The Salvation Conspiracy: How Hell Became Eternal

    By Ken R. Vincent

Universal Salvation is the theological position that ALL people will be saved. This concept, present from the earliest days of Christianity, is supported by numerous verses in the Bible, second in number only to those advocating Salvation by Good Works. Universalists do not reject the undeniable fact that Hell is in the Bible but contend that the function of Hell is for purification. Much later in the Christian story, when some claimed that Hell was a place for everlasting punishment, Universalists countered with their conviction that God was too good to condemn anyone to Eternal Hell! Today’s world news is saturated with the tragedies resulting from religions that insist on their own “exclusive” path to God, and Universalists are reasserting the relevance of that loving doctrine known to the earliest Christians — Salvation for ALL.

In this paper, I will attempt to make the following points clear: 1) For the first 500 years of Christianity, Christians and Christian theologians were broadly Universalist, 2) Translation/Mistranslation of the Scriptures from Greek to Latin contributed the reinterpretation of the nature of Hell, 3) Merging of Church and State fostered the corruption of Universalist thought, 4) Modern archeological findings and Biblical scholarship confirm Universalist thought among early Christians, and 5) Contemporary Christian scholars find Universalist theology most authentic to Jesus.

To examine Universal Salvation during the first 500 years of Christianity, the works of three scholars are indisputably the finest: Hosea Ballou II’s Ancient History of Universalism (1842), Edward Beecher’s History of Opinions on the Scriptural Doctrine of Retribution (1878), and John Wesley Hanson’s Universalism, the Prevailing Doctrine of the Church for its First 500 Years (1899). I have used all these resources but have broadened Universalist history to include 20th Century discoveries and scholarship pertinent to Universalist Christianity.

IN THE BEGINNING

At its beginning, Christianity was a hopeful religion. In the words of St. Paul, “There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male or female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3:28). Communal meals, a culture of sharing and a tradition of helping others were the hallmarks of the early church. Despite a paternalistic culture, women were Apostles (Lk 8:2-3) and ministers (Rom 16:1).

One of the best clues to early Christian theology is in artwork discovered at the Catacombs in Rome. Graves of common people were adorned with drawings of Jesus as the Good Shepherd — beardless and virtually indistinguishable from the Greco-Roman savior figure Orpheus. Other popular images there were the Last Supper and the Magi at the birth of Jesus. Occasionally in early Christian art, Jesus is shown working miracles using a magic wand! Significantly, the crucifix is noticeably absent from early art, as is any depiction of judgment scenes or Hell.

Origen, great Universalist theologian

As we move into the middle of the 2nd Century, a shift takes place from writing works considered “Holy Scripture” to interpretations of it. The first writer on the theology on Christian Universalism whose works survive is St. Clement of Alexandria (150 – 215 CE). He was the head of the theology school at Alexandria which, until it closed at the end of the 4th Century, was a bastion of Universalist thought. His pupil, Origen (185 – 254 CE), wrote the first complete presentation of Christianity as a system, and Universalism was at its core. Origen was the first to produce a parallel Old Testament that included Hebrew, a Greek transliteration of the Hebrew, the Septuagint, and three other Greek translations. He was also the first to recognize that some parts of the Bible should be taken literally and others metaphorically. He wrote a defense of Christianity in response to a pagan writer’s denigration of it.

Prior to the Roman Catholic Church’s condemnation of all of Universalist thought in the 6th Century, Church authority had already reached back in time to pick out several of Origen’s ideas they deemed unacceptable. Some that found disfavor were his insistence that the Devil would be saved at the end of time, the pre-existence of human souls, the reincarnation of the wicked, and his claim that the purification of souls could go on for many eons. Finally, he was condemned by the Church because his concept of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit did not agree with the “official” Doctrine of the Trinity formulated a century after his death! After the 6th Century, much of his work was destroyed; fortunately, some of it survived.

According to Edward Beecher, a Congregationalist theologian, there were six theology schools in Christendom during its early years — four were Universalist (Alexandria, Cesarea, Antioch, and Edessa). One advocated annihilation (Ephesus) and one advocated Eternal Hell (the Latin Church of North Africa). Most of the Universalists throughout Christendom followed the teachings of Origen. Later, Theodora of Mopsuestia had a different theological basis for Universal Salvation, and his view continued in the break-away Church of the East (Nestorian) where his Universalist ideas still exist in its liturgy today.

“HARROWING OF HELL” IN CANON AND APOCRYPHA

One of the primary beliefs of the early Christians was that Jesus descended into Sheol/Hades in order to preach to the dead and rescue all of those, as it clearly says in I Peter 3:20, “who in former times did not obey.” This terminology is familiar to anyone who has recited the Apostle’s Creed which states that Jesus descended to Hell after his death, before his resurrection. Known as the “Harrowing of Hell,” this is a major theme in Universalism because it underscores the early belief that judgment at the end of life is not final and that all souls can be saved after death. Interestingly, in the early Church there were not only prayers for the dead, but St. Paul notes there were also baptisms for the dead (I Cor 15: 29).

In later times, the church attempted to reinterpret the text to narrow the categories of people saved from Hell to the Jewish prophets and the righteous pagans. Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan take this approach in their latest book, The Last Week. (Curiously, they omit the key verse “those who in former times did not obey.”) However, in his earlier book, The Cross That Spoke, John Dominic Crossan is more favorable to the Universalist view. For example, he relates a story from the non-canonical Gospel of Peter in which two angels come down from Heaven to get Jesus out of the tomb on Easter morning. As they are carrying him out and are about to ascend to Heaven, a voice from Heaven asks them, “Hast thou preached to them that sleep?” The wooden cross that is somehow following them out of the tomb speaks and says, “Yes!” In discussing Jesus’ decent into Hell, Crossan also sites another classic Universalist text, I Peter 4:6 which says, “For this is why the Gospel was preached even to the dead, that though they were judged in flesh like men they might live in the spirit like God.” He also notes that in Colossians 2:15, Jesus, “disarmed the principalities and powers and made a public example of them,” and in Ephesians 4:8-9:

Therefore it is said, “When he ascended on high, he made captivity itself a captive; he gave gifts to his people.” (When it says, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he also descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is the same one who ascended far above all heavens, so that he might fill all things.”)

Understanding the role of the “Harrowing of Hell” has been expanded by recent archeological findings and modern Biblical scholarship. Among the discoveries over the past 100 years is the Apocalypse of Peter, written about 135 C.E. (not to be confused with the Gnostic Apocalypse of Peter discovered at Nag Hammadi in 1947). For a time, it was considered for inclusion into the New Testament instead of the Revelation to John. It is referred to in the Muratorian Canon of the early Church, as well as in the writings of St. Clement of Alexandria. (It should be noted that the Universalist passage from the Apocalypse of Peter is found in the Ethiopian text but is not part of the fragment text found at Akhmim, Egypt.) In the Ethiopic copy, Peter asks Jesus to have pity on the people in Hell, and Jesus says they will eventually all be saved. Later, Peter (who is writing to Clement) says to keep that knowledge a secret so that foolish men may not see it. This same theme is repeated in the Second Book of the Sibyline Oracles in which the saved behold the sinners in Hell and ask that mercy be shown them. Here, the sinners are saved by the prayers of the righteous.

Another 2nd Century work, The Epistle to the Apostles, also states that our prayers for the dead can affect their forgiveness by God. The 2nd Century Odes of Solomon, which was discovered in the early 20th Century, was for a time considered to be Jewish, then Gnostic, and more recently, early Christian. Its theme is that Jesus saves the dead when they come to him in Hell and cry out, “Son of God, have pity on us!” In the 4th/6th Century Syriac Book of the Cave of Treasures, Jesus “preached the resurrection to those who were lying in the dust” and “pardoned those who had sinned against the Law.” In the Gospel of Nicodemus (a.k.a. Acts of Pilate), a 4th /5th Century apocryphal gospel, Jesus saves everyone in the Greek version but rescues only the righteous pre-Christians in the Latin translation. In What is Gnosticism?, Karen King identifies the Nag Hammadi Gospel of Truth as teaching Universal Salvation; she states that The Apocryphon of John (a.k.a. The Secret Book of John) declares all will be saved except apostates. In the Coptic Book of the Resurrection, all but Satan and his ministers are pardoned.

Interestingly, belief in the “Harrowing of Hell” has had some validation by modern day near-death experiencers (people who have been resuscitated following a period of clinical death). While most near-death experiencers report a “heavenly” experience of Light and overwhelming love, many of those whose experience begins in “hellish” turmoil and darkness say that their descent was reversed when they called out to God or Jesus.

THE CHURCH-STATE CONUNDRUM

The 6th Century Emperor Justinian — NOT the Bishop of Rome — called the Church council where Universalism was condemned.

Many think that Christianity was at its best during its first 300 years — a time of immense diversity of opinion, creativity, and expectation. Although the official sanction of governments provided the Church with some very critical benefits (like not feeding Christians to lions!), some of the vitality of the young Church was inevitably compromised. Its legitimization in the 4th Century, first by the king of Armenia, then by Constantine of Rome, and finally by the king of Ethiopia, led to a new era for Christianity. Constantine, being a military man, wanted standardization in all things. The Emperor called the Counsel of Nicea because at the time, the Bishop of Rome was not yet Pope (in the way we think of him today). According to Roman Catholic scholar Jean-Guy Vaillancourt, the Pope did not become the head of the Roman Church until 752 CE. At that time, Charlemagne recognized the Bishop of Rome as the singular Pope, and Pope Leo III reciprocated by legitimizing Charlemagne as the Holy Roman Emperor. It should be noted that the 6th Century Emperor Justinian — NOT the Bishop of Rome — called the Church council where Universalism was condemned.

