'Now these things happened to them by way of example, and they were written for our admonition, on whom the ends of the ages are come.'
He stresses again that 'these things' (compare 1 Corinthians 10:6) happened 'by way of example' as an admonition to all who would follow. The imperfect, strictly 'were happening', stresses the continual nature of the happenings over time all through the wilderness period, just as would continue to happen among the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 11:30).
'On whom the end of the ages has come.' To the early church the coming of Christ had introduced the ends of the ages, 'the last days' (Acts 2:17); 'the end of the days' (Hebrews 1:2); 'the end of the times' (1 Peter 1:20); 'the end of all things is at hand' (1 Peter 4:7); 'the end of the ages' (Hebrews 9:26). And the fact that we live in such vital times, says Paul, stresses the importance of right living and obedience to God.