Scripture references are from the New King James Version of the Bible unless stated otherwise.
The Bible is a book of Ages, and in this chapter we will show you that there are seven distinct Ages referred to in the Bible. All that is written from Genesis to Revelation is related to one or more of these Ages. Everything that God has done, is doing and will do, must be understood in the context of these Ages, because God has a specific purpose for each Age. It is essential to understand that God's Plan of Universal Reconciliation through Jesus Christ is being worked out in Ages.
The Seven Ages, which we will discuss, should not be confused with the Seven Dispensations as promoted by J N Darby and C I Scoffield. The Seven Ages are different and distinct from the Seven Dispensations. Dispensationalists fail to understand and believe in God's plan of Universal Salvation and Reconciliation.
When did the Ages begin? The Ages began when God first created the heavens and the earth in the beginning, as the very first verse in the Bible says.
Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
When God first created the physical universe, including the earth through Jesus Christ, this marked the beginning of the Ages. This did not happen approximately six thousand years ago, as believed by Christians who hold to the Young Earth Creationist view. We reject the Young Earth Creationist View as unbiblical, illogical and unscientific. The Bible does not say how many years ago the Ages began, but it is likely to have been many millions of years ago, as star distances confirm.
Ages do not only begin, they also end. Ages do not continue forever.
When will the Ages end? They will end at the conclusion of God's plan of the Ages as written in Revelation 21:1-6.
Revelation 21:1-6
1 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. 2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."
5 Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful."
6 And He said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End..."
The Ages will end when Jesus Christ shouts the glorious words, 'It is done'. This is the time when the Kingdom of God of the New Heaven and the New Earth will be created and delivered to the Father. (1 Corinthians 15:24) This is the same time when there will be no more death, no more sorrow, no more crying and no more pain.
The Ages will end when God the Father Himself comes down from heaven and dwells with men on this renewed earth with its renewed heaven (the earth's atmosphere) and God will be all in all. (1 Corinthians 15:28) The Ages will end when everything, without exception, in God's created universe is reconciled to the Father.
Jesus Christ - God of the Ages
A very important name of Jesus Christ is The Beginning and the End. Please note in Revelation 21:6 above, that Jesus Christ Himself exalts His name as 'The Beginning and the End' just after He brings the Ages to an end by shouting the glorious words, 'It is done'. Of course, Jesus Christ is God and He is eternal, and He Himself never ends. When the Bible says that Jesus is the Beginning and the End, it means that He began the Ages and He will end the Ages, thus bringing to pass God's plan of the Ages for Universal Salvation and Reconciliation.
Jesus Christ emphasises God's Plan of the Ages through the meaning of His name given in three different ways: 'The Alpha and the Omega', 'The Beginning and the End', 'The First and the Last'. (Revelation 1:8, Revelation 21:6, Revelation 22:13) The key to understanding God's Plan of the Ages is to understand the importance of the name of Jesus Christ, that He is indeed The Beginning and the End of the Ages.
The period between Genesis 1:1, when God first created the universe in the beginning, and Revelation 21:6 when Jesus Christ shouts the words, 'It is Done' consists of seven distinct Ages or seven time periods. This present Age is the fourth Age in God's Plan of the Ages. Three Ages have already passed and there are still three more Ages to come before God completes His Plan of Universal Reconciliation.
Let us now state the seven Ages as revealed in the Bible:
1. The Pre-Adamic Age, the Age from the Creation of the Universe to the Creation of Adam
2. The Age from Adam to Noah's Flood
3. The Age from Noah's Flood to Jesus Christ's First Coming
4. The Age from Jesus Christ's First Coming to His Second Coming
5. The Glorious Millennial Age of the Kingdom of God
6. The Great White Throne Judgement Age when Resurrected Unbelievers are Judged and Reconciled to God
7. The Age of Judgement and Reconciliation of Satan and the Fallen Angels, and the Creation of the New Heaven and the New Earth
We shall give the key events for each Age as revealed in the Bible. These are the key historical events that have already occurred, and the prophesied key events yet to be fulfilled in this present Age and in the Ages to come.
Before we do this, we need to highlight the errors, which have arisen due to the mistranslation of four important age-related words in the Bible. These are two Greek words aion and aionios, and two Hebrew words owlam and ad. The mistranslation of these four age-related words is an important reason why traditional Christianity has not understood God's Plan of the Ages and why it has ended up with the unbiblical doctrine of eternal torture in hell.
