The Biblical Feasts, Pt. 3: Seasons... of the Ages
"It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains... and all nations shall flow to it..." - Isaiah 2:2
(If you have not read Parts 1 & 2 of this series, you can find them here and here.)
The Peak of History
We’ve just come out of the Easter season, or, as my family likes to call it, the Passover season and “Resurrection Sunday.” The term “Easter,” first, has evolved to imply so many meaningless commercial connotations that we prefer to refrain from simply as a matter of not detracting from the message of the gospel. And, second, the name itself so minimally bears out all that is contained in this historical event; “Easter” seems to divorce the astounding reality of the occasion from the minds of men. We could probably dispense with the name “Easter” altogether and be better off, in my estimation. But I digress.
The crucifixion of Christ was the apex of history. It was the peak of the mountain from which living waters flowed both east and west (Zech. 14)—backward in time to those who had believed the promise of God prior to his incarnation, and forward in time to all who would believe thereafter. It was the center of the chiastic unfolding of life itself. You see this reflected in the way our calendar is structured: descending from BC to 0 and ascending into AD—literally, Anno Domini “the year of our Lord.” (Isa. 61)
First to the Jew, and also to the Greek
(It should be noted that in this context, “Greek” simply means a non-Jew. Therefore, “gentile” can be used interchangeably and will be from this point.)
It was the arrival of Christ in the flesh that split time into two ages as it related to God’s revelation of himself to mankind: the age of the Jews and the old covenant, and the age of the gentiles and the new covenant. Consider the following passages:
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” - Romans 1:16
There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek.” - Romans 2:9-10
“You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.’ God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness.” - Acts 3:25-26
God formed the people of Israel beginning with Abraham and enacted Israel as a formal nation with the dispensing of the Mosaic law. This is what made Israel a “chosen” nation. Though he could have done this with the Japanese, the Slavs, or the Peruvians, were it his good pleasure, it was this people group, nation, and culture God specifically formed to reveal himself through to the world and through which he foreshadowed the great work he would do in Christ.
“They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.” - Romans 9:4-5
It is in this regard that Israel is given special attention and the reason Christ came and preached the gospel to them first by his own ministry and the subsequent ministry of the twelve apostles. But that age has closed, for we are all now a chosen people in Christ (1 Pet. 2:9). We all have access to the revelation of Christ.
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” - Galatians 3:28
Beginning in Jerusalem
In light of this, before Christ ascends to his heavenly throne, he instructs the twelve that their ministry is to begin in Jerusalem and extend from there.
“Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.” - Luke 24:45-47
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” - Acts 1:8
This is also why Jesus regulated his earthly ministry mainly to a small region of Israel with instances of extending healing and ministry to gentiles like the Syrophoenician woman remaining rare.
“But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” And he answered, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”
- Matthew 15:25-27
It’s also the reason that Christ made comments like the following:
“Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.
- Matthew 16:20“And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.” - Matthew 17:9
Two Ages, Three Ages
First to the Jew
So what does this have to do with our topic of the appointed times and seasons of the Gospel? Returning to our introduction on the two ages of history, bracketing either side of Christ’s crucifixion, we can see that the age prior to Christ’s coming until shortly after (~70AD) was the age when the revelation of God belonged to the Jews and the Jews only.
The age of the nation of Israel pre-Christ was a climbing to the top of the mount, that mount of Calvary. And that’s exactly what the people of God spent their time doing in order to commune with Him. All through the Old Testament, we see men climbing mountains either to receive revelation from God and/or offer sacrifices. Mount Sinai, Mount Moriah, the Mount of Olives, etc. Even the altar in the temple stood as a type of mountain. This was the labor of man until mankind reached the top of that Mount, not of his own accord, but through the One Perfect Man who ascended to the top of that mountain of crucifixion. That apex of history where man received the full revelation of God and where the final sacrifice was offered.
It was from the top of this mountain that the descent began. The descent of a river of living water that flowed to ALL mankind—to every nation, tribe and tongue. To the gentiles.