JESUS SEMINAR “ENDORSES” CHRISTIAN UNIVERSALISM

Of all modern Biblical scholars, none have gained so much publicity and been so readily accessible to the lay reader than a group called the Jesus Seminar. Over 150 Biblical scholars pooled their knowledge for the express purpose of analyzing the Gospels to determine which words and deeds were authentic to Jesus. Their resulting “Scholars’ Editions” of the Gospels were remarkable for the few passages that were thought to be original to Jesus. For Universalists, the most significant result of the Seminar’s scrutiny was their inadvertent highlighting of many Universalist passages. By far, verses advocating Universal Salvation received the most endorsement from the Jesus Seminar as authentic to Jesus. While they rejected some of the “zingers” (e.g., Jn 12:32), virtually all Jesus’ classic parables that have been interpreted as Universalist since the beginning of Christian theology were judged by the Jesus Seminar to be genuine to him, including: The Parable of the Lost Sheep (Matt 18:12-13; Lk 15:4-6), The Workers in the Vineyard (Matt 20:1-15), The Parable of the Lost Coin (Lk 15:8-9), and the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Lk 15:11-32). Also, the verses relating to the fact that Hell is not permanent and used only for rehabilitation/purification were determined authentic by the Jesus Seminar. They are: Settle with Your Opponent (Matt 5:25-26; Lk 12:58-59) and the Parable of the Wicked Servant (Matt 18:23-34). Finally, although it was mutilated in part by the Jesus Seminar scholars, Jesus’ teaching to be like God and love our enemies as God is good to the just and the unjust (Matt 5:44-46) was voted genuine to Jesus.

It is noteworthy that the Seminar rejected all of the verses relating to the “Jesus Saves” theology as original to Jesus. John Calvin’s Predestination fared only slightly better with only two verses seen as original to Jesus (Matt 6:10, 10:29). Some classic sayings of Jesus on Good Works were deemed authentic, such as Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-35), Jesus on forgiveness (Matt 6:12), and the Parable of the Sower (Mk 4:3-8; Matt 13:3-8; Lk 8:5-8).

MISTRANSLATIONS AND MISANTHROPES

One of the essential tenants of Universalism is that all punishment in Hell is remedial, curative, and purifying. As long as Western Christianity was mainly Greek — the language of the New Testament — it was Universalist.

Interestingly, NONE of the Greek-speaking Universalists ever felt the need to explain Greek words such as “aion” and “aionion.” In Greek, an aion (in English, usually spelled “eon”) is an indefinite period of time, usually of long duration. When it was translated into Latin Vulgate, “aion” became “aeternam” which means “eternal.” These translation errors were the basis for much of what was written about Eternal Hell.

The first person to write about Eternal Hell was the Latin North African Tertullian who is considered the Father of the Latin Church. As most people reason, Hell is a place for people you don’t like to go! Tertullian fantasized that not only the wicked would be in Hell but also every philosopher and theologian who ever argued with him! He envisioned a time when he would look down from Heaven at those people in Hell and laugh with glee!

Augustine, influential Damnationist theologian

By far, the main person responsible for making Hell eternal in the Western Church was St. Augustine (354-430 CE). Augustine’s Christian mother did not kick him out of her house for not marrying the girlfriend he got pregnant, but she did oust him when he became a Manichean Gnostic. Later, he renounced Manichaeism and returned to the Roman Church where he was made Bishop of Hippo in North Africa. He did not know Greek, had tried to study it, but stated that he hated it. Sadly, it is his misunderstanding of Greek that cemented the concept of Eternal Hell in the Western Church. Augustine not only said that Hell was eternal for the wicked but also for anyone who wasn’t a Christian. So complete was his concept of God’s exclusion of non-Christians that he considered un-baptized babies as damned; when these babies died, Augustine softened slightly to declare that they would be sent to the “upper level” of Hell. Augustine is also the inventor the concept of “Hell Lite”, a.k.a. Purgatory, which he developed to accommodate some of the Universalist verses in the Bible. Augustine acknowledged the Universalists whom he called “tender-hearted,” and curiously, included them among the “orthodox.”

At this point, it should be noted that many in the early Church who were Universalist cautioned others to be careful whom they told about Universalism, as it might cause some of the weaker ones to sin. This has always been a criticism of Universalism by those who think that people will sin with abandon if there is no threat of eternal punishment. In fact, modern psychology has affirmed that love is a much more powerful motivator than fear, and knowing that God loves each and every person on the planet as much as God loves you does not promote delinquency. Conversely, it is Christian exclusivity that leads to the marginalization of other human beings and the thinking that war and cruelty to the “other” are justified since they’re going to Hell anyway! This kind of twisted thinking led to the persecution of the pagans, the witch hunts, the Inquisition, and the Holocaust.

UNIVERSALISM IN THE EAST AND ZOROASTRIAN ROOTS

A slightly different type of Universalist theology was taught in the Aramaic speaking Church of the East (Nestorian). Virtually all of the Greek-speaking Universalists built on Origen’s system that emphasizes free will. Origen saw an endless round of purification and relapse, but that in the end, God’s love would draw all back to God. According to Dr. Beecher, Theodore of Mopsuestia (350-428 CE) saw, “sin as an unavoidable part of the development and education of man; that some carry it to a greater extent than others, but that God will finally overrule it for their final establishment in good.” Theodore of Mopsuestia was known in the Nestorian Church as “The Interpreter.” The 5th Century with its ongoing feuding councils saw major splits in the Christian Church. The Coptic Church of Egypt and Ethiopia split in 451CE; the Armenian Church left about the same time; the Church of the East (Nestorian) left in 486 CE. At the time of the split, the Nestorian Church was larger in numbers than the Roman Church. It included the all of the Sasanian Persian Empire (which stretched from the Euphrates to India), along the Silk Road through modern Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, through Tibet, Mongolia, and into China. Additionally, it had established Christian churches in the south of India by the end of the 2nd Century. While it suffered under Moslem invasion in the 7th Century, it continued to grow in the Far East until being virtually annihilated by Tamerlane in the 14th Century. Today, only a quarter-million remain. The Nestorian Church continued to be Universalist for most of its history, and a Universalist liturgy written by Theodore of Mopsuestia is still in use today. Also, the Book of the Bee written in the 13th Century by Bishop Solomon of Basra includes the Universalist teachings of Isaac, Diodorus, and Theodore in Chapter 60. We know from Martin Palmer in the Jesus Sutras that the Nestorians who proselytized in China in the early days had only two Christian books: the Gospel of Matthew and an early Christian prayer book known as the Didache or The Teachings of the Twelve Apostles. The appeal of Christianity in the Far East was that Jesus could save you and take you to Paradise, avoiding the risk of an undesired reincarnation.

Christopher Buck notes in his article, “The Universality of the Church of the East: How Persian Was Persian Christianity?” that the success of Christian conversions in the East may have been the affinity of Christianity with Zoroastrianism. Unlike Manichaeism and other Gnostic Christianity, Zoroastrianism (like Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) maintains that the world was created good and was corrupted by evil. In Zoroastrianism, the basic tenants are: God-Satan, Good-Evil, Light-Darkness, Angels-Demons, Death-Judgment, Heaven-Hell, and at the end of time, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. Zoroaster was a Universalist, as he says in his Hymns to God, “If you understand these laws of happiness and pain which God has ordained, O Mortals, there is a long period of punishment for the wicked and reward for the pious, but thereafter Eternal Joy shall rein forever” (Y 30:11 emphasis added). In Zoroastrianism, while God is wholly good, there is no doctrine of forgiveness; your good deeds must always outnumber your bad deeds in order to avoid purification in Hell. Christianity brought Jesus’ message that God forgives sins for the asking! Also, one doesn’t need a priest as an intercessor or a sacrifice to obtain God’s grace. This affinity is best illustrated in a 13th Century Christmas liturgy of the Nestorian Church which states that, “The Magi (Zoroastrian priests) came … they opened their treasures and offered him (Jesus) their offerings as they were commanded by their teacher Zoroaster who prophesized to them.” What is implicit in the Gospel of Matthew is explicit in this Nestorian liturgy. Zoroaster had predicted the coming of future saviors “from the nations” (e.g., countries other than Persia). If you wanted to make converts in a Zoroastrian world, the story of the Magi at the birth of Jesus was your entree.

UNIVERSALISM OFFICIALLY CONDEMNED IN THE WEST

Although the Roman Church had condemned some of Origen’s other ideas, his Universalism was never questioned, nor were the writings of any other Universalist. There were even Universalists among the Gnostics; although Gnosticism had been condemned heartily by the Church, Universalism had never been listed among their errors. If Universal Salvation were heretical, how could the Church explain all those avowed Universalists who had already been made Saints (St. Clement of Alexandria, St. Macrina the Younger and her brother, St. Gregory of Nyssa, and others)? As mentioned earlier, it was the Emperor Justinian who initiated the deed.

Universalism had never been officially condemned prior to Justinian’s convening the Council of Constantinople in 553CE, but this momentous decision was made against a background of turmoil in the Church and Western civilization. Latin-speaking Christians in the Church began to overshadow the Greek-speakers, and the Nestorian Church of the East had recently split from the Catholic West. (In all fairness, the Latin Church was doing well to have anyone who could read Latin — much less Greek.) Less than eighty years earlier, the Western Roman Empire had fallen to pagan barbarians. The Roman Church had long before become the handmaiden of the State. What could be better for control in an age of superstition and fear than to make Hell eternal and Salvation possible only through the Church? Less than a century later, all of Christianity (Latin, Greek, Armenian, Coptic, as well as the Nestorian Church of the East) would be either partially or totally overrun by Moslem conquerors.

