THE AGE TO COME

THE AGE TO COME

The "age to come", as our Lord liked to call it, will be ushered in by the exercise of His immediate power and authority. He has all power now (Matt. 28:18; John 13:3); He will take this power and use it to the full when He returns. The age-long silence of God, the taunt of unbelief, will be broken by the translation and resurrection of the Church (rapture 1 Thess. 4:13-17); by the unloosing of judgment long withheld; by the visible and personal presence of the Mediatorial King; and by the complete establishment of His Kingdom on earth for a period specified by our Lord as a "1000 years" (John 20:1-7). The New Testament description of this period is very brief with few details. Why?

The Old Testament prophets had fully revealed these details, and the reader is presumed to know them. It is sufficient to say that during this period every aspect of the Mediatorial Kingdom as set forth in Old Testament prophecy is realized upon earth, truly the "Golden Age" of the world. Children are born; life goes on, men work and play, but under ideal conditions. The period closes with a brief rebellion of unsaved humanity, and the last judgment; its subjects are the "dead", not the living. And it is my conviction, based upon a study of the New Testament, that none will appear before that "Great White Throne" except those who have chosen death rather than life; those that loved darkness rather than Light. The Christian does not belong to the "dead", and he cannot come into judgment for sin.

When the last enemy is put down by our Lord as the Mediatorial King, when even death is abolished and complete harmony is established, then the purpose of the Mediatorial Kingdom will be fulfilled. Then the Son will deliver up the Kingdom to God to be merged in the eternal Kingdom (1 Cor. 15:24), thus being perpetuated forever, but no longer as a distinct entity. This does not mean the end of our Lord's rule. He only ceases to rule as the Mediatorial King. But as the Only Begotten Son, very God of very God, He shares with the Father the throne of the eternal Kingdom. In the final city of God, center of a redeemed new heaven and earth, there is but one throne, "the throne of God and of the Lamb".

"And his servants shall serve Him, and they shall see His face, and there shall be night no more; and they need no light of lamp, neither light of sun, for the Lord God shall give them light; and they shall reign unto the ages of the ages". (Rev. 22:3-5)