We shall provide examples of relevant biblical verses where these four age-related words have been mistranslated to mean forever, everlasting or eternal. We do not claim to be Hebrew and Greek scholars, but one does not have to be an expert in Hebrew and Greek to understand that a word cannot have opposite and contradictory meanings. The Holy Spirit, who is the real Author of the Bible, is absolutely logical and He cannot have inspired statements using the same words with opposite and contradictory meanings. Therefore, we maintain that all contradictions found in any version of the Bible are due to human error in mistranslation and/or misinterpretation.
The following study of the mistranslation and/or misinterpretation of the four age-related Greek and Hebrew words, requires some determination and patience on the part of our readers. We encourage you to persist with this important concise study as we are sure that your efforts will be greatly rewarded in understanding why and how traditional Christianity has erroneously believed the doctrine of hell for many centuries.
The Greek word AION
In the King James Version of the Bible, the Greek word aion occurs 128 times in the New Testament, of which it has been correctly translated approximately 40 times as age, ages, world or worlds. Unfortunately, the Bible translators of the KJV have incorrectly translated aion up to 88 times to give an opposite meaning of forever, everlasting or eternal. Most other versions of the Bible have the same translation errors to varying degrees. These are serious translation errors, which obscure and cloud God�s Plan of the Ages for the universal reconciliation of all people through Jesus Christ.
We shall give examples from the Bible of both correct and incorrect translations of the Greek word aion. First, let us give examples to show that aion is an age-related word with a beginning and an end, and that it cannot mean everlasting, eternal or forever.
Ephesians 3:8-9
8 To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages (aion) has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ.
As already commented, the Greek word for an age or ages is aion. It is important to note from the verses above that God's Plan is being worked out in Ages, and that the Ages had a beginning. Ages do not only begin, they also end. Ages do not continue forever.
Matthew 24:3
Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age (aion)?"
The disciples are asking Jesus Christ about the end of the age (aion). They understood that the return of Jesus would mark the end of this present Age and the beginning of the next Age. We can see that age (aion) has a beginning and an end, but it is clearly not forever. Let us give you some more examples from Scripture.
Ephesians 1:20-21
20 ...and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age (aion) but also in that which is to come.
Please note that there are ages in God's Plan. This age will end and it will be followed by an age, which is yet to come.
Acts 3:21
...whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world (aion) began.
Here, aion has been translated as 'world'. The point to note is that aion has a beginning.
Hebrews 9:26
He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world: but now, once at the end of the ages (aion), He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
Please note again that ages end and they do not go on forever. The Greek word aion is used both as singular and plural. An accurate translation of the verse above is:
Hebrews 9:26 (SLT)
He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the age (aion), He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
The first coming of Jesus Christ marked the end of the Third Age and not the end of the ages. Jesus' resurrection marked the beginning of the Fourth Age, which is this present age.
We have shown clearly from the Bible that an aion has a beginning and an end and it simply does not go on forever. Let us now give you some examples of where the Greek word aion has been mistranslated to mean eternal, forever and everlasting.
1 Timothy 1:17
Now to the King eternal (aion), immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever (aion) and ever (aion). Amen
Aion has been mistranslated three times in this verse to mean eternal or forever, when it should have been correctly translated as ages. This is a major translation error, even though the mistranslated verse is exalting the eternal qualities of Jesus Christ who is God. Of course, nobody can deny the truth that Jesus Christ is Eternal and His glory is forever. However, the translators have been absolutely wrong in their translation of aion as eternal and forever. This mistranslation error, which has been carried out many times in the Bible, has a very serious consequence for the understanding of God's Plan of universal reconciliation, which God is working out in Ages through Jesus Christ.
Thankfully, we have some Bible translations like Young's Literal Translation by Robert Young, which are strict literal translations of the original Greek and Hebrew words. Let us see how Robert Young has translated this verse.
1 Timothy 1:17 (YLT)
and to the King of the ages (aion), the incorruptible, invisible, only wise God, [is] honour and glory - to the ages (aion), of the ages! (aion) Amen.
Notice that Young avoided the mistranslation error of aion as eternal and forever, and he correctly translated aion to mean ages. This verse, correctly translated, says that Jesus Christ is indeed the King of the Ages. His glory extends to all Ages. As commented earlier, the key to understanding God's Plan of the Ages is to realise the importance of the name of Jesus Christ as The Beginning and the End. He began the Ages and He will end the Ages.
To mistranslate aion to mean eternal or forever is like saying black is white, and white is black. The Bible defines aion as an age, which always has a beginning and an end, but eternity is ageless and timeless and it has no beginning and no end. The Bible never says that an aion goes on forever or for eternity. To say that an aion lasts for eternity is a total contradiction in terms. There can be no such thing as an eternal or everlasting age. An age and eternity are two different concepts and should not be confused with each other.