CONCLUSION

Compare the hopeful, positive art of the early Church in the Catacombs with the scenes of Hell and damnation on the wall of almost every Medieval Catholic Cathedral. These scenes were made even more terrifying by the Latin mistranslation of Jesus’ Parable of the Sheep and Goats (Matt 25:31-46). In the West, Augustine trumped Origen, and what was an “eon” in the original Greek became “eternal” in Latin.

While Universalism continued in the Church of the East, in the West from the 6th Century forward, it was relegated to the realm of mystics until the Reformation when the idea of Universal Salvation was resurrected. Universalism continues today as a theological position among a fair number of Christians in a variety of denominations. It is ripe for revival.

This article appeared in the July/August 2006 issue of The Universalist Herald. Ken R. Vincent, Ed.D., is Webmaster of Universalist-Herald.net. He is the author of The Golden Thread: God’s Promise of Universal Salvation. Dr. Vincent served as a founding Board member of the Christian Universalist Association.

1. Plain Guide To Universalism

2. What Do Universalists Believe

3. Who Are Universalists

4. Scriptural Evidence of Universalism

“GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD” is probably the best known verse in the Bible. So often has it been expounded and so fully discussed that there seems little likelihood of discovering still deeper delights should we delve in the original, or consult a more exact and consistent rendering. We hope to show, however, that this gem is far more brilliant in its original form than in our idolized, English version. Even those who use it most miss much of its message. This was forcibly brought to my attention by a series of questions concerning it, in which the inquirer asked, “God—does this refer to, the Father? So—what is the meaning of this adverb? World—does this refer to the world geographically or to men and women in the world? Gave—what does the word mean? Begotten—does this refer to being begotten of Mary, or always and eternally begotten? Whosoever—to whom does that refer? Believeth—does this mean any ordinary belief of the mind? On—I have always wondered what on means…Is on used in a sense as of a foundation?”

Although the apostle John was a minister of the Circumcision, and his writings are, in their application, for them alone, nevertheless they belong to the “all Scripture” which is beneficial for us also. Paul’s evangel of conciliation contains grace far beyond the range of this verse, yet there is enough here to more than fill our cup of wondering joy. Here we have the climax of Israel’s ministry, as it will be carried out in the coming day of Jehovah. Hitherto, Israel had been self-centered. They wanted blessing for themselves, although they were chosen to be channels of blessing to others. John’s ministry is characterized by this. He sets forth the blessing of the whole world through the holy nation, when they are blessed, while Paul sets forth the portion for the nations while Israel is still stubborn.

GOD—NOT THE FATHER

One of the eyesores of modern evangelical teaching is confusion in regard to the Deity. This exposes itself at times in such questions as “Is it God the Father?” In such a dilemma, a modern evangelist would almost be compelled to answer “Yes.” But this leads to even more confusion, if we substitute, and say, “The Father so loved the world.” This suggests that the love is that of a parent, and that God is related to the world as a father to his child, sometimes called the “universal fatherhood” of God. This logical deduction no evangelical preacher will acknowledge. Is it not much better to avoid the character of Father here? The unbelieving world is related to God as Creator. The title “God” denotes the “Disposer” in the original tongues. So we should perhaps answer by saying that it is not in His character as Father that God’s love is displayed here, but rather in that of God. The unbeliever is not related to God as Father, hence the love here spoken of
is not paternal.

John three sixteen is clear in its testimony against the Trinitarian heresy. If we include in the title “God” the theological “God the Son,” then we transform it into an inextricable and insoluble maze. How can “God the Son” generate Himself? Or, perhaps we should say, How can He perform a part of this, so that He is the only begotten Son of two Others, as well as Himself? The question, Was it God the Father? is the cry of one who is perplexed, not by John three sixteen, but by orthodox theology. It ought to open our eyes to the darkness of orthodox doctrine, and, by its clear-cut inferential testimony, confirm the great truth that there is one God, Who alone could give His Son, not one of three, who give one of themselves.

SO—MANNER, NOT MEASURE

Often, in my early days, did I revel in the word so, and in my preaching, I expatiated on the magnificent extent of God’s love to the world. But one day I thought I would look it up in my Greek concordance. I am ashamed to say that for a while I was disappointed to find that it was not “so,” in the sense of quantity or size. But it was not long before I began to see that the quality of God’s love is here displayed by the way in which it expresses itself to His creatures, and this is far more precious than its abundance. It is the manner of God’s love which is here revealed, not alone its measure. This Greek word is usually rendered thus, not so. Its true force is seen in the preceding verse, “as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, thus must the Son of Mankind be lifted up.” In other places the Authorized Version translators have it on this wise ( Matt.1:18), after this manner ( Matt.6:9), likewise ( Matt. 17:12), in like manner ( Mark 13:29). Thus is a closer rendering, as in its next occurrence. Our Lord “sat thus on the well” ( John 4:6). “Thus God loves the world…” The word “so” really calls attention to the manner rather than the measure, yet, in this connection it has become blurred, and is always taken as an adverb of size, hence it should be replaced by a clearer expression.

Paul expands this thought more fully in the fifth chapter of Romans: “God is recommending this love of His to us, seeing that, while we are still sinners, Christ died for our sakes” ( Rom.5: 8). John puts it thus: “We are loving God, seeing that He first loves us” ( 1 John 4:19). Even the greatness of His love for His own depends upon this contrast for its revelation. As Paul puts it: “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)…” ( Eph.2:4). In essence, it is its graciousness which characterizes God’s love. The unworthiness, yea, the utterly despicable character of its object tells us of its grace, for it is a very unlovely world which God loves. On the other hand, the vast value of His gift to this undeserving world, nothing less than the Son of His love, unveils the preciousness of His affection.

What the world needs is to be impressed with the way, rather than the quantity of God’s love. This can be done by stressing the fact that He gives His most precious possession to a world which deserves His indignation and destruction. Only the knowledge of such a love has power to break through the resistance of hard hearts. Only by giving His best to those who deserve His worst has God been able to reveal to us the unutterable graciousness of His feelings toward the creatures of His hand and heart. I sympathize with all who still cling to the familiar “so.” It was a hard and a long pull before I could leave it. It took time for me to become used to “thus.” But it is well worth the cost. It is the manner of His love to which He calls our attention.

LOVES—NOT LOVED

This is further impressed upon our hearts by the fact that, in the original, the verb is loves, not loved. God’s love to the world is not a matter of past history, but a present and a future fact. It is indeed true that He loved and gave, but it is infinitely more true that He loves and gives. These are timeless verities, not mere past manifestations. In Paul’s passage in Romans, which parallels, or rather expands and exalts these great truths to accord with the present grace ( Rom.5:1-11), justification is through the blood of Christ, yet there is also salvation in the life of the Son of God. In the preceding verse we have the death of Christ, the Son of Mankind exalted as the serpent in the wilderness, but John 3:16 goes on further than this, for here, as in Romans, God gives His Son, and this includes His life as well as His death, His future glory as well as His past humiliation, His coming for us in the future as well as His advent in the past. God loves (not loved) the world.

WHAT IS MEANT BY THE WORLD?

Many are perplexed by the word world in the Bible because it sometimes seems to mean one thing and sometimes another. As a matter of fact the word in the original means system or arrangement, and it includes all organized creation demanded by the context in each case. This relieves our minds of the absurdity of making world mean all the men and women in the world, for that which is in a thing, can hardly be that thing. English has no good equivalent for the Greek kosmos, which is broader in its significance, and refers, not directly to the individuals, but to the whole social system of which men form a part. God, the great Arbiter, has created all in the Son of His Love ( Col.1:16), and it were strange, indeed, if His heart did not crave a response from that part of this marvelous system which can return it. But, as His power alone has imparted power to His creatures, so His love alone is able to awake a response in them.

Before coming to John 3:16 we are told what sort of world this is. In the first chapter we read, “In the world He was, and the world came into being through Him, and the world knew Him not” ( John 1:10). It was an ignorant world. It was a dark world ( Matt.5:14). The men who make it, love darkness rather than light, for their acts are wicked ( John 3:19). In Paul’s epistles salvation is individual and particular. In our infirmity, while we are still sinners, Christ died for our sakes. Being enemies, we were conciliated through the death of His Son ( Rom.5:8-10). But John’s evangel is not so individual. Christ was a “Servant of the Circumcision, for the sake of the truth of God, to confirm the patriarchal promises” ( Rom.15:8). The outlook is national and world wide. It has in view the promised day of salvation, the millennium, when the world, the whole system, will be the subject of God’s salvation. Hence God loves the world, and the world is to be regenerated by the salvation of those in it who believe. To Nicodemus our Lord said, “ye” (not you), that is, all in Israel, “must be born anew.”

THE GIFT OF GOD

Who shall define the meaning of a gift? But is not this very passage itself an exalted exposition of its truest significance? It is the chief activity and expression of love. Hate robs. Love gives. Nearly all who have ever labored under the desire to express their affection have had to resort to this means of making it known. The great difficulty is to secure appreciation. I remember once wondering how I could get beyond the ordinary, humdrum, routine gifts, so I gave some of my own heart’s blood by using it in place of ink in writing to the object of my affection. A gift of such a character is more effective than imposing presents. God is too rich to expect much response from mere material donations. But when He gives that which is near and dear to Him, then our hard hearts are affected.

