The End Of the Age?

Q

I have a question after talking to my pastor this last Sunday. I asked him if he felt we were in the “End of The Age” and he said our church believes that when Jesus came the first time THAT was the beginning of the “End of The Age.” I want to talk to him more about all I am seeing and understand more. So far in my church I kind of get the brush off like they are too busy to answer. Have you heard of this before?

A

Saying that the end of the age began with the Lord’s first coming is the broadest possible application of the term. I think this opinion stems primarily from Peter’s comments in Acts 2:14-39 where he called the disciples’ manifestation of the gift of tongues a fulfillment of Joel 2:28-32, a prophecy most scholars tie to the end times judgments. John made a similar comment in 1 John 2:18, attributing the appearance of false teachers to the spirit of anti-Christ and saying it showed that the Church is in the “last hour.”

I think both these statements fall into the broad overview category, but some have used them to deflect questions like yours away from a discussion of prophecy. Since I don’t know your pastor’s view of the end times I can’t say whether he was doing this to you or not.