The strong evidence from scripture for universal salvation is pushed away and ignored by most Christians on the basis of passages that characterize the punishment of unbelievers as “eternal,” especially Matthew 25:46. These passages use the Greek adjective αιωνιος, and occasionally the noun αιων, to describe the punishment of unbelievers — words which are taken by the majority of Bible translators to mean “everlasting” in these contexts. However, the evidence for universalism cannot be ignored so easily. As I demonstrated in my recent post, “Two irrefutable arguments for universal salvation,” there are not only direct statements in scripture that all people will be saved, but this fact is also a logical necessity from God’s sovereignty and love for all people (both of which are clearly established themes throughout the Bible).
So then, if scripture appears to clearly teach both eternal punishment (whether torment or annihilation) and that all people will eventually be saved, do we have an irreconcilable contradiction? Not in the slightest. As I will attempt to show in this series of posts, contrary to the traditional understanding of αιων (pronouned ai-ohn) and αιωνιος (pronounced ai-ohn-ee-os), these words do not indicate everlastingness, but instead describe things that pertain to a time period with a set beginning and end — an “age” or “eon.” The punishment of unbelievers, whether characterized by torment or annihilation, will not last for eternity, but instead for the ages, and will eventually come to an end.
Olam and Αιων in the Septuagint
For those who are unaware, the Septuagint (LXX) was a Koine Greek translation of the original Hebrew text of the Old Testament, produced in the third and second centuries BC. In (second Temple) Jewish and early Christian communities, the LXX was by far the most commonly used version of the Hebrew Bible, and most of the Old Testament quotations found in the New Testament and other early Christian writings are taken directly from it. For this reason, the LXX is one of the most valuable tools for examining how Greek words were used by the ancient Jewish and Christian communities, and extrapolating this usage to the New Testament.
According to the translators of the LXX, the direct Hebrew equivalent of the Greek words αιων and αιωνιος is olam (עוֹלָם). This word comes from another word, ne’elam (נֶעֱלַם), meaning “hidden” or “concealed,” and literally refers to a time which is so far off in the past and/or future that it is effectively concealed. However, it rarely — if ever — refers to a time period that is truly without beginning and/or without end.
Adam Clarke, a 19th-century Methodist theologian and Bible scholar, wrote in his commentary on 2 Kings 5:27 that “the import of the word לעולם leolam... takes in the whole extent or duration of the thing to which it is applied.” According to Parkhurst’s lexicon, “Olam seems to be used much more for an indefinite than for an infinite time.” In agreement with this, the Encyclopedia Dictionary of the Bible (a Catholic Bible dictionary) states:
The Bible hardly speaks of eternity in the philosophical sense of infinite duration without beginning or end. The Hebrew word olam, which is used alone [Ps. 61:8; etc.] or with various prepositions [Gn. 3:22; etc.] in contexts where it is traditionally translated as ‘forever,’ means in itself no more than ‘for an indefinitely long period.’ Thus, ‘me olam’ does not mean ‘from eternity’ but ‘of old’ [Gn. 6:4, etc.]. In the N.T. aion is used as the equivalent of olam. (p. 693)
Now that we’ve examined the basic meaning of olam according to scholarly sources, let’s take a look at all of the major uses of this word in the Old Testament, and their Greek equivalents in the LXX.
The Pentateuch (Genesis - Deuteronomy)
The first instance of olam is in Genesis 3:22, where it is said that God sent Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden lest they eat from the Tree of Life and “live olam” (LXX: εις τον αιωνα, “for the age”). Although one might be tempted to translate olam in this instance as “forever,” it is important to note that the life being referred to here is actually conditioned upon eating from the Tree of Life. Therefore, it is not strictly without end, but in line with the lexicon definitions of olam, refers to an indefinite (not necessarily unending) period of time.
Some of the next examples of olam in the Hebrew Bible are used in reference to the Abrahamic covenant. For example, in Gen. 13:15, this covenant is said to be established with Abraham and his descendants “even olam” (LXX: εως του αιωνος, “unto the age”), and five separate times in Gen. 17 it is referred to as an “olam covenant” (LXX: διαθηκην αιωνιον); again in Gen. 48:4, Jacob recounts how God told him that the land of Israel would be his “olam possession” (LXX: κατασχεσιν αιωνιον). See also Exod. 32:13 and Josh. 14:9.
However, the Abrahamic covenant and the Israelite possession of the land did not last eternally or perpetually, as they were removed from the land several times over, even throughout the Old Testament period. Neither will it remain forever, since the land of Israel itself will only last until the end of the Messianic age, when this earth passes away and is replaced by a New Earth (Isa. 65:17; Rev. 21:1). Therefore, this usage of olam can only mean a period of time indefinite from the perspective of Abraham (although with a determined endpoint), rather than an infinite period of time that is without end.
