God's End Times - Divine Ages - Understanding God's Plan For The Ages. www.timwrayministryblog.com

There are important time divisions in the plan of God which the scriptures refer to as “worlds” and “ages”. The word “world” does not generally refer to this physical planet with its mountains, oceans, rivers, trees etc. The word is often translated from the Greek word “kosmos” which means “an order, system, or arrangement of things”. The present order, system or arrangement of things upon this earth involves all the institutions, organizations, laws, traditions, customs, etc. which have been developed to either control or give motivation to the lives and actions of men and nations. This includes all governmental systems, educational institutions, religious organizations, economic orders, traditions, customs and every other thing that gives form and substance to our present social order. All of these, together with the time period during which mankind functions within their framework, constitute a biblical “world”.

In Peter’s second epistle, chapter 3, we are told of three such “worlds”. “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of His coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished : But the heaven and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness” (II Peter 3:38, 1113).

THE WORLD THAT WAS

Let us go back and take a closer look at II Peter 3:5-6. “For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water, perished”. Now let us read this from the New English Bible: “In taking this view they lose sight of the fact that there were heavens and earth long ago, created by God’s word out of water and with water: and by water THAT FIRST WORLD WAS DESTROYED, the water of the deluge. And THE PRESENT HEAVENS AND EARTH, again by God’s word, have been kept in store for burning”. That first world, then, existed from the time of the creation unto the flood. Thus, the entire period of time from Adam to the great Deluge is called a “world” – the world that then was.