On Whom The End Of The Ages Has Come

“Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.”

I have always been fascinated by this phrase that Paul uses here. What does he mean by it? The word “age” (αἰών) means a number of things. One of the most interesting uses is when you read in your Bible the words “forever and ever.” The words are literally “the ages of the ages.”

The word “age” can mean (1) a segment of contemporary time, meaning this present age; (2) time gone before, meaning in the past; (3) a prolonged and unlimited time, meaning eternity; (4) of a time to come, meaning time in the future or eternity; (5) time as it moves, meaning ages as they roll on in a limited but undefined time. This last meaning carries the idea of a spatial concept. The time is usually a long time but has an end to it. There is a beginning to it and an end to it. We could look at previous centuries and say they were previous ages. Looking back, we have ages upon ages. Job 8:8 refers to this: “For inquire, please, of bygone ages, and consider what the fathers have searched out.” The Psalmist says the same thing in Psalm 135:13: “Your name, O LORD, endures forever, your renown, O LORD, throughout all ages.” Here the word “forever” is the word ‘age’, and the word ‘ages’ is the word for generations, but the idea is the same. There are different ages meaning different time periods.

The Hebrew word for ‘everlasting’ is the word עוֹלָם (‘olam) which means eternity or forever or antiquity, as in Proverbs 8:23: “Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth.” The word “ages” seems to imply a time of long duration. We are all familiar with birthdays because we all have one. A birthday celebrates the day of your arrival into this world, but it is a time marker. We do not get younger but older. We recognize an advance in time every year we celebrate our birthdays. So age is reflective of the time, either time past or time present or time to come.

Some things remain hidden in the past, but some are revealed. Romans 16:25-27 reveals this: “Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages, but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith. To the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.” Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2:7 “…we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory.” This is obviously a reference to eternity past and not merely time in the past (see also Eph. 3:9; Col. 1:26). Paul also goes far into the future when he says in Ephesians 2:7 “so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” The coming ages are a reference to eternity in the future. Eternity to come is, therefore, ages upon ages with no end. I take 1 Timothy 1:17 to refer to our Lord Jesus Christ when it says “to the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, God only wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (or to the ages of the ages. Amen).” God’s purpose and grace have been given to us in Christ before the ages began (2 Tim. 1:9). Paul speaks of the hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began (Titus 1:2).

Now, will you notice in Hebrews 9:26 that our Lord Jesus Christ is said to have “appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” The writer to the Hebrews uses a different word for “end” than Paul does in 1 Corinthians 10. So are these two references the same end? In Hebrews the word ‘end’ refers to the completion of time or the marking of an end of time and is in the singular. As far as Hebrews is concerned, I think this can easily be seen as a reference to the destruction of Jerusalem. The entire Jewish system of worship is destroyed in 70 A.D. There are no more sacrifices in the temple because there is no temple. There is no more priesthood because Jesus is now our high priest. It is easy to see the connection in Hebrews to the death of Jesus. His death has ushered in a new age. Jesus is said to have appeared at the end of the ages. The plural “ages” refers to all previous ages.

Hebrews 9:24 says that Jesus has entered heaven to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. This is a reference to the high priestly ministry of Jesus. Hebrews 9:28 says that our Lord will appear the second time to save those eagerly awaiting him. This is a reference to the Second Coming of our Lord. So when Hebrews 9:26 says that Jesus appeared at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself, it is referring to the time of our Lord. It was the destruction of Jerusalem that saw the demise of the old system. Its end was assured because Jesus died.

So now let us focus on our text. First Corinthians 10:11 refers to previous verses showing the disobedience and judgment upon the Israelites in the Old Testament who were destroyed in the wilderness. The record of what happened in the wilderness to Israel was written for our instruction, Paul says. He means, first of all, the Corinthians, and then all believers when he says “our instruction.” So on the Corinthians and on us the end of the ages has come. The word “end” here is in the plural (unlike Hebrews 9:26).

In our verse, we get a sense of the divine purpose of God. Behind the scenes, he is working. If the judgments in the wilderness were written for us, then God is doing something in the wilderness relating to us. In the Corinthian context, God will not pass by sin. He always judges sin just as he did in the wilderness. That is why what happened to Israel is an example for us. Here Paul takes a past event and sees it through an eschatological lens. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, something has happened to the ages.

The old is on its way out (the Jewish system under the Old Covenant), and the new has begun (the New Covenant. See 2 Cor. 5:17). God has set the future in motion by cutting off the old age. There are new people of God who are his by grace alone. These people, Jew or Gentile, are the people of the ‘end.’ These are the people on whom the ends of the ages have come.

Ultimately the Old Testament has been pointing forward to an eschatological fulfillment in the people of God. These people are the Bride of Christ, the Church of the Living God. The promises of God are finding fulfillment in Jesus Christ. It is clear that the true people of God in the Old Testament are those who are justified by faith. We Christians stand at the end of time, at the close of history when God is bringing all of his purposes in Christ into fulfillment.

Eschatology is never just about events in the future. It always is of practical value. The practical value is seen in 1 Corinthians 10:12: “therefore, let anyone who thinks he stands take heed lest he falls.” If the ends of the ages have come upon you, then you don’t have time to waste. You should not be self-confident or spiritually lazy. Be spiritually disciplined. Start something today that has meaning for your spiritual life and the lives of others. Learn something to share with others. Take heed of warnings in Scripture. The only sure ground for your feet is the Word of God. On what are you standing? Take heed because on you the ends of the ages have come. God’s purposes include his children, but are we aware of where and how we fit in?

So be useful to God’s people and others before your next birthday. Time is almost gone.