"God is the Beginning and the End." Only God can begin a new age, and end an old one. Since the Lord Jesus began the Age of Grace, ending the Age of Law, for two thousand years, people have lived in God's grace, enjoying the Lord's love and mercy. It was not until Almighty God came in the last days that the Age of Grace ended. He brought the Age of Kingdom, raising the curtain on the judgment of the great white throne. Then humanity entered a new era.
In the Age of Grace, John paved the way for Jesus. He could not do the work of God Himself and merely fulfilled the duty of man. Though John was the forerunner of the Lord, he could not represent God; he was only a man used by the Holy Spirit. Following the baptism of Jesus, “the Holy Spirit descended upon Him like a dove.” He then began His work, that is, He began to perform the ministry of Christ. That is why He assumed the identity of God, for He came from God.
