The Ages Prophesied in the Bible

Daniel Martinovich

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Historians and others use the term age to describe a time period that is relevant to their perspective of history and such. Nothing wrong with that. The Bible does the same thing. It uses the word age or time period to describe and divide the time periods relevant to the things it prophesies are going to happen on the earth.
Most Bible readers comprehend that there was an Old Covenant Age and that the Bible Prophesied a New Covenant Age when the Messiah came. What most Bible readers may not know is that Moses under the guidance of God, in writing the history of the world in the book of Genesis; prophesied the rejection of the Old Covenant and his authorship and acceptance of the New Covenant over and over again in that book. This is of course verified in his other books and in the prophets plus the New Testament. You can see these prophecies, written in the lives of the people of the book of Genesis here if interested. Bible Symbolism in Genesis
Nothing that allot of people don't know something about but what is surprising and what most don't know about is the is the depth Genesis goes into this.
So there we have two ages that are accepted by most Bible reading Christians. The Old Covenant Age and the New Covenant Age. That is about where the vast majority of Christians stop or even know the other ages the Bible prophesies about in great detail; much less accept. Instead they create their own ages to describe their own views all the while missing the view of the scripture itself on the division of time periods called ages. This problem becomes greatly exasperated when prophecies are not only misunderstood but placed where they do not belong in the historical, present or future world.
In the middle of the Old Covenant Age another age begins and is extensively prophesied about. It is called the Age of the Gentiles. The Old Covenant age ends and the New Covenant Age begins in the middle of the Age of the Gentiles. At the end of the Age of the Gentiles the age of the prophesied, (invisible) Government of God begins. I like to call this age the "Great Gospel Age." You'll see why later.
The Age of the Gentiles begins with Nebuchadnezzar conquering Jerusalem then shortly after razing it to the ground. From this point on, in that age, all of Gods saints, both Old and New Testament, will be ruled over by four gentile empires. During most of this time period the truth will violently be suppressed. The First prophecy about this is in Daniel Chapter 2. In this prophecy it is very clear that there will be four empires and during the fourth through the messiah they will be destroyed and the age of the prophesied Government of God will begin. This prophecy provides a big picture into the future. All the other prophecy from this point on will give greater details of this original prophecy along with other details about when the messiah is to come and when the First Covenant Age will end.
 

Daniel Martinovich

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In Daniels 2nd prophecy the four empires followed by the age of prophesied Government of God is shown using different illustrations and with more details not shown in the first prophecy. As with the first prophecy The messiah, illustrated as the rock is now shown as the Son of Man receiving the promised kingdom. An angel interprets this as: Daniel 7:22. Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom........ 27. And the kingdom and empire, and the greatness of the dominion under the whole heaven, will be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all empires shall serve and obey him. This correlates with the first prophecy: Daniel 2: 44. And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it will crush and bring to an end all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.This also correlates with what Jesus said about the prophesied Government of God, that it is invisible. Matthew 21:42.Jesus says to them, Didn't you ever read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the main cornerstone: this is the Lord's doing, and it is wonderful in our eyes? 43. Therefore say I to you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation that will produce its fruits. And Luke 17: 20-21 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God does not come visibly: Nor shall they say, Look here! or, look there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is inside you. In both of these prophecies we now have the the age of the Gentiles and its end prophesied and the age of the prophesied Government of God that has no prophesied end predicted.

In Daniel's third vision, just like Babylon was named as the first empire of the four; the second and third empire are named. Medo\Persia and Greece. This vision uses different animals than the second prophecy to illustrate Medo\Persia and Greece. Instead of revealing more about the fourth empire it reveals that near the end of the Greek Empire the final "days of wrath" will start that will end as future prophecies will reveal, with the destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD and the end of the Old Covenant Age. Daniels next prophecy reveals the date of the messiah's arrival, his atoning death and although not saying exactly when tie's the destruction of Jerusalem to the time of the advent of the messiah and his atoning death. Daniel 11 Goes into great detail about the wars between the Syrian and Egyptian sections of the Greek empire and the beginning of the "final period of wrath" where Judea is stuck in between these to warring factions and tens of thousands of Jews are slaughtered and sold into slavery. Herod the Great is prophesied in Daniel 11:36-39 and then Octavian, the first Roman emperor conquering of the last section of the Greek Empire in verses 40-44. Thus beginning the rein of the fourth prophesied empire. Daniel 12 prophesied the 1st century, the messiah's and his followers ministries and the time of the end of the first covenant age. All of the New Testament prophecy until the book of Revelation except a few mentions here and there prophesy the end of the First Covenant Age as that was what was relevant to those who would soon go through it.

