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Spirit of the Word - Covenant Eschatology - Introductory Note - New Stuff
The follow is an excerpt from the Saviour series article Eternity

"AION" - An Age

by J. Preston Eby

      There are many precious and important truths contained in this parable,
     but we must restrain ourselves from pursuing them at this time in order
     to deal briefly with two points. First, it is important to note that this
     separation of the sheep from the goats was brought about, not on the
     basis of whether one had accepted Jesus Christ as his personal saviour,
     but solely on the basis of WORKS. Everything depended entirely upon
     what the sheep or goats had DONE or had NOT DONE. There was
     nothing of faith or a spiritual experience connected with this separation.
     The sheep were set on God's right hand because of the fact that they
     had done something - given meat and drink to the LORD'S
     BRETHREN, clothed them, visited them, and comforted them. All these
     things the Lord said they had DONE TO HIM. But the sheep confessed
     that they had never seen Him, so how could they have done these things
     to the Lord? He answered, "Inasmuch as you have done it to the least of
     THESE MY BRETHREN, you have done it unto Me." All of this is a
     kind of ministry unto the Lord Himself and it brought all these people
     into a separation unto blessings of the right hand of God! This had
     nothing whatever to do with how the sheep treated the Jews, or the
     orphans in foreign lands, or the destitute masses or the poor drunk in the
     gutter. None of those are the Lord's brethren! Paul identifies the Lord's
     brethren in Rom. 8:29, "For whom He did foreknow, He also did
     predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be
     the firstborn among many brethren." The Lord's brethren are the sons
     of God, the members of His body, of His flesh, of His bone, of His
     spirit and nature. The sheep had responded in a positive way to these
     brethren in their time of testing and preparation during their sojourn in
     the flesh, and now there is rich reward!

     This meant an entrance into a kingdom prepared for them from the
     foundation of the world. This kingdom was not to be some far-off land
     of ivory palaces, golden streets, beautiful mansions, white nightgowns,
     wings and harps, where there is nothing to do and all eternity to do it in.
     THIS IS A KINGDOM. And because it is a kingdom it denotes rulership
     and advancement of all kinds. It indicates the bringing of a great many
     people into a higher realm in the Spirit than they have ever known
     before. It means WORK and RESPONSIBILITY and a place of
     ministry and authority to bless.

     But the people who had never done all these things mentioned by the
     Lord were separated unto the left hand of God! They received no
     kingdom. There were no rewards for work done or attainments reached.
     Rather, they were set on the dark side of God, they were put under a
     kingdom and under authority and they were placed in a process of fiery
     judgment to receive correction. There is much subtle truth in these
     words of Jesus: "These shall go away into everlasting punishment." The
     word punishment is from the Greek KOLASIS which means simply that
     - punishment. But it comes from the root KOLAZO which sheds
     precious light upon the nature of the punishment. KOLAZO, according
     to Strong's Concordance, bears only two shades of meaning, namely, "to
     curtail" or "to chastise." To "curtail" means to restrain as a person is
     restrained in ail or a child is restrained when he is "grounded" for a week
     because of some disobedience. "Chastise" has one simple meaning
     according to Webster's New World Dictionary: to punish in order to
     correct, usually by beating. It should be clear to any thoughtful mind
     that the subject here is not meaningless, sadistic, unending torture, but
     PURPOSEFUL CORRECTION.

     While the King James version states that these goats go into everlasting
     fire and everlasting punishment and the sheep enter into life eternal,
     that is not quite the meaning of the Greek. The Greek word here
     translated everlasting and eternal is AIONIOS and AIONIOS is the
     adjective form of the Greek noun AION. Some have arrogantly
     contended that the punishment must be everlasting because the same
     word is used of the life of God - eternal life - and if the punishment is
     not eternal then the life cannot be eternal. But that is an argument put
     forth by the ignorant, the result of the shallow reasoning of men who
     reach hasty conclusions not founded on the facts. "If the punishment
     ends then God's life must end, if the life is eternal then the punishment
     must be eternal," we are told!