The translators of many versions of the Bible failed to understand that there are no contradictions between God's eternal attributes and His age-enduring attributes. Let us examine two more verses where this mistranslation has occurred.
1 Peter 5:11
To Him be the glory and the dominion forever (aion) and ever (aion). Amen.
Again, aion is mistranslated to mean forever and ever. Even though the mistranslation is not immediately obvious because nobody can deny that Christ's glory and dominion are forever, it is still a mistranslation. An accurate translation of this verse is:
1 Peter 5:11 (SLT)
To Him be the glory and the dominion for ages (aion) and ages (aion). Amen.
The verse above, when correctly translated, exalts Jesus Christ as the Beginning and the End of the Ages, and it exalts His glory and dominion for all Ages.
Luke 1:32-33
32 ...God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever (aion), and of His kingdom there will be no end.
The verse above is talking about the reign of Jesus Christ over the physical nation of Israel in the coming Millennial Age. The reign of Jesus Christ over the physical nation of Israel (Jacob) will only last for an age of one thousand years. It will not last forever, as there will not be a house of Jacob after the Millennial Age. However, there will be no end to God's Kingdom because Christ's Millennial Kingdom will be followed, at the end of the Ages, by God's Eternal Kingdom of the New Heaven and the New Earth.
An accurate translation of this verse is:
Luke 1:32-33 (SLT)
32 ...God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob for an age (aion), and of His kingdom there will be no end.
Mistranslation errors become extremely serious when scriptures, which speak about God's judgement of unbelievers in a future age, have been mistranslated to mean God's punishment forever.
2 Peter 2:17
These are wells without water, clouds carried by a tempest, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever (aion).
Once again, we see in verse 17 above, a serious mistranslation error where aion has been mistranslated to mean forever instead of an age.
Unbelievers are in darkness, and there is no life of God abiding in them. All unbelievers, who die before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, will not be resurrected in the First Resurrection to enter God's Millennial Kingdom at Christ's return. However, unbelievers will not remain in darkness forever. In God's Plan of the Ages, they will come to know Jesus Christ and be reconciled to God, through His refining yet merciful Lake of Fire Judgement, in the Great White Throne Judgement Age.
Now let us go on to consider the mistranslation of the Greek word aionios.
The Greek word AIONIOS
The Greek word aionios occurs 71 times in the Bible. Aionios is the adjective of the noun aion which, as we have seen from scriptures, means an age or ages. We have clearly demonstrated that the Bible defines an age as having both a beginning and an end. Unfortunately, the mistranslation of the Greek word aion in most Bible versions has also lead to the mistranslation of the Greek word aionios to mean eternal or everlasting. Once again, we see opposite and contradictory meanings of the original Greek words.
Titus 1:2
In hope of eternal (aionios) life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time (aionios) began.
In this verse, the Greek word aionios occurs twice. It has been mistranslated in the first occurrence to eternal instead of age-to-come. In the second occurrence, the translation of aionios to time is acceptable. However, a better translation is the ages. An accurate translation of the verse above is:
Titus 1:2 (SLT)
In hope of age-to-come (aionios) life which God, who cannot lie, promised before the ages (aionios) began.
Let us clearly understand what God means by aionios life, which has been mistranslated as 'eternal life' or 'everlasting life'. When the Bible speaks of 'eternal life' or 'everlasting life', it is referring to immortal life, which believers will receive at the First Resurrection when Jesus Christ returns, at the beginning of the next Age. This is confirmed by Apostle Paul in the powerful chapter of 1 Corinthians 15, which describes the resurrection. Believers will receive their immortality when they are resurrected and not a second beforehand.
Nobody is born with immortality. However, everybody will receive immortality at the resurrection, either at the First Resurrection or at the Second Resurrection. Of course, the age-to-come resurrected immortal life for believers will be eternal and everlasting, and therefore the mistranslation of aionios life to mean eternal or everlasting life instead of age-to-come life does not immediately appear to be an error. However, it is an error because it clouds God's Plan of Universal Reconciliation through Jesus Christ, which He is working out in Ages.
This mistranslation error becomes extremely serious, when referring to God's judgement of unbelievers in a future age, where aionios punishment has been mistranslated to mean everlasting punishment.
Matthew 25:46
And these will go away into everlasting (aionios) punishment, but the righteous into eternal (aionios) life.
