The gospel writers obviously reflected upon "the teaching of the rabbis about the two-tiered present evil age and the future age of the Messiah." For them "the period between the resurrection of Jesus and that of all believers the “two ages” exist side by side. The old is passing away, and the new is present, but not in its fullness. [1]
In other words at some point there will be a full end of the present age, and the coming age is going to materialize in it's fullness!
This transitional period was probably inspired by the book of Daniel. The book of Daniel has clearly linked the resurrection from the dead (Daniel 12:2) with the full end of the days (i.e. age), when he will also be raised to life to receive his reward of everlasting life. (Daniel 12:4; Daniel 12:13)
The Greek word used to express this basic idea of consumption, or full end of something is συντέλεια. [2] Matthew consistently uses the phrase συντελειας του αιωνος to convey what will happen at the full end of the age. This wording is used several times in Matthew (Matthew 13:39–40, 49; 24:3; 28:20) gospel.
Lets look at chapter thirteen and twenty four and investigate in immediate context what Matthew thought it will take place at the full end of the age he lived in.
In chapter thirteen Jesus is talking to the multitude in parables, which obviously wondered his disciples, because they questioned his action. (Matthew 13.10) He replied "Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given" to the disciples, "but not to" the general public. (Matthew 13.11-15) Than Jesus goes on to explain the parables in details.
In the parable of the weed and the net, Matthew gives an overlook of what will happen at the full end of the age (συντελειας του αιωνος). So what is it to be expected when the present age comes at it's full end?
According to the parable of the weed, at the full end of the age there will be a harvest, and the harvesters are the angels. The stage is the world [3] and the good seed are those who are deemed worthy to inherit the kingdom of god, while the weed are the evil doers (Matthew 13.38-39).
Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the (full YLT) end of the age [2]. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.When the harvest is finished, and the full end of the age has come
(Matthew 13.40-42)
then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. (Matthew 13.43)In the parable of the net, Matthew explains again what will happen at the full end of the age.
“Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. This is how it will be at the (full YLT) end of the age [2]. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.It is a vivid and dramatic imagery of the divine clean up of the coming kingdom of god. The great separation between the good and the evil, the one inheriting the kingdom of god and eternal life, the others thrown away into furnace of fire, the wrath that was about to come.
(Matthew 13.47-50)
Those passages make it clear that there will be a judgment day at the full end of the age, and it is alluded that it will be a global all inclusive event [3]. But this passages indicate anything about the time when they are to occur.
Some episodes later, Jesus got outraged upon the teachers of the law and the Pharisee's. He spoke out the seven woes. By using the words of the John the Baptist (Matthew 3.7), Matthew gives a hint what would the coming wrath be:
“You serpents, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of hell?
(Matthew 23.33)
But why is it that they can't escape the sentence to hell? Because they killing gods prophets he sends to Jerusalem. (Matthew 23.34-35, 37-38)
Jesus makes it obvious that god is displeased with the Pharisee's and the teachers of the law, who kill all the prophets. Therefore they will kill him eventually, and so they will doom their sentence to hell! After the seven woes discourse, Jesus moves out of the temple, presumably to the mount of olives that was situated near Jerusalem, where the famously disputed olive discourse was given.
The disciples have approached Jesus and bragged about the marvelous temple building. (Matthew 24.1) To their shock, Jesus tells them that not a stone upon the other will be left, an allusion to the temple destruction. (Matthew 24.2) The disciples were immediately curious about this courageous statement. It is the house of god, how can it be destroyed, right? The question Jesus about the events and the signs when this will happen:
Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the (full YLT) end of the age [2]The question is concerning the full end of the age, which is connected with the temple destruction and the sign when the Messiah is to return.
(Mark 13.4 ;Matthew 24.3)
In summery: The author of Matthew, and at some length the author of Mark, thought that at the full end of age, will come during the firrs century AD, when the temple will be destroyed, and the Messiah will come to establish the kingdom of god. At this point, the angels and will separate the wicked and the good, and god will reward them appropriately. The envisioned stage was the world.
