Eternity is a topic that has already been touched upon in many articles (topic page: “Time and Eternity”). Like hardly any other term, it has shaped the Christian self-image. Not infrequently, it’s about a deal you make with God. He who believes receives this eternal life, according to the assumptions. Faith is the payment, the work. Eternal life is the product that God produces and that we receive. This is accompanied by the understanding that this eternal life is the goal of God. The goal is not God Himself, but we are the goal. Man is to become immortal.

It’s hard not to notice that the idea here is one of consumption. It’s about the gift, more than the giver. In the Bible, however, it is just the other way around. There it is always about the Giver, and the gift is there so that we may know God in His nature and work.

Quantification of faith

Those who insist on “endlessness” misjudge the statements of the Bible. The original word does not speak of endlessness. The reinterpretation of the words came only with Tertullian (AD 155-ca. 220). From him came various teachings and concepts that had not existed before. Tertullian lived in Carthage, where he was part of the theological school. The views of this school have prevailed in the Western Church. Among Tertullian’s ideas is the supposedly endless eternity. Tertullian first reinterpreted the term and declared it to be “endless.” The reinterpretation comes about via the Latin language. Here the hb. olam and the gr. aion become an endlessness. What emerged as a result is now common property of faith: today, the concept of “eternity” is about a quantification of faith, wherein duration becomes the most important characteristic.

What comes from God is declared today as “eternal”, speaks “endless”. There are many corollaries to this. Argumentations talk about God being endless, so eternity is endless. This is, of course, circular reasoning and has nothing to do with the Bible. The Bible speaks of quite different things.

The Hebrew olam or the Greek aion are terms of time, most easily compared to the term “age.” The Elberfelder translation has always written “age” in older editions. In current editions, “eternity(s)” was written here and only the footnotes show a different picture. At first it said “age” and today it is mostly the Germanized word “Äon”.

There is, of course, a reason that the word “eternity” is given such a footnote. What is excellent is that you now refer directly to the original word. “Aeon” is a well-customized term and has been used since time immemorial in (scientific) literature as well. The Concordant New Testament has consistently rendered this Greek “aion” as “eon.” Only in this way can the Bible reader find out for himself what is meant in the various contexts.

The future age

In the biblical conceptual world, there is the present time and a future time. This future time is seen by the prophets as radically different from the present time. There shall be no more war, no more miscarriages, no more crop failures plunging man into famine. This time is to be marked by justice. It is the time to which the Messiah is to lead over.

On the one hand, man is confronted with injustice, suffering and death in this present time, but on the other hand, the Bible also knows a future time on earth, wherein these things are replaced by justice, peace and life. The biblical testimony lives from this contrast.

Jesus spoke in this sense in His parables:

“But the cares of this eon and the seduction of wealth choke the word so that it becomes unfruitful.”
Mt 13,22

“For the sons of this eon are wiser in dealing with their generation than the sons of light.”
Lk 16,8

But the outlook of Israel concerned the new time, the messianic kingdom. Therefore, the disciples asked, for example:

“Tell us, when will this be, and what is the sign of Your presence and the conclusion of the Aeon?”
Mt 24,3

The disciples knew that the current time must be completed before moving on. Jesus responds to this with His end-time discourse, which extends over two chapters (Mt 24 and Mt 25). Everything Jesus explains here marks the transition from this eon, which will be completed, to the next eon of the messianic kingdom.

An eon is an age. It is about a certain imprint of that time. When the imprints change, you can see another age. It is like a play in which there are different acts. One part is played, then there is a transition to the next act. The story unfolds. It is no different in the Bible.

The promise to the disciples

Now we come to a striking statement of Jesus. His disciples asked Him about what their part should be, who followed Jesus. Jesus’ answer explains what “eternal life” is.

Then Peter began to ask Him, “Behold, we have left everything and followed You: What will our portion be? Jesus answered him, “Truly I say to you: There is no one who has left his house, brothers or sisters, father or mother, wife or children, or fields, for My sake and for the sake of the gospel, who does not receive this again a hundredfold: now, in this period, houses, brothers and sisters, mother and father, children and fields – under persecutions -. and in the coming eon eonian life”.
Mark 10:28-30

Jesus refers here to two times: This time and the time to come. The coming time, that is the “coming eon”. It would be a bit strange if we were to speak of “the coming endlessness” here. We already read that the disciples had asked about the end of this eon and just as the current eon is not endless, the same is not said of the future eon.