This verse is a very important 'proof text' used by theologians to support the doctrine of Eternal Torture in hell. Augustine, who championed the doctrine of hell, depended heavily on this single verse to argue the case for endless punishment in hell, for unbelievers.
Augustine argued that Jesus uses the same word aionios to describe both the future punishment of unbelievers and the future life of the righteous. He therefore incorrectly reasoned that since the future life of the righteous will be everlasting, then it necessarily follows that the punishment of unbelievers will also be everlasting. The problem that Augustine had was that he did not understand God's Plan of the Ages, and he therefore could not accept the original literal meanings of the age-related Greek words aion and aionios, which do not mean everlasting or eternal.
Had Augustine remained true to the original literal Greek meanings of aion and aionios as some early Greek Church Fathers did, like Clement of Alexandria, Origen and Gregory of Nyssa, then Christianity might have been spared the horrendous and unbiblical teaching of the doctrine of Eternal Torture in hell.
Let us now examine this same verse, Matthew 25:46, with a literal translation of the original Greek, as given in Young's Literal Translation of the Bible.
Matthew 25:46 (YLT)
And these shall go away to punishment age-during (aionios), but the righteous to life age-during (aionios).
Notice that the literal translation of the original Greek word aionios, is not everlasting or eternal. It is age-during, as correctly translated in Young's Literal Translation. A better translation of aionios here is age-to-come. Also, the Greek word for punishment in the verse above is kolasis and the primary meaning, given in Strong's Number G2851, is correction. So a better and more accurate translation of Matthew 25:46 is:
Matthew 25:46 (SLT)
And these will go away into an age-to-come corrective punishment, but the righteous into an age-to-come life.
It is because of the mistranslation of the Greek words aion and aionios that we end up with the unbiblical false teachings of:
everlasting punishment (Matthew 25:46)
eternal judgement (Hebrews 6:2)
eternal damnation (Mark 3:29)
everlasting chains under darkness (Jude 1:6)
everlasting fire (Matthew 25:41)
everlasting destruction (2 Thessalonians 1:9)
All such unbiblical teachings are very serious mistranslations and should be correctly translated as, age-to-come punishment, age-to-come judgement, age-to-come damnation, age-to-come fire, etc. These all refer to God's corrective, purifying and refining judgement of unbelievers in the Lake of Fire during the Great White Throne Judgement Age.
The Hebrew word OWLAM
In the King James Version of the Bible, the Hebrew word owlam is used 439 times in the Old Testament. It is an age-related word like the two Greek words aion and aionios. The translators of most Bible versions have made similar translation errors, as in the case of aion and aionios, by mistranslating owlam in many verses to mean everlasting, eternal or forever. Let us give some examples.
Isaiah 24:5
The earth is also defiled under its inhabitants, Because they have transgressed the laws, Changed the ordinance, Broken the everlasting (owlam) covenant.
This verse refers to the Mosaic Covenant given to the Israelites through Moses on Mount Sinai. We know that this covenant was never intended to last forever and it was not an everlasting covenant as clearly confirmed in the New Testament. (Hebrews 8:13) The New Covenant now supersedes the Old Covenant. The translators of the verse above have mistranslated owlam to mean 'everlasting', when it should have been translated as 'age-lasting' or 'age-during'. This is how it is translated in the 'Robert Young Literal Translation' Bible:
Isaiah 24:5 (YLT)
And the land hath been defiled under its inhabitants, Because they have transgressed laws, They have changed a statute; They have made void a covenant age-during (owlam).
Please note that Robert Young correctly translates the word owlam as age-during, meaning that the covenant was only intended to last for an age.
Exodus 40:15
You shall anoint them, as you anointed their father, that they may minister to Me as priests; for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting (owlam) priesthood throughout their generations."
This verse speaks about the Aaronic or Levitical priesthood, which has ended and it was never intended to be an everlasting priesthood. Jesus Christ is now the High Priest of every believing Jew and Gentile. (Hebrews 7: 11-12) An accurate translation of the verse above is:
Exodus 40:15 (SLT)
You shall anoint them, as you anointed their father, that they may minister to Me as priests; for their anointing shall surely be an age-lasting (owlam) priesthood throughout their generations."
Let us give you another example of an incorrect translation of the word owlam.
Exodus 21:6
...He shall also bring him to the door, or to the doorpost, and his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him forever (owlam).
The servant can only serve his master for the rest of his life and not forever. An accurate translation of this verse is:
Exodus 21:6 (SLT)
He shall also bring him to the door, or to the doorpost, and his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him throughout his age (owlam).
