John Chrysostom : In this place he has also veiled over something. "But now once more in the end of the world." Why "at the end of the world"? After the many sins. If therefore, it had taken place at the beginning, then no one would have believed; and He must not die a second time, all would have been useless. But since later, there were many transgressions, with reason He then appeared: which he expresses in another place also, "Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. But now once in the end of the world, hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself." (Rom. v. 20.) — Homily on Hebrews 17 John Chrysostom : What is, "He hath appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself"? What is this "putting away"? it is making contemptible. For sin has no longer any boldness; for it is made of no effect in that when it ought to have demanded punishment, it did not demand it: that is, it suffered violence: when it expected to destroy all men, then it was itself destroyed. "He hath appeared by the sacrifice of Himself" (he says), that is, "He hath appeared," unto God, and drawn near unto Him. For do not think because the High Priest was wont to do this oftentimes in the year. So that henceforward this is done in vain, although it is done; for what need is there of medicines where there are no wounds? On this account He ordained offerings "continually," because of their want of power, and that a remembrance of sins might be made. — Homily on Hebrews 17 Origen of Alexandria : But this world, which is itself called an "age," is said to be the end of many ages. Now the holy apostle teaches that in the age that was before this, Christ did not suffer, nor even in the age before that; and I do not know that I am able to enumerate the number of previous ages in which he did not suffer. I will show, however, the statements of Paul from which I have arrived at this understanding. He says, "He has appeared once for all at the end of the age to take away sin by the sacrifice of himself." He says that Christ was made a "sacrifice" once, and "at the end of the ages has appeared to take away sin." Now after this age, which is said to be made for the consummation of other ages, there will be other ages again to follow; for we have clearly learned this from Paul himself, who says, "that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in his kindness toward us." He did not say "in the age to come" or "in the two ages to come" but "in the ages to come." I think, therefore, that by his language many ages are indicated. — ON FIRST PRINCIPLES 2.3.5 Origen of Alexandria : In trying to reconcile two apostolic passages it has often occurred to me to raise the question of how there can be a consummation of ages at which Jesus has been manifested once for all to do away with sin if there are going to be ages following this age. The passages are these: In Hebrews, "But now at a consummation of the ages he has been manifested once for all to do away with sin through his sacrifice," but in Ephesians, "In order that he may show forth in the years following, the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward us." Well, conjecturing on a matter so great, I believe that, just as the year's consummation is its last month after which arises another month's beginning, so probably the present age is a consummation of numerous ages completing as it were a year of ages, and after it certain coming ages will arise whose beginning is the coming age. In those coming ages God shall show forth the riches of his grace in kindness, when the greatest sinner, who for having spoken ill against the Holy Spirit is held fast by his sin throughout the present age and the coming one from beginning to end, shall after that, I know not how, receive a dispensation. — ON PRAYER 27.15 Tertullian : Therefore, by means of the wide licence of those days, materials for subsequent emendations were furnished beforehand, of which materials the Lord by His Gospel, and then the apostle in the last days of the (Jewish) age, either cut off the redundancies or regulated the disorders. — To His Wife Book I