Ages (Part I)

Lesson Content

Ages are divided into seven periods. They are: I The Former Eternity II The Angelic Period III The Period of Innocency IV The Old World V The Present Evil World VI The World to Come VII The Latter Eternity I The Former Eternity: The Former Eternity is the period before anything was created when the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit existed as the Triune God. Although they are a Trinity, they are not three Gods. God is one but in three persons. They are able to work separately.

The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are uncreated, everlasting and exist from the Former Eternity to the Latter Eternity. T hat is why we speak of God as the Eternal God. He is omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient. Some references from the Scripture to show that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are eternal: Father: Gen.21:33; Deut.33:27; Psa.90:2; 106:48; Isa.40:28. Son: Jn.1:1; Col.1:15-17 Holy Spirit (Melchisedec): Heb.7:3; 9:14. Who is the Father?

1. He is uncreated, eternal without beginning of days nor end of life, and has life in Himself.

2. He created all things in order to reveal Himself. He is the Father of all creation (Rom.1:20;2:10).

3. He is the fountain of life (Psa.36:9).

4. He is love (I Jn.4:8).

5. He is the Lord of hosts and He is holy (Isa.6:3). Who is the Son?

1. He wholly surrendered Himself to the Father and obeyed Him in all things (Heb.10:7; Phil.2:8).

2. He is called the Word of God and it was through Him that God created all things (Jn.1:1,3; Col.1:16).

3. He is the express image of the Father (Heb.1:3).

4. He is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb.13:8).

5. He is the firstborn of every creature (Col.1:15). Who is the Holy Spirit?

1. He has that same power of creation as of the Father and the Son.

2. He is the priest of the Most High God, without beginning of days nor end of life (Heb.7:3).

3. He was the One sent down to the world to come into men and dwell in them (Jn.14:16,17).

4. He is the One Who guides us into all truth, and sanctifies us (Jn.16:13; II Thess.2:13).

5. He is the One Who will shew us things to come (Jn.16:13). So we see tha t the Triune God exists from the Former Eternity. The salvation of man had been determined by God in the Former Eternity, even before the creation of man

(Eph.1:4). Even before the foundation of the world the Son was foreordained for man's salvation and in these last days He was slain for us (I Pet.1:20).

Moral

Man's soul is precious and incorruptible. Man will either enter into eternal joy or eternal condemnation. God has loved man and ordained eternal salvation for him. We must realise this and prepare ourselves for eternal joy.