The examples given above clearly demonstrate that owlam is an age-related word and does not mean eternal, everlasting or forever. Then why, one might ask, did most Bible translators fall into the error of mistranslating owlam to mean eternal, everlasting or forever?
This was because, as in the case of aion and aionios, they could not make their translations fit with the attributes of God, which they knew to be eternal. They did not understand that God is working out His Plan in Ages and that there are no contradictions between the age-enduring attributes of God and the eternal attributes of God. Let us now look at some examples of mistranslations of owlam in relation to the attributes of God.
Genesis 21:33
Then Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there called on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting (owlam) God.
In this verse, owlam has been mistranslated to mean everlasting. An accurate translation of the verse is:
Genesis 21:33 (SLT)
Then Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there called on the name of the Lord, the God of the Ages (owlam).
The God of the Old Testament was none other than Jesus Christ Himself, who is God of the Ages. He began the Ages and He will conclude the Ages.
Psalm 104:31
May the glory of the LORD endure forever (owlam); May the LORD rejoice in His works.
In this verse, owlam is mistranslated as forever. Of course, nobody can deny that the glory of the Lord endures forever. However, this is not the inspired meaning of the verse. An accurate translation of this verse is:
Psalm 104:31 (SLT)
May the glory of the Lord endure throughout the ages (owlam); May the LORD rejoice in His works.
When correctly understood, the Bible again and again upholds Jesus Christ as God of the Ages, who is working out God's Plan of the Ages for Universal Reconciliation.
Mistranslation of owlam becomes extremely serious when scriptures, which speak about God's judgement of unbelievers in a future age, have been mistranslated to mean God's punishment forever. We give you some examples of this serious translation error.
Psalm 9:5
You have rebuked the nations, You have destroyed the wicked; You have blotted out their name forever (owlam) and ever (owlam).
The Bible is not a book of contradictions. The Bible is clear that God is love. God hates sins, but He loves the sinner. Jesus Christ died for the ungodly who are called the wicked, and He died to forgive the sins of the whole world. (Romans 5:6, 1 John 2:2) The verse above, as it stands, seriously contradicts God's love and His Plan for Universal Reconciliation through Jesus Christ. An accurate translation of this verse is:
Psalm 9:5 (SLT)
You have rebuked the nations, You have destroyed the wicked; You have blotted out their name for ages (owlam) of the ages (owlam).
Once we understand God's Plan of the Ages for Universal Reconciliation, it is easy to see that the names of the wicked are not blotted out of the Book of Life forever. However, the names of the wicked are blotted out for a number of ages out of the seven ages in God's Plan. During the Great White Throne Judgement Age, which is the sixth Age in God's Plan of the Ages, all unbelievers, no matter how wicked they have been during their earthly lives, will repent. They will come to accept Jesus Christ through God given faith in His sacrifice on the cross and their names will then be written into the Book of Life. Details of how this will happen are given in Chapter 12 'The Great White Throne Judgement'.
Daniel 12:2
And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting (owlam) life, Some to shame and everlasting (owlam) contempt.
Again, owlam has been seriously mistranslated in this verse to mean everlasting. An accurate translation of this verse is:
Daniel 12:2 (SLT)
And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to age-to-come (owlam) life, some to shame and age-to-come (owlam) contempt.
The Bible speaks of two resurrections. The First Resurrection is for true believers only, who have been made righteous by faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. They are God's Elect, who are relatively few and chosen from both Israel and the Gentile nations, before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. The age-to-come life is the resurrected immortal saved life, which God will give to all true believers, when Jesus returns at the beginning of the Millennial Age.
The age-to-come contempt refers to the age of God's judgement in the Lake of Fire which all unbelievers will have to face when they rise in their immortal yet unsaved bodies, at the Second Resurrection which will happen at the end of the Millennial Age. God is not soft on sins and He will ensure that all unbelievers will receive their proper judgement. However, all of God's judgements are corrective and flow out of His love. Ultimately, all without exception will repent and accept their Saviour through God given faith.
The Hebrew word AD
In addition to the two Greek words aion and aionios, and the Hebrew word owlam, there is one more Hebrew word, ad, which is also an age-related word. Ad has also been mistranslated by most Bible translators to mean eternal, everlasting or forever. In the King James Version of the Bible, the word ad occurs 49 times in the Old Testament, and in most places it is linked with the Hebrew word owlam. Let us look at a few examples.
Habakkuk 3:6
He stood and measured the earth; He looked and startled the nations. And the everlasting (ad) mountains were scattered, The perpetual (owlam) hills bowed. His ways are everlasting (owlam).