The book of Revelation as far as these ages are concerned is a continuation Daniels original prophecies. It is the exact same prophecy of four empires ending with the Kingdom of God with many added details. The destruction of Jerusalem is mentioned in John's vision(s) in Revelation in Rev. 6:12-16, 7:1-8 & Rev. 14:1-5. The four empires that had been and were still ruling over the saints during this prophecy are the four horsemen of Rev. 6 and the animal made up of the same animals in Daniel 7. Daniels prophecy is expanded upon though because this time we there are seven heads and ten horns. Plus we have the lamb with two horns prophesying the dividing of the empire into and eastern and western branch. The four horseman and the four animals with seven heads and ten horns have the same seven judgments directed at that Roman empire but specifically against the city of Rome. The seventh judgment wiped out whole civilizations and outside of Noah's Flood nothing of this magnitude has ever happened to the earth. The seven thunders later on are directed at the Roman Empire which ends in 1453 AD. This is prophesied in Rev. 18 &. 19 These chapters are all setting up the end of that Age of the Gentiles and the beginning of the age of the prophesied Government of God. This age, just like in Daniels visions begins at the fall of the 4th empire. Revelation 20-22, Especially chapters 21-22 about the New Jerusalem borrow their verses from many chapters of Old testament prophecies about this Great Gospel Age when the nations of the world begin to get the Word of God into the hands of common men in their own languages and the power of God through the Gospel begins to change the cultures of nations. As a result of this the earthly promises of God made to the saints of past ages, promises that did not come to pass in their generations, began to come to pass in nations that have met the conditions for the fulfillment of those promises.

Why is this so important? If you look at all the good, the justice. the freedom, the rule of law, the prosperity that the western world enjoys due to its general acceptance of Biblical principle as the way in which we should govern our individual lives and nations. This didn't just happen in a vacuum. It took the Word of God, the Gospel going fourth. It took God working in peoples lives, it took knowledge and sacrifice. It took war and technology. Believe it or not though it took faith based on the many promises of God that pertain to this age.
Therein lies the problem. Pop culture end time teachings in most of their variations decree a completely opposite future than those hundred plus chapters of Bible prophecy about this age. In other words our faith and labor in God should be based in those many chapters of prophecy regarding this age. We should look upon them as what is possible for every nation of the world. We should be striving with men and God to see the fulfillment of his Word wherever possible in every dark corner of the globe. The problem is that all of the variations of pop culture end times teachings say the way all those chapters of prophecy will be fulfilled is with a miraculous visible kingdom that has nothing to do with what mankind does or doesn't do.

I cannot emphasize how radical these pop culture end times teachings are as false prophecy of old. They completely take Gods peoples eyes off their duties, off what is and is not possible, what they are supposed to place their faith and labor in and what outcomes we might reasonably expect. They give the future over to Satan and are directly responsible for our present troubles where a radical antichrist minority is ruling over us. That radical anti Christ minority ruling over us is the effect of a people who have ignorantly given their vision for the future over to myths they believe are gospel truth. They have no power, no wisdom, no knowledge, no skill, NO SCRIPTURE to overcome the evil based on the promises of God for this age. They have only fear to motivate them because they see what will happen if things don't change course. God is pleased by faith in his Word not fear of what lies ahead. There is a very self centered and convenient excuse for what is happening though. "It's the signs of the end times!"

I want to caution anyone who just wants to strike out because this condemns you and what you have accepted as truth. Be extremely careful that God is not warning you through this as to what you are unwittingly participating in. God could be saying this to you: don't you realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked, 18 take my advice and buy gold from me refined by fire so you can become rich! Buy from me white clothing so you can be clothed and your shameful nakedness will not be exposed, and buy eye salve to put on your eyes so you can see! 19 All those I love, I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent! This a big deal. You that are prophesying things that were concerning the past two ages are in essence prophesying falsehood and hamstringing Gods ability to have a people knowledgeable enough to work with him in the fulfillment of his will. Sooner ore later the hammer will come down on people who do this. I don't mean us just reaping what is being sown. I mean divine judgment which is far worse.
Being heavenly mined is not thinking about what heaven will be like and focusing your attention on going there. To be heavenly minded is to bring the nature and things of heaven down here to the earth.
 
