By William C Rebbman
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Have you ever wondered how God was intending to end all of this business of running the universe?
Did you ever stop to think that God knew how everything would be and how it would become before He created even a single thing? Did you ever realize that, because of this fact, God certainly must have had a purpose in view before He created Adam? Did you ever stop to realize how the teaching of eternal punishment would fit in with that unchangeable truth? Did you never wonder if Christ meant in a literal, actual sense what He said in John 12:32?
And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me.
Will all men be saved when God has completed His plan for the ages, “His purpose of the eons, which He makes in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Ephesians 3:11)?
The Scriptures clearly state that God will accomplish this to His great glory; but many are the arguments against this truth. Even so, we believe that, as God grants you understanding, you too will come to reverently worship God as the Supreme One, Who in His love plans far, far ahead, and by His surpassing wisdom and power makes the most dark and tedious ways all open into the terminus of shining glory.
Colossians 1:20
And through Him to reconcile all to Him (making peace through the blood of His cross), through Him, whether those on the earth or those in the heavens.
Objection: The “all things” here means material things only.
Answer: Material things cannot have feelings of enmity or peace. Besides, the Greek, is not “all things”, but imply “the all”.
Objection: Reconcile means the general satisfaction of God with Christ’s sacrifice for the entire world.
Answer: A reading of :21-22 disproves that. (Scofield says, “Reconciliation… is that effect of the death of Christ upon the believing sinner which, through divine power, works in him a thorough change toward God from enmity and aversion, to love and trust.”)
Objection: Reconciliation can be accomplished only by faith.
Answer: Paul was saved by sight, the sight of Christ in His glory (Acts 9:1-6). The Lord simply overwhelmed his unbelief with faith (1 Timothy 1:13-14).
As Saul of Tarsus, Paul was the foremost (chief) sinner. If he was saved by God’s deliberate choice and convincing proof of Christ’s divine Sonship, then all other sinners can even more readily be turned to God, in His Own time.
Objection: Paul called Himself the “chief” (AV) of sinners, because of that deep humility which makes every convert feel his own depravity.
Answer: Unbelief, persecution, hatred of God’s people, rejection of Christ, cruelty and murder, are unspeakable vile sins. Of all these Saul was Supremely and actively guilty (c.f. Acts 9:1; 1 Timothy 1:3). Saul’s sinfulness was magnified by his superior knowledge of God’s revelation (c.f. Philippians 3:4-6) and his earlier rejection of Christ, even though he witnessed Stephen’s great testimony of Christ’s divinity and resurrection (Acts 7:56, 58)
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Philippians 2:10-11
That in the name of Jesus every knee should be bowing, celestial and terrestrial and subterranean, and every tongue should be acclaiming that Jesus Christ is Lord, for the glory of God, the Father.
Objection: This passage speaks of what, for most, will be a forced bowing of the knee.
Answer: Such an awful scene could never be “for the glory of God, the Father.” Besides, all will bow “in” (not “at”, as in the AV) the name of “Jesus,” the name which means “Yahweh-Savior.” Indeed, “no one is able to say Lord is Jesus except by holy spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:3).
1 Corinthians 15:22
Even as in Adam, all are dying, thus also, in Christ, shall all be vivified.
Objection: Only those who die “in Christ” will be vivified.
Answer: This is not what Paul says! Besides, if that was the thought, why bring Adam (who affects the entire race) into the picture?
Objection: All being “made alive” merely involves resurrection to condemnation, endless death in the lake of fire.
Answer: Verse 26, “the last enemy is being abolished is death,” makes it clear that this passage speaks of final, ultimate vivification, of glorious salvation for all mankind.
Objection: The last enemy is the occurrence of dying, not the resultant state of death.
Answer: It includes both, and the time occupied by that state up to the resurrection (c.f. 1 Corinthians 15:21, “For since, in fact, through a man came death, through a Man, also, comes the resurrection of the dead”).
GENERAL OBJECTIONS
Objection: There is then no urgency to be saved now.
Answer: Every unsaved man shall be judged “in accord with his acts” (Revelation 20:12) and enter the lake of fire. Also, eons of glory and joy will not be enjoyed by the unsaved.
Objection: The Bible speaks of “everlasting punishment” (Matthew 25:46) and “everlasting fire” (Matthew 18:8; AV).
Answer: The Greek word translated “ever” is (as spoken in English) eon, and the Greek word (in English form) for “everlasting” is eonian, which reverts the argument back to the meaning of eon. Proof that the Authorized Version translation of the Greek word aion as “ever” is wrong is that the Authorized Version itself often translates this word “world”, as in the phrase “end of the world” (Matthew 13:39-40, 49). Yet another proof is that the same version sometimes translates the plural form as “ages” (Ephesians 2:7; Colossians 1:26). Yet in two very important passages, it translates this plural form by the singular form “world” (both of which Scofield changes to “ages”): 1 Corinthians 2:7, “before the world [ages], and Hebrews 9:26, “end of the world,” or, as Scofield says, “consummation of the ages: ‘Eon’ (or ‘age’), then, must speak of a limited period of time; for it has a beginning, an end, and a plural number.”
Objection: Eon varies in meaning in the Scripture, sometimes having a temporal meaning, and sometimes being eternal and unlimited.
Answer: No word can have such contradictory usages, otherwise how do we know what it means at any given time? Finiteness and infinitude are as opposite as east and west.
Objection: Granted, eon means age or a limited period of time, but “for ever and ever” (Revelation 20:10 AV) will not be for a limited number of eons, but, as the Greek has it, “for the eons of the eons” (i.e. for an unlimited numbers of eons which themselves contain still additional eons, or “eons tumbled upon eons.”) This must be as endless as Christ’s reign (Revelation 11:15), and the reign of the saints (Revelation 22:5).
