Monday, October 26, 2009

The Eons Explained

In a previous post of a year and a half ago called God, The Savior of All Mankind, I mentioned the following words:
aiōn – Greek noun
aiōnios – Greek adjective
owlam – Hebrew noun
Those words have been translated “eternal”, “everlasting”, “forever” and various other ridiculous words in the majority of today’s English Bible translations. However, they truly mean no such thing. It has taken me a long time to get back to the subject of God being the Savior of all mankind and addressing the meaning of those words, but the day has finally arrived. Those two Greek words and one Hebrew word mistranslated into our English language have become the cause of great confusion and a foundation to the false belief that THE God of ALL things, YHWH, will doom a great majority of mankind to an eternal and terribly painful torment as a price to pay for not believing in His Son, Jesus Christ, during their earthly life.

The first Greek word is “aiōn”; which is a noun that refers to a period of time with a beginning and an end. “Aiōn” is also the Greek word used to translate the Hebrew word “owlam” found in the Septuagint, the Greek version of the Old Testament. A literal translation into English for this word is “eon”. This word has commonly been mistranslated “world”, “ever”, “of old”, “never”, and “eternal”. How “eternal” can also be defined as “world” is incomprehensible.
The second word is “aiōnios” which is an adjective referring to something belonging or pertaining to the “aiōn”. The adjective “aiōnios” associates with “aiōn” as in speaking of something “American” (adjective) that describes something coming from America (noun). It describes something having to do with one or more of the “aiōns”. A literal translation for this word is “eonian”. This word has commonly been mistranslated such things as “eternal” and “everlasting”.
The term “eon” refers to “a period of time between two great physical and moral cataclysmic judgments of the earth and its inhabitants. In other words, there are five eons referred to in the Scriptures, which are separated by four great physical and moral changes, punctuating the history of the human race and the earth which it inhabits, namely, the Disruption, the Deluge, the Day of Wrath, and the Great White throne Judgment, bounded in the past by the Beginning and in the future by the Consummation. Though the term refers to the longest segments of time in the Scriptures, nevertheless, there is always a beginning and an ending.” (pg 67 in God’s Eonian Purpose by Adlai Loudy)
An eon is a definite period of time with a beginning and an end. The Scriptures speak of before the eons began, the eons which have passed, the present eon, and the eons to come. But unless you are looking at the original text in the original language or using a very literal translation, that truth will not be easy to see.
I believe one of the best ways to understand the complete meaning of these two words is by seeing them in their context in the Scriptures. Let’s look at the Scriptures using the Concordant Literal New Testament Bible translation and the New American Standard Bible translation. Discrepancies will be readily noticeable between the translations. If I were to quote the King James Bible, the discrepancies would be even greater because the KJV takes even greater liberties in translating aiōn.
Scriptures in the New Testament referring to “aiōn” or “eon”:
Through Christ, God created the eons not just the “world”. Before Christ created the eons, there were no periods of time during which earthly events took place.
By many portions and many modes, of old, God, speaking to the fathers in the prophets, in the last of these days speaks to us in a Son, Whom He appoints enjoyer of the allotment of all, through Whom He also makes the eons” (Hebrews 1:1-2 CLNT)
“God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.” (Hebrews 1:1-2 NASB)
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“To me, less than the least of all saints, was granted this grace: to bring the evangel of the untraceable riches of Christ to the nations, and to enlighten all as to what is the administration of the secret, which has been concealed from the eons in God, Who creates all, that now may be made known to the sovereignties and the authorities among the celestials, through the ecclesia, the multifarious wisdom of God, in accord with the purpose of the eons, which He makes in Christ Jesus, our Lord;” (Ephesians 3:8-11 CLNT)
“To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things; so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Ephesians 3:8-11 NASB)
There has been a secret that has been hidden in God during the past eons (time periods), but is now, in the present eon, being made known to sovereignties and authorities among the celestials through the ecclesia (the out-called in Christ).
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Scriptures speak of a time before the eons were created:
“You may not be ashamed, then, of the testimony of our Lord, nor yet of me, His prisoner, but suffer evil with the evangel in accord with the power of God, Who saves us and calls us with a holy calling, not in accord with our acts, but in accord with His own purpose and the grace which is given to us in Christ Jesus before times eonian” (2 Timothy 1:8-9 CLNT)
“Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity” (2 Timothy 1:8-9 NASB)
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“Paul, a slave of God, yet an apostle of Jesus Christ, in accord with the faith of God’s chosen, and a realization of the truth, which accords with devoutness, in expectation of life eonian, which God, Who does not lie, promises before times eonian” (Titus 1:1-2 CLNT)
“Paul, a bond-servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of those chosen of God and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness, in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago” (Titus 1:1-2 NASB)
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“but we are speaking God’s wisdom in a secret, wisdom which has been concealed, which God designates before—before the eons for our glory, which not one of the chief men of this eon knows, for if they know, they would not crucify the Lord of glory” (1 Corinthians 2:7-8 CLNT)
“but we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory;” (1 Corinthians 2:7-8 NASB)
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The eons were created for a particular purpose and certain events to take place. God had concealed a secret from the eons but now, in this present eon, has made it known through Paul and the ecclesia.
