Immortality or Resurrection by William West (philippa perry book txt) 📕

of time." Marvin R. Vincent, "Word Studies in the New Testament"
Death and the grave will last only "to the age of the ages." After the end of this creation (age) they will not exist. Saying God is the God of this creation from its beginning unto it end is not to say He was not God before its beginning and after its end. He is the God of this age and all other ages. Revelation 7:12 Saying, "Amen, the blessing, and the glory, and the wisdom, and the thanksgiving, and the honor, and the power, and the strength, [are] to our God to the ages of [the] ages. Amen." Also for all ages that have been and will come after the end of this creation (age).
I think this is saying that after this world ends that God will not forever be doing nothing, but that He will forever be doing things that have a beginning and an end as great as the creation of this earth, and its end. There will forever be things that have a beginning and an end, forever ages. Just as angels may see this creation, the saved will maybe see the things God will forever be doing. The lost, the dead will forever miss all this. O that I may live in such a way that I will live and forever see the great things God will be forever doing in all the ages to come. We sometimes think of God to small for we think of Him as only having to do with our world, our creation; and in all eternity before He made this world we think He did nothing and will do nothing after the end of this world. As great as that would make Him, it still would make Him small in comparison with what He is, and makes His power small in comparison with what it is.
"Unto the ages of [the] ages"
The other four of the twenty-one times
[18] REVELATION 14:11 "Unto the ages of [the] ages" is applied one time to worshipers of the beast: "And the smoke of their torment doth go up TO ages of ages; and they have no rest day and night, who are bowing before the beast and his image, also if any doth receive the mark of his name." Footnote in the American Standard Version, "Gr. UNTO the ages of the ages." This smoke goes up UNTO the ages of ages, not without end IN the ages of ages. See notes above.
[19] REVELATION 19:3 “Unto the ages of [the] ages” is applied one time to the great harlot: “And a second time they said, ‘Alleluia;’ and the smoke doth come up to the ages of the ages” See notes above on Revelation 14:11.
[20] REVELATION 20:10 “Unto the ages of [the] ages” is applied one time to Satan: “And the Devil, who is leading them astray, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where [are] the beast and the false prophet, and they shall be tormented day and night to the ages of [the] ages.” See notes above on Revelation 14:11.
[21] REVELATION 22:5 "Unto the ages of [the] ages" is applied one time to those who are in the book of life: "And night shall not be there, and they have no need of a lamp and light of a sun, because the Lord God doth give them light, and they shall reign to [TO or UNTO] the ages of [the] ages." No matter what view you have, this may be one of the most difficult passages in the Bible.
THE MOST COMMON VIEW: This is speaking of the saints in Heaven after the judgment. This view puts the reign of the saints in the "ages of Ages" not "unto the ages of the ages." It makes the reign of the saints start after its end. The King James and other translations remove this difficulty by mistranslating.
ANOTHER VIEW: Christ is both king and priest unto the church. He is our high priest [Hebrews 8:1]. "For He must reign, TILL he has put all his enemies under his feet" [1 Corinthians 15:25]. When all his enemies are under his feet and the last enemy, death, has been abolished, then He shall deliver up the kingdom to God and be subjected to Him [1 Corinthians 15:23-28]. Christ is our high priest. Hebrews 2:17; 3:1; 4:14; 4:15; 5:1; 5:5; 5:10. He is "a priest forever [aion-age] after the order of Melchizedek" [Hebrews 5:6]. "A high priest for ever [aion-age] after the order of Melchizedek" [Hebrews 6:20]. "A priest for ever [aion-age] after the order of Melchizedek" [Hebrews 7:17]. "You are a priest for ever" [aion-age] [Hebrews 7:21]. Christ is now reigning as our high priest, but will He be our high priest after the judgment when there is no sin and therefore, no need for a priest? "And did make us kings and priests" [Revelation 1:6]. Those in Christ now reign as kings and priests. "For you were slain, and did purchase unto God with your blood men of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation, and made them to be unto our God a kingdom and priests; and THEY REIGN UPON THE EARTH" [Revelation 5:9-10]. ALL CHRISTIANS ARE NOW KINGS AND PRIESTS BUT WILL CHRISTIANS BE KINGS AND PRIESTS AFTER THE JUDGMENT WHEN THEY ARE NOT "UPON THE EARTH"? Will there be any need for priests in Heaven? Christ will be our Lord in Heaven, but maybe not our high priest. Christian now reign as kings and priests unto the ages of ages, but whatever we will be in Heaven, it does not look as if there will be any need for priests. In this age, those in Christ have Him as their light [John 8:12; 9:5; 11:10; 12:36] and He shines the same always. There is no nighttime when He shines less. THE REIGN OF THOSE IN CHRIST AS KINGS AND PRIESTS "UNTO THE AGES OF THE AGES" WILL BE OVER WHEN THEIR ETERNAL LIFE IN HEAVEN BEGINS IN THE AGES OF AGES. They shall reign UNTO the ages of [the] ages (22:5) "Unto the ages" is before the harvest at the end of this age [Matthew 12:36-43]. It is before the time many believe Hell will begin. It is NOW.