     In late years there has been much controversy over the meaning of the
     little Greek word AION. Certain deceivers, to further their unscrupulous
     ends and uphold their blasphemous and Romanish doctrine of eternal
     damnation, have maintained, contrary to and in spite of all revealed
     facts, that it means eternal. And our King James version renders it,
     together with the adjective AIONIOS as "age, course, eternal, for ever,
     evermore, for ever and ever, everlasting, world, beginning of the world,
     world began, world without end." What a horrible mixture!

     But we need not remain in darkness, for fortunately the Word of God
     tells us precisely what this Greek word means. Too few have taken the
     time or energy to consider the real meaning of AION. It is the word
     from which we get our English word eon. Eon, according to Webster,
     means "a long period of TIME." Many attempts have been made to
     prove that eons are eternal. But this is more than a grave error, it is the
     height of stupidity, for the divine Author of the blessed Bible has not
     Himself used them in that way. AION nowhere means eternal! Its
     simple meaning is an age. In its plural form it means ages. This fact can
     be unquestionably and incontrovertibly demonstrated from numerous
     New Testament passages. A glance at any Greek concordance proves
     that the noun AION, or AGE, is not the synonym of eternity. A study of
     each case would make a library; so, leaving this task to the reader, we
     must content ourselves with adducing a few specimens to demonstrate
     the fact. It is usage that determines meanings - THEIR usage, not ours;
     the meanings that the holy prophets and apostles gave to their words
     rather than those that our English translators may try to give. Let me
     illustrate.

     The term forever (and its equivalents, eternal and everlasting) often
     occurs when it cannot possibly mean unending. In the story of Jonah
     one is surprised to hear him say while in the belly of the fish, "I went
     down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was
     about me for ever" (Jon. 2:6). But he was in the fish only three days and
     three nights! When a Hebrew slave loved his master and did not wish to
     go free at the end of the seventh year, we read, "... His master shall bore
     his ear through with an awl; and he shall serve him for ever" (Ex. 21:6).
     Of course, that couldn't be longer than his life span. Again, when
     Solomon built the temple unto the Lord, he began his prayer of
     dedication with the statement, "I have surely built You a house to dwell
     in, a settled place for You to abide in for ever" (I Kgs. 8:13). And the
     Lord answered Solomon, "I have heard your prayer and supplication
     that you have made before Me: I have hallowed this house, which you
     have built, to put My name there for ever" (I Kgs. 9:3). But Solomon's
     temple lasted for only about 400 years! And it was never in God's mind
     to dwell there for ever!

     Here is something that ought to be clear to any intelligent, honest man. A
     word that is used to mean in one case three days and nights, in another
     case to mean a man's lifetime, and in still another case to mean a period
     of about four centuries, surely does not mean unending or eternal, no
     matter what English word is used to translate it. USAGE
     DETERMINES MEANING. Another illustration is the Aaronic
     priesthood. According to the King James version, Aaron and his sons
     were anointed as priests for ever. It says, "Their anointing shall surely be
     an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations" (Ex. 40:15). Yet
     we read in Heb. 7:11-18 that the Aaronic priesthood is CHANGED to
     that of Melchizedek. "Now if perfection had been attainable by the
     Levitical priesthood, for under it the people were given the Law, why
     was it further necessary that there should arise another and different
     kind of Priest, one after the order of Melchizedek, rather than one
     appointed after the order of Aaron? For when there is a CHANGE IN
     THE PRIESTHOOD, there is of necessity an alteration of the law
     concerning the priesthood as well. For it is obvious that our Lord sprang
     from the tribe of Judah, and Moses mentioned nothing about priests in
     connection with that tribe. So, a previous physical regulation and
     command is CANCELLED because of its weakness and ineffectiveness
     and uselessness" (Amplified Bible). Amazing, isn't it, that the priesthood
     which was ordained for ever has been CANCELLED! There would be
     no contradiction if the statement in Exodus were translated as it should
     be, "to the age throughout their generations." That is, throughout their
     generations AS LONG AS THAT AGE LASTED. In the Septuagint, the
     Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures which Jesus and His
     disciples used, the Greek word AION was the word used for the
     Hebrew OLAM. According to Hebrew and Greek usage, therefore,
     these words mean a period of time, a period of unknown length, the
     duration of which is determined by the fact or condition or person to
     which the term is applied.