THE ONLY BEGOTTEN

Among westerners the firstborn of a family has little precedence over the rest. But in the Orient the firstborn son takes a place of privilege far above his brothers. When there is only one, he almost monopolizes his father’s heart, for a man’s present standing and future hopes for his family are all bound up in his heir. To the eastern mind there can be no more precious possession than an only son. He is the supreme joy of his father and the pride of his mother’s heart. He is more to them than all else besides. To give such a one is to give all, for nothing else can be compared to him in his father’s estimation. Christ is God’s only begotten Son in the literal sense, in the flesh. In spirit, He becomes the Firstborn among many brethren, but no other man was without a human father except Adam, and he was not begotten, but created. This unique glory belongs only to our Lord.

We must learn to distinguish a son from a mere offspring. Especially in Hebrew it has a wide usage, and includes rank and dignity as well as relationship. But it especially denotes likeness. God gave the One Who was most like Him to be our Saviour. How far we have been led astray into the misty mysteries of medieval theology may be seen by the form in which the question is put. What is “always and eternally begotten?” How thankful we should be that no such nonsense can be found in God’s Word! In theology a contradiction in terms seems to be taken as the hall mark of the divine. The same statement, in other spheres, would be an unquestionable symptom of a deranged intellect. There is no such thing as “eternally begotten,” for begettal is a beginning, and eternal is without a beginning.

WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH

What a perplexing time we used to have trying to stretch out the word whosoever over every member of the human race! But, alas! It would not stay down over unbelievers. It is not “whosoever,” without limitations, but everyone who believes. Herein John 3:16 differs from the glorious evangel of the conciliation, which Paul later revealed for us gentiles. In John we have God’s love for the world. In Paul we have this love displayed by God’s attitude toward unbelievers as well as its effect on believers. Our Lord spoke before His sacrifice. Paul writes after His cross. John seeks Israel’s salvation. Paul realizes Israel’s repudiation. The world is now conciliated, so far as God is concerned, and our message to the unbeliever is to receive this conciliation. When our Lord was here on earth, the unbeliever was judged ( John 3:18). The indignation of God remained on the stubborn ( John 3:36). But not so now. God beseeches all to be conciliated to Him because He is conciliated to them. He is not now reckoning their offenses to them ( 2 Cor. 5:18-21).

What a joy and satisfaction it was to get the vexed “whosoever” question settled by Paul! We were continually tripping over our own feet by preaching that Christ died instead of “the world,” and “whosoever,” and trying to widen this so as not to miss anyone, and then we insisted that, if they did not believe, then—though Christ had died as their “substitute,” and God could not justly punish them as well as Him—if they did not believe they would suffer eternal torment.

What a change when we discovered that we had been mixing and distorting and adulterating God’s plain declarations! Then the evangel for today, with its two distinct phases, conciliation on God’s side to the whole world whether they believe or not, and reconciliation when they believe and receive the conciliation, into their own hearts, enabled us to refrain from making God appear unjust. “Whosoever” in John’s evangel is limited to those who believe.
“Does this mean any ordinary belief of the mind?” This was another earnest problem of the past. In this very gospel we read of those who believed into His name beholding the signs which He did. Yet He did not entrust Himself to them, because He knew all … ( John 2:23-25). This put quite a damper on our “whosoever believeth.” We tried to classify the various varieties of faith. It was very evident that there was something lacking with the faith of most “Christians.” One did not need much knowledge of mankind to distrust their profession. Here again Paul came to our rescue. No, a belief with the mind is not genuine. “With the heart it is believed for righteousness” ( Rom.10:10). A superficial assent is worthless. Only a faith which flows from the very core of our being is of any use. It is useless to say that we believe. If it is a living faith it will bear fruit, and by this we will recognize if it is genuine, and convince others of its reality.

NOT ON, BUT INTO

The “kind” of faith necessary for salvation has disturbed the mind of many an anxious sinner. But God’s Word knows no species in faith. The difference lies in its vitality and its depth. It must be with the heart, that is, from the inmost center of our being. All else is sham and hypocrisy. The character of faith is also most graphically expressed in the original by the accompanying preposition. Our stammering English allows us to believe on or in. But the more truthful tongue of inspiration prefers to believe into. Faith is a moving force. When we believe we do not stand on, or even in, but we are transferred from without to within. Out of the world and into God’s Son. Not only is He the foundation beneath our feet, but He is above us and all around us. The true force of into is seen in the very next verse. As God dispatched His Son into the world so faith moves from out of Him into Him.
How much richer would be our life and experience if we should imitate God as beloved children, even in His ways of speaking! He seldom refers to the great change wrought by faith as a motionless position. Never is it faith in Him until after “the great transaction’s done.” Seldom, in John’s gospel, do we read of believing on. Yet nearly forty times, in nearly every chapter, we read of believing into. In the third chapter alone it occurs four times (16,18,18 36). These precious distinctions were lost early, as may be seen in John 3:15, where the three most venerable manuscripts each have it differently. Alexandrinus has it on, Vaticanus has it in and Sinaiticus has it believe into. But here there is the danger that it was adapted to the next verse. But in John 3:16 there is no question. It is those who are carried by the vital power of faith into the only begotten Son of God who shall not be perishing but may be having eonian life.

Yet there is motion into His name which, nevertheless, is not to be trusted. The difference seems to spring from the motive power. The perception of physical signs may not beget vital faith. It is a conviction concerning matters which are not observed. It comes by hearing the divine declarations. Its foundation today must always be, “It is written.” How much of the faith in the millennium is false is seen only at its close, when an innumerable multitude, who have known the powers of that marvelous eon, will follow Satan when he is loosed from his prison. And in our day, how little genuine belief is there in the great religious bodies with their millions of nominal believers! A colporteur in the eastern part of Europe was assured by a man who bought a Bible: “It is true that I am a Christian, but I have never had this book in my hands before.” God alone can read the heart. We must look for outward signs. There is no better evidence than to toil and suffer for God’s Word.

EONIAN, NOT EVERLASTING, LIFE

Do we not too often forget that John 3:16 was attuned to the heart and the understanding of a learned Jewish rabbi? Have we not tried to trim it down to fit the ignorant, irreligious sinner? What was the subject of the discourse? Was it not that which occupied the attention of all who pondered the Hebrew Scriptures, how to enter the kingdom of God? Before Nicodemus could say anything about it, our Lord anticipated the thought of his heart, and told him that, apart from being begotten anew, he could not perceive the kingdom of God ( John 3:3). Let us not forget this when we come to the sixteenth verse. Here our Lord is opening up the way into this kingdom. Only in this light can we understand what is really meant by “shall not perish.” Should we not take these words as Nicodemus must have received them? Is it honest to “apply” them to sinners and circumstances utterly foreign to their original intent? It is this wresting of a few words from their context which causes the confusion and the questioning of sincere seekers after truth in these days of dire apostasy.

Let us seek to put ourselves in the position of Nicodemus. He is looking and longing for another “world” or system, in the coming eon: the kingdom of God. To live in that day is his great desire. How can he attain it? What works must he perform? To begin with, our Lord seems to shut the door of access in his face. No man can do anything in order to be born anew. Having barred the way of works, our Lord opens the gate of faith, based on God’s love gift. This is the path into the kingdom of God on earth, not the portal into His presence for the nations today. In brief, the kingdom foretold by the prophets will be the portion of all who believe. Only those who have died in faith ( Heb.11) will find entrance there. And only the faithful will be preserved through the terrific judgments which precede it. These “should not be perishing but may be having eonian life.” Unbelievers, like those stubborn in the wilderness, will not enter the promised land. John 3:16, is millennial in its context and its scope.

The Hebrew rabbis spoke of “the life of the age,” or eon, the time of Messiah’s reign and of Israel’s exaltation among the nations. This is the so-called “everlasting” life of this verse. The Hebrew root “olam,” which this represents, signifies obscure, and is usually rendered hide as a verb. To the prophets the future was still obscure to a large extent, hence the time of blessing which was dimly seen ahead was so called. But, with added revelations, the future became clearer, and, in the Greek Scriptures, this obscure term is displaced by a more definite one, eon. The eons emerge out of the mist and take a definite number and sequence. It turns out that, in the Scriptures, time is divided just the same as is space. As in the tabernacle, the outside, the camp, the court, and the holy places constitute five distinct divisions, so there are five eons or ages. Two are past. The present, in which Christ was crucified, corresponds to the court and the brazen altar. The next two, the eons of the eons, correspond to the holies of the holies, the two rooms in the tabernacle building.

The life of the eons, or eonian life, is life for the two concluding eons, the scene of the reign of Christ and His saints. This corresponds exactly with the facts, as gathered from other passages. The unbeliever is not made alive in the former resurrection, when the kingdom is set up. He is roused from judgment at the great white throne, and goes into the second death. Thus he shall be perishing, and has no part in the kingdom of God. The believer in Israel, however, is made alive soon after the advent of Messiah, and he lives and reigns with Christ, not only during the thousand years, but also in the succeeding eon, the day of God. He receives “eonian life,” according to John 3: 16.
Revelation has been gradual. The early prophets saw but one coming of Christ. Later, details were added, and His advent in humiliation was separated from his appearance in glory. So also it is with John 3:16, and all the prophecies of our Lord and His twelve apostles. He could not reveal to them all that was in store for mankind in the future, for they were concerned only with the blessing which should come through the elect nation. That is why the truth for today was not made known to them, for our blessing comes to us, not through Israel’s mediation, but in spite of their failure. The truth for today was a secret, revealed only through the apostle Paul after Israel was set aside. Until this had come to pass it is foolish to look for truth which is based upon it.

