End of an Age or the End of the World?

While reading 1 Corinthians 10 this morning a verse of Scripture flew off of the pages (not literally) and stuck in my head. I've literally thought about it all morning. It's a verse that is sure to cause some controversy with a few people, but I'm a huge fan of understanding Biblical text for how it was written and why it was written. Look at it for yourself: "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."- 1 Corinthians 10:11

This picture may be a bit of an exaggeration (maybe even an over-exaggeration). However, it brings us to a very serious discussion. I think in my lifetime that I have lived though anywhere from 2-4 legitimate claims of end of the world scenarios. Some of the more popular ones being Y2K and the end of the Mayan Calendar. And these two were just within mainstream circles. This doesn't take into account the claims that have come from different Christian authors/pastors. One of the more recent claims coming from John Hagee and the whole Blood Moons theory. Much of this stemming from misunderstandings and poor translations.

If you were to read 1 Corinthians 10:11 in the KJV you will find that the verse speaks of the end of the world. This held true in many other translations of the Bible in the years to follow. Now I don't want to get into a debate about Bible translations, but if you were to look at some of the more literal translations of the Bible you will find that the word that was translated as "world" is properly translated as "age." Which makes a HUGE difference. So the question remains (for those who have come to embrace the mistranslation and poor theology that accompanies it) are we talking about the end of an age or the end of the world?

This problem is found elsewhere. And the problem is when you take the Greek word "aion" and translate it as world. Strong himself (Strong's Concordance) stated that this word is properly translated as an age. By implication we can speak of the Mosaic Age, the Age of the Law, the Old Testament Age, or the Temple Age. Regardless of the implication, we understand that Paul was speaking about ages that have come to pass to introduce the believers into a new age. An age that is not necessarily defined by specific timelines but by what is happening in the earth. Sure, we can talk about dispensations but the reality is that human history has gone through many ages.

For instance, we can say that in Christ that the age of shadows has come to an end. Is that not what the writer of Hebrews was trying to state? The law having a shadow of good things to come but Jesus being the substance? That in Christ we have a winding up of all the former ages and the beginning of something new and greater. We find this same difficulty in Matthew 24 when the disciples ask Jesus about the end of the age - mistranslated as world in many popular Bibles. You may ask: "Why is this important?" To which I would reply, "How is it not?"

To see these verses as an end of the world scenario has left many people with a fatalistic mindset. It has created a generation of doom and gloomers. Men and women who see the world waxing worse until complete destruction has come. I wonder where we would be in much of our thinking had the King James translators used "age" rather than "world?" The examples that Paul listed are to remind us to not fall into idolatry and to be aware of the age in which we live. There's nothing wrong with that. But to see everything as a sign of imminent destruction is.

The Early Church had an expectation of RESTORATION not destruction. They looked for the signs that Jesus spoke of in anticipation of birth pains not death gurgles. Birth pains are not fun, but they don't bring death, they bring life. Even with the apocalyptic imagery in the Revelation, in the end we see the arrival of a New Heaven and a New Earth. It may be the end of the world as we know it (a figure of speech) but it does not mean that it is the end of the world (total destruction).

When Jesus shared these prophetic things with His disciples he would say "Do Not Be Afraid." Which is drastically different than the preachers of today. The Early Church believed they were the generation to see the end of an age and the beginning of a new glorious age. Which they did. An age that you and I get to enjoy each and every day of our lives. Because they believed this, the church remained steadfast. They trusted the Lord in the midst of wars and rumors of wars. They held onto their faith in the midst of persecution, trials, and great difficulty. They counted Jesus as faithful until the end, and embraced the promise that He would be with them until the end of the age (not world).

I understand that we live in tumultuous times. The fear of terrorism, the problems we have seen with racial tensions, and the shooting of police officers has each of us looking at life differently. But with that being said, it does not mean it's the end of the world. It just means that there is plenty of work to do, plenty of the Gospel that needs to be shared, and plenty of love for one another that needs to be given. I'm not fatalistic about our future. In fact, I'm hopeful. I believe that the Good News that we proclaim about a loving God who has given His Son for us literally changes lives. I believe that the Kingdom of God within us is meant to manifest itself among us. I believe that love is stronger than hate, and that the truth will set us free. This doesn't mean that we will not see difficult days or that we will never face persecution. What it means is that we need to hold fast to the faith of Christ and trust the work of His Holy Spirit within us. It also means that we can enjoy the journey of being conformed into the image of the Son.

For every difficulty you see in the world, just know that the Father has the opposite in store. Wherever we see division, the Holy Spirit is working towards unity. Wherever we find hate, the Spirit wants to bring love. Wherever there is war, we can hope for peace. The Spirit of God is actively at work in us in complete opposition to the spirit at work in the world. May His Kingdom Come!