“I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for you, and am filling up in my flesh, in His stead, the deficiencies of the afflictions of Christ, for His body, which is the ecclesia of which I became a dispenser, in accord with the administration of God, which is granted to me for you, to complete the word of God—the secret which has been concealed from the eons and from the generations, yet now was made manifest to His saints, to whom God wills to make known what are the glorious riches of this secret among the nations, which is: Christ among you, the expectation of glory—“ (Colossians 1:24-27 CLNT)
“Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions. Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:24-27 NASB)
We can look at Colossians (and Ephesians 3:8-11) verses and see that God has not concealed the secret “forever” or “eternally”, because if He had, He would never disclose it. He concealed the secret for some periods of time and generations of people in the past and has now made it known in the present.
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Let’s now take a look at the Scriptures which speak of the current eon, the end of the eon, and the eons which are still to come:
“For the saving grace of God made its advent to all humanity, training us that, disowning irreverence and worldly desires, we should be living sanely and justly and devoutly in the current eon,” (Titus 2:11-12 CLNT)
“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age” (Titus 2:11-12 NASB)
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“Endeavor to come to me quickly, for Demas, loving the current eon, forsook me and went to Thessalonica, Crescens to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia.” (2 Timothy 4:9-10 CLNT)
“Make every effort to come to me soon; for Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica; Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia.” (2 Timothy 4:9-10 NASB)
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In speaking of the prophets of God that have been His mouthpiece, Zechariah said, “According as He speaks through the mouth of His holy prophets, who are from the eon” (Luke 1:70 CLNT)
“As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old” (Luke 1:70 NASB)
It is obvious Zechariah is not speaking of prophets that have lived for “eternity”.
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“but we are speaking God’s wisdom in a secret, wisdom which has been concealed, which God designates before—before the eons for our glory, which not one of the chief men of this eon knows, for if they know, they would not crucify the Lord of glory” (1 Corinthians 2:7-8 CLNT)
“but we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory;” (1 Corinthians 2:7-8 NASB)
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“And whosoever may be saying a word against the Son of Mankind, it will be pardoned him, yet whoever may be saying aught against the holy spirit, it shall not be pardoned him, neither in this eon nor in that which is impending.” (Matthew 12:32 CLNT)
“Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.” (Matthew 12:32 NASB)
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Jesus said, “Verily, I am saying to you that all shall be pardoned the sons of mankind, the penalties of the sins and the blasphemies, whatsoever they should be blaspheming, yet whoever should be blaspheming against the holy spirit is having no pardon for the eon, but is liable to the eonian penalty for the sin” (Mark 3:28-30 CLNT)
“Truly I say to you, all sins shall be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal in"--because they were saying, "He has an unclean spirit.” (Mark 3:28-30 NASB)
All sins and blasphemies shall be pardoned in the present eon, except those committed against the Holy Spirit shall be liable to the penalties having to do with the eon beyond the present one.
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Speaking in the parable of sowing, Jesus said, “Now he who is being sown in the thorns, this is he who is hearing the word, and the worry of this eon and the seduction of riches are stifling the word, and it is becoming unfruitful.” (Matthew 13:22 CLNT)
“And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.” (Matthew 13:22 NASB)
The worries and seduction of riches in this present age stifle the word of that hearer.
