d by the word "world"
no less than forty times in the New Testament. A few of these passages
follow: "And whosoever speaketh a word against the son of man, it shall
be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Spirit, it
shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world (age), neither in the
world (age) to come" (Matt. 12:32). "And as he sat upon the Mount of
Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall
these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the
end of the world (age)?" (Matt. 24:3). "The field is the world (men);
the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the
children of the wicked one; the enemy that sowed them is the devil; the
harvest is the end of the world (age); and the reapers are the angels"
(Matt. 13:38, 39). "And, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of
the world (age)" (Matt. 28:20). "For the children of this world (age)
are in their generation wiser than the children of light" (Lu. 16:8).
"And set him at his own right hand in the heavenlies, far above all
principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is
named, not only in this world (age), but that which is to come" (Eph.
1:20, 21). "We should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this
present world (age)" (Titus 2:12). By these and many other passages, it
may be seen that the present age is a particular limited period of time
in which special conditions are to prevail, and definite purposes are to
be realized.

Judging from the mass of Christian writings and from utterances in
public address and prayer, this age is assumed by many, without
question, to be the Kingdom of Christ; though no Scripture is found to
warrant that conclusion.

There is a kingdom of God which embraces the entire universe, over which
God is enthroned, and to this kingdom every enemy must finally be
brought back to original subjection and adjustment, or be banished
forever. This final victory is described in I Cor. 15:24, 25: "Then
cometh the end, when He (Christ) shall have delivered up the kingdom to
God, even the Father; when He shall have put down all rule and all
authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies
under His feet."

There is a still more extensive body of Scripture which anticipates a
literal kingdom of righteousness and peace upon the earth; this theme
being the burden of the Old Testament prophets, and was announced by
John