Psalm 49:19, Matthew 12:32

[jeremiah]

backwoodsman,

fair enough, i see what you're saying. i'm not so convinced, but i wondered if you might explain a little more what you mean by "no reason we can't be in both those 'ages' at the same time." i was a little puzzled by that.

grace and peace
jeremiah

[Homer]

It seems to me there is a reluctance to accept the obvious, but that's just my 2 cents.

All scriptures from New King James Version (NKJV)

Matthew 12:32
32. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.

Matthew 19:28-30
28. So Jesus said to them, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. 30. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.

Mark 10:29-31
29. So Jesus answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, 30. who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life.

Luke 18:29-31
29. So He said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, 30. who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life.”

Romans 2:5-8
5. But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6. who “will render to each one according to his deeds”: 7. eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; 8. but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath,

1 Timothy 6:18-20
18. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, 19. storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

What I see is that "in this age" and "in this present time" are used synonymously of this life, while the "regeneration, "age to come", and "time to come" are synonymous references to the judgement and eternal life.

[backwoodsman]

i wondered if you might explain a little more what you mean by "no reason we can't be in both those 'ages' at the same time." i was a little puzzled by that.

Well, just because the word "age" is used doesn't mean it has anything to do with some other place the word "age" is used. Jesus' "this age" and "the age to come" clearly are related, and follow one after the other. But I don't think Paul's "present evil age" has anything to do with them. He wasn't referring to some defined period of time; he was simply saying, "Things are bad now, and Jesus will rescue us."

It seems to me there is a reluctance to accept the obvious

Reluctance by whom? One way is obvious to you, another is obvious to me. In any case, the original question has to do with universalists' view, not your view or my view, and I think it's been answered.

[Homer]

Just gave my 2 cents; worth price charged.

[Paidion]

Homer quoted:

Mark 10:29-31
29. So Jesus answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, 30. who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life.

Like Homer, I also think it is obvious from the scriptures he quoted, especially the one above, that "this time" and "the age to come" are being contrasted. The disciple of Christ who has left everything to follow Him is rewarded both in "this time" and in "the age to come". But the rewards are not the same. In "this time", the disciple receives material things — houses, lands, and living, physical relatives. In "the age to come", he receives life, the kind of life which he doesn't have now.

If a man were to say, "This year I will build a house, and next year I will get married, and bring my wife into it," would any of us claim that the man exists both in this year and next year at the same time? You may think this analogy ludicrous, but it seems no more ludicrous than the other.