The Age to Come is the future, everlasting era that begins with the return of Christ and the full establishment of the Kingdom of God.
It stands in contrast to “this age,” the present world order marked by sin, death, and opposition to God.
In the age to come the righteous will shine like the sun, the dead will be raised, every enemy will be subdued, and God will dwell with His people in the new heaven and new earth.
Believers already taste the powers of the age to come through the Holy Spirit, yet they still await its full manifestation.
Scripture divides history into two great periods: this age and the age to come. This age is characterized by the reign of sin and death, the activity of the powers of darkness, and the suffering of the people of God. The age to come is the time of resurrection life, the open reign of the Messiah, the removal of the curse, and the eternal dwelling of God with His redeemed. Jesus spoke of those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead. He promised that in the age to come His followers would receive eternal life. The writer of Hebrews says that believers have already tasted the powers of the age to come. Paul contrasts the wisdom of this age with the hidden wisdom of God that He decreed before the ages for our glory. The age to come is therefore both future and already invading the present through the Spirit and the firstfruits of redemption. Its full arrival will bring the end of this age, the final judgment, and the everlasting kingdom that cannot be shaken.
- The age to come is the future era of resurrection, glory, and the unhindered reign of God.
- It stands in clear contrast to this present evil age.
- Believers already experience a foretaste of the age to come through the Holy Spirit.
- Entrance into the fullness of the age to come is tied to the resurrection of the righteous.
- The age to come is marked by the absence of death, curse, and every form of evil.
- Jesus and the apostles consistently directed the hope of the church toward the age to come.
- The present age is temporary; the age to come is everlasting.
- Resurrection Life – The dead in Christ are raised; those considered worthy attain to that age and can no longer die.
- Full Kingdom – The reign of God is openly established; the righteous shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.
- New Creation – A new heaven and a new earth appear; the former things pass away.
- Absence of the Curse – No more death, mourning, crying, or pain; the throne of God and of the Lamb is central.
- Eternal Inheritance – Believers receive eternal life and an unshakable kingdom.
- Present Foretaste – Through the Spirit, believers already taste the powers of the age to come.
- Final Goal – The age to come is the consummation of God’s redemptive purpose and the dwelling of God with man.
- Luke 20:34-36 – “And Jesus said to them, ‘The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, for they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.’”
- Matthew 12:32 – “And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.”
- Mark 10:30 – “…who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.”
- Luke 18:30 – “…who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.”
- Ephesians 1:21 – Christ is seated “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.”
- Hebrews 6:5 – “…and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come…”
- Galatians 1:4 – “…who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father…”
- Matthew 13:39-43 – “The harvest is the end of the age… Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.”
- 1 Corinthians 2:6-8 – “Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory.”
- 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.”
- Revelation 21:1-4 – “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away… He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
- Revelation 22:3-5 – “No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it… and they will reign forever and ever.”
- Hebrews 2:5 – “For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking.”
- Isaiah 65:17 – “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind.”
- 2 Peter 3:13 – “But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”
- Daniel 12:2-3 – “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above…”
- Titus 2:12-13 – “…training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ…”
The age to come is the everlasting future that belongs to those who are in Christ. This present age is marked by sin, death, and opposition to God; the age to come is marked by resurrection, glory, and the unhindered presence of God. Believers already taste its powers through the Holy Spirit, yet they still wait for its full arrival. When the Son of Man comes, the righteous will shine like the sun, death will be no more, and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be the light of the new creation. Therefore live now in light of the age to come. Renounce the present evil age. Hold fast the blessed hope. The God who has already given you a foretaste will bring you safely into the age that never ends.
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