For the same reason the final state, the ultimate consummation, was never made known through the apostles of the Circumcision. Theirs is an intermediate process, by which God will reveal Himself to the denizens of earth, by means of one favored nation. Only through Paul has God made known what lies beyond the “olams,” the eons. This is entirely out of the range of John 3:16, and is in contrast with it. Paul reveals it in Romans five, First Corinthians fifteen and Colossians one. Then not only believers, but all will receive life. Then it will not be eonian life, but actually endless life, for death will be abolished and no longer operate. This is confirmed by the fact that the words “perish” and “have,” in the original, do not speak of a fact, indefinite in its reach, but of a process, which is terminable. The perishing and the having are future and during the period of the kingdom. But, when all rule is abolished, and the “everlasting” reign of the Son terminates with His abdication, then the perishing ceases, and gives place to reconciliation, beyond the kingdom era.

TRUTHS AND PROCESSES

Every now and then I am sent passages of Scripture which seem to be absolutely contradictory, and this is acknowledged by men who have tried their best to solve them. Time and again the solution has been simple, for one spoke of a fact, the other of a temporary process. A glance at the Hebrew or Greek makes all plain. But our English versions are lamentably lame in this regard. The Hebrew has two forms for its verb, but who would ever dream of it if he was dependent on an English translation? The Greek also clearly distinguishes three great groups of verb forms, the indefinite, the incomplete or durative, and the perfect. It is of the utmost importance that we know of any action, whether it is a fact without limitations, as “God loves,” or a temporary process, limited to the indicated time, as “should not be perishing.”

How many who read “should not perish,” get the impression of a process going on during the eons? None! Even when correctly rendered “should not be perishing” only a few will grasp the significance of the change in grammar before it is pointed out to them. This ignorance of the force of these two verb forms, and the failure to carry it over into English translations, is a most potent stronghold of error. John three sixteen, in its popular form, contains two glaring and ungodly errors of this kind. God’s love and giving are relegated to the past, although they are timeless. The perishing is made timeless although it is definitely assigned to a limited period in the future.
I am well aware that this is not based on traditional Greek grammar. But why should I confine myself to stereotyped, ossified ideas about Greek, when constant contact with the living oracles has taught me vital facts which all the scholarship in the world cannot disprove? Let a real student examine all of the occurrences of the verbs in the sacred text, and classify them as to actual form (not traditional grammar), and then examine the classes, and he will see that the so-called “incomplete” (there is not even a good name for it!) always speaks of an action as going on, and always limited to the scope of the context. Permanent, abiding facts are put in the indefinite.

The errors which are fostered by the inability of translators to carry over these great distinctions are so vital and disastrous that I have made up my mind that, in future, every Concordant version will make the matter clear. It is true that the version at present does maintain this distinction, as a rule. In fact, that is the chief objection to it! But we have yielded to English idiom in some cases. In future, except with an accompanying sublinear, these must be noted, so that the distinction will be clear to the most ignorant. Then “shall not see life,” and “abides” ( John 3:36) will no longer deny other portions of God’s revelation. Such errors as these would not be so fatal if it were not for our human failing—to believe what is false and obscure, and to reject what is right and plainly revealed. When we “choose,” our selection is sin.
It is true that even the misuse of this text has been accompanied with untold blessing, for God is a skillful Workman. If the power of His Word were dependent upon the intelligence of His servants and their choice of the proper tool for each operation, what would be accomplished? It is only another proof that this is an era of grace, when His slaves are allowed to use His Word with so little spiritual discernment without being called to account, or being set aside. Millions of copies of John’s gospel have been printed and distributed in our days because of the popular impression that it is especially adapted to the needs of sinners today. We can only applaud the sincere motives and great sacrifices which have made this possible. They will find a sure reward.

But how much more would it please God if we should spread the epistle of Romans, and the truths which it contains! The first five chapters of this epistle with a few extracts from Corinthians and Galatians definitely deal with the nations while Israel is set aside, and reveal the truth which is for unbelievers in this time of unparalleled grace. These deal with the individual sinner, not the world as a whole. They reveal God’s justice, as well as His love. They bring faith righteousness to the nations, after Israel had refused the pardon of sins. They set forth God’s present gracious attitude of conciliation for all mankind, the true heart of the evangel for today, which has been forgotten and ignored in our lawless desire to rob Israel of John 3:16 and other texts.

The “appropriation” of this text has made us poorer, not richer. If we leave it where it is, it speaks no whit less loudly of God’s love. Connected with Nicodemus, and those who enter the kingdom to be set up on this earth, it shines with a brighter brilliancy than ever before. “Applied” to sinners among the nations, contrary to its context, it cannot itself, be clearly understood, and it eclipses the brighter light and far greater grace which is ours in Christ Jesus. What a day that will be when our eyes will be opened to understand the Scriptures! How much that we have taught will ascend in smoke! Yet how thankful we will be that He knows our motives and judges our hearts and not our heads! Most of us read as much into the Bible as we read out of it. The less we read into it the more we will read out. All who really wish to understand John 3:16 must orient themselves in Romans, and view it from their proper standpoint. It is stolen goods which we by no means need, for we have even richer and rarer expressions of God’s love in His letters addressed to us and not to Israel.

Written by

A E KNOCK

“Eternity” is one of the most controversial words in the Bible. To many, it is thought to be the realm where time goes on and on, non-stop, ad infinitum, into which one enters after death. Based upon decisions affiliations, and actions made in this life on earth, it is supposed one irreversibly fixes his destiny for all eternity. The few who make heaven strum their harps and walk streets of gold with Jesus and all the happy saints. The vast multitudes who miss heaven, enter an eternal hell of burning torment and anguish. These notions which has shaped man’s and the church’s views of God, have motivated some to embrace religion’s answers whereas others turn to atheism. Still others are left neutralized and confused over whether God is a God of love, power, and mercy, or of hate, ineptitude, and vindictiveness.

Our Object

The object of this writing is to examine the work “eternal” to show where it is used in scripture and to look at the Greek and Hebrew words from which it is derived. The word “eternal” which applies to the nature of God, will be contrasted with the word “age lasting” derived from the Greek word “aeonios,” referring to the time periods for accomplishing the purposes of God. A clear understanding of these words reveals a truly sovereign, wise, and just God of love whose plan in creation and redemption knows no failure.

Words Synonymous To “Eternal”

The words “forever” and “everlasting,” and the phrase “forever and ever” are used throughout scripture as synonyms for the word “eternal. Wesbster’s Dictionary defines “eternal” as “of infinite duration,” “everlasting,” “timeless,” “perpetual,” and “immutable.” Rom.1:16 describes the Godhead as “eternal,” here translated from the Greek word “aidios.” “Eternal” is an excellent adjective for God. Clearly He has no beginning nor end. He neither sleeps for ages. It matters not what men nor devils say nor do. He continues steadfast in His plan and purpose. He is perpetual and never changes. With God there is “no variableness, neither shadow of turning” Jas.1:17. His fore- knowledge is perfect. “Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the ages” Ac.15:18.

The Problem

For the last three centuries, the King James Version has been the most prominent and revered translation of the Bible. Indeed the bold acclamation, “Praise God, the Bible says what it means and means what it says,” has been used to cement the veracity of its words regardless of their individual accuracy. Consequently, many have overlooked otherwise obvious mistakes regarding the uses of certain words. The KJV is not infallible, nor is it the object of our worship. Rather we are to worship King Jesus and allow Him to lead us into all truth, even when that means a revision in our thinking about the Bible, whether the King James or another version.

Some Obvious Errors

For example, in the Old Testament the old covenant of the law is referred to as the “everlasting covenant” (Lev.24:8) implying that it was to endure for eternity. Yet the New Testament records that the first covenant was “done away” and “abolished” 2Cor.3:11,13. God “has made the first old” Heb.8:13. Either God is confused, or else translators have rendered the text inaccurately. Since the former cannot be true, it is incumbent upon us to search out the exact meanings of words and to find the answers to such discrepancies.

The Aaronic priesthood is spoken of as “an everlasting priesthood” Ex. 40:15. If “everlasting” means “eternal,” then the direct descendants of Aaron and only they, would be allowed to function as priests, and this for all time. Yet Heb.7:14-18 declares an end to the Aaronic priesthood and a new priesthood after the order of Melchizedek. Peter describes the church as “a spiritual house, an holy priesthood” (1Ptr.2:5), a statement which John confirms when he writes that by Jesus’ blood the church has been cleansed from sin and made “kings and priests unto God” Rev.1:6. Thus in the above Exodus reference, “ever-lasting” cannot possibly mean “everlasting.”

The children of Israel were to “observe the Sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant” Ex.31:16. Yet Paul states there remains “another day” of Sabbath rest for people of God” Heb.4:8,9. Though translators may have used the word “perpetual,” the Holy Spirit disproves this choice of words, exposing it as incorrect.

The misuse of words expressing “unlimited duration” when specific time periods were intended is most obvious in the following cases. Jonah was not in the fish’s belly “forever” Jon.2:6. A bondslave could not possibly serve his master “forever” Ex.21:6. God did not dwell in Solomon’s temple “forever” 1Kg.8:13.

