Escape From This Evil Age

Now, what we are talking about in Galatians is the word age. I think, if I remember rightly, the Old King James Version may well say the world. I’m not sure. But Galatians 1:4 says,

“Christ gave himself for us that he might deliver us from this present evil age.”

Now, I want to point out to you certain simple, objective facts revealed in the Bible about this present age. First of all, the most important thing you can know is it’s coming to an end. It’s not going to last forever. Now, if you feel the way I do, you’ll say, “Thank God,” because I don’t want the present age to continue. I think it’s a mess, and I think it’s getting steadily worse.

Let’s look in Matthew chapter 13. This is the great chapter of the parables of the kingdom. Matthew 13:39, interpreting the parable of the wheat and the tares. Jesus says,

“The enemy who sowed the tares is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age. The reapers are the angels.”

So, He says, “The harvest is the end of the age.” When the harvest comes, the age is going to end.

And in verse 40 He says,

“Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it shall be at the end of this age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”

“Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

It’s very clear that the righteous and the wicked are going to coexist right up to the end of the age. And actually, it’s not our business to separate them. It’s too difficult. The workers said, “Shall we go and pull up the tares?” And you remember what the landowner said? “No, because you might pull up some of the wheat with them.” But Jesus says, “At the end of the age I’ll send out My angels. They’ll pull out the tares, and the wheat will be left.” But what I want to emphasize is the age is coming to an end.

And in the same chapter, verse 49, another parable, the parable of the dragnet.

“So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire.”

There are many other such passages, but it’s extremely important for us all to realize this age is coming to an end. So, if we live as if it was going on forever, we’re living in a delusion.

The next fact about this age states the reason why it’s an evil age. You turn to Second Corinthians chapter 4 and verse 4. We have to read verse 3 to get the sentence. Second Corinthians 4:3-4.

“But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded.”

Who is the god who blinds the minds of unbelievers? Satan. And you know what he is? He’s the god of this age. No wonder he doesn’t want the age to end. Do you understand? Because when this age ends, he will no longer be a god. But the church’s responsibility is to bring the age to an end, terminate the rule of Satan as a god. It’s interesting because he’s called the ‘god’ of this age, and three times in John’s Gospel, Jesus calls him the ‘ruler’ of this world. So, he’s the ruler of the world system, but he’s the god of the present age. And since he is totally evil, that explains the evil of the age of which he is a god.

Now, you could say God could dethrone him, but He’s not going to. He’s going to bring the age to an end, and with the end of the age will cease Satan’s position as a god. You see that? That’s why he does everything in his power to delay the end of the age. He knows it’s coming, but he’s trying to delay it. And he has two main tactics: one against Israel, the other against the church. Because certain things have to happen in the church and in Israel before the age will end. And the devil is a student of prophecy. He knows that.

So, if you’re involved in the church, you’re involved in a battle. And if you’re involved with Israel, you’re involved in a battle.