Romans – God’s Timeline XXVII: Eonian Life, Part 1

 

‘Eonian’ Life in the Four Accounts

Having considered the differing glories for the circumcision and uncircumcision in the coming eons, let’s finally dive into the phrase ‘eonian life.’

Now, let’s be clear at the outset: our opponents have immediately inferred that, if you translate the phrase as ‘eonian’ instead of ‘eternal,’ then no permanent life is guaranteed for believers in the scriptures.

This is a critical point right out of the gate: this is their inference, not a true believer’s inference. This is their assumption about the term, and it’s why I waited until the end of this study to discuss this. For those keeping track, we have considered 140 uses of the term, and in the vast majority of them, the idea of “eternal” or “everlasting,” or “never-ending” in any way, is quite jarring when planted in the text. In fact, of these 140, only 4 or 5 could rationally or logically have been understood if God sought to use the word ‘eternal’ there, without forcing us to employ a new means outside of logic to understand Him.

For those who have any sort of logical thought on this point, 4 or 5 possible hits is not a good reason to assume that “eternal” could potentially be related to the word aion or aionios. Especially when we consider that those 4 or 5 possible hits are far more readily understood within the confines of time, with a set time limit, the ever-so-apparent truth shines a little brighter:

The word could only regard time periods.

By instead pointing at these 140 other occurrences first, before touching this point, there is a much stronger case to be made than our opponents’ appeals to ridicule or ignorance, founded on a growing mountain of evidence based on the usage of the term.

When we, again, set aside the human supposition, and instead rely on the facts we have considered from the text itself until this point, we recognize the truth. I again point out that God has promised that death will be abolished at the end of the eons (1 Cor. 15:26, Heb. 9:26.) When this occurs, then both the believer and the unbeliever will not have “eonian” life, but endless life. The reason God points out eonian life is to contrast the respective roles of believer and unbeliever. Believers at present will be given eonian life, in contrast to the unbeliever, who “remains dead” for the thousand year kingdom (Rev. 20:6,) is paid for their acts at the great white throne (Rev. 20:13-15,) and remains dead for the remainder of the final eon.

We may begin a practical consideration of “life eonian” by observing the first three accounts of our Lord’s ministry. In six different scriptures within these accounts, in the circumcision evangel, “eonian life” is viewed as a future reward. First, here is Matthew 19:16–

And lo! one [child] coming to Him said, “Teacher, what good shall I be doing that I should be having life eonian?” Yet [Jesus] said to him, “Why are you asking Me concerning ‘good?’ One is ‘good.’ Yet if you are wanting to be entering into life, keep the precepts.”

This statement by Christ is not so dissimilar from Paul’s affirmation in the midst of his exhortation on the judgment of God, in Romans 2:7. If one kept all of the precepts, then they would be receiving life eonian!

Note that the question asked is future tense – even a child at the time could readily recognize that eonian life is a future event! If the child said, “how may I be receiving eternal life,” then if Jesus is truly perfect, He would reply, “That doesn’t make much sense there, kiddo! ‘Eternal’ has no beginning and no end! If I gave you eternal life in the future, then there would be a beginning to it!” 

This simple logic may be employed in the other appearances in these three accounts. Here is a similar question asked by a certain rich man, Mark 10:17–

And at His going out into the road, lo! one certain rich man, running toward Him and falling on his knees before Him, inquired of Him, “Good teacher! What shall I be doing that I should be enjoying the allotment of life eonian?”

Now Jesus said to him, “Why are you terming Me ‘good?’ No one is ‘good’ except One, God. With the precepts you are acquainted… Still one thing you are wanting.

Go.

Sell whatever you have, sell! And be giving to the poor, and you will be having treasure in heaven. And hither! Follow Me, picking up the cross.”

Here, the thought is expanded from a child’s modest ask – what shall I do for life eonian – to an adult’s concerned inquiry: How do I enjoy this tenancy of eonian life? We see, in the practical responses from Jesus, twice, that truly, no one from the child to the adult is ‘good.’ If the adult were truly understanding Jesus, he would not have hesitated in selling his land, for shortly after Paul’s ministry and John’s vision, they were all booted out of that land by Rome.

