Ages of the world

 The Venerable Bede. 

1: Adam to Noah - Infancy

The First Age of this world is from Adam to Noah containing 1,656 years according to the Hebrew Truth and 2,242 according to the Septuagint, and ten generations according to both versions. This, the First Age, was wiped out in the universal Flood, just as the first age of every individual is usually submerged in oblivion, for how many people can remember their infancy.

2: Noah to Abraham - Childhood

The Second Age from Noah to Abraham comprises ten generations and 292 years according to the Hebrew authority, but according to the Septuagint 272 years and eleven generations. This was, so to speak, the childhood of God's people, and therefore it is discovered in a language, that is, in Hebrew, because from childhood on, when infancy is over - which is so called because an infant cannot speak - a person begins to learn to speak.

3: Abraham to David - Adolescence

The Third Age from Abraham to David contains fourteen generations and 942 years according to both authorities. This age was like the adolescence of the people of God, because from this age on, a person can reproduce. For this reason, the evangelist Matthew takes the beginning of the generations of Christ from Abraham, who was established as the father of the nation when he received his altered name.

4: David to Exile in Babylon - Youth

The Fourth Age from David up to the Exile to Babylon has 473 years according to Hebrew Truth, twelve more according to the Sepuagint, and seventeen generations according to both texts. However, the evangelist Matthew puts these generations at fourteen, for the sake of a certain symbolism. From this age - youth, so to speak - the era of the kings began among the people of God, for this age in man is normally apt for governing a kingdom.

5: Exile to the Coming of Christ - Maturity

The Fifth Age - maturity, if you will, from the Exile into Babylon until the coming of our Lord and Saviour in the flesh, extends for fourteen generations and 589 years. In this Age the Hebrew people were weakened by many evils, as if wearied by heavy age.

6: Current - Senility

The Sixth Age, which is now in progress, is not fixed according to any sequence of generations or times, but like senility, this Age will come to an end in the death of the whole world.

7 and 8: The Eternal Sabbath and Resurrection

By a happy death, everyone will overcome these Ages of the world and when they have been received into the Seventh Age of perennial Sabbath, they look forward to the Eighth Age of the blessed resurrection, in which they will reign forever with the Lord.