The Evangelical Universalist Forum

is there a single example in scriptures where eis ton aion

clearly means “into or to the age”
thank you for your help

i have found good examples in the ot
but in nt only mat 21:19 1cor 8:13 but it could mean for ever

We only know the OT examples mean a limited time because we have story details indicating they only lasted for a limited time–which the language allows for, of course. But the language could go either way.

In just the same way, if there are story details indicating NT “into/to/for the eon” means a limited time in regard to something, then we have our answer. I do think most examples of “into the eon” could be read with at least a little immediate plausibility to mean “forever”, though.

For example, John 14:16, Jesus promises that after He departs He shall be asking the Father and the Father shall be giving us another Consoler (the Paraclete) so that It may indeed be with us into the eon.

The grammar indicates that this is not Jesus personally (although 1 John also calls Jesus a Paraclete or Consoler, so “another” is certainly appropriate). So when Jesus returns at the end of the age/eon, will we still need the Paraclete?

If the Paraclete is the Holy Spirit, then yes we will, and forever so. But will we need the Holy Spirit, and/or Jesus, as Consoler(s)?

No eventually we will not. The office of “consoler” was that of the friend in a legal dispute who stands with the accused before the judge. (The importance of God being our “consoler” is that the Judge Himself is our friendly defense, not our enemy accuser.) Sooner or later that office is not necessary anymore, for the sinner is now a fully righteous person.

Also there is the sense that when the old age has completely passed away and God has made everything new, there will be no pain or crying or sadness and God shall wipe away every tear etc. In that sense also God will have finished consoling us and we will not need consolation again. Even though there is at least one more distinct age (maybe two) aside from this present age to come before that happens (and ages of ages apparently, in the age of the lake of fire judgment), they are all part of the age of sin. The Day of the Lord will be dawning for ages (and has already been dawning for ages in various ways) until then, but when sin is no more then the age of sin will be done and the endless Day of the Lord will be here!

So although there is one way in which John 14:16 can mean that we are given the Paraclete (which is “the spirit of the truth” v.17) “forever” (because if we reject the Spirit of the Truth we will certainly be sinning!), there are more ways in which it means that we are given the Paraclete (as “the Paraclete”) only “into the age”. Both translations are appropriate, depending on what function of the Spirit is being considered.

Another example of “into the eon” meaning both “forever” and something more limited to an eon in the New Testament would be Hebrews 7:23-25.

Here and in preceding verses (back at least as far as chapter 5), the Hebraist is talking about Christ being a priest according to the order of Melchizedek “into the eon”.

That might be also true “forever” in a sense of thanksgiving and praise. But the Hebraist is specifically talking about how Jesus, remaining “into the eon”, has an inviolate priesthood, for which reason He is able to save to the farthest extent those coming to God through Him. This is because Jesus is “always being alive into pleading for their sake”.

So there is an always function to “into the eon”; but the topic is time-limited, too, because sooner or later one way or another Christ will not be saving sinners anymore. That was the (present) age of sin; eventually comes the full dawning of the Day of the Lord.

(This is aside from the whole topic of YHWH setting up a super-large temple on a specially raised mountain north of Jerusalem in Samaria, reinstituting the sacrifices including the sin sacrifices. I very much doubt the Hebraist has this in view, but it would also involve Jesus being a priest for a limited purpose and therefore only for a limited time: only for the eon of the millennium.)