This verse gives a good example of the mistranslation of both ad and owlam because the context of the verse itself exposes this mistranslation. The 'everlasting' mountains were not everlasting because they became scattered and the perpetual hills were not perpetual because they became bowed down.
Of course, we know that God's ways are everlasting. However, in the context of this verse, as far as the mountains and hills were concerned, God's ways with them were for a period of time only. An accurate translation of the verse above is:
Habakkuk 3:6 (SLT)
He stood and measured the earth; He looked and startled the nations. And the ancient age-old (ad) mountains were scattered, the age-old (owlam) hills bowed. His ways are age-enduring (owlam).
Let us now give you an example of a verse where ad appears to be translated correctly. However, it is still a mistranslation.
Psalm 45:6
Your throne, O God, is forever (owlam) and ever (ad). A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.
In this verse, both owlam and ad have been mistranslated to mean forever and ever. Once we understand God's Plan of the Ages, then it is not difficult to see that an accurate translation of this verse is:
Psalm 45:6 (SLT)
Your throne, O God is for Ages (owlam) and Ages (ad). A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.
Once again, we see Jesus, God of the Old Testament, being exalted as God of the Ages. Of course, God's throne will go on beyond the Ages forever and ever, following the creation of the New Heaven and the New Earth. However, the Bible gives us almost no information about the Plan of God beyond the Ages, after the creation of the New Heaven and the New Earth.
CONCLUSION on the mistranslations of AION, AIONIOS, OWLAM and AD
The Greek and Hebrew words aion, aionios, owlam and ad should never have been translated to express the idea of eternity, or everlasting, because they are all age-related words. We know that only God is Eternal with no beginning and no end. The Bible expresses the eternal nature of God in Hebrews 7:1-3:
Hebrews 7:1-3
1 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, 2 to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, first being translated "king of righteousness," and then also king of Salem, meaning "king of peace," 3 without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually.
This scripture is a description of Jesus Christ (God Eternal) as Priest of the Most High before His virgin birth through Mary. Please note that He has neither beginning nor end, which is the exact definition of Eternal. This in no way contradicts with the name of Jesus being 'The Beginning and The End', as we have shown that this name refers to Jesus beginning the Ages, at the creation of the universe and ending the Ages, at the creation of the New Heaven and the New Earth.
1 Timothy 6:16
who (God, Jesus Christ) alone has immortality (athanasia), dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen.
Please note that God alone is an Immortal Being, the Person who never dies. However, the gift of immortality (everlasting life) will firstly be given to God's Elect, the Bride of Christ, in the First Resurrection at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. The amazing thing about the gospel of Jesus Christ is that all people will ultimately be partakers of God's immortality.
2 Timothy 1:10
but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality (athanasia) to light through the gospel.
Translators of most versions of the Bible have mistranslated 'aionios life' to mean 'everlasting or eternal life'. However, the Greek word for 'everlasting or eternal life' is athanasia, which means immortal life.
1 Corinthians 15:50-54
50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed- 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality (athanasia). 54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality (athanasia), then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written:
"Death is swallowed up in victory."
All believers who have died and those who are living at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ will be changed from a corruptible body to an incorruptible body, from a mortal body to an immortal body. All unbelievers will have to wait until the Second Resurrection for this change from mortality to immortality, which will be a thousand years after the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, at the end of the Millennial Age.
Augustine championed the doctrine of eternal torture in hell. John Calvin believed that God had predestined billions of unbelievers to be tortured in hell forever. Jacobus Arminius elevated man's limited freewill above God's will, thereby reducing our Sovereign God to being a helpless bystander in salvation, seeing most people choose 'hell'.
Augustine, John Calvin and Jacobus Arminius greatly influenced the formulation of many Christian doctrines believed by Roman Catholicism and Protestantism. God did not reveal to these individuals the mystery of the riches of Christ, which is God's Plan of Universal Salvation and Reconciliation for every Jew and every Gentile, past, present and future. This is God's glorious Plan, which He is working out in Ages, in His time and in His order. The false teaching of the doctrine of hell is a heresy of great proportion. It changes the great victory of Jesus Christ on the cross over sin and death for ALL people into a great defeat for most people.
Now that we have fully established that the Bible focuses on Ages because of God's Plan of the Ages, we are in a position to state the key events during each Age, as revealed in the Bible.
THE FIRST AGE
The Pre-Adamic Age, the Age from the Creation of the Universe to the Creation of Adam
Time Period: Unknown, but likely to be many millions of years in duration, as confirmed by star distances.