     Furthermore, Lev. 24:8 states that the covenant given to Israel was an
     "everlasting covenant." Yet, it was conditional and based on Israel's
     obedience (Ex. 19:5-6). And the inspired writer of the book of Hebrews
     declares, "For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no
     place have been sought for the second. For finding fault with them, He
     says, Behold, the days come, says the Lord, when I will make a NEW
     COVENANT with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah... in
     that He says, A new covenant, He has made the first old. Now that
     which decays and waxes old is ready to VANISH AWAY" (Heb. 8:7 8,
     13). Ah, did you notice? The everlasting covenant has been DONE
     AWAY! What a wonder, that! We are told that the "earth abides
     forever" (Eccl. 1:4), but Jesus said, "Heaven and earth shall pass away..
     (Mat. 24:35).

     The Lord announced through the prophet Isaiah, "Upon the land of My
     people shall come up thorns and briers; yea upon all the houses of joy in
     the joyous city: for the palace shall be forsaken; the populous city shall
     be deserted; the hill and the watch-tower shall be dens for ever; a joy of
     wild asses, a pasture for flocks; UNTIL the Spirit be poured upon us
     from on high, and the WILDERNESS BECOME a fruitful field, and the
     fruitful field be counted for a forest" (Isa. 32:13-15). Verse 15 limits the
     use of the word in verse 14, for the desolations of the land are "for ever"
     only UNTIL the Spirit is poured out from on high bringing glorious
     RESTORATION!

     As regards animal sacrifices, dietary laws, ceremonial observances and
     sabbaths, each was to be "observed as a statute for ever" (Ex. 31:16-17;
     II Chron. 2:4; Lev. 16:31). But the New Testament clearly shows that
     these were, one and all, but "carnal ordinances imposed UNTIL the time
     of reformation" (Heb. 9:10). It is clear - if "for ever" really meant
     ETERNAL - we would still be offering sheep, bullocks, and goats as
     sacrifices to God! But - more startling still - the idea of endlessness does
     not adhere even to the reign of Christ. Heb. 1:8 says, "But unto the Son
     He says, Your throne, O God, is for ever and ever..." Now turning to
     another Scripture bearing on the same subject, we obtain additional light
     on this subject. "Then comes the end, when He shall have delivered up
     the kingdom to God, even the Father; when He shall have put down all
     rule and all authority and power. For He must reign TILL He has put all
     enemies under His feet. And when all things shall be subdued unto Him,
     THEN SHALL THE SON ALSO HIMSELF BE SUBJECT UNTO
     HIM that put all things under Him, that God may be all in all" (I Cor.
     15:24-25,28). The Kingdom of the Son will have a conclusion. In some
     remote time the Son delivers up the Kingdom to the Father, the
     Kingdom continues no longer in the rule of Sonship, but in the rule of
     Fatherhood, that God may be known no longer in and through the Son
     and the Sons, but transcendentally as ALL IN ALL!

     Dear reader, it is high time to stop acting the fool. It is high time to cease
     from exalting ourselves and our ignorant imaginings above the
     knowledge of God. It is high time to bow in humble submission to His
     Word and cease our own blasphemous and ignorant pratings. It is high
     time for a lot of people to curb their wagging tongues and do some
     listening for a change, if perchance they might at length learn something
     worth talking about. The Hebrew word OLAM and its Greek equivalent,
     AION, mean a limited time, an age, and their plural means ages. No one
     who is sane and reasonable can maintain otherwise. To do so is to
     contradict all known facts and to contradict God's own Word. That is
     precisely what all the "eternal damnation" people are guilty of. God be
     merciful to them!

     Let us look at how the word AION is used in a number of passages.
     About 37 times in the New Testament it is rendered "world," twice as
     "worlds," twice as "ages," and once as "course." Every place where the
     word "eternal" appears, with but one exception, it is a translation of this
     word AION or its adjective form AIONIOS. Twice it is rendered
     "evermore." Ever place where the word "everlasting" appears, but one, it
     is this same word or its adjective form. With but thirteen exceptions,
     every place where the word "ever" appears it is the same word or its
     adjective form. And aside from all this confusion, the word also appears
     in the plural, and in a number of confusing combinations, such as "the
     aion of the aion," "the aion of the aions," and "the aions of the aions,"
     etc.

