In the last post on this topic I looked at the change of ownership that has happened inside of the believer so that we are turned right way up no longer serving the lusts of the flesh. I looked at Eph 2:1-6. I want to look at the next verses in this post starting with verse 7 from the Tree of Life version.
Eph 2:6 And He raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Messiah Yeshua—
Eph 2:7 to show in the olam ha-ba the measureless richness of His grace in kindness toward us in Messiah Yeshua. TLV
I really like how this version translates the phrase above. Most Bibles would render it as “in the Ages to come”.
The phrase in Greek is αἰών – aiōn
Olam is Hebrew and has the same meaning as aiōn. Both simply mean a period of time.
Yet when a Bible student goes to his or her favourite Dictionary, such as Strong’s or Thayer- (both free and therefore the most widely used) they find that both of these learned men have given the meaning of Olam and aiōn as “eternal” and “forever.”
The Tree of Life version says olam ha-ba. According to Britannica.com this phrase means:
ʿolam ha-ba, ( Hebrew: “the world to come”) in Jewish theology, either “the world after death” or the new creation or restoration of the world that is to follow the messianic millennium.
Jon 2:6 I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me (olam)for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God.
1Sam 27:12 So Achish believed David, saying, “He has made his people Israel utterly abhor him; therefore he will be my servant (olam) forever.”
Mat 25:46 AndG2532 theseG3778 shall go awayG565 intoG1519 everlastingG166(aiōnios) punishment:G2851 butG1161 theG3588 righteousG1342 intoG1519 lifeG2222 eternal.G166(aiōnios)
Aiōnios is an adjective of aion. We get our English word eon from the Greek aion. Aionios and Aionian are both adjectives- describing the noun aion. In other words it should say Life of the age or something like that…but never eternal life.
That is why many literal versions have exactly that.
Mat 25:46 And these shall go away to punishment age-during, but the righteous to life age-during.’ YLT
Mat 25:46 “And these shall go away into the Punishment of the Ages, but the righteous into the Life of the Ages.”WNT
Mat 25:46 ” And, these, shall go away, into, age-abiding, correction, but, the righteous, into, age-abiding, life.” REV
See: http://www.tentmaker.org/articles/EternalPunishmentNotTrueToGreek.html
Of course this raises lots of questions that only crazy people will pursue. I am one such crazy for Jesus person.
One of the men responsible for the common belief that punishment is forever and ever was Augustine of Hippo. This man did not even know common Greek by his own admission…yet he had the audacity to define his own understanding upon the text we would one day read.
There was a 1000 year period of indoctrination into the theology of eternal hell fire for sinners before the King James version was translated. Between 500AD and 1611AD people were only taught Augustine’s doctrine through the Roman Catholic Church. Is it any wonder then that the translation team got it wrong when looking at olam and aionios, aionian and aion?
James Strong and Joseph Thayer are also a product of this tare sown in the wheat of the word of God.
God shall preach the gospel of Jesus through those whom he has saved in the ages still to come after this current age of Pentecost is over until all people are subdued and found at Jesus feet-saved and blood washed.