The Hebrew word from which the aforementioned “everlasting,” “perpetual” and “forever” were translated, is “olam.” Wilson’s Old Testament Word Studies by William Wilson, gives the meaning of “olam” as “duration of time which is concealed or hidden.” In other words, an unknown length of time. Though it may have been a very long or even indeterminable period of time, the sense that it would come to an end was always there. This concurs with our New Testament texts which confirm that indeed these established practices were abolished and replaced with something better. The King James translators would have been more accurate to record that the old covenant and its priesthood were for an “age of time.”

Jesus Definition

Essential to our understanding of the New Testament scriptures is a clear perception of what eternity and how the word “eternal” differs from the word from which it is translated. It is generally preached that eternity is a state of being into which Christians enter upon physical death and that eternal life describes the life the believer receives from God. But nowhere in the scriptures is a Greek word meaning “eternal” used to describe the life God gives to a Christian. This is proven by Jesus Himself in His one and only definition of the life He gives. For the purpose of clarity, we will insert the original Greek word “aeonios” for the translator’s word “eternal.” Jesus said, “Now this is aeonios life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” Jn.17:3. Clearly this life has nothing to do with eternity, but is a quality of relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ who brings us into a present knowledge and experience with God our Father.

An Impossible Interchange

Equating aeonios life to eternal life is an impossibility. “Aeonios” and “eternal” are words having totally different meanings. They are not interchangeable. Jesus who should be our sole authority, describes aeonios life as a dynamic relationship, the outcome of which is growth and change. Although the adjective “eternal” is appropriate for God, it is certainly inappropriate for the believer’s life in God, because though God is of “infinite duration, everlasting, timeless, perpetual and immutable” (the definition from Webster’s Dictionary quoted earlier), the believers’s life is one of continuous change over aeons of time. This process begins in the spirit of the believer and requires time to be completed. A Christian may commonly speak of and desire to have eternal life, but it hardly seems possible that he should want eternal life now or upon death, until he is totally and perfectly conformed to the image of Jesus Christ.

Let’s Look At “Aeonios”

To understand this better, we must know about the word “aeonios.” The Greek adjective “aeonios,” for which so many translations mistakenly use the word “eternal” is derived from the noun “aeon.” “Aeon” means “age” or “ages,” as in “the mystery which has been hid from ages and generations” (Col.1:26), or in “the ages to come” Eph.2:7. These ages are time periods having a beginning and an end. In the study of grammar, it is an indisputable law that an adjective can have no different or greater meaning than the noun from which it is derived. For example, the adjective “monthly” could only be derived from the noun “month,” not “hour,” “day,” or “week.” Aeonios life can only mean a life pertaining to an age or ages of time (Heb.1:3 Ampl.) because “aeonios” is derived from “aeon.” Hence, the misapplication of the word “eternal,” implying timelessness, when periods or portions of time are meant, obscures rather than proclaims God’s magnificent plans for man.

God’s Purpose In The Ages

Understanding the uniform meaning of “aeon” and of its adjectival form “aeonios,” reveals the majestic and sovereign wisdom of God in His purpose for all creation. The aeons past, present, and future are not God’s “hit and miss” attempts at getting a few loyal subjects to obey Him. Instead the aeons are the womb out of which God brings forth people to accomplish His purposes. In ages past God called not only the Israelites, but also idol worshipping Egyptians and Assyrians to be His servants. Those ages were the periods of their coming to know about God and learning obedience to His ways. The present church age is a unique time in which other people redeemed and appointed according to God’s purpose and grace before the aeonios times began

(2Tim.2:9), are being birthed and nurtured, these unto the new covenant relationship of sons and daughters.

Those so privileged are the “ekklesia” or “called out” people who are known as the church. Their initial salvation experience commenced when they were “born again.” In this spiritual regeneration they received the Holy Spirit of promise (Eph.1:3), the earnest or down payment toward their inheritance. While partaking of aeonious life, i.e. growing in the knowledge and love of God, these people ultimately mature to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ (Eph.4:13), and find themselves perfect and entire wanting nothing (Jas.1:4). When perfectly conformed to the image of Jesus Christ (Rom.8:29), they shall have their inheritance which is being like God-Gen.1:26. For them the work of the aeons will have been completed.

Traditional Objections Unmasked

With every progression of new understanding, it is quite normal for there to be objections. Loyalists to creeds and tradition will be the most adamant objectors for they have deeply ingrained within their minds, that the believer has eternal life. It is clear that such is not the case, because one in a state of timeless immutability, or eternality, is disqualified from God’s purpose in creating man. God’s creative processes require repentance and change. Since God says, “I change not” (Mal.3:6), then it is God’s children who change. Scripture states, “we shall (future tense) be like Him for we shall see Him as He is.” 1Jn.3:2. The ages exist in order that during them we may with our eyes on Jesus, go from glory to glory and faith to faith-2Cor.3:18.

Aeonios Life—Aeonios Punishment

The most common objection arises with the realization that if aeonios life for the righteous will one day be completed, then aeonios punishment for the unregenerate will also one day be completed. Most prominent support for the traditional doctrine of eternal punishment is in Matthew 25:46 where aeonios punishment is contrasted to aeonios life. “Then they will go away to eternal (aeonios) punishment, but the righteous to eternal (aeonios) life.” It is argued that the latter is supposed to mean endless life, hence the former supposedly means endless punishment. If the punishment is limited, the life must also be limited, the duration of each being expressed by the same word. Though the reasoning appears logical, it is based upon the unfortunate mistranslation of the word “aeonios.”

Even if the premises for eternal punishment in Matt.24:46 were true, it is clear from Rom.16:25-26, that “aeonios” does not mean “eternal.” Here again “aeonios” occurs twice, “According to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past (aeonios), but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal (aeonis) God.” “Aeonios” cannot mean “eternal” when it speaks of the gospel’s being kept secret “since the world began,” (KJV), “for long ages past” (NIV). If “aeonios” meant “eternal” (perpetual), then the gospel would still be a secret, for there would be no succession of ages before which it was a secret nor after which it could be revealed. The same truth is revealed in Titus 1:2. “In hope of eternal (aeonios) life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began (before times aeonios).” Though God is certainly eternal, the second use of “aeonios” in Rom.16:26, refers to Him as the God of the ages, just as he is the God of Israel or the God of Abraham.

Uniformity Eliminates Confusion

The fact is “aeonios” wherever it is used in the New Testament has one uniform meaning. When applied to God, He is the aeonis God, or the God of the ages, i.e., the Being who through aeons of time is working out His wonderful plan. The word “aeonios” has the force of belonging to, or in connection with the ages; for example, “aeonios life,” “aeonios salvation,” “aeonios redemption,” “aeonios inheritance,” “aeonios fire,” and “aeonios punishment” (see John 3:16; Heb.5:9; 9:12,15; Jude 7; Matt.24:46). To suggest that “aeonios” means “endless times” or “endless ages,” is not only a contradiction of terms, but nonsensical and confusing. It is equivalent to suggesting an “infinite finite,” a “limitless limit,” a “something nothing” or a “full vacuum.” An age is a span of time, a period of existence. Though seemingly immeasurable to man, nevertheless it is of limited duration.

God’s Punishments Have Purpose

In examining “aeonios” as it is applied to punishment, we see that this too pertains to a period of time or age in which God is working out His purposes. The Greek word translated “punishment” is “”kolasis,” which means “to curtail, retrain, chastise, or prune.” Aeonios chastisement would then be a sentence of chastisement with both a beginning and an end, for the purpose of correction. The fact that the sentence of chastisement has an end does not in any way take away from its severity (Rom.11:22). God has promised judgment to theGentiles until He sends forth judgment unto victory-Matt.12:18-20. For when God’s judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness-Isa.26:9. Never are God’s chastisements meaningless, as they would be if aeonios punishment were forever. Even those who have not benefited from His judgments while living on this earth, will one day experience His judgments, for “it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” Heb.9:27. The marvelous truth of the gospel is that God’s chastisements are redemptive. Ultimately all the ends of the earth shall know God, for He has sworn by Himself, and the word has gone out of His mouth in righteousness and shall not return void, that unto Him every knee shall bow and every tongue shall swear-Isa.45:22-23; Phil.2:10-11.

If “Aeonios” Meant “Eternal”

Furthermore supposing “aeon” and its adjectival form “aeonios” meant “eternal,” consider how illogical the Holy Spirit would appear saying, This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of eternity (aeonios)” (2Tim.1:9) “which God, who does not lie promised before the beginning of eternity (aeonios)” (Tit.1:2); “according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for eternity (aeonios) past” (Rom.16:25); who gave Himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil eternity (aeon)” (Gal.1:4); “the harvest is the end of this eternity (aeon)” (Matt.13:39); “who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming eternity (aeon)” Heb.6:5. Suffice it to say that there have been “aeons” in the past, there is the present “aeon,” and there are “aeons” to come. These all combined make up TIME, encompassing the whole progressive plan and program of God for the development of His creation.

Only “Aidios” Means “Eternal”

The fact is the New Testament has only one word which can truthfully be translated “eternal.” This is the Greek word “aidios” which is used only twice. Once it describes the Godhead. “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—His eternal (aidios) power and divine nature—have been clearly seen” Rom.1:20. The second time it describes the chains which hold rebellious angels until their day of judgment, “these he has kept in darkness; bound with everlasting (aidios) chains for judgment on the great day” Jude 6. These timeless, unchangeable chains will always be a symbol of the severity of God’s corrective measures. Apart from these two verses, there is no place in scripture where a word meaning eternal is to be found.