Key Events: The First Age began with the creation of the heavens and the earth (i.e. the universe), which marked the beginning of time and the beginning of God's Plan of the Ages. (Genesis 1:1)
All of the angels sang together and shouted for joy over the creation of the earth. It follows, therefore, that the angels were created before the earth was created. (Job 38:4-7) Also, the earth must have been created in a beautiful and perfect state for the angels to shout for joy. Actually, God created the earth in a garden-like state teeming with Pre-Adamic plant and animal life. (Ezekiel 28:13)
Lucifer was a leading angel in the Pre-Adamic garden on this earth, but he became proud and coveted the throne of God. He led a rebellion, convincing a third of the angels to support him. The Bible says that a war broke out in heaven between the holy angels led by Michael and the fallen angels led by Lucifer, who became Satan.
The rebellious angels were violently thrown back down to earth, with a cataclysmic upheaval of the earth's surface, described in the Bible as the earth becoming chaotic, void, thrown into darkness, without form and totally flooded. (Genesis 1:2)
The Pre-Adamic Age ended with the destruction of all Pre-Adamic plant and animal life, and with a global Ice Age. Full details are given in the next chapter, Chapter 6 The Pre-Adamic Age.
THE SECOND AGE
The Age from Adam to Noah's Flood
Time Period: Approximately 1,700 years in duration.
Key Events: The Second Age began approximately 6,000 years ago with God renewing the earth's surface and its atmosphere (its heaven). God created life as we know it today in six literal 24-hour days. He created Adam and Eve in His own image. (Genesis 1:3-28)
Adam and Eve sinned when Satan tempted them and, as a consequence, God's curse fell upon them and all of their descendants. Thus, sin and death entered the human world. (Genesis 3:1-7, Romans 5:12) The wickedness of men multiplied. Some of the fallen angels had ungodly relationships with women.
The Second Age ended approximately 4,300 years ago with the destruction of Noah�s world by a global flood, but God saved Noah and his family. (Genesis 6, Genesis 7)
THE THIRD AGE
The Age from Noah's Flood to Jesus Christ's First Coming
Time Period: Approximately 2,300 years in duration.
Key Events: The Third Age began with God's promise to never flood the earth again. God blessed Noah and his sons and instructed them to be fruitful, multiply and fill the earth.
God became displeased with men when they built the tower of Babel, a symbol of man's pride, unity and power. Consequently, God caused disunity and confusion among men by giving them different languages and scattering them across the earth. The descendants of Noah's sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, formed the nations that re-populated the earth.
God called Abraham, and made a covenant with him known as the Abrahamic Covenant. God promised to make Abraham and his descendants a great and blessed nation, and also to bless all the families (nations) of the earth through the Seed of Abraham, who is Jesus Christ Himself.
God chose the Israelites, who are the descendants of Abraham, as a special people above all peoples in order to fulfill the Abrahamic Covenant. God chose Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt and God made a covenant with them at Mount Sinai, called The Mosaic Covenant. It is a conditional covenant based on God's laws and commandments. The most important commandments in The Mosaic Covenant are the Ten Commandments. God punished His chosen people for their sins and rebellion, and allowed foreign armies to take them captive. The time will come in the future when God will restore the Kingdom of Israel to the Israelites and give them new hearts to believe, under His New Covenant. Full details are given in Chapter 7 'God's Purpose for Israel'.
The birth of Jesus Christ, who is the Seed of Abraham, was the most important event to occur in this Age. The Third Age ended approximately 2,000 years ago with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, who died for the sins of the whole world.
THE FOURTH AGE
The Age from Jesus Christ's First Coming to His Second Coming
Time Period: Unknown, but possibly around 2,000 years in duration.
Key Events: The Fourth Age began with the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is the most central event in God�s Plan for All to reconcile all things to God the Father.
In this fourth and present Age, God is preparing His Church, His Bride, who are the called and chosen believers from both Israel and the Gentile nations. Many people claim to know Jesus Christ as their Saviour, but only a few are chosen to be God's Elect. Many false prophets and false teachers come in Jesus Christ's name, and they deceive many.
There are two important signs to watch out for before this present Age comes to an end. Firstly, the full Gospel of the Kingdom of God will be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations. Secondly, the earth will suffer a horrific judgement called the Great Tribulation, which will last for three and a half years. It will involve worldwide cataclysmic events and result in the earth's population being decimated.
The Fourth Age will finally come to an end when Satan is bound and confined to a pit, which is his prison for a thousand years, to prevent him deceiving the nations during Christ's Millennial Kingdom.