Then to the Gentile
“In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.” - Hebrews 8:13
After the full revelation of the gospel was given to the nation of Israel, her age and her covenant began to close and become “obsolete,” as the writer of Hebrews tells us. Gentiles were being added to the church now that Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria had been evangelized. The apostle Paul was commissioned by Christ specifically for the purpose of taking the gospel to the gentiles—the ends of the earth.
We are still descending from that mountain of Calvary as the fountainhead of living water that fills Christ’s church—the Holy Spirit—continues to multiply and flow into the four corners of the earth; not at all unlike the picture we are given in Genesis 2 of the rivers that flowed from the mount of Eden and watered the whole land. And this age of living water flowing to the nations shall continue until all the land is watered with the Word brought down from the mountain.
This age & the age to come
As we’ve seen in the previous parts of this series, history moves in seasons.
Part 1 was a historical proof of the feasts and seasons being fulfilled in scripture and the theoretical proof of the ongoing fulfillment of the feasts and seasons in the church as the gospel is proclaimed and does its work in sinners.
Part 2 was a map showing that all of history has moved in seasons beginning with the spring of the first creation and cycling through the day of summer, the twilight of fall, and the dark of winter until the spring of the new creation is reached and the cycle begins again until the culmination of all of history is realized.
This third part continues to bear out the unfolding of the appointed times and shows us this division of history into the age of the Jews (national Israel) and the age of the gentiles (the church/spiritual Israel).
Interpretations of “ages”
I have heard of two main ideas surrounding the interpretation of the “ages” passages. First, there is a dispensational interpretation that says “ages” refers to multiple ages such as the age of Israel and the law, the church, Israel again, a thousand year earthly reign, eternity, etc. In total, the dispensationalist would claim something around 7 or 8 “ages” or dispensations.
The second interpretation says that there are precisely two ages: this age (on earth) and the age to come (the new heaven and new earth in eternity).
Both have their cases in scripture, but I would like to present the way that I have come to see the “ages” with a few example passages. But first, we must pause for a brief explanation of scripture’s pattern of revelation and judgment. This is where the seasons come into the discussion.
The giving of revelation and subsequent judgment
First, God gives the law or revelation of himself. This was exemplified by the giving of the first commandment to Adam not to eat of the tree. You can think of this as “spring.” New life = new revelation of God.
Second, man is given space to receive and live by this revelation of God; that is, he is commissioned to go and work according to this revelation. Historically no one but Christ successfully obeyed; all other men rejected the revelation and went their own way (Rom. 3:23). This is exemplified by Adam’s sin of taking and eating the fruit. You can think of this as the “summer.” A time of commission and work.
Third, God comes in judgment to give recompense according to what was done with the revelation given to man. This is exemplified by God coming to Adam to evaluate his work, which was found wanting and, therefore, a rejection of the revelation of God. You can think of this as “fall.” The coming of God in judgment.
And finally, the work and God’s evaluation of it is complete and night comes. You can think of this as “winter.”
You can see this pattern wonderfully depicted in the creation story as well. Each day, God created and commissioned each new creation with their position and function in the world. Each evening, he stood back and judged that “it was good.” And then the scripture declares, “There was evening and there was and morning,” on such and such day. Creation, commission, evaluation and judgment, completion and rest.
Fulfillment in “this age”—the age of the Jew
This pattern, akin to the same seasons or “appointed times” we’ve been discussing all through this series, has occurred in the unfolding of the gospel, through the course of history, and, now we shall see, during the age of the Jews and “also the Greek.”
1 - Christ came as THE revelation of God in the flesh to Israel. With an initial rejection, in order to fulfill the scripture, the Jews crucified him.
2 - The church is born and the apostles are commissioned to work, taking the gospel FIRST to the Jew in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and extending outward. It was a time of work according to the revelation and commission that was given by Christ.
3 - Though some Jews were saved, the majority rejected the gospel revelation of Christ. Once Israel had received the full revelation, God came in judgment, and the works of unbelieving Israel were revealed, quite literally, by fire.
4 - Jerusalem, along with the old temple system and the old covenant became fully obsolete and fell in the siege of 70AD.
