We've had several different discussions that the information here touches on. I believe the purpose of God's plan for the ages is one of the most left out and overlooked things in Christendom. It is usually believed that we live, die, either go to heaven or hell, and that's it. I hope you find the following interesting and helpful.
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..the "breadth, height and depth" of the power of Jesus Christ's sacrifice ...will be revealed during the future ages that Paul said would unfold in our planet's future. Many Christians overlook the biblical teachings that when Christ returns, the only people resurrected are the righteous saints who will rule with Christ for 1000 years (Revelation 20:4 and 6), but the "rest of the dead [the unsaved] lived not until the thousand years were finished" (Revelation 20:5). When the unsaved are all resurrected after the millennium, the "book of life" is again "opened" (Revelation 20:11-12). This statement has huge implications for afterlife issues." Steven M. Collins
Excerpts from
http://www.purposeoflife.org.uk/the%20ages%20doc.htmAn eonian purposeEphesians 3:11 states that this purpose is an 'eonian' purpose. Most translations read 'eternal' purpose, but if it were eternal the purpose itself would never be realised! The fruit of this fulfilled goal though will be 'eternal', as this word is normally understood, that is, it will never end. But the overall plan and ultimate goal is revealed in Scripture as occurring within 'the eons' or 'ages' – hence it is an eonian plan with an eonian purpose. This causes a major stumbling block in most translations, which read everlasting, eternal, forever and ever, etc.
..according to most translations, some scriptures (including Revelation 22:5 and Revelation 11:15) state that Christ and His servants shall 'reign forever and ever!' This proves the folly of inconsistent translation. We will of course reign for the eons of the eons until the Consummation, when God's purpose will be complete - but not forever and ever. And needless to say, God's kingdom shall endure 'forever.'
The Ages .... This final Age will probably last for many thousands of years, but we are not specifically told, although in Deuteronomy 7:9 and 1 Chronicles 16:15-18, God promises that His covenant with Israel would last for a thousand generations! There is much debate as to what constitutes a generation, and biblically speaking, it would appear to be 40 years, but even if we take 20 years as the minimum for a generation, the conclusion is 20,000 years! Of course, the thousand generations is no doubt figurative, but time will tell!
All the previous Ages have ended with some kind of cataclysmic judgment, but such is not the case with the final Eon. This Age shall close with the vivification of the remainder of humanity who are held by the Second Death, and it shall result in the complete reconciliation of ALL creatures in the heavens and on the earth to God, as Father of ALL. This will be a glorious consummation - a triumph deserving of the Creator of the universe, and His Son, who gave Himself for ALL.
So eventually God's plan and purpose for the Ages will be complete, when the events of 1 Corinthians 15:24-28 will be realised.
We cannot be dogmatic about the administrations, and it can't be emphasised enough, that this is only a guide to assist us in understanding God's Word as it relates to history and His plan. The number of the administrations can vary depending on your viewpoint. For example, A. E. Knoch and the Concordant Publishing Concern, who I was influenced by for many years, teaches that there are 12 administrations. I will just be listing the foundational ones here that clearly exist in Scripture.
7. The Administration of Fullness (or Glory)
This is the final 'administration of the complement of the eras' spoken of by Paul (Ephesians 1:10; Revelation 21-22). It is the era of the manifestation of the kingdom of God in all its fullness and glory. It will begin after the White Throne Judgment Day, at the beginning of the New Creation, and will last until the Consummation, when death shall be abolished and all will be reconciled to God as Father, that He may be All in All (Revelation 21:1 - 22:5; 1 Corinthians 15:20-28).
This will also be an administration of Righteousness and Justice, and will begin with the events of the Day of the Lord and the great Judgment Day. For all unbelievers and religious hypocrites, it will also be an administration of Wrath.
Seven Administrations speaks of the completion and fullness of God's age-abiding Plan and Purpose.
Paul's Revealed SecretsPaul revealed much more than the other apostles in his message to the nations, and his letters contain a progressive revelation of new truth (or secrets) that were primarily, but not solely, for the nations.
Nevertheless, Paul reveals things that are only found in his letters, and these revelations were given to him through personal appearances of Christ. These secrets and his additional details of prophecy, along with specific instructions for believers of the nations, were an extension of what Jesus and the Twelve had previously revealed, and was not something separate from them. The primary secret that Paul revealed was the Administration of Grace (Ephesians 3:2), which would occur during Israel's national rejection and partial blindness, in which God is calling out a people from all nations to complement the remnant of Israel chosen by grace to rule with Christ in the future ages (Romans 11). This 'Body of Christ' is a Firstfruit of the ultimate destiny of ALL humanity, the ecclesia of the Firstborn (James 1:18; Romans 8:23; Hebrews 12:23; Revelation 14:4).
*Addendum: The DisruptionThe phrase the disruption of the world is literally 'the down-casting of the world system (Gr. kosmos),' that is, a foundational change in the order of things on this earth. Now this evidently occurred at the close of the First Age, as shown earlier in this study, due to the spiritual rebellion that formed the kingdom of darkness. But there was clearly another disruption of the world at the beginning of the Second Age, at the very beginning of humanity's existence on this planet, which is more relevant for us now as humans.