On The Eagle's Wings

Previously I have discussed the words "aion" and it's adjective "aionios" which have been translated in most of our bibles as "eternal", "forever", "everlasting" and other such words, sometimes in passages that just cannot support the meaning "eternal".  For example Jonah was NOT in the whale forever yet our Bibles say:

Jonah 2:6

        To the roots of the mountains I sank down;
       the earth beneath barred me in forever.
       But you brought my life up from the pit,
       O LORD my God.

There are many other instances where the word simply cannot mean forever or eternal  ie. the land of Canaan was given to the Jews to be theirs forever yet there were some 1800+ years in which it was not theirs.  The Levitical priesthood is said to be an everlasting priesthood, yet we know from scripture it ended, as did the old covenant which is also called and everlasting covenant, Sodom and Gommorah are no longer burning with fire today yet our bibles say it burned with everlasting fire, etc.  See a previous writing on this subject "Olam", "Aion" and "Aionios"--Forever?.

So there is a word in Greek that does mean FOREVER and ALWAYS. Aidios (# 126 in Strong's) and it appears twice in the New Testament in the following places:

Romans 1:20

²⁰For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

And Jude 1:6

⁶And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day.

The words that most of our Bibles have translated "eternal", "forever", and "everlasting" are: "aion" (#165) and the adjective "aionios" (# 166). Both mean an age, or age-time, the duration of which is indefinite and are used with those definitions in all other writings in Greek including Josephus, Philo, Plato, etc.  Makes sense that Jesus would also speak using words that were commonly used and understood by the people of his day.  No one hearing Jesus speak or reading His words in Greek would have misunderstood his meaning.  Those reading the writings of the Bible in their own languages would have had NO reason to believe in "eternal torment".  One has to wonder WHY the original words have been mistranslated?  Seems veeeery fishy indeed!

Jesus spoke of an "age of pruning" or "temporary period of correction" (kolasin aionion) as opposed to pagan writers who wrote about "eternal punishment" (aidios timoria).  Different words! Different meaning!  The word used unanimously by Greek writers to signify "endlessness" is "aidios".  Clearly Jesus would have used "aidos" had He meant 'endless'.  There were however, sects in Jesus day who did believe in eternal punishment.  See the following quote from chapter 3 The Origins of Endless Punishment by Hanson in 1899.

For example, the Pharisees, according to Josephus, regarded the penalty of sin as torment without end, and they stated the doctrine in unambiguous terms. They called it eirgmos aidios (eternal imprisonment) and timorion adialeipton (endless torment), while our Lord called the punishment of sin aionion kolasin (age-long chastisement).

By the way...the words "eirgmos aidios" or eternal imprisonment and "timorion adialeipton", endless torment, never appear anywhere in the Greek text of the New Testament. See also an earlier discussion called Punishment. 

We have a redemptive God!  No wonder He is called LOVE!

For another wonderful article on "the ages" check this one out...Eternity Explained