Notably, the future tense is not in view. It is acknowledged, then, that this ‘certain’ rich man does have eonian life. It seems to be primarily because the allotment of life eonain is present -- as opposed to its fulfilment, which is future. 

His lack of “enjoyment” at present brings into question the value of the gift. As with the child, he becomes sorrowful at Jesus’ request that He sell everything, as… he’s rich. What good is some future life that he’d never seen before?

In the third parallel passage (there  is a fourth, being Luke 10:25, but I will skip past it for times’ sake,) the questioner becomes one of political leadership. Observe Luke 18:18–

And a certain chief inquires of Him, saying, “Good Teacher, by doing what should I enjoy the allotment of life eonian?” Now Jesus said to him, “Why are you terming Me ‘good?’ No one is good except One, God. With the precepts you are acquainted… Still one thing you are lacking. All, whatever you have – sell. And distribute to the poor, and you will be having treasure in the heavens.”

Once again, it can be noted that the chief literally has the allotment of life eonian! He simply found no enjoyment in the quality, and could not understand its value in comparison to the riches he presently held (Lk. 18:23.) Given Jesus' answers on both occasions, to enjoy an allotment of life eonian, one would have to have life eonian. And first and foremost, if they have that life eonian, then there is a set beginning to that life.

Does it sound like I’m beating a dead horse a bit? Well, good. I will kick the horse until Seth Fahlenkamp comes along and drags me away from it (and even then, I’ll find another animal to kick.) This is a pressing question, and if you are not shocked by the shock value of it, then I recommend reviewing your stance on the terms in question. We may rest in the fact that the eonian life here in view is not some endless, permanent life that stretches onward forever apart from any recognition of the Biblical plot in view. While, again, all will eventually have a permanent life, the plot in view, with Israel, is to recognize their life for the coming eons. The kingdom in which they would celebrate life eonian for their belief in their King had drawn near, yes – but it had then been locked up in the middle of Matthew 13! As it had drawn near, it had then been pulled back. The blessing being presented by Jesus would be strange and foreign to the Israelite, who sought their kingdom and its blessings, if it were considered “eternal.”        

Faith and Life Eonian

As a means of proving the last paragraph, let’s look at three other uses of “eonian life” in the three accounts, and delve into ten uses of the term in John’s account. Starting in Matt. 19:29–

Peter said to [Jesus,] “Lo! we leave all and follow You. What, consequently, will [salvation] be to us?”

Yet Jesus said to them, “Verily, I am saying to you, that you who follow Me, in the regeneration whenever the Son of Mankind should be seated on the throne of His glory, you also shall sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who leaves houses, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or fields, on account of My name, a hundredfold shall be getting, and shall be enjoying the allotment of life eonian. Yet many of the first shall be last, and the last first.”

We read here of faith in the Son of Mankind being the method by which one in the sixth administration would enjoy the allotment of life eonian. The goal was, of course, not to abandon the individuals in view, but to be pursuing the kingdom in view, on account of His name, at all times. This is not the methodology Paul employs for us in this ninth administration, instead giving us separate instruction for family and marriage (1 Cor. 7, Eph. 5:22-32.)

Nevertheless, life eonian is explicitly tied with the fourth world, when the coming kingdom finally commences!

And again, in Mark 10:30–

Jesus averred to [Peter], “Verily, I am saying to you that there is no one who leaves a house, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or fields, on My account and on account of the evangel, who should not be getting back a hundredfold now, in this era, houses and brothers and sisters and mother and father and children and fields, with persecutions, and in the coming eon, life eonian. Yet many of the first shall be last, and the last first.”

This is practically the same lesson, but there is a notable progression of the thought. When we first considered this phrase, we viewed it in relation to the “coming eon,” in which it was apparent to us that there would be a reward for believers of the circumcision in what we now know is the fourth eon – the kingdom eon, in the regenerated world. Now we may realize that their reward is life eonian.

That the experience of life eonian is said to be a gift for the fourth eon is very telling. We already had our doubts about the translation “eternal,” but here Jesus simply gives us the fact that this life is undoubtedly future.

