Not The End of The World
What do you think of when you hear the words, “the end of the age?” For many of us we instinctively start thinking about the end of the world. There are many passages in the New Testament that we interpret to mean “the end of the world” when this is not in fact the case.
To the Jews in New Testament times, Jesus’ teaching on and announcement of The New Covenant was shockingly radical! If we fail to miss the significance of this, we will misinterpret the Scripture and confuse the heart of God towards creation.
Here are a number of passages I have found that I used to think spoke about the end of the world, but are in fact speaking about the end of the old age, the destruction of the temple, and the coming of the new covenant.
The end of the age in the parables of Matthew is referring to the end of the Old Covenant, and the commencement of the New! (Not the end of the world)
The prophecy of Jesus in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21, is talking about the destruction of the temple. (Not the end of the world) Jesus clearly says this and also states that this would happen in the hearers generation.
The term “Heaven and Earth” is a literary short hand for “The Temple.” Jesus uses this in Matthew 13, Peter uses this in 2 Peter 3:10 and when they say “Heaven and Earth will pass away” they are referring to the destruction of the temple. (Not the end of the world)
The “elements” that are destroyed by fire (2 Peter 3:10) are referred to as the Temple, and the old covenant mindsets in Galatians 4:3 and Colossians 2:8,20. These are the elements that are destroyed. (Not the end of the world)
When we view these scriptures in their proper context we see that the reason for God bringing an end to the old covenant was so that His original purpose for choosing the people of God may once again be realised. It was always His desire that His people would live holy lives that bring light, life and love to the world. He wanted to cleanse His people from the dead religion of rules without relationship. In this sense, the judgment of God is restorative.
When we fail to see these Scriptures as relating to the end of the Old Covenant, we misinterpret the heart of God. Instead of God removing the barriers to life and flourishing, we see God as punishing people for being wrong. In this scenario, the judgment of God is simply punitive and misses the purpose and heart of God to see life shared with the whole world.
The destruction of the temple, along with the passing away of the ways of the old covenant, was extremely significant and shocking. The Jews were awaiting the age when this would come, but as Jesus teaches in His parables, not all realised what was happening.
Therefore, let’s not allow our western instincts to betray the true meaning of Scripture. Rather let us learn what we can of the heart of God as He reveals the new covenant! I encourage you, that if you are still viewing these scriptures as “the end of the world” – go back and re-read the passages and simply ask, “Does this make more sense as end of the world, or end of the old covenant?”