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Daniel Martinovich

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Awesome New Jerusalem prophecy.
Hosea 2: 19 And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in loving kindness, and in mercies. 20 I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD. 21 And it shall come to pass in that day, I will hear, saith the LORD, I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth; 22 And the earth shall hear the corn, and the wine, and the oil; and they shall hear Jezreel. 23 And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God.

Why would God sow us, the New Jerusalem into the earth? To reap a harvest of the precious fruit of the earth. as it says in these scriptures.

Isaiah 45:18 For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else

Isaiah 49: 8 Thus saith the LORD, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages;

Isaiah 42:1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights;I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. 2 He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; 3 a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench;he will faithfully bring forth justice.4 He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law.

Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

Luke 7: 20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God does not come visibly: 21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

Jesus parables about this prophesied government of God say:
1.The preaching of the Word is the vehicle that will bring about all the good changes to the world prophesied throughout the Bible as opposed to the physical changes pop culture end time teachings preach.
2. That these good changes like leaven will affect the entire planet in time.
3. That it is the believer, Jew and Gentile that inherit said Government, as opposed to the physical descendants of Abraham or a physical nation of Israel.
4. That the pearl of great price is more than just going to heaven.
5. That the labor of being a pioneer bringing the gospel to a new place is far harsher than the labor in a country like the USA that has been radically influenced by the Gospel and that is how it is supposed to work. The reward is still heaven for the laborers.
6. That the nations of the world influenced by the Government of God that came through the Gospel will be greater than ancient Israel. Greater in the sense of more righteous and more powerful.
You can see this in these short articles on these parables. Start with the first if you read them as they build on one another.
http://wordservice.org/Government of God/gg6000.htm
 
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Interplanner

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DanielM,
In your second part about the kingdom that crushes like Mt 21. The problem is that it was the kingdom of God that was already there. It is not a future one and the giving to another nation was already underway. It is not something waiting for the 'government of God.'

His kingdom is seen and known by faith; it is not going to be sight. Yet we are supposed to speak of it as the one which all mankind should submit to.
 
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ebedmelech

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You're kind of long winded here DM...but where are you going with Revelation 6?

The problem starts thinking the four horsemen of Rev 6 are the four empires. They are not...and this is seen right away because Jesus is the one breaking the seals.

What needs to be understood here, is that when God delivers judgment, war, death famine, and pestilence exist.

You see this throughout scripture. Revelation 6 flows with Matthew 24 as Jesus prophesies the fall of Jerusalem. However, before he even gets to Jerusalem's fall, He prophesies those four things in Matthew 24
4 And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you.
5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many.
6 You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end.
7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes.
8 But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.


These things will be throughout time to greater or lesser degrees.

The four are seen in Zechariah 1 also, so I really see a problem with comparing this to the four kingdoms.

The four kingdoms are equally associated with war, death, famine, and pestilence! We know this because those were all present when Babylon conquered, Persia conquered, Greece conquered, and Rome conquered.

I would rethink that idea.
 
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Daniel Martinovich

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DanielM,
In your second part about the kingdom that crushes like Mt 21. The problem is that it was the kingdom of God that was already there. It is not a future one and the giving to another nation was already underway. It is not something waiting for the 'government of God.'

His kingdom is seen and known by faith; it is not going to be sight. Yet we are supposed to speak of it as the one which all mankind should submit to.

Of course you are correct interplanner. I was using those scriptures to emphasize that it always was and always will be an invisible kingdom or government among mankind. as opposed to what almost all Christians believe is a coming physical\ visible one.
So I want to acknowledge your being correct once more and then add this. That the prophetic scriptures about it and it's "coming" were and are telling of a time, an age, when it's influence extends far beyond the geographical boundaries of ancient Israel and those nations they were interacting with. Another way to look at how ancient Israel "lost" the Kingdom of God. It existed but was never able to grow up and bear fruit. For instance. The rule of law as understood by most Americans in times past. Where the government is limited by the rule of law and people have a healthy respect for the rule of law is a fruit of the Government of God in the earth. Things like property rights, that slavery outside of punishment for crimes being illegal, the rejection of the idea of unlimited human government ect ect. These are some fruit of the Government of God.
As far as prophecy goes. The Bible prophesied an age to come, which we are living in where the Government of God, it's influence among men for good will continually grow and no Gog or Maggog type people or nation will be able to stop it. That is what I am calling the prophesied coming of the Government of God. Not that it didn't exist it was just never able to bear the fruit in the world that it is bearing now. (Despite all the hell the lawless Democrat party is releasing on the earth. )
 
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Daniel Martinovich

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You're kind of long winded here DM...but where are you going with Revelation 6?