THE FIFTH AGE
The Glorious Millennial Age of the Kingdom of God
Time Period: 1,000 years in duration.
Key Events: The Fifth Age will begin with the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, and the First Resurrection, which is the resurrection of God's Elect, the Bride of Christ.
The Millennial Kingdom of God will be a glorious thousand-year Age when Jesus Christ will rule and reign with His Bride on earth. Christ and His Bride will rule over the mortal fleshly people who survive the Great Tribulation and their descendants born during the Millennial Age. The Millennial Kingdom will be a time of great blessing for all nations, and the whole earth will become like the Garden of Eden and full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. Full details are given in Chapter 11 'The Millennial Kingdom of God'.
The Fifth Age will end with the release of Satan from his prison. At the same time, the Second Resurrection will occur when the rest of mankind will be resurrected. These are the overwhelming majority of people ever born and not included in the First Resurrection. (Revelation 20:5, 7)
The SIXTH AGE
The Great White Throne Judgement Age when All Resurrected Unbelievers are Judged and Reconciled to God
Time Period: Unknown, but likely to be of short duration.
Key Events: The Sixth Age will begin with Satan deceiving the great multitudes of resurrected unbelievers (the non-elect), represented as Gog and Magog, who rise in the Second Resurrection. Satan will lead these deceived unbelievers in a rebellion against Jesus Christ and His Bride. This rebellion will be easily crushed by God's devouring fire. Then, Satan is cast into the Lake of Fire where he is judged for two ages, i.e., for the Sixth Age and the Seventh Age, which is the final age. (Revelation 20:8-10)
God's devouring fire will engulf the whole earth as a ball of fire during The Great White Throne Judgement Age, when God will judge all people resurrected at the Second Resurrection. All resurrected unbelievers will be cast into this Lake of Fire to experience the Second Death. However, all resurrected believers, those who were saved during the Millennial Age and have their names written in the Book of Life, will join the Bride of Christ who rose in the First Resurrection.
The Holy City, New Jerusalem, which spiritually represents the Bride of Christ, the Lamb's Wife, is located above the earth in heaven (the sky, the earth's atmosphere) during the Great White Throne Judgement Age. (Revelation 21: 9-21) The gates of the Holy City, New Jerusalem, remain open and people from all nations enter through the gates into the Holy City to receive healing and salvation. These nations are those who have experienced God's judgement in the Lake of Fire and who have gone through the Second Death. The Second Death is the death of the old sinful Adamic man, which needs to happen before the New Birth in Christ can take place.
The Sixth Age will end when the last unbeliever judged in the Lake of Fire becomes a believer entering the Holy City, New Jerusalem, to receive healing and salvation. (Revelation 21:24, Revelation 22:2)
THE SEVENTH AGE
The Age of Judgement and Reconciliation of Satan and the Fallen Angels, and the Creation of the New Heaven and the New Earth
Time Period: Unknown, but likely to be of short duration.
Key Events: The judgement of Satan and the fallen angels in the Lake of Fire will continue in the Seventh Age. Satan and the fallen angels will finally repent and be reconciled to God. Full details are given in Chapter 13 'The Judgement and Reconciliation of Satan'.
The Holy City, New Jerusalem, will descend onto the refined and renewed earth with its refined and renewed atmosphere, referred to in the Bible as the New Heaven and the New Earth. (Revelation 21:2)
When this happens, all things in heaven and all things on earth will have been reconciled to God the Father by Jesus Christ. There will be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying nor pain. Jesus Christ will shout the glorious words 'It is done, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End'. Thus, Jesus will bring to completion God�s Plan For All, which He is working out in Seven Biblical Ages. (Revelation 21:6)
The Seventh Age ends with the Creation of the Eternal Kingdom of God of the New Heaven and the New Earth. Jesus Christ delivers the Kingdom to God the Father, when the Father Himself comes down to earth to dwell with men and be all in all. The earth becomes the headquarters and governing planet of the universe in God's Eternal Kingdom.
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2 comments:
The author has a good piece on aionian VS. eternal, but I disagree
that "dispensation" is false in the Bible. God clearly is dispensing different things at different economies. Presently God is dispensing "grace" in this present evil eon we find ourselves living.
Before the Body of Christ, God was dispensing Law. During the tribulation it will be the wrath of God that is being dispensed by God.
I also disagree with the author of this article when he says the Church is the Bride of Christ. That title of Bride belongs to Israel. We are the Body of Christ and Christ is the Head. We cannot be the Bride.
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