The Bible speaks of different periods of time in which God works to further His eternal purposes. We are told there are many more to come… “That in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:7). We have so much to look forward to!
But for many ages God kept secret the fact that He would welcome the nations into His eternal plans… “the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but is now made manifest to His saints: to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles (nations); which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:26,27).
Jesus stood up in His home synagogue and announced Himself as the promised Messiah and stated that the promised ‘Age of Grace’ to the world had come… “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach… the acceptable year of the Lord” (Luke 4:18,19). A grace period, a Gospel Jubilee, is a promised time period when God’s favor toward all mankind is to be extended, to pardon and redeem sinners, before He ushers in His eternal Kingdom.
This “Age of Grace” is still upon us today, but we are coming to the close of God’s patient waiting and loving invitation of grace. The chaos and catastrophes we’re witnessing are signs of the end that Jesus told us to watch for. Many of these events are man-induced, Satan-induced, or a decaying earth, as Jesus said. But we have God’s own word of assurance that He reserves His wrath for His enemies, not His own people, not innocent children, or even the animal kingdom (Nahum 1:2; Jonah 4:11). Our God of justice, goodness, and grace does not act indiscriminately. Those who call catastrophe’s “Acts of God,” fail to attribute to God all the good times and abundant blessings in this life.
Until the trumpet sounds from Heaven, we’re in the Age of Grace and God’s goodness and redeeming love are offered anew each day to anyone who will hear His voice, turn away from this sin-sick world, and run to His outstretched arms.
Hallelujah.
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