The problem starts thinking the four horsemen of Rev 6 are the four empires. They are not...and this is seen right away because Jesus is the one breaking the seals.

What needs to be understood here, is that when God delivers judgment, war, death famine, and pestilence exist.These things will be throughout time to greater or lesser degrees.The four are seen in Zechariah 1 also, so I really see a problem with comparing this to the four kingdoms.The four kingdoms are equally associated with war, death, famine, and pestilence! We know this because those were all present when Babylon conquered, Persia conquered, Greece conquered, and Rome conquered.

I would rethink that idea.

Here are some of the reasons.
1. Rev. 6:1-8 starts the same prophecy Rev. 13 starts. They are using different illustrations to describe the same events past present and future and Rev. 13 adds allot more detail. Both start with an illustration of the four empires of the age of the Gentiles. Then in their next scene after the illustration of the empires they both illustrate the events in Judea. Rev. 6:9-7:8 is the same scene as Rev. 14-15:4. These scenes both describe the murder of the saints by unbelieving Jews and Rome. They both describe the destruction of Jerusalem. They both describe the Jewish believers of the first century. They both describe the multitudes saved among the gentiles and Rome's murderous rage against them for the next few centuries. (The great trib)Then both scenes after these illustrations describe seven judgments against Rome.
Rev. 6-11 calls them seven trumpets and Rev. 15:5= chap. 16 call them seven plagues. If you look carefully they describe the same seven things with similar illustrations.

2. Rev. 6 starting a vision that says the same thing as the vision starting in Rev. 13 also corresponds exactly with the big picture already laid out in the book of Daniel. Four consecutive empires known as the age of the gentiles ruling over, oppressing and making war against the saints then being judged by heaven and the start of Age of the prophesied growth of the government of God in the earth.

3. Historically- This all happened exactly as prophesied.

4. The Bibles prophecies are highly, radically exact. They are not like Nostradamus or something that could fit a million different scenarios. If these pop culture end time teaching believers knew how radically accurate they were they would be glorifying God with them rather than making the Bibles prophecies look fake and twisting them to prognosticate and explain every generations troubles.
 
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KrAZeD

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3. Historically- This all happened exactly as prophesied.

Which is exactly why your idea that the horseman are likened "empires" in correlation with daniels prophecy is completely skewed.

If 3/4 empires had already came and gone then John is not making a prophecy of 4 horseman- he'd be making a prophecy of 1 horseman- you can't predict/foretell of the past.

But even then, going with your theory, that 4th horseman(Rome) was already present and active/on site PRIOR to John penning revelation, making that particular prophecy entirely historic prior to him receiving it........
 
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parousia70

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Which is exactly why your idea that the horseman are likened "empires" in correlation with daniels prophecy is completely skewed.

If 3/4 empires had already came and gone then John is not making a prophecy of 4 horseman- he'd be making a prophecy of 1 horseman- you can't predict/foretell of the past.

But even then, going with your theory, that 4th horseman(Rome) was already present and active/on site PRIOR to John penning revelation, making that particular prophecy entirely historic prior to him receiving it........

John was told by the angel to write about events from his history, from his present, and from his future:

Rev 1:19
Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.
 
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Daniel Martinovich

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Which is exactly why your idea that the horseman are likened "empires" in correlation with daniels prophecy is completely skewed.

If 3/4 empires had already came and gone then John is not making a prophecy of 4 horseman- he'd be making a prophecy of 1 horseman- you can't predict/foretell of the past.

But even then, going with your theory, that 4th horseman(Rome) was already present and active/on site PRIOR to John penning revelation, making that particular prophecy entirely historic prior to him receiving it........

So your answer is to pull me over and write be a ticket for a grammar infraction? I guess you got me.
So I'll correct myself.
Rev.1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ..... 19 Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;So your correct. It is a revelation. Things that John sees, past present future or teachings. things that exist which could be skewed to mean past things and future things that would mean prophecy.
The 1st two "prophecies" in Daniel do the same thing. Babylon already exists yet it is in the vision.
Where do I pay my fine? Or do I have to take a weekend grammar class?
 
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dysert

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John was told by the angel to write about events from his history, from his present, and from his future:

Rev 1:19
Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.
Glad to see this. Rev. 1:19 is the key to understanding the book.
 
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