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Praying for the saints who are also believers in Christ Jesus, Paul says, “and what the transcendent greatness of His power for us who are believing, in accord with the operation of the might of His strength, which is operative in the Christ, rousing Him from among the dead and seating Him at His right hand among the celestials, up over every sovereignty and authority and power and lordship, and every name that is named, not only in this eon, but also in that which is impending” (Ephesians 1:19-21 CLNT)
“and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.” (Ephesians 1:19-21 NASB)
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“Grace to you and peace from God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ, Who gives Himself for our sins, so that He might extricate us out of the present wicked eon, according to the will of our God and Father, to Whom be glory for the eons of the eons. Amen!” (Galatians 1:4-5 CLNT)
“who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forevermore. Amen.” (Galatians 1:4-5 NASB)
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“Now He said to them, ‘Verily, I am saying to you that there is no one who leaves house, or wife, or brothers, or parents, or children on account of the kingdom of God, who may not by all means be getting back manyfold in this era, and in the coming eon, life eonian.’” (Luke 18:29-30 CLNT)
“And He said to them, "Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times as much at this time and in the age to come, eternal life.’" (Luke 18:29-30 NASB)
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“yet God, being rich in mercy, because of His vast love with which He loves us (we also being dead to the offenses and the lusts), vivifies us together in Christ (in grace are you saved!) and rouses us together and seats us together among the celestials, in Christ Jesus, that, in the oncoming eons, He should be displaying the transcendent riches of His grace in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:4-7 CLNT)
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:4-7 NASB)
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“Now, if your hand or your foot is snaring you, strike it off and cast it from you. Is it ideal for you to be entering into life maimed or lame, or, having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the fire eonian? And if your eye is snaring you, wrench it out and cast it from you. Is it ideal for you to be entering into life one-eyed, or, having two eyes, to be cast into the Gehenna of fire?” (Matthew 18:8-9 CLNT)
“If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than to have two hands or two feet and be cast into the eternal fire. If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be cast into the fiery hell.” (Matthew 18:8-9 NASB)
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“Now at His sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, ‘Tell us, when will these things be? And what is the sign of Thy presence and of the conclusion of the eon?’ And, answering, Jesus said to them, ‘Beware that no one should be deceiving you. For many shall be coming in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ!’ and shall be deceiving many. Yet you shall be about to be hearing battles, and tidings, of battles. See that you are not alarmed, for it must be occurring, but not as yet is the consummation.” (Matthew 24:3-6 CLNT)
“As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" And Jesus answered and said to them, "See to it that no one misleads you. "For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will mislead many. "You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end.” (Matthew 24:3-6 NASB)
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In another parable, Jesus also said, “He Who is sowing the ideal seed is the Son of Mankind. Now the field is the world. Now the ideal seed, these are the sons of the kingdom. Now the darnel are the sons of the wicked one. Now the enemy who sows them is the Adversary. Now the harvest is the conclusion of the eon. Now the reapers are messengers. Even as the darnel, then are being culled and burned up with fire, thus shall it be in the conclusion of the eon. (Matthew 13:37-40 CLNT)
“And He said, ‘The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one; and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels. So just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age.’” (Matthew 13:37-40 NASB)
There will be a “harvest” and separation of the “ideal seed” and the “weedy grass” at the end of the present eon. The “present wicked eon” will come to an end (so it cannot be “eternal”) and another eon of time begin with the 1,000 year reign of Christ.
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“Then shall He be declaring to those also at His left, ‘Go from Me, you cursed, into the fire eonian, made ready for the Adversary and his messengers. For I hunger and you do not give Me to eat; I thirst and you do not give Me drink; a stranger was I and you did not take Me in; naked and you did not clothe Me; infirm and in jail and you did not visit me.’ ‘Then shall they also be answering, saying, ‘Lord, when did we perceive you hungering or thirsting, or a stranger, or naked, or infirm, or in jail, and we did not serve you?’ Then shall He be answering them saying, ‘Verily, I am saying to you, in as much as you do it not to one of these, the least, neither do you it to Me. And these shall be coming away into chastening eonian, yet the just into life eonian.’” (Matthew 25:41-46 CLNT)
“Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.' "Then they themselves also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?' "Then He will answer them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' "These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." (Matthew 25:41-46 NASB)
There will be coming a period of time where some will face a discipline while others will be enjoying the blessings of God and Christ. But the Scriptures are not speaking of endless time in that context. What is revealed to us in the book of Revelation is not the end of the story. The apostle Paul gives us a further glimpse beyond what is revealed in Revelation. He says in 1 Corinthians 15:19-28:
“If we are having an expectation in Christ in this life only, more forlorn than all men are we. (Yet now Christ has been roused from among the dead, the Firstfruit of those who are reposing. For since, in fact, through a man came death, through a Man, also, comes the resurrection of the dead. For even as, in Adam, all are dying, thus also, in Christ, shall all be vivified. Yet each in his own class: the Firstfruit, Christ; thereupon those who are Christ's in His presence; thereafter the consummation, whenever He may be giving up the kingdom to His God and Father, whenever He should be nullifying all sovereignty and all authority and power. For He must be reigning until He should be placing all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy is being abolished: death. For He subjects all under His feet. Now whenever He may be saying that all is subject, it is evident that it is outside of Him Who subjects all to Him. Now, whenever all may be subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also shall be subjected to Him Who subjects all to Him, that God may be All in all.)”
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For further reading and research regarding the eons of time, one can go to The Eons online articles at the Concordant Publishing website.
In their original language, the Scriptures do not speak of any “eternity”. When the Scriptures speak of something not arriving at a termination, it uses other words to describe such a thing. We’ll take a closer look at those words in an upcoming post. In the meantime, feel free to check out an interesting online article called How Eternity Slipped Inby Alexander Thomson.
In an upcoming post, I may expound more on the above Scriptures and will also address the subject of “hell”, the words that have been translated “hell”, and what the original words are and what they literally mean.

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