Seriously! For those who have asked those nasty “logical” questions, such as, “If I have ‘eternal’ life, then why should I die at all?” or “How can such a life be ‘eternal’ if it is interrupted by death?” or “If one with ‘eternal’ life dies once, what would hinder him from dying again, or becoming subject to the second death?” You can cheer with the proper translation, for it is not Jesus Who is giving false promises, but our improper translations and our churches, which seem to be treated as a greater authority figure than the One Who made all! The truth can only be that this is a future impartation of life, spanning at least an eon.

No, this isn’t a fluke, either. Practically the same affirmation is given for us in Luke 18:30–

Now Peter said, “Lo! We, leaving our own, follow You.” Now [Jesus] said to them, “Verily, I am saying to you that there is no one who leaves house, or wife, or brothers, or parents, or children, on account of the kingdom of God, who may not by all means be getting back manyfold in this era, and in the coming eon, life eonian.”

Let’s shout it clearly for the peanut gallery: if Christ were promising everlasting life, or eternal life, then He must not allow death in any way for an individual to experience! That individuals experience it anyway shows that Jesus is promising something that is not being observed – that is, something eonian, spanning future eons, and beginning in the coming eon.

In all three of these parallel passages, we recognize belief as Jesus’ binding thought on the matter. Belief, no matter the immediate cost, for the ultimate benefit of all vastly outweighs any present loss. As we move into John, please note that this theme does not change, but is in fact strengthened as the channel through which an Israelite would be receiving (and enjoying the allotment of) life eonian!

John himself only ever writes about life in conjunction with eonian. He never once uses aionios in regards to any other noun! Only life is in view for this writer, in both the account and in 1 John. He also speaks of eonian life more than any other writer. God’s first presented use of eonian life through John is in John 3:15-16–

And no one has ascended into heaven except He Who descends out of heaven, the Son of Mankind Who is in heaven. And, according as Moses exalts the serpent in the wilderness, thus must the Son of Mankind be exalted, that everyone believing on Him should not be perishing, but may be having life eonian. For thus God loves the world, so that He gives His only-begotten Son, that everyone who is believing in Him should not be perishing, but may be having life eonian.

One of the most popular verses in human history is presented here. Unfortunately, this verse has been so popularized that it has lost its meaning, both because of the poor KJV translation, and the church pastors who continually seek to apply it to present day truth. However, we have the structure of God’s purpose on our side, having studied out each use of the noun aion and considering each administration as they are unfolded by God across the entirety of Holy Writ.

As such, we have the key. The administration is the sixth, not the ninth, and the evangel is the circumcision’s, not our own. Even in the context (John 3:1-12,) Jesus taught Nicodemus a truth that he should have known – that if anyone should not be begotten anew, he can not perceive the kingdom of God (John 3:3.) Having been adjusted to a declaration of God, in apprehending the eons (Heb. 11:3,) it is apparent that Jesus could not have been speaking more plainly, here! Truly, one must be born again in order to perceive (Greek eidon, concerning any physical sense, meaning one must actually be there to sense) the kingdom. The kingdom itself has not even been brought into play yet, considering it will not be unveiled until the following eon. This is readily identifiable in the prophets, and should have been clear to a man like Nicodemus.

This is why, after concluding said conversation, John interjects with the facts – those believing on Jesus, in relation to Jesus’ terrestrial message, has life eonian. John points at Moses exalting the serpent in the wilderness because, when this occurred, Israel was left in apostasy in the wilderness before they could enter the land promised to them after the fact (Num. 21:4-9.) The same period is clearly in effect now; by murdering their Messiah, Israel ushered in their apostasy, which will remain in effect until the fury of God is consummated. Afterward, they will be “begotten anew” (Rev. 20:4,) and enjoy their coming kingdom.

This is then elaborated as an express goal of God in giving His Son, in love – that everyone who is beliving in Him will not be perishing, but may be having life eonian. The belief is stressed as the only method of sparing one from indignation. This is similarly proposed in Paul’s evangel (Rom. 5:9,) but the critical difference is that we will not be on earth during the afflictions of the final heptad. Israel, however, will (Matt. 24:15-18.) Theirs is the earth, so they partake of its turbulent restoration.

- GerudoKing