Eternal life is better described as “aeonian life”. And this aeonic life is what the disciples are promised for the coming aeon. In other words, the aeonic life is the life of the coming aeon.

The aeonic life is the life of the coming aeon.

Here it is not about duration, not about a quantity (“endlessness”), but about a quality (“being there”). Jesus makes the promise to his disciples that they will be there. You are promised that in the messianic kingdom you will receive the life of that kingdom.

So no word about endlessness at this point. When the fulfillment of the messianic kingdom takes place, the disciples will be there.

How long does the “aeonic life” last?

If it is now first clarified that “eternal life” does not mean “endless life”, one cannot make the reverse conclusion that “eternal life” is limited after all. Because that is not true. The endlessness is not defined by the word “eternal” (namely “aeonian”).

This is the case: “Eternal” has been reinterpreted as “endless”. The terms “eon” and “eonian” were quantified. They were defined into an endlessness. That is why we make the link with a duration. If we break this false link, it is still not about duration. Rather, it is about a quality, about “belonging in the messianic age.” Duration was not an issue. However, by doing so, we do not lose an immortality, because that is something completely different. But everything in order:

It is amazing that the disciples accepted this answer in this way. For them, that was apparently enough. You have not been plagued by ideas about “endlessness” until now. Let’s keep in mind that Jesus speaks very specifically about the messianic kingdom. Matthew, following the prophet Daniel, calls this the “kingdom of heaven.” It is a kingdom on earth, promised to Israel. Paul explains in Romans that Jesus’ task to Israel is to speak about this (Rom 15:8).

Jesus does not deal with “everything”, but He deals with a part of history. For example, Jesus does not talk about a new heaven and a new earth, but both Isaiah and Peter, and John in Revelation do. Here we should learn to differentiate, so that we learn to assess each statement on its own merits. Not everyone talks about the exact same things in the Bible. If you don’t pay attention to this, you create a hopeless mess.

When I point out these statements of Jesus, and that it is not about quantity, but quality, it is not uncommon that I am immediately countered with a question: “So, do we not have an endless life? It is clear where the question comes from. One is so familiar with the term “eternal” that this should mean “endless” that one has based the understanding of faith on this reinterpretation. According to the understanding of many, the quintessence of biblical reliability is that certain things are “endless.” Not a God relationship, but endless life would be the goal. You were put on the wrong foot. How about this now?

The Bible speaks of “eons”, of ages (Eph 3:11). What belongs to these ages is the horizon of faith. It is what God has revealed, often in just a few words. The word “aeonian” often refers only to the future aeon, although there are several. For example, we read:

“Verily, verily, I say unto you: If anyone keeps My word, he will by no means see death for the eon.”
John 8:51

This is not a limiting statement. It does not mean, as some now erroneously conclude, that we must “therefore” die at the end of the future eon. This is a short circuit. Let’s keep in mind that Jesus was talking specifically about the future eon. This is the time of the Kingdom. That’s what he was talking about. This is the horizon in His statements. This was His assignment to Israel (Matt. 15:24).

We must not confuse a part of the way with the rest of the way. The coming eon lasts again until an upheaval and judgment. Then in Revelation 20:11ff we read of the Great White Throne and that after it there will be a new heaven and a new earth. Another eon is dawning. That there are several future eons, we read about this for example in Ephesians 2:7. Paul writes about a “purpose of the eons” (Eph. 3:11) that must come to a conclusion as a whole.

Will “eternal life” now be limited to a single eon? No, but this is not vouched for by the word “eternal”. That’s where a change in thinking is needed. Rather, we read that this mortal will one day put on immortality (1 Cor. 15:54). From this we can see that life goes on.

Vision

Paul has the broadest vision in the Bible. He looks further than any other writer. Only Paul looks to the ultimate goal of God when he writes that once death will be put away as the last enemy (1Cor 15:26), Christ will give the kingdom to His God and Father (1Cor 15:27), and God will then be all in all (1Cor 15:28). There will be no more death. When death is abolished, the final part of making all men alive takes place (1 Cor. 15:22-24). Then life and imperishability will be brought to light for everyone:

“God, who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before eonian times, but now by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus is revealed, who abolishes death and brings life and incorruption to light through the gospel, for which I [Paulus] was appointed as herald, apostle and teacher of the nations.”
2Tim 1:9-10