and there will be blood, fire and smoke, Peter is mentally destroying all these symbols of the Jews. He is saying they will be destroyed and wiped away, and replaced with Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit.

In Mat 24, the Messiah has not come.

After the resurrection of Jesus, the Messiah has come.

In Mat 24, they speak of the coming of the kingdom of God.
After the resurrection of Jesus, the kingdom of God has come within them.

In Mat 24, the Messianic Age has not come so they talk about the Age to Come.

After the resurrection of Jesus, the Messianic Age has come.

In Mat 24, the power of the Holy Spirit has not come upon them as in Acts 2.

After Acts 2, they are living in the power of the Holy Spirit and to take this good news to everywhere.


At the end of the book of Acts, lets see what apostle Paul was doing, and how was his understanding about the kingdom of God.

Act 28:30  And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him, 
Act 28:31  Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him. 

Paul didn't preach the kingdom is coming. He was not preaching the arrival of a future King or kingdom. Paul preached the kingdom of God and Jesus Christ.

The Holy Spirit brought them from Mat 24 (future Messianic king and kingdom of God) to Acts 28:31 (kingdom of God is NOW).

Conclusion:

Let's rise up together and boldly do as Paul did.

1. We are living in the "Age to Come".

2. We are living in the Messianic Age.

3. We are living in the era of the Power of the Holy Spirit.

4. The Kingdom of God is within us because Jesus has already given us the Kingdom.

5. Let's advance the Kingdom of God on earth and make Jesus known.



Addendum 1:

I was just informed that the word Messianic Age refers more to the Jews.
Its OK with me. You can replace the term "Messianic Age" with "New Covenant Age". This may be more identifiable with non-Jews. They mean the same.