Have you ever thought about whether “the end of the age” mentioned in the Bible only refers to the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70? Let’s take a closer look at some important verses that suggest it means more than just that event. These passages point to a bigger picture, one that includes everyone, both the good and the bad, facing a final judgment together. This idea is similar to what we see in Matthew 25.
Why This Matters
Understanding what Jesus meant by “the end of the age” is important for everyone, not just scholars. This phrase isn’t simply about a past event. If we view it as something that happened back in A.D. 70, we must deny what Jesus and His followers talked about. It would mean that God bringing justice, rewarding good people, and defeating evil have already taken place.
On the other hand, if we see “the end of the age” as the time when history ends, then it means we are still looking forward to a time when Jesus will return and all will be gathered and judged.
1. The Parables in Matthew 13 and the Gathering of All People
Parable of the Wheat and Tares (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43): Imagine a large field where farmers plant wheat. But while the wheat grows, an enemy sneaks in and sows weeds (tares) among the wheat. The farmer decides not to pull the weeds immediately because he might accidentally remove the good wheat. Instead, he waits until harvest time. At harvest, workers (symbolized by angels) come and carefully separate the wheat (representing good people) from the weeds (representing evil people). This picture isn’t just about one city or group of people—it shows that, at the very end, every single person in the world will be gathered and sorted based on how they lived.
Parable of the Dragnet (Matthew 13:47-50): Here, Jesus compares the gathering of people to casting a fishing net into the sea. The net collects all kinds of fish without making any distinction as it is cast. However, when the net is hauled in, the fishermen sort out the good fish from the bad. This means that, although good and bad people are mixed together in the world until the very end, there will come a time when God (through His angels) will pull everyone up and clearly separate the righteous from the wicked.
In both these parables, as further echoed in Matthew 25:31-46 where Jesus describes the separation of the sheep (the righteous) from the goats (the wicked), the message is that God’s final judgment is not limited to a single event or group. It will involve every person on earth.
2. The Distinction Made in Matthew 24
In Matthew 24:3, the disciples ask Jesus about “the end of the age.” Jesus responds by distinguishing between two different events:
The destruction of Jerusalem: This event had clear signs and even offered an escape route (Matthew 24:3-35).
His second coming: Unlike the fall of Jerusalem, there are no signs that tell us when or how it will happen, and no one can escape it (Matthew 24:36ff).
Cyril of Jerusalem explained that while the destruction of Jerusalem was a significant event, it was not the ultimate ending. Instead, the final judgment will bring everything to its complete and final state, which happens at Christ’s return. In other words, Jesus is teaching that what happened in Jerusalem was only a part of history, not the final chapter.
Preterists argue that Matthew 24 refers exclusively to the events of A.D. 70. However, if that were true, why does Jesus later compare His return to the days of Noah (Matthew 24:37-39), emphasizing its sudden, unexpected nature? The fall of Jerusalem was preceded by clear warnings (Luke 21:20-22), while Jesus describes His second coming as a global event that will take everyone by surprise. If “the end of the age” were only about A.D. 70, then this distinction would make no sense.
3. Jesus’s Promise of His Enduring Presence
In Matthew 28:20, before Jesus ascended into heaven, He promised, 'I am with you always, even to the end of the age.' Think about this: if 'the end of the age' had already come with the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70, then Jesus' promise would have ended long ago. Instead, He assures us that His presence will continue until the final, complete fulfillment of all things, until the ultimate judgment and the end of the world.
Preterists argue that this promise only applied to the apostles during a transition from the Jewish age to the church age. But is that really consistent with Jesus' words? He clearly states His presence will remain 'always, even to the end of the age,' emphasizing an ongoing, unending commitment.
4. Peter’s Cosmic Perspective
In 2 Peter 3:7-13, the Apostle Peter compares the coming judgment to the great Flood in Noah’s time, which was a global catastrophe that affected every corner of the earth. Just as the Flood was not a small, localized event but something that changed the entire world, Peter’s description of a coming fiery judgment is also universal. This means that when the final judgment occurs, it will involve the whole cosmos.
Additionally, early church writer Tertullian used similar imagery to emphasize that God’s judgment isn’t just for one group or one region. It reaches every corner of creation, affirming that the final judgment is a cosmic event affecting all people everywhere.
5. The Message of Daniel and Revelation
In Daniel 12:2, it says “many” will rise from the dead instead of saying “all.” That might sound like only some people will be resurrected, but that’s not what it really means. In the Hebrew language, the word “many” was often used to emphasize a large group without necessarily leaving anyone out.