The next usage of olam is in Gen. 49:26, where the hills are described as olam (see also Deut. 33:15 and Hab. 3:6). The LXX renders this instance of olam as μονιμων, meaning “permanent.” However, the hills themselves will not last for a period of time that is without end — in fact, the olam (LXX: αιωνιοι) hills are said to be destroyed by the presence of Yahweh in Habakkuk 3:6. Rather, the hills, from the perspective of Jacob, will last for an indefinitely long time period.
Throughout the rest of the Pentateuch, olam is used as an adjective to describe the statutes and feasts of the Old Covenant. For example, the Feast of Unleavened Bread is referred to as an “olam statute” (LXX: νομιμον αιωνιος) in Exod. 12:14, 17, and 24. The Levirite priesthood is repeatedly said to be olam (LXX: αιωνιος) in many passages (Exod. 27:21; 28:43; 29:9, 28; 30:21; 40:15; Lev. 16:34; 24:3, 8, 9; Num. 18:23; 19:10, 21; 25:13), and certain statutes relating to the system of sacrifice and offering are described as olam (Lev. 3:17; 6:18, 22; 7:34, 36; 10:9, 15; 17:7; 23:14, 21, 41; Num. 10:8; 15:15; 18:8, 11, 19). However, all of these were overturned with the introduction of the New Covenant and the beginning of the priesthood of Christ (Heb. 7:11-28; 8:7-13; 10:1-18). Therefore, in these cases olam absolutely cannot be understood as referring to a time period without end, but to an indefinitely long time period.
Instead of referring to a time period without end, as it is usually translated, olam is explicitly glossed by “to your generations” multiple times throughout the Pentateuch (Exod. 12:13, 17; 27:21, 30:21; 40:15; Lev. 3:17; 6:18; 7:36; 10:7; 17:7; 23:14, 21, 41; 24:3; Num. 10:8; 15:15; 18:23), clearly referring to a time period lasting multiple — but not infinite — generations. An idiomatic translation of this might be that it will “last as long as it will last.” In fact, in one place, olam is said to be “ten generations” and no more (Deut. 23:3), and just a few verses later said to be “all your days” (Deut. 23:6), referring to a human lifespan that is clearly not infinite.
The fact that olam can mean as little as a single human lifespan is confirmed by Exod. 21:6, Lev. 25:46, and Deut. 15:17, where it is said that a person can become someone else’s servant olam (LXX: εις τον αιωνα, “for the age”). Obviously, this does not refer to an infinitely long period of time, but only however long that servant’s life will last. This period of time is indefinitely (but not infinitely) long from the perspective of the humans involved.
In summary, the meaning of olam (and in the LXX, αιων and its adjectival form αιωνιος) throughout the Pentateuch is not a period of time that is without end, but an indefinitely long period of time. This can refer to as little as a single human lifespan, or as long as the existence of the Abrahamic covenant, which will last from the time of Abraham until the end of the Messianic age. However, the word olam (and therefore the words αιων and αιωνιος) does not inherently carry the meaning of “without end.”
The Historical Books (Joshua - Nehemiah)
The use of olam in the book of Joshua is largely in line with what we have already seen. In Josh. 4:7, stone set up as a memorial is said to be a memorial “even olam” (LXX: εως του αιωνος, “unto the age”), although that stone no longer remains, at the time it was set up it was meant to be a perpetual reminder to last indefinitely. The city of Ai is said to become a heap “even olam” (LXX: εις τον αιωνα, “for the age”), meaning “to this day” (Josh. 8:28).
At Joshua 24:2, we encounter a new usage of olam. This is a past-tense olam, in which it is said that Abraham’s ancestors, Terah and Nahor, lived in Mesopotamia “from olam.” This is never used to describe events in eternity past, but instead events that occurred long enough ago so as to be out of memory. As a modern parallel, someone today might hyperbolically say that “the Civil War happened forever ago,” even though this war did not actually occur in eternity past. For further examples of this usage of olam, see Gen. 6:4; Deut. 32:7; 1 Sam. 27:8; Job 22:15; Ps. 24:7-9; 77:5; 119:52; 143:3; Prov. 8:23; 22:28; 23:10; Ecc. 1:10; Isa. 42:14; 46:9; 51:9; 63:9-11; 64:4; Jer. 5:15; Ezek. 26:20; 36:2; Amos 9:11; Mic. 5:2; and Mic. 7:14.
