New Testament “Eternal” False Translation
Does “Aeonian” Really Mean Eternal?
The entire doctrine of Eternal Conscious Torment (ECT) and its cousin Annihilationism rests on one word—aiōnios (αἰώνιος). This is the word translated in most English Bibles as “eternal” or “everlasting.” If that translation falls, the entire framework of unending hell collapses. And it does.
The truth is, aiōnios never meant “eternal” in the way translators forced it. It simply means age-lasting—pertaining to an age. When this is reclaimed, the false teaching of eternal torment is exposed for what it is: a distortion of God’s love and a slander against His plan of Universal Reconciliation.
What “Aeonian” Really Means
The root word aiōn means age—a span of time with a beginning and an end. It can describe the present age, the age to come, or a series of ages God has appointed.
Aiōnios is the adjective form of aiōn. And just as “monthly” means pertaining to a month and “yearly” means pertaining to a year, so aiōnios must mean pertaining to an age.
Nobody in their right mind would say “yearly” means “forever.” To do so would sever the adjective from its root and make nonsense of the word. Yet theologians and translators did exactly that with aiōnios. They made it mean eternal—even though its very form proves it pertains to a bounded age.
Scriptural Proof That “Aeonian” Is Not Endless
The Bible itself gives examples where aiōnios and its Hebrew counterpart (olam) describe things that obviously had an end. If the word were truly eternal, these verses would be contradictions.
- Romans 16:25 – The gospel mystery was “kept secret for aeonian times but now revealed.” How can something hidden for eternity suddenly be revealed?
- Jonah 2:6 (LXX) – Jonah says the earth’s bars closed upon him “forever (aiōnios).” He was there three days.
- Philemon 1:15 – Onesimus was parted “for a while, that you might have him forever (aiōnios).” Did Paul mean Onesimus would never die? Obviously not.
- Exodus 21:6 – A servant serves his master “forever (olam).” In practice, this meant for life—not eternity.
- Jeremiah 25:9 – Nations made “perpetual (olam) desolations.” Yet those same nations are later promised restoration (Jer. 48:47, 49:39).
- Isaiah 34:10 – Edom’s smoke rises “forever (olam).” But Isaiah 35 pictures its land renewed and restored.
These examples show beyond dispute that the word aiōnios/olam is not absolute infinity, but age-bound duration. For more on the Hebrew word, “olam,” click here.
The Famous “Forever and Ever” Problem
English Bibles often render the Greek phrase “eis tous aiōnas tōn aiōnōn” as “forever and ever.” But literally it means “into the ages of the ages.” Both nouns are plural.
This immediately exposes the problem: true infinity cannot be pluralized, stacked, or multiplied. You cannot have “forevers” or “infinities of infinities.” The only way the phrase makes sense is if ages are long but limited spans of time. In that case, “ages of ages” is simply a superlative—a way of saying “the greatest of the ages,” much like “King of Kings” or “Song of Songs” means the highest or ultimate in its category.
Scripture even speaks of:
- “Before the ages began” (1 Cor. 2:7, 2 Tim. 1:9, Titus 1:2)
- “The end of the ages” (Heb. 9:26)
If ages can begin and end, then “ages of ages” cannot mean eternity. It only means the most comprehensive span of time within God’s appointed ages.
What About “Forever and Ever” Applied to God?
Critics quickly argue: “If ‘ages of ages’ describes God, then it must mean eternity, and therefore it must mean eternity when applied to torment.” But this is shallow reasoning.
- Same phrase, different subjects. For God, it praises His reign through all ages. For judgment, it describes how long the judgment lasts within those ages.
- God transcends the ages. His eternal being doesn’t depend on this phrase. He was God before the ages and will be God after the ages.
- Judgments end with the ages. Revelation’s “ages of ages” for torment (Rev. 14:11, 20:10) still falls under 1 Corinthians 15:24–28, where the ages conclude, enemies are abolished, and God becomes all in all.
To equate God’s eternal nature with the temporary judgments that occur within ages is a category mistake.
Other Words That Actually Mean Eternal
The New Testament does have stronger words for eternity than aiōnios:
- Aidios – Used of God’s eternal power (Rom. 1:20) and “eternal chains” in Jude 6. Yet in Jude, the “eternal chains” clearly last only “until the judgment of the great day.” Even the strongest word for eternity gets bounded by context.
- Pantote / diēnekēs – Words meaning “always” or “continuous.” Used of prayer, priesthood, or service—never for final judgment.
Notice carefully: not one of these words is ever used to describe the lake of fire or “eternal punishment.” Only aiōnios is used, and only because it means “age-during.”
Judgment That Ends, Restoration That Follows
If judgment is “aeonian,” it is real, lasting, and serious—but it is also temporary. It belongs to the age of judgment, not to eternity itself.
Scripture’s endgame is not everlasting torment but Universal Reconciliation:
- “God is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe” (1 Tim. 4:10).
- “As in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive” (1 Cor. 15:22).
- “Through Him to reconcile all things to Himself” (Col. 1:20).
- “Every knee will bow and every tongue confess joyfully that Jesus is Lord” (Phil. 2:10–11).
The ages end when Christ hands the kingdom to the Father, and God becomes “all in all” (1 Cor. 15:28). That is the destination—not endless torment, not annihilation, but reconciliation.
Conclusion
The mistranslation of aiōnios into “eternal” has birthed a theology of fear, enslaving countless people under the terror of ECT. But Scripture itself proves aiōnios is not infinity—it is age-specific. Every example where the word is used of something temporary exposes the lie.
When “forever and ever” is rightly read as “ages of ages,” the whole scaffolding of eternal hell collapses. God’s judgments last for the appointed ages. His mercy endures forever. His purpose is reconciliation, not endless ruin.
Eternal Conscious Torment and Annihilationism are not just mistakes; they are slanders against the love of God and the finished work of Christ. The truth is better than fear: judgment is for the age, but restoration is forever.
