Jesus Christ spoke of a coming "end of the age." What did
He mean? What age did He say would come to an end?
Some think the subject of the end time in the Bible is mainly confined
to the New Testament. But beginning in Genesis, the first book of the
Bible, the Scriptures look beyond our present evil age to the time of the
establishing of God's Kingdom. Old Testament scriptures have much to say
about events that take place during the end of this age and the following "world
to come."
In the Garden of Eden, God revealed that a time would come when Satan's
earthly reign and influence would end. To Satan, God said: "I will put
enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed [Jesus
Christ]; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel" (Genesis 3:15).
Although Satan was destined to harm the Savior (by instigating His crucifixion),
the devil could not prevent Jesus from coming back to life and cannot prevent
Jesus from ultimately defeating him.
Paul referred to this prophecy when he wrote to Church members in Rome, "And
the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly" (Romans 16:20).
It is comforting to know that at Christ's second coming Satan will at last
be vanquished and imprisoned (Revelation 20:1-3).
So, from the earliest beginnings of humanity, God revealed there would
be an end to this Satan-led world, a definite time for the devil and his
forces to be defeated.
Righteous men mentioned in the Old Testament, such as Enoch, knew that
God ultimately would intervene to carry out His judgment on earth. "Now
Enoch, the seventh [generation] from Adam, prophesied about these men also,
saying, 'Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, to execute
judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their
ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the
harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him" (Jude 14-15).