This was the END of the age. Consider verses that speak of “ages” in this sense of Jew/Old covenant and Gentile/new covenant:
“And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.” - Matthew 12:32
“And this we will do if God permits. For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come.” - Hebrews 6:3-5
Does the Matthew verse refer to an earthly age in which men will not be forgiven and then of the age of eternity? I would say it refers, rather, to men not being forgiven for blaspheming the spirit during the old covenant nor during the new covenant. The Jew, then the gentile.
And does the Hebrews verse refer to the powers of the Holy Spirit in the age of the earth and then the age of eternity? I think it is actually referring to that transition period at the birth of the church. Those at the time were tasting of the power that the Holy Spirit would go on working in the coming church age once the apostolic age came to a close.
Another passage:
“And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.” - Luke 18:28-30
Again, I believe Christ was speaking of the age of the Old covenant in which he was present when he said this, and was referring to the coming age of the new covenant, where all who believed would be granted eternal life. This was not the case in the old covenant. Men died and were laid in Sheol to await this time that Christ would come to defeat the grave (Matt. 27:52). However, in the new covenant, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:8).
But a final verse which seems a little different:
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”
- Ephesians 2:4-7
Here we find the “coming ages,” plural.
How shall we reconcile this with the two ages proposed initially? In two ways:
1 - There are two ages during our time on earth, centered around that mountain peak when Christ appeared in the flesh: the age of the the old covenant Jew, and the age of the new covenant gentile.
2 - There are arguably THREE ages if you factor in eternity; the two aforementioned here on earth and then the age of eternal life. And I like to think of it this way:
Christ came in the flesh (close of the first age), Christ has come in the spirit (present second age), and Christ will dwell with us eternally in the final and everlasting age in both flesh and spirit. Therefore, there are three “ages.” And how fitting since we serve a triune God and he is the God of all three tenses, the I Am, the one who was and is and is to come.
The end of “the age to come”—the age of the gentile
Just as we have seen the seasons of revelation, commission and work, and judgment conclude in Israel, so we shall see them again at the end of this age of the church. As stated in previous parts of this series, the church is in the appointed season of working according to the commission given in Matthew 28 and according to the revelation of Jesus Christ explained in the writings of the apostles.
The end of this age will unfold just as the first, except this time it will be the whole world that will come under judgment since it is the whole world that has been and is being presented with the revelation of Christ and the law by which they will be judged. Each will be rewarded according to his works. Those in Christ with eternal life since their works will have been built on the foundation of faith, and, therefore acceptable to God. And those outside of Christ with eternal damnation since their works will have been built on the shifting sand of their own merits.
Who shall ascend the mountain of the Lord?
Easter, Passover, Holy Week, the celebration of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ—the moment in time on which all of history hinges, that grave and joyful mountain. It should be the place from which all our strivings cease… and flow. Life is made of hills and valleys which we are constantly ascending and descending. But the greatest ascent was made on our behalf so that the greatest descent—rivers of life flowing down—could be our blessed and restful reality.
Christ ascended the mountain of God’s law. Christ IS the mountain of God’s law. Christ offered the acceptable sacrifice. Christ IS the acceptable sacrifice. From Christ flowed the living water. Christ IS the living water.
Go tell it on the mountain
We have just finished the Easter season. I still don’t think that title rightly covers or expresses the great apex towards which all of history climbed and from which all of history has flowed.
Nevertheless, we gathered to remember and proclaim Christ’s great ascent to Calvary, as we do each Sunday. In the midst of our celebration, let us not forget the many outside our church walls—and even inside them—who are still striving to make that great ascent on many mountains apart from Christ. They are laboring to reach God—yet in vain. They cannot by their own works. And thus, shall never taste those rivers of living water.
Let us put this season of our commission and good works to diligent use, “making the most of every opportunity” ( Eph. 5:16) to water the land with the Word.
May we let them know that those who put their trust in the Lord shall mount up on wings like eagles (Isa. 40:31) and never have to place a foot on that rocky crest, except to run down the other side with the good news that they have been set free. Perhaps we should adopt that old Christmas song this time of year as well: “Go tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere.” ‘Tis the season, dear Christians.
Come let us go up to the mountain of the Lord
“It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it, and many peoples shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord.” - Isaiah 2:1-5
Amen.