A good way to think about it is when a teacher says, “Many students did well on the test.” That doesn’t mean some students didn’t, it just highlights the large number of those who did.
The Bible makes it clear in other places that everyone who has died will be raised one day. For example, John 5:28-29 and Acts 24:15 both talk about how all people, both the righteous and the wicked, will be resurrected and judged.
So, when Daniel 12:2 says “many” will rise, it’s just another way of saying everyone will be raised. Other verses in the Bible confirm this, so we can trust that it will be a universal resurrection.
Revelation 20 provides a fuller picture of this event, describing a great final judgment where all people stand before God. Just as Daniel foretold, Revelation 20:12-15 describes the dead being raised and judged, with those written in the Book of Life receiving eternal life, while those who have rejected God face eternal punishment.
Together, these passages affirm two key truths: (1) a universal resurrection will take place, and (2) God's final judgment will be just and complete, ensuring that every person's life is accounted for.
6. Greek Grammar Insights
The original Greek phrase for “the end of the age” is συντελεία τοῦ αἰῶνος (sunteleia tou aionos). Let’s break that down:
αἰών (aion) means an “age” or “era” — a long, defined period of time, like a chapter in history.
συντελεία (sunteleia) means “completion” or “fulfillment.”
When you put them together, the phrase essentially means “the complete fulfillment of the age.” This tells us that Scripture isn’t talking about just the end of one specific period (like the Jewish age) but about the total culmination of the entire era of human history, the moment when everything is brought to its final, complete state. Every instance of “the end of the age” in Matthew points to a future, comprehensive judgment that affects all people, not just first-century Jews. It emphasizes that God’s plan reaches its ultimate conclusion at that point, with the final judgment of everyone.
7. Voices from the Early Church
While the early church fathers are not inspired, they show us what they thought the end of age meant. None of them support the idea that the end of the age was the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. While some dismiss such external evidence, it speaks volumes because if the A.D. 70 event was supposed to be the end of the age and the fulfillment of all things, don’t you think there would be at least one early writer that would have mentioned it?
Tertullian – Tertullian emphasized that the final judgment, as depicted in the parables of Matthew, is a cosmic event. He stressed that the separation of the righteous from the wicked would occur at the end of time, reinforcing the universal scope of “the end of the age.”
Cyril of Jerusalem – Cyril interpreted the signs of the end times (such as celestial phenomena and historical upheavals) as pointing to the Second Coming. For Cyril, the final judgment would be a dramatic, universal event, echoing the sorting imagery found in Matthew 25.
Origen – Known for his allegorical interpretation of Scripture, Origen argued in his Commentary on Matthew that “the end of the age” signifies the ultimate unveiling of divine truth at Christ’s return, a moment when all hidden things will be revealed, and every individual will stand before God for judgment.
Cyprian of Carthage – Cyprian reinforced the notion of a universal judgment by teaching that at the end of history, Christ will return to judge both the living and the dead, separating the righteous from the wicked in a manner consistent with the imagery of Matthew 25. His writings underscore that the final judgment is not confined to any one historical event but is an all-encompassing occurrence affecting every individual.
8. Why It Cannot Mean the Jewish Age
Both Good and Bad Continue Together
Matthew 13 shows all people (believers and unbelievers) living side by side until the final harvest. Evil clearly continued after Jerusalem’s fall, so the ultimate separation had not yet taken place.
Parallels With Matthew 25
The imagery in Matthew 25, where Christ separates the sheep from the goats, aligns perfectly with the angelic sorting in Matthew 13. Both depict a universal judgment day, not one limited to a historical event.
No Global Resurrection or End of Evil in A.D. 70
Passages like Daniel 12:2, 2 Peter 3, and Revelation 20 all point to a complete, cosmic resurrection and judgment, events that have yet to occur.
Jesus’s Ongoing Presence
In Matthew 28:20, Jesus promises His abiding presence until the end of the age. Since His presence continues beyond the first century, it follows that “the end of the age” is a future, all-encompassing event.
Conclusion
By examining the parables in Matthew 13 alongside the universal judgment depicted in Matthew 25 and by considering Jesus’s words in Matthew 24 and Matthew 28, Peter’s cosmic perspective, the linguistic insights of the original Greek, and the consistent teachings of early church fathers such as Tertullian, Cyril, Origen, and Cyprian, it becomes clear that “the end of the age” refers to a grand, final judgment affecting all of humanity. This is not merely a historical moment, such as the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, but the ultimate consummation of God’s redemptive plan for the entire world.
Does it make sense to limit such a profound event to a single historical occurrence? When all these texts and early testimonies are taken together, the evidence unmistakably points to a universal, final judgment, the true end of the age.
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