Conclusion

Eternity and its synonyms are grevious mistranslations of the Hebrew and Greek words. Both the Old and the New Testament misuses indicate a biased mind-set which hides God’s true nature and purpose. The uniform translation of “aeon” and its adjective from “aeonios” solves many inconsistencies in scripture study. Jesus came to give aeonios life, a quality of relationship with the Father through Himself, a life that is only the earnest of much more to come. The most shameful consequences of this error are the grotesque images which Christianity projects of God, who is really so loving, wise and powerful. God’s love nature corresponds with His purpose which required Jesus to hang on a cross, and about which Jesus said, “And I if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me” Jn.12:32. His wisdom and majesty dominate the ages through which mankind is drawn toward God’s goal of creating man in His own image, “that God may be all in all” 1Cor.15:28.

Practicalities

Understanding the realities of God’s plan of the ages has great practical application in the life of the believer. The amazing grace of God which we so willingly embrace for ourselves, we then extend to every living soul. We know that if God saved a “wretch like me,” then our faith can be extended toward seeing every other wretched, lost soul saved. Grace can be truly comprehended when it is extended to all creation. To limit God’s grace is to be of a law mentality which judges, condemns and puts “our” group above another. It should only be too obvious that it is the very rejection of this unlimited grace which justifies the self-righteous and divisive attitude so prominent among Christians. Whether in the home, church, or world, all grounds for judgment and condemnation are removed.

The “Christ in you” is the Christ of God who never fails. He was slain before the foundations of the world (Rev.13:8) in anticipation of man’s failure. Calvary was not an after-thought. The “Christ in you” has unlimited love, wisdom, and perseverance for delivering you as well as all creation from every bondage of sin and death. He is well able to complete that which he began.

Our confidence is greatly enhanced when we see God in His magnificence and grandeur, the author and perfector of our faith, who Himself has faith for the whole world. Jesus’ blood will acquire all it has purchased; He “gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time” 1Tim.2:6. The salvation of all mankind continues throughout the expanse of God’s ages.

Colossians 1:16-20

“For in Him all things were created, both in the heavens

and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or

dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been

created through Him and for Him. And He is before all

things and in Him all things hold together.

He is also head of the body, the church; and He is

the beginning, the first-born from the dead; so that

He Himself might come to have first place in everything.

For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fulness

to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things

to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His

cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or

things in heaven.”(NAS Bible)

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A further in-depth of Time and Eternity in relation to Gods plan of redemption

TIME and ETERNITY- A Biblical study on AIONIAN

By G T Stevens

TIME AND ETERNITY-Biblical Study on AIONIAN [G. T. Stevenson

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED
by Ray Prinzing

“A desire accomplished is sweet to the soul.” (Proverbs 13:19).

“So shall My word be that goes forth out of My mouth: it shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please.”
(Isa. 55:11).

There are some words and phrases that really express a positive hope, for they turn our thoughts away from present anxieties and processings, to give us an assurance that the end victory is secure. I am sure it would be most profitable if we were to daily quote Jeremiah 29:11, Amplified, and let the truth take root within our heart. “For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace, and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.” Whatever the trial might be, to know there is a “final outcome” of victory is most reassuring. And so these two words which the Lord is quickening within, give us an up­look, to be a song within, that there will be a time when it can be said, regarding all our processings, “mission accomplished.” Praise God!

There are several words that have been translated as “accomplished,” we’ll, note but a few. First from the Hebrew– kalah, meaning: completed, end, finished. Male, meaning: to be full. Likewise from the Greek– pletho, meaning: to be or become full. And teleo, meaning: end, complete. They all are summed up to speak of that which is finished, brought to completion and made whole– no part lacking– whatever its goal it is accomplished.

First let us note how this was working in our Lord Jesus Christ, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted (tested) like as we are, yet without sin (without missing the mark).” (Hebrews 4:15).

Experiencing the outworking of the Father’s will, we hear Him say, “But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how distressed I am till it is accomplished.” (Luke 12:50).

A baptism– literally, an immersion. Not just in water– He had already gone through that when He came “to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.” (Matt. 3:13). He fulfilled all that was appointed by that immersion. But there was a far deeper baptism to take place, as He would be “immersed” into a realm of agony and suffering, as He poured out His life on Calvary’s cross. Plunged into an experience that has ramifications far beyond what we can currently comprehend. This baptism loomed on the horizon, it had to be faced– and He was straightened, until it came to pass.

Straightened– “sunecho” to be held together, be constrained. Others might be taken up with the trivial matters of the day, but He was focused upon-­He held to the Father’s will– knowing He was about to be immersed into an experience which had eternal ramifications. He was gripped by the purpose and plan of God, and little do we know how He felt as He waited for it to be carried out, but He was “in all points tempted as we are.” We need not speculate on the surging of emotion within the “man” Christ Jesus, or the thoughts that might have raced through His mind, but He also knew it was essential that His Father’s will to be done, and He said to Pilate, “To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth.” (John 18:37). He willingly faced up to the cross. No need to postpone the inevitable, let Father’s will be done. Had He not already said in His High Priestly prayer of John 17, “I have finished the work which You gave me to do.” (v. 4). And again, on the cross, as He was about to yield up His spirit to the Father, He was able to cry out, “IT IS FINISHED: and He bowed His head, and gave up the ghost.” (John 19:30). Methinks He felt a jubilant sense of satisfaction-­mission accomplished! For He had set in motion the outworking of the new covenant. Let the former ministrations of law pass away, the new life of His grace had begun, and now the Father could say, “Sit on My right hand, until I make Your enemies Your footstool.” (Heb. 1:13). Now HE REIGNS! From the throne He speaks forth His will, and He steadily works His plan in man– causing His firstfruits to share in His overcoming.

The Father’s grace was/is manifested in the Son, and now the Son’s grace will be manifested in those whom He apprehends for today. Ultimately to bring every man into life– for “In Christ shall all be made alive. Every man in his own order.” (1 Cor. 15:22-23). One by one He will gather to Himself, and joyously proclaim in each vessel– “mission accomplished.” Praise His wonderful name!

As the Great Shepherd He seeks out the lost sheep, “And when He has found it, He lays it on His shoulders, rejoicing. (And says to His friends), Rejoice with Me; for I have found My sheep which was lost.” (Luke 15:5-6). The sheep does not go in search of the Shepherd, but the Shepherd searches for the lost sheep– “No man can come to Me, except the Father which has sent Me draw him.” (John 6:44). With the cords of love He reaches out, TO FIND, TO DRAW TO HIMSELF, and with each successful finding/drawing, how He rejoices– mission accomplished!

Having viewed the “triumph of Christ” we can now look a little more closely to our own processings. God does have His set times appointed for us, just as He did for Mary. Directing her steps to be in the right place at the right time, and then we read– “the days were accomplished that she should be delivered,” (Luke 2:6), and Jesus was born in the very location that God had purposed, fulfilling all that the prophets had spoken. The process of gestation was ended, the pains of travail to bring forth were finished, the Babe was laid in a manger, and she could look up with joy, and say again, “mission accomplished.” To “remember no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.” (John 16:21).

The travail of a woman giving birth to a child has often been applied to our own travail and deep inworkings of God. The pains come in cycles, and we groan before the Lord with birth-pangs that are used to bring forth a new creation species. As Paul writes, “My little Children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you.” (Gal. 4:19). Yes, they were his little children, but they must be birthed spirit, soul, and body– going from glory to glory, hence there is an on-going travail until Christ be fully formed within us. Praise God, He is bringing forth a people who are conformed to His image, partakers of His divine nature, one in His will. We see the vision, however far away the climax might be. And we find that often times we are faced with another degree of baptism, to be plunged, immersed into times of testing that mutes our lips and challenges us to utmost length. “For You, O God, have proved us: You have tried us, as silver is tried. You brought us into the net; You laid affliction upon our loins. You have caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water …” (Ps. 66:10-12). Or, as the Psalmist says in another place, “All Your waves and Your billows are gone over me.” (Ps. 42:7). What a baptism! What a travail as He is formed within us!

How encouraging to find that these happenings/situations/circumstances are used by God to ultimately bring us into a wealthy place, where He can look upon the FINISHED PRODUCT OF HIS GRACE, and say, mission accomplished, and we stand before Him– a people to His praise!

“Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? says the Lord: Shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? says your God.” (And then comes the victory shout.) “Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all you that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all you that mourn for her.” (Isa. 66:9-10). Why such jubilation? Because God could look upon His handiwork and say– “mission accomplished.” True, it is never an easy correction process to go through, as the Word makes clear, for Isaiah 66:16 tells us-­ “For by fire and by His sword will the Lord plead with all flesh: and the slain of the Lord shall be many.” (Isa. 66:16). But all the FURY of the Lord has a purpose, and is destined to work for good. How we need a Light to shine upon this truth– that God’s anger can simply be described as the energy-force of God set in motion to bring about a correction, with the end result that we are established in His righteousness.

Jeremiah gives a vivid word on this. “The Lord has accomplished His fury; He has poured out His fierce anger, and has kindled a fire in Zion, and it has devoured the foundations thereof.” (Lamentations 4:12). The energy force of God set in motion, not just to destroy, nor even just to bring an end to self-will and sin, but also to prepare mankind for an inflow of life once the correction has been completed. The very word “accomplished” holds within it the fact that HE had something that had to be worked out, carried to a finishing point. There was a purpose to be realized, and then all the negatives of chastening, stripping, are swallowed up into His victory. The erroneous idea of eternal torment cannot be sustained when the Word says “The Lord has accomplished His fury.” Done! Brought to the full, purpose completed, and correction’s mission accomplished, that His more abundant life might be manifested.