     Some of the passages where AION is found will give us added
     information concerning it. In Eph. 2:7 we find, "in the ages (aions) to
     come." In Col. 1:26 we find, "the mystery which has been hid from ages
     (aions). " In Eph. 2:2 we find "you walked, according to the course aion
     of this world." In Heb. 1:2 we find, "by whom also He made the worlds
     (aions)." In Heb. 11:3 we find, "the worlds (aions) were formed by the
     Word of God." In about fifteen instances, such as Mat. 12:32, 1 Cor.
     1:20, etc., we find it rendered "this world (aion). " Twice we find "this
     present world (aion). " In Gal. 1:4 we find, "deliver us from this present
     evil world (aion)." In Eph. 6:12 we find, "the rulers of the darkness of
     this world (aion)." In 11 Cor. 4:4 we find, "the god of this world (aion)."
     In I Cor. 2:6 we find, "the wisdom of this world (aion)." In Lk. 16:8 we
     find, "the children of this world (aion)." In Mk. 4:19 we find, "the cares
     of this world (aion)." How much more understandable it would be if the
     translators had used the word age instead of world!

     In Mk. 10:30 we find that there is not only this present aion, which is
     evil, but also "the world (aion) to come." In Lk. 20:35 we find, "but they
     that shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world (aion), and the
     resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage." In
     Heb. 6:5 we find, "and have tasted the powers of the world (aion) to
     come." And in Lk. 1:70, Jn. 9:32, etc., we find that the aion had a
     beginning: "since the world (aion) began."

     And now in reviewing the Scriptures we have just quoted we note that
     this aion is something which has a king; it has princes; it is in darkness; it
     had a beginning; it has an ending; it is evil; it has wisdom; it has children
     who marry; it has cares. The aions we find were made by Christ, simply
     through His spoken Word, and we also find in Col. 1:26 that the
     mystery of Christ in us, the hope of glory, has been hidden from these
     aions.

     Now, if AION means ETERNAL, consider how ridiculous the Word of
     God would be! The Holy Spirit would be found saying, "the mystery
     which has been hid from eternities;" "the mystery of Christ which in
     other eternities was not made known;" "in the eternities to come;" "You
     walked according to the eternity of this world;" "by whom also He made
     the eternities;" "the rulers of the darkness of this eternity;" "now once in
     the end of the eternities has He appeared;" "the harvest is the end of the
     eternity;" "since eternity began;" "in the eternities to come," etc. etc. Let
     the scholars whose business it is delve into the many intricacies of
     expression, and worry over the many grammatical combinations. Suffice
     it to say here that there have been "aions" in the past, there is this
     present "aion," and there are "aions" to come. And these all combined
     make up TIME, encompassing the whole of the progressive plan and
     program of God for the development of His creation.

     Any thinking person should clearly see that if you translate the word
     AION which means an age by the word eternal, which has nothing to
     do with time, you immediately get the wrong idea. The same thing
     applies when the word AION is translated by the word world. It is
     incorrect and brings nothing but confusion. That is why so many
     Christians have been worrying about "the end of the world" when they
     should have been understanding God's special dealing here at "the end of
     the age." There is a great deal of difference between the expression, "He
     shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever," and the expression,
     "He shall be tormented day and night unto the ages of the ages." For
     ever and ever has no end. The ages of the ages do have an end, and
     their end will see every knee bowing and every tongue confessing that
     Jesus Christ is the Lord to the glory of God the Father. (Phil. 2:10;
     Rom. 14:10-11). The first expression forbodes complete hopelessness
     for billions and makes the faith of God of none effect. The second
     expression, which is completely correct, not only offers hope but
     expresses the ultimate fulfillment of the purpose which was purposed in
     Christ Jesus before the world began or before the ages were framed.

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Spirit of the Word - Covenant Eschatology - Introductory Note - New Stuff