Shalom, Poppin.
Poppin said:
That's very cool Retro!
and indeed Peter does cover 3 periods.
pre-flood; post-flood and eternity.
but what about Jesus here?:
Luke 18
29And He said to them, "Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, 30who will not receive many times as much at this time and in the age to come, eternal life."
Matthew 12:32
Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.
Mark 10
29Jesus said, "Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel's sake, 30but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life.
He is discussing two ages.
Yes, He is. The current age does not END when Yeshua` returns, though. Instead, it goes on for another 1,000 years before the end of the age. We call this the Millennium, and all that "millennium" means, coming from "
mille" and "
annum," is a "thousand years." It's the Latin translation of the Greek "
chilia etee," which also means a "thousand years," found six times in Revelation 20. THEN, the Fire destroys much of the surface of Earth, and a NEW Earth is created from the remains. Furthermore, the Earth is not permanently destroyed, as some teach. Instead, it is REMADE and then the New Jerusalem descends upon it. The Fire comes at the END of this age (Hebrew:
`owlam hazeh = "age the-current"). The THIRD age (Hebrew:
`owlam haba' = "age the-coming") begins AFTER the Fire.
For those who are into numerology, it begins on the EIGHTH thousand-year Day of human history! According to gemetria, eight is the number of new beginnings, just as seven is the number of spiritual perfection or completion, as in the Shabbat (Sabbath). The eighth day would begin a NEW week. I use gemetria sparingly. I believe it is a RESULT and not a CAUSE. Therefore, one can best see it in hindsight and should NOT use it to try to make predictions. One's predictions WILL fail at some point, and there one is with egg on his or her face!
Whether it is or not, from our perspective, the THIRD AGE is "eternity." We cannot see beyond the vanishing point, and the Scriptures are silent after the New Earth, the New Sky, and the New Jerusalem are created. It just goes on and on forever (as far as we can tell) after that with every tear wiped away and all the former things forgotten.
Let's revisit 1 Corinthians 15:20-28:
1 Corinthians 15:20-28
20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
24 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.
25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith, all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.
28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.
KJV
This passage is, after all, in the Resurrection Chapter of the Bible. Therefore, its focus is on the subject of resurrection. It's not very clear in any English version, but 23 and 24 should be read together. It's possible that the verse division at this point makes it difficult to see them together, but Paul continues the thought into verse 24. There are THREE resurrections talked about in these verses:
(1) The Messiah who is the first-fruits of the resurrection,
(2) those who are resurrected at the Messiah's coming, and
(3) those who are resurrected at the end (of the age), "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."
The Messiah begins His reign when He returns, and He must reign until He has put all things under His feet - until He has subdued all things to Himself. Folks still die now, and folks will die during the Millennium. The Millennium is NOT a "time of perfect peace!" That's wrong. Instead, the Millennium will be a time of FORCED submission with subjects willing and champing to rebel! THIS is what Psalm 2 is all about! It will be a time when leaders of other countries will hold secret conferences to discuss how they can get out from under the King of Kings' rulership, but their plans will be spoiled as YHWH steps in and AUDIBLY LAUGHS at them for their treachery and rebellion! He will remind them that HE,
GOD, has put the Messiah in place as King of Kings, and then warns them that it would not be a good idea to tick off the Son! Just because Peter saw some kings and leaders beginning to be like this in the first century does NOT mean that ALL of the Psalm was fulfilled then! Peter only quoted the first two verses because only the first two verses were starting to be fulfilled! Prophecies often TAKE TIME to be fulfilled, and this prophecy in Psalm 2 is no different.
So, the Messiah will reign as King and King of Kings (World Emperor) until all of His enemies are subdued. It won't be until the END of the thousand-year period, that the last enemy, Death itself, is conquered, as well. This will occur, according to Revelation 20:7-15, AFTER the Fire and DURING the Great White Throne Judgment. Death and the Grave are also thrown into the Lake of Burning Sulfur, and that will be the end of Death.
It is not until AFTER He has subdued all of His enemies that He Himself will submit to His Father, and He turns over His Kingdom - the World Empire that He has built over the one-thousand-year period - so that God His Father may be "all in all."
Now, I've said all that to say this: The end of the current age is highlighted by the Messiah's World Empire. The age to come features His FATHER'S World Empire, of which the Messiah will remain the King of Isra'el forever.
Thus, there are TWO KINGDOMS! The Kingdom of the Son and the Kingdom of the Father. Both are on this earth; both are over earthly kingdoms; and both are righteous Kingdoms. The differences are that the Kingdom of the Son only lasts a thousand years while the Kingdom of the Father lasts forever; the Kingdom of the Son is ruled by a "rod of iron"; the Kingdom of the Father has no more sin. The Kingdom of the Son starts out fairly small, Isra'el and a few nations who become tributary nations; the Kingdom of the Father starts out as a worldwide Kingdom - a World Empire.
That explains the interpretation of the second parable of Matthew 13:
Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:
25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?
28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.
30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
...
36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.
37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;
38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;
39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.
40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world ("this age").
41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather OUT OF HIS KINGDOM all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. (This is the Great White Throne Judgment.)
43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun IN THE KINGDOM OF THEIR FATHER. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
KJV
And, when you add in His other parables of Luke 19 and Matthew 25,...
Luke 19:11-28
11 And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear.
12 He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.
13 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.
14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.
15 And it came to pass, that WHEN HE WAS RETURNED, HAVING RECEIVED THE KINGDOM, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.
16 Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds.
17 And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.
18 And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds.
19 And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities.
20 And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin:
21 For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow.
22 And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:
23 Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury?
24 And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds.
25 (And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.)
26 For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him.
27 But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.
28 And when he had thus spoken, he went before, ascending up to Jerusalem.
KJV
Matthew 25:31-46
31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, THEN shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, INHERIT THE KINGDOM prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me (get away from me), ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: (Notice, however, that at this point they are not THROWN in the everlasting Lake of Fire!)
42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
KJV
... we get a more rounded picture of what will happen in the future. This last passage, Matthew 25, is a WAR TRIBUNAL! These various nations, probably represented by their leaders, are separated into those nations which treated His people, both Isra'el and believing Gentiles, with kindness and those nations which did NOT treat His people with kindness. The nations which DID treat His people well will become a part of His worldwide Kingdom - His Empire.
Those nations which did NOT treat His people well will be estranged from the Kingdom and exiled for everlasting punishment. This is NOT a judgment on individuals, but on their reigning governments. If a person who was a citizen of such an estranged government wanted to become a believer, he or she still could, but it would be much tougher. He or she would have to leave his or her own country to do so and immigrate to a country that could be a part of the Empire.
years they reigned with Jesus.