Fury, anger, wrath– use whatever term you prefer, they all shall have an end when they have completed their appointed task. God said to Israel, “He that is afar off shall die of the pestilence; and he that is near shall
fall by the sword; and he that remains and is besieged shall die by the
famine: thus will I accomplish My fury upon them. Then shall you know that I am the Lord.” (Ezekiel 6:12-13). The judgment/chastenings shall be complete and none shall escape them, whether near or far away– but the point is when they are accomplished, they’re done, purposed fulfilled. So that in another place we read, “Comfort, comfort My people, says your God. Speak comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned.” (Isa. 40:1-2). There is no escape from the PURGING-CORRECTIONS, but they do have an end-­something wondrous is accomplished. And the message goes on– a powerful promise, that “every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it.” (Isa.
40:1-2,4-5). It surely includes the “dark night of the soul,” as His corrections are made, but the “nevertheless afterwards,” (Heb. 12:11), cannot be denied. Victory is secure, for “The mouth of the Lord has spoken it,” Praise His name! “The Lord of hosts has sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand.” (Isa. 14:24). What He accomplishes is DONE, and that time is finished. No man can add a day or a year to His fury, for when He says “mission accomplished” that is it– purpose complete, bless His name! How dare any man say that God must extend His fury to an endless eternity, when HE says it is accomplished? Whether beaten with many or few stripes, it is not an endless flogging. His judgments lead into salvation, praise God!

Jesus made it very clear that “I came to send fire on the earth; and how I wish it were already kindled!” (Luke 12:49). But He also stated that while a “thief comes not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I AM COME THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE LIFE, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10). So He kindles a fire to purge and purify but when that mission is accomplished He will bring forth a NEW LIFE that overflows– far more than we can imagine.

There is no way that we would minimize the judgments of God– but we do view them positively. Correctional chastenings, expressions of His love. He corrects us “for our profit, that we might be partakers of His holiness. (While it is true that) no chastening for the present seems to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” (Heb.12:10-11). No wonder we read that “The time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God.” (1 Pet. 4:17). He would receive us unto Himself, and therefore we must be “a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” (Eph. 5:27). Yet once He has purified His church (i.e. called out ones), He shall be able to declare triumphantly “mission accomplished,” and then with great rejoicing He will “present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy.” (Jude 24).

We know that we are admonished to “lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily besets us, and to run with patience the race that is set before us.” (Heb. 12:1). And we are constantly urged by the Spirit to “Forget those things which are behind, and reach forth unto those things which are before” as we “press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 3:13-14). So often Paul used the various athletic terms to express the need for giving ourselves to the apprehending of that which God has ordained for us. But Paul also knew much of the depths of God’s grace, and that in ourselves we cannot change a thing– “For it is God which works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” (Phil. 2:13). But having done all according to the ability HE has given us, we shall be able to also say with Paul, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” (2 Tim. 4:7) or, using the phrase before us, concerning God’s will for us, “mission accomplished,” because of His marvelous grace. Truly it is God all the way.

The awesome working of God is often expressed in the simplest of terms-­ “So shall My Word be that goes forth out of My mouth: it shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please.” (Isa. 55:11).

Brought to the full, made complete, finished– we look at conditions around us and have a hard time trying to correlate present corruption with His promises for “new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwells righteousness.” (2 Pet. 3:13). But that is because we do not fully grasp the power of God revealed in His anger, and His purpose for the exercise thereof. Nor do we know the greatness of the power of His Word. He speaks, His mighty Word goes forth, and whatever He determines and speaks is fulfilled, for “Not a word failed of any good thing which the Lord had spoken unto the house of Israel. All came to pass.” (Joshua 21:45). Not one jot or tittle comes up short– God’s measures are complete– every thought is accomplished. He is both Author and Finisher, and as Joni Eareckson Tada has written, “God starts what He finishes.” “I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills His purpose for me.” (Ps. 57:2, NIV). He knows the end from the beginning, if He starts a process He knows exactly how it will end. If He knows how the end will be, He also knows exactly how to start it, setting in motion the Word, the energy-force to bring it to pass. I dare say, He can look at a beginning and say “mission accomplished,”– it is that secure in Him.

Ezekiel gives us quite a view, as God purposes to bring down the efforts of the flesh, spoken of as a wall that man had built. God says, “I will break down the wall that you have plastered with untempered mortar, and bring it down to the ground, so that the foundation thereof shall be discovered, and it shall fall, and you shall be consumed in the midst of it: and you shall know that I am the Lord. Thus will I accomplish My wrath upon the wall … (Ezekiel 13:14-15).

It is not an “eternal” battle! I know that “The flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other.” (Gal. 5:17). And we are to “fight the good fight of faith” as Paul wrote to Timothy (6:12). But all these battles are only “UNTIL”– to be fought until the victory is won, then we can say “mission accomplished.”

Whatever adversaries we face, they are to be resisted “steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.” (1 Peter 5:9). It has been said that “misery likes company.” And there is a certain comfort gained in knowing that others are facing, going through the same afflictions/trials, etc. We are encouraged by the testimony of others who suffer “like afflictions,” as we identify with their pains. John writes, “Who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation.” (Rev. 1:9). It is this “togetherness” that adds to our day by day confirmation as we share with one another of His inworkings. While the personal applications may vary, the same principles are wrought in each of us, thus we do relate to one another betimes.

But do note that it reads– “same afflictions are accomplished.” What a prophetic insight– when God opens our eyes to see things accomplished. It immediately tells us that afflictions have an end– something was brought to the full and finished. I dare say, it is a wee bit easier to go through a trial when you know something is being accomplished. Paul wrote “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” (Cor. 4:17). SOMETHING IS WORKING! SOMETHING IS BEING ACCOMPLISHED! Take heart, victory is at the door!

“But the God of all grace, who has called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, AFTER that you have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.” (1 Peter 5:10). AFTER YOU SUFFER A WHILE– suffering having fulfilled its purpose, mission accomplished, and He firmly places us– establishes us– settles us in His kingdom.

The prophet Isaiah asks the question, “Does the plowman plow all day to sow?” (Isa. 28:24). Is this to be over and over again, as an exercise in futility? Does one plow all day, and then the next morning return and plow the same field over again? Nay, the plowman may plow deep, and thoroughly break every clod, but when fully prepared for seeding, the plowing mission is accomplished. Then the seed is sown– not over and over again in the same field, but when fully/adequately seeded, one can say seeding mission is accomplished. When the grain is grown and ripened and harvested, the prophet adds, “He will not always be threshing it.” Threshed, and fully ground, it is ready to be made into bread- and then the grinding mission is accomplished. What’s the lesson in this illustration? That every process has an end, when all the requirements have been completed– accomplished.

Jesus said, “This that is written must yet be accomplished in Me. – for the things concerning Me HAVE AN END.” (Luke 22:37). And, as already noted, He came to the point where He could say “IT IS FINISHED.” Every requirement along the way was fulfilled, and He went on to the next step, until once again He was seated with the Father in His throne. His earthly tasks were finished, now He reigns– however Paul points out that even this celestial throne glory is only UNTIL– “For Christ must be King and reign UNTIL He has put all His enemies under His feet. – However, when everything is subjected to Him, then the Son Himself will also subject Himself to the Father Who put all things under Him, so that God may be al in all – that is, be everything to everyone, supreme, the indwelling and controlling factor of life.” (1 Cor. 15:25, 28, Amp.). Then will it resound through the universe, MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! God’s plan of the ages will be fully consummated, to His glory and praise.

Now, with the vision set before us– that God shall be totally ALL IN ALL, we can once again bring our thoughts back to the present, and face whatever trial He has appointed for us. Whatever portion you bear, be assured that GOD has marked out your path, just as surely as He marked out the way for The Son, and all that was to be accomplished in/by Him. So Paul writes, “It pleased God, who … called me by His grace, to reveal His Son in me …” (Gal. 1:15-16). And we have already noted that as he finished his course, kept the faith, he could say, “mission accomplished.” Now may we also KNOW that we have been “called by His grace” for the distinct purpose that He might “reveal His Son in me.” OF YOU IT CAN DEFINITELY BE SAID, “He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son…” (Rom. 8:29). And if this process has begun in you, then just as sure as there is a God on the throne, the day will come when He shall say “mission accomplished.”

“He has filled the hungry with good things.” (Luke 1:53). However long the processing might be, all along the way there are those minor happenings which bring a moment of recognition that GOD IS IN CONTROL, working all things after the counsel of His own will, for our good, and for His praise. He has a way of filling our mouth with good things, ministering life and strength day by day. Giving songs in the night season. Speaking peace to the inner man. And causing us to know that, while the road stretches out before us, even now, in degrees of victory, He says “mission accomplished” as His will is fulfilled, and we become one in Him. Bless His name.

Mission Accomplished–
What a sense of fulfillment’s satisfaction.
What He begins He will complete,
His measures all are more than meet,
The guarantee of vict’ry sweet.
His blessings add, in Him is no subtraction.

Mission accomplished–
What comfort these words speak to our inner man,
The mercies of our God descend,
To ev’ry trial there is an end,
The heart that’s broken He shall mend,
To consummate the Father’s glorious plan.

Mission accomplished–
Tell Israel that her warfare is accomplished,
And judgment has filled up its sum,
Time for the singing birds has come,
A song to heal the soul that’s numb.
Praise God, the adversary has been vanquished.