Eternity Explained

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.