In order to understand the Greek word "aionion" which usually translated "forever" or "everlasting", we need to go back into the OT to find a true meaning. The Hebrew word is "olam". Ask yourself if this word means "forever" or "everlasting"? Remember that God does not lie. All of these verses are from KJV with Strong's #.
Gen. 3:22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever <05769>:
If Adam and Eve took A BITE of the tree of life, would they live forever? Or they have to eat it in order to live a long time even forever? Were they immortal if they haven't eaten the tree of life?
Gen. 13:15 For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever <05769>.
Does the literal seeds of Abraham still live in the promised land today or it was fulfilled during Joshua's conquested and Solomon's kingdom?
Gen. 17:7 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting <05769> covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.
Gen. 17:8 And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting <05769> possession; and I will be their God.
What happened to all the land of Canaan? Did God failed or it was fulfilled?
Gen. 17:13 He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting <05769> covenant.
Is it require for all believers to be circumised? Or is it ended?
Gen. 17:19 And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting <05769> covenant, and with his seed after him.
Where are the seeds of Isaac today? Is that the white race as Identity claimed?
Gen. 48:4 And said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting <05769> possession.
Whatever happened to a multitude of people and an everlasting possession?
Exodus 12:14 And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever <05769>
Did it ceased in AD 70?
Exodus 14:13 And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever <05769>.
After that time, did they ever seen the Egyptians again?
Exodus 21:6 Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever <05769>
Servants were declared to be bound forever, when all servants were set free every fifty years.
Exodus 27:21 In the tabernacle of the congregation without the vail, which is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall order it from evening to morning before the LORD: it shall be a statute for ever <05769> unto their generations on the behalf of the children of Israel
Is this statute forever or ceased in AD 70?
Exodus 29:9 And thou shalt gird them with girdles, Aaron and his sons, and put the bonnets on them: and the priest's office shall be theirs for a perpetual <05769> statute: and thou shalt consecrate Aaron and his sons
Is this a perpetual statute? Should we practice this?
Exodus 31:16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual <05769> covenant
Exodus 31:17 It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever <05769>: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.
Should we become Seventh Day Adventists or Sabbatarians?
Exodus 40:15 And thou shalt anoint them, as thou didst anoint their father, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office: for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting <05769> priesthood throughout their generations.
Should we become Mormons?
Lev. 16:34 And this shall be an everlasting <05769> statute unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year. And he did as the LORD commanded Moses.
Isn't the Day of Atonement should be an everlasting statute? Are we disobeying Him?
Num. 25:13 And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting <05769> priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel.
Did the Aaronic Priesthood ceased in AD 70?
1 Kings 2:45 And king Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the LORD for ever <05769>.
The kingdom of Israel already ceased.
1 Kings 9:3 And the LORD said unto him, I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou hast made before me: I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put my name there for ever <05769>; and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.
The temple already destroyed.
1 Chron. 15:2 Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for them hath the LORD chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him for ever <05769>.
The ark already disappeared, maybe still underground in Jerusalem?
Isa. 34:10 It shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever <05769>: from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for ever and ever.
Did the smoke already quenched?
Isa. 64:4 For since the BEGINNING of the world <05769> men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.
Isn't that odd translation? Does forever have beginning? It would be better if we translated "For since the beginning of the age..".
Jonah 2:6 I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever <05769>: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God.
Did Jonah stayed in the belly of great fish forever or it was only 3 days?
Dan. 12:3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.
In Dan. 12:3; the literal reading, if we allow the word to mean eternity, is "to eternities and farther," (eis tous aiónas kai eti.) We know that there is nothing farther than eternity.
Hab. 3:6 He stood, and measured the earth: he beheld, and drove asunder the nations; and the everlasting mountains were SCATTERED, the perpetual <05769> hills DID BOW: his ways are everlasting <05769>.
This is an interesting passage, isn't it?
Now, we have seen that the translators mistranslated "forever" or "everlasting" even though many of them have ended. I think it would be great danger if we believe that God says "forever" or "everlasting" in many passages but already ended. That would called God as a liar and He did not keep His Word. But thanks God that the translators are incorrect.
"Days of old" or something like that:
Deut. 32:7 Remember the days of old <05769>, consider the years of many generations: ask thy father, and he will shew thee; thy elders, and they will tell thee.
Joshua 24:2 And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time <05769>, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods.
Isa. 46:9 Remember the former things of old <05769>: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,
Isa. 51:9 Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old <05769>. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon?
Isa. 57:11 And of whom hast thou been afraid or feared, that thou hast lied, and hast not remembered me, nor laid it to thy heart? have not I held my peace even of old <05769>, and thou fearest me not?
Isa. 63:9 In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old <05769>.
Isa. 63:11 Then he remembered the days of old <05769>, Moses, and his people, saying, Where is he that brought them up out of the sea with the shepherd of his flock? where is he that put his holy Spirit within him?
Jer. 5:15 Lo, I will bring a nation upon you from far, O house of Israel, saith theLORD: it is a mighty nation, it is an ancient <05769> nation, a nation whose language thou knowest not, neither understandest what they say.
Amos 9:11 In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old <05769>:
Micah 5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting <05769>.
Micah 7:14 Feed thy people with thy rod, the flock of thine heritage, which dwell solitarily in the wood, in the midst of Carmel: let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old <05769>.
Mal. 3:4 Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old <05769>, and as in former years.
"No end" or something like that:
Isa. 9:7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever <05769>. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
Jesus Christ ruled for 40 years during the last days of Israel before he gave all things back to his God the Father. See 1 Cor. 15:24-28.
Isa. 45:17 But Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting <05769> salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world <05769> without end.
We know that the salvation of Israel already accomplished and fulfilled in 70 AD. See Romans 11.
Isa. 56:5 Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting <05769> name, that shall NOT BE CUT OFF.
We know that God give them an everlasting name because it shall not cut off
Notice that His kingdom shall be no end and we know that it will be forever.
Dan. 2:44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never <05957> be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever <05957>.
Dan. 7:14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting <05957> dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
The kingdom of Christ that ruled over all of his people (Jews and Israelites) from every nations and languages which last for 40 years. See Acts 2:1-30 and 1 Cor. 15:24-28. His kingdom was not pass away or to be destroyed by someone else until all things God the Father accomplished His purpose.
Now we turn into the New Testament with the Greek word "aion":
"Before the world (age)":
1 Cor. 2:7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world <165> unto our glory: This was before the Mosaic or old covenant age, probably from the time of Adam or Abraham.
"Since the world (age) began" or something like that:
Luke 1:70 As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began <165>:
Acts 3:21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world<165>.
Acts15:18 Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world <165>.
Eph. 3:9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world <165> hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
Col. 1:26 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages <165> and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
"End of the world (age):
Matt. 13:39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world <165>; and the reapers are the angels.
Matt. 13:40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world <165>.
Matt. 13:49 So shall it be at the end of the world <165>: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just,
Matt. 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world <165>. Amen.
1 Cor. 10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world <165> are come.
Heb. 9:26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world <165> hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
In conclusion, there is no where in the Bible with the Hebrew word "olam" and the Greek word "aion" that teach "forever" or "everlasting". It always has to do with the chronological time while living on earth. We have seen some passages with "before the world," "since the world began," "from the days of old," "end of the world," and "world without end". It means indefinite period of time which can be either ended or with the words "no end" or "without end", depending on the context. The people back then have no idea how will it end or not.
What Does the Bible Teach About "Hell"?
Systematic Theology
Back to Home Page