Answer: A period of time cannot contain other periods of time of the same kind, or the term becomes meaningless. “The eons of the eons” are the final “eons” (ages) as distinct from the other scriptural eons. This is because they are the grandest and most significant eons of all the eonian times. Every like expression has a similar meaning: e.g. day of days, heart of hearts, holy of holies. (The Greek also has two singular forms, “eon of the eon” and “eon of the eons,” referring to the last great eon. To be correct in our findings, we must note the scriptural forms and distinctions.)
Christ’s reign is not endless, but only until all is subject (1 Corinthians 15;24-28). Then all rule will be abolished.
Objection: If the “everlasting punishment” (AV) of the unbelievers has an end, then the “eternal life” (AV) of the saints has an end also, at the end of the ages.
Answer: How can life end if death is abolished at that time (1 Corinthians 15:26)? The life of the eons ends when all are vivified, at the “end” (or “consummation”) of the eons (1 Corinthians 15:24). Life itself, however, continues on interminably (c.f. Luke 1:33).
Objection: Then God is not “everlasting” as He is called in Romans 16:26 (AV).
Answer: The idea of “lastingness” is no part of the Greek word aiōnion (“eonian”). “Eonian” is simply the adjectival form of “eon”. Just as “American” speaks of that which pertains to “America,” eonian speaks of that which pertains to the eons. It is helpful to take note of the previous verse (:25), observing that the phrase “kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest” (AV) is actually “hushed in times eonian, yet manifested now (CV). Therefore “eonian” certainly is not “eternal” (“eonian” also occurs in the phrase “before times eonian,” 11 Timothy 1:9; Titus 1:2). The adjective “eonian” means “pertaining to the eons.” That God is the God of the eons does not confine Him to these periods of time any more than His title “the God of Israel” precludes His being the God of all. Other “gods” fall and are forgotten; but we have a God Who made the eons (Hebrews 1:2), Who has a purpose of the eons (Ephesians 3:11), and Who accomplishes His purposes accordingly during the eonian times (c.f. Titus 1:2). Hence He is he eonian God, or Subjector. The eons belong to Him and He belongs to them, and His shall be the glory for them long after they are past.
Objection: In 11 Corinthians 4:18, eonian must mean eternal because it is set in contrast to the word temporal, meaning enduring for time as opposed to eternity.
Answer: The Greek word translated “temporal” has no connection with the word for “time”; it is literally TOWARD-SEASON, and means “temporary” or “for the era.” In the passage in question, “eonian” is used in contrast between our afflictions, which last for a brief “season,” and our promised long enduring “eonian” glory, which lasts until all opens out into the glorious consummation.
1 Corinthians 15:28
Now, whenever all may be subjected to Him, then the Son [Christ] Himself also shall be subjected to Him Who subjects all to Him, that God may be All in all.
Objection: Subjection signifies the use of force.
Answer: Not necessarily, for though He may use force as a means, in the end He will have so led and taught His creatures that they will no longer need government (c.f. :24, “nullifying all sovereignty and all authority and power”). God, by His Spirit, will become everything in each and every one, for He will become “All in all.” What else can these words mean, for all shall be at peace with God?
ALL WILL BE SAVED
“Through the blood of His Cross” (Colossians 1:20), Christ makes peace for all with the Father and at last so teaches each one as to bring all into the blessed family of God. This is “in accord with the purpose of the eons, which He makes in Christ Jesus , our Lord” (Ephesians 3:11). Thus He gains the enduring love of every creature.
We have just reviewed the most important facts concerning what God’s Word teaches concerning universal reconciliation. Our part is to believe what the Scripture state and not to doubt. May we be walking in love toward all, while faithfully serving Him.
God “is operating all in accord with the counsel of His will” (Ephesians 1:11, even though we cannot know precisely how He does so. God is “the Savior of all mankind, especially of believers” (1 Timothy 4:10; c.f. 2:4-7).
Seeing that out of Him and through Him and for Him is all: to Hom be the glory for the eons! Amen! (Romans 11:36).
For I am the El [God], and there is no further Elohim, and the limit is as Me. Telling from the beginning, the hereafter, and from aforetime, what has not yet been done. Saying, All My counsel shall be confirmed, and all My desire I will do (Isaiah 46:9-10).
Eventually all Israel will be saved (Romans 11:26; c.f. Isaiah 45:25). How? They will be saved by their seeing their Savior in His glory yet still bearing the marks of their crucifixion of Him (c.f. Zecharaiah 12:10-11; 13:1,6). In the same way, no man will be able to resist Christ’s offer of love when faith is replaced by sight, when all of the sinners of all time see their Savior on the throne of power, and yet displaying the marks of deepest humiliation and suffering which He endured willingly to secure their final reconciliation into the family of God. Grace can only come through the merit of God’s righteous Son. God will show all of His lost creatures that it is only love He is seeking, not forced or fearful obeisance. This was His plan even before the eons. Why should we not believe that God in His great wisdom will work out all according to His greatest glory?
God seeks love, above all else. Glory, yes, but only insofar as it will increase the love of His creatures. All else is subservient to this, for, “God is love” (1 John 4:8, 16). God’s purpose is not just a wishful longing for love. His only true glory lies in the ultimate success of His plan to secure the full and voluntary response of love from His every creature. Then and then alone – even as the shepherd who sought and found the one lost sheep – will He rest from His completed work.
What do you think of this Christ Who lovingly throws His all into such a grand plan to gain the love of every man? If you believe on Him now and His sacrifice for you, you are “justified by faith” (Romans 5:1), and will share in His glories in the grand eons to come.
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Taken with permission from the Bible Student’s Notebook no. 291, a weekly Bible Study publication available in electronic and print formats – www.BiblestudentsNotebook.com