A THIRD VIEW: Most likely the right one. This passage is symbolic, not to be taken literally. The first two views both make the wording be literal, but just as most of this book is in symbols, this may also be symbols and no more to be taken literality than a woman arrayed with the sun [Revelation 12:1] or any of the other symbols in the book.
• Whatever view of this passage you may take, Christians will be "in the ages to come" after this age has ended [Ephesians 2:6-7].
That aion means forever when it is used with reference to the life of the believer, and that it takes on a meaning of unlimited time that is totally different than its meaning is without precedent with any other word. I understand that this dual definition came about by learned and faithful believers trying to explain some difficult passages, but it seems to me that it makes more problems than it helps. If God in His revelation to us used a word to sometimes mean a limited time with a beginning and an end and at other times used the same word to mean an unlimited time without beginning or end no one could know what He said to us, could not know when this word was limited and when it was unlimited without an inspired person to tell us.
It is obvious that forever or eternal with the meaning that eternal has today is a total mistranslation. Three days [Jonah 2:6] or a lifetime [Exodus 21:6] is not eternally.
Whatever view you take, this is in a book of symbols that are difficult to understand and it is unwise to base any doctrine on the interpretation of symbols, and less than unwise to make the interpretation of symbols over rule the plain statements of the Bible.
“If aion sometimes means a limited and sometimes an, unlimited time, then we need a pope, or a church, or human tradition to tell us what it means in each case, and divine inspiration vanishes, and is replaced by corrupt human mentality.” Unsearchable Riches, Volume 27, Page 175.
ETERNAL
[1] ETERNAL [Aionios] LIFE: About 43 times to the life Christ promised to those who obey Him. "In the world [age - aion] to come eternal [aionios] life [zoee]" Mark 19:30. "What shall I do to inherit eternal [aionios] life?" Luke 18:18. "In hope of eternal [aionios] life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the age [aion] began." Titus 1:2. Also in Matthew 19:16; 25:46; Mark 10:17; 10:30; Luke 10:25; 18:30; John 3:5; 3:16; 3:36; 4:14; 4:36 5:24; 5:39; 6:27; 6:40; 6:47; 6:54; 6:58; 17:2; 17:3; Acts 13:46; Romans 2:7; 5:21; 6:22; 6:23; Galatians 6:8; 1 Timothy 1:16; 6:12; 6:19; Titus 3:7; 1 John 1:2; 2:25; 3:15; 5:11; 5:13; 5:20; Jude 21.
Related terms [other ways of saying eternal life].
1. "Everlasting [aionios] HABITATIONS" [Luke 16:9; Hebrews 9:15].
2. "Everlasting [aionios] CONSOLATION" [2 Thessalonians 2:16].
3. "Eternal [aionios] INHERITANCE" [Hebrews 9:15].
4. "An eternal [aionios] WEIGHT OF GLORY" [2 Corinthians 4:16].
5. "A BUILDING FROM GOD, A HOUSE NOT MADE WITH HANDS, eternal [aionios], in the heavens" [2 Corinthians 5:1].
[2] ETERNAL GOD: (1) "Everlasting [aionios] God" [Romans 16:25]. (2) "Power everlasting"[aionios] [1 Timothy 6:16]. (3) "Called us unto His eternal [aionios] glory" [1 Peter 5:10].
There are other words that teach an endless duration that are applied to God and the saved that are never applied to the lost.
TO GOD:
1. Romans 1:23 "The glory of the INCORRUPTIBLE [aphthartos] God."
2. 1 Timothy 6:16 "Who only has IMMORTALITY [athanasin]."
3. Romans 1:20 "Even his EVERLASTING [aidios] power and divinity."
4. 1 Timothy 1:17 "Now unto the King eternal IMMORTAL [aphtharsia], invisible, the only God."
TO CHRIST:
1. 2 Timothy 1:10 "Who [Christ] abolished death, AND BROUGHT LIFE AND IMMORTALITY [aphtharsia] TO LIGHT"
2. Hebrews 7:3 “Abides a priest CONTINUALLY (dieenekes).” “But he, when he had offered one sacrifice for sins FOR EVER (dieenekes), sat down on the right hand of God” [Hebrews 10:12]. “For by one offering he has perfected FOR EVER (dieenekes) them that are sanctified” [Hebrews 10:14].
3. Hebrews 7:16 "After the power of an ENDLESS (akatalutos-indissoluble) LIFE."
4. Hebrews 7:24 “Because He (Christ) abides forever (pantote), holds His priesthood permanently.”
TO MAN:
1. 1 Corinthians 9:25 "Now they do it to receive a corruptible crown: but we an INCORRUPTIBLE [aphthartos]."
2. 1 Corinthians 15:42-44 "So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in INCORRUPTION [aphtharsia]; it is sown in dishonor; it is raised in GLORY; it is sown in weakness; it is raised in POWER; is sown a natural body; it is raised a SPIRITUAL BODY."
3. 1 Corinthians 15:52-54 "For the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised INCORRUPTIBLE [aphthartos], and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on INCORRUPTION [aphtharsia], and this mortal must put on IMMORTALITY [athanasia]. But, when this corruptible shall have put on IMMORTALITY [athanasia] then shall come to pass the saying that is written, DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY."
4. 1 Peter 1:3-4 "Begat us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, unto AN