In 1 Samuel 1:22, Hannah says that she will dedicate her son, Samuel, to serve Yahweh in the house of Eli “even olam” (LXX: εως αιωνος, “unto an age”), meaning “as long as he lives” (1 Sam. 1:28). We are then told that, although Yahweh promised that He would not forsake Eli’s house olam (LXX: εως αιωνος, “unto an age”), He would now destroy Eli and his descendants (1 Sam. 2:30-31). God then promises that there would be no atonement for the sins of Eli’s house olam (1 Sam. 3:13-14), although Jesus later died as a ransom for all mankind (1 Tim. 2:5-6), clearly including Eli and his descendants! Did God repeatedly flip-flop on His promises? No, because olam does not describe an infinite, unending time period, but an indefinitely long period.
1 Sam. 13:13 says that God would establish Saul’s kingdom “even olam” (LXX: εως αιωνος, “unto an age”), which refers to, at most, Saul’s own lifespan. 1 Chron. 28:4 states that David was chosen to be king olam (LXX: εις τον αιωνα, “for the age”), clearly referring to only David’s lifespan and no longer. 2 Sam. 7:13, 16, 25, 29, and 1 Chron. 17:12, 14, 22, 27; 22:10; and 28:7 state that Yahweh would establish David’s son’s kingdom “even olam” (LXX: εις τον αιωνα, “for the age”), a prophecy which was originally fulfilled in Solomon (1 Chron. 28:6-7), and thus only refers to the days of Solomon’s lifespan.
God promises in 2 Sam. 12:10 that the sword will not turn from David’s house “even olam” (LXX: εως αιωνος, “unto an age”). In stark contrast, God later promises in 1 Kings 2:33 that David’s house will have peace “even olam” (LXX: εις τον αιωνα, “for the age”), and Solomon’s reign was one of unprecedented peace! And yet, this again was followed by an era of hostility. This only makes sense if olam refers to an indefinitely long, but not without end, period of time. A few verses later (1 Kings 2:45) it is said that Solomon’s throne will be established olam (LXX: εις τον αιωνα, “for the age”) obviously referring only to Solomon’s own lifetime — this promise is repeated in 1 Kings 9:5.
1 Kings 8:13; 9:3; 2 Kings 21:7; 2 Chron. 6:2; 7:16; 30:8; and 33:4 state that the first Temple built by Solomon will be the home of Yahweh olamim (LXX: εις τον αιωνα, “for the age”), although it was later deserted by God and destroyed in 587 BC, even before Kings and Chronicles were written. 2 Kings 5:27 states that Gehazi and his descendants will be leprous “for olam” (LXX: εις τον αιωνα, “for the age”), meaning as long as Gehazi’s line remains in existence. [1]
1 Chron. 15:2 and 23:13 describe the Levirite priesthood as olam (LXX: εως αιωνος, “unto an age”), reminiscent of the statements in the Pentateuch stating that the Aaronic priesthood would last for the age; however, per Heb. 7:11-28, the Levirite priesthood has since been abolished and replaced with the priesthood of Christ. 1 Chron. 16:15-17 characterizes the Abrahamic covenant as olam (LXX: εις αιωνα, “for an age”; and αιωνιον), yet as noted above, the covenant was nullified at certain points in Israel’s history when they were not in control of the land, and will be finally abolished when this heaven and earth are destroyed (Isa. 65:17; Rev. 21:1).
Ezra 3:11 states that Yahweh’s mercy to Israel is “for olam” (LXX: εις τον αιωνα, “for the age”), although God is currently hardening Israel and is not showing mercy to the vast majority of Israel until the “fullness of the Gentiles” comes in (Rom. 11:7-10, 25). According to Nehemiah 13:1, it is written in the Torah that no Ammonite or Moabite may come into the assembly of God “even olam” (LXX: εως αιωνος, “unto an age”), even though what the Torah actually says is that no Ammonite or Moabite may come into the assembly of God unto the tenth generation (Deut. 23:3).
All of these many, many instances of olam (and in the LXX, αιων and αιωνιος) corroborate our previous conclusion that this word was used to describe an indefinitely long time period, rather than a strictly everlasting time period as it is usually translated. Like in the Pentateuch, it was used to describe periods as short as a few years, to several generations, and even as long as the period from Abraham to the establishment of the New Heaven and Earth (when used in reference to the Abrahamic covenant).
Part 2: https://universalistheretic.blogspot.com/2022/06/just-how-long-is-eternal-study-on_01564417483.html
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[1] Adam Clarke remarks on 2 Kings 5:27 that “the denunciation took place in the posterity of Gehazi till it should become extinct, and under the influence of this disorder this must soon have taken place. The for ever implies as long as any of his posterity should remain. This is the import of the word לעולם leolam. It takes in the whole extent or duration of the thing to which it is applied. The for ever of Gehazi was till his posterity became extinct.”
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