THERE are important time divisions
in the plan of God which the Bible
refers to as worlds and ages. What
the Bible says concerning anyone of
these periods of time may not be
true of another; so it is necessary
in our study of the Bible to apply
its various promises and prophecies
to the proper period of time in the
Divine plan; otherwise, the Bible
will seem to be contradictory. This
proper method of studying the Bible
is referred to by the Apostle Paul
as “rightly dividing the word of
truth.”—II Tim. 2:15
The entire period of time from Adam
to the Deluge is referred to in the
Bible as a “world”—“the world that
then was.” (II Pet. 3:6) Such
faithful servants of God as Abel,
Enoch, and Noah lived in this world.
It was toward the close of this
world that God instructed Noah to
build an ark.—Gen. 6:14
The period of time beginning with
the Flood and ending with the
establishment of Christ’s kingdom is
what the Bible speaks of as “this
present evil world.” (Gal. 1:4) It
is called an evil world, not because
there is no good in it, but because
evil predominates. Satan, the Devil,
is the prince, or ruler, of “this
present evil world.”—Mal. 3:15; John
14:30; II Cor. 4:4
A third world begins when the
returned Lord binds Satan and begins
his thousand-year reign. It is
referred to in the Bible as “the
world to come.” (Heb. 2:5) During
the first thousand years of this
third world, Jesus will be the
supreme ruler; and the purpose of
his reign will be to establish the
will of God throughout the earth and
to destroy all the enemies of God
and of righteousness.—I Cor.
15:25-28
Since evil has predominated in the
first two worlds, it is obvious that
any references in the Bible to the
general conditions during these two
periods of time would take this into
account. Only on special occasions,
and for specific purposes, has God
intervened in the affairs of mankind
during these two worlds to halt
wrongdoing. Most of the time it has
seemed as though the wicked have
flourished.—Job 21:7-15
For the present it appears that evil
practices are almost unrestrained.
It will be different in “the world
to come,” for then Satan will be
bound, and the kingdom of Christ
will be in control.—Rev. 20:1-4
During “this present evil world” the
righteous servants of God are often
persecuted. (II Tim. 3:12)
Persecution is referred to in the
Old Testament as the “rebuke” of
God’s people, and we are assured
that this rebuke will be taken away
by the agencies of Christ’s kingdom.
(Isa. 25:8) Then the righteous will
flourish and even the great evils of
sickness and death will be taken
away. The Apostle John, writing
concerning the third world in the
Divine plan, said: “God shall wipe
away all tears from their eyes; and
there shall be no more death,
neither sorrow, nor crying, neither
shall there be any more pain: for
the former things are passed
away.”—Ps. 72:7; Hosea 13:14; I Cor.
15:55; Rev. 21:1-5
STUDENTS’ HELPS
Questions
You have probably heard it said that
the Bible is contradictory; but this
is not true, as you will realize if
you know the answers to these
questions.
Explain what the Apostle Paul meant
by “rightly dividing the word of
truth.”
How does the Bible describe the
antediluvian world?
What name does the Bible give to the
period of time beginning at the
Flood, which we sometimes refer to
as “the world of today”?
How does the Bible describe “the
world of tomorrow,” and when does
this world begin?
Does God ever interfere with the
wickedness of “this present evil
world”? What will be one of the
factors to change this situation in
“the world to come”?
Will the righteous servants of God
always be persecuted?
Reference Material
“The Divine
Plan of the Ages,” pages 65-70
Summary of Important Thoughts
In order to understand the teachings
of the Bible, it is essential to
know the various time divisions in
the plan of God and apply the
promises and prophecies of the Bible
in their proper time periods.