In Touch Quarter 4 - 2011

8 // IN TOUCH
~l'A[ Olam
(PART 2)
Hebrew Word Study with John C. P. Smith
In PART 1 (In Touch no.168) we
looked at the meaning of the
Hebrew word ~l'A[ olam, particularly
in the light of popular American
teacher Rob Bell’s recent highprofile
book, “Love Wins”, in which
the author challenges the orthodox
understanding of the word olam
in support of his finite hell thesis.
He writes: “...’forever’ is not really a
category the biblical writers used... So
when we read ‘eternal punishment’...
Jesus isn’t talking about forever” (p.92).
But Rob Bell’s interpretation of olam is untenable on several
grounds, including its lexical definition and its extensive
usage to mean ‘forever’ in mainstream translations. Yet
more importantly, olam is a description of the unbounded,
limitless, Eternal God, ~l'A[ lae El Olam!
What about the root meaning of olam? Hebrew root
meanings are sometimes difficult to identify or define
with certainty. But according to the Etymological Dictionary
of Biblical Hebrew, the root ~l[ ‘lm, from which ~l'A[ olam is
derived, means “hide”. In relation to time this means “the
unknown future” or “forever” (p.186).
Similarly, the New International Dictionary of Old Testament
Theology & Exegesis defines the verbal root ~l[ ‘lm as “hidden
things, secrets” (Vol 3, p.425), and “the basic meaning of the
noun [~l'A[ olam] is farthest time, distant time”; adding that it
is “widely attested” in other Ancient Near Eastern languages
(p.346). Whilst it can sometimes refer to limited (though
usually long) periods of time, “in many more cases, the noun
is used with longer time periods in view—indeed, it often
implies unceasingness or perpetuity” (p.348).
The Greek word aivw,n aion often parallels ~l'A[ olam in the
Greek Septuagint translation of the Hebrew Scriptures, and
occurs 122 times in the Greek New Testament. (The Latin
word aeon, also spelt eon, is a transliteration of the Greek
word aion, and means ‘age; for ever, for eternity’.) Like olam,
aion has several usages, but a central part of its meaning is
“prolonged and unlimited time... eternity, age to come...
forever, eternally... forever and ever, forevermore” (Friberg’s
Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament). Despite this,
Rob Bell asserts that “aion... doesn’t mean ‘forever’ as we
think of forever” (p.31).
But if Rob Bell believes that the Bible teaches a finite hell,
then he must also logically accept a finite heaven, since
the same word is used to describe the resurrected life of
the ‘righteous’. For example, Yeshua says, “Then they [the
cursed] will go away to eternal/everlasting punishment, but
the righteous to eternal/everlasting life” (Matthew 25:46),
the Greek word here translated twice as “eternal/everlasting”
being the adjectival form of aion in both instances.
The fact is, contrary to Rob Bell’s thesis, there is nothing in
Scripture to suggest either a finite hell or a finite heaven. On
the contrary, death itself will be destroyed, logically implying
an eternal existence: “When the perishable has been clothed
with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality,
then the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has
been swallowed up in victory.’” (I Corinthians 15:54)
Beyond death is either eternal life or “the second death”,
which is the “lake of fire” and “of burning sulphur” (see
Revelation 20:10, 14; 21:8).
The Bible couldn’t be more clear on this subject. God does
not want any to perish (2 Peter 3:9), yet He also says, “My
Spirit will not contend with man for ever [olam]” (Genesis
6:3).
This contradicts the “second chance” idea mooted by Rob
Bell “for all kinds of people” after death, including some
“atheists” and “people from other religions” (p.106). He asks,
apparently rhetorically, “Could God say to someone truly
humbled, broken, and desperate for reconciliation, ‘Sorry, too
late... Door’s locked’?” (p.108). Yet Yeshua did teach exactly
this (e.g. Matthew 25:1-13).
In His parable of the rich man and Lazarus, Yeshua makes
it plain that there is no means of comfort for those in agony
in Hades (hell). Indeed, He speaks of “a great chasm fixed” in
order that none may cross from heaven to hell or vice versa
(Luke 16:26).
With the terrible realisation of this unending, unalterable
state of pain and anguish there will be “weeping and gnashing
of teeth” (Matthew 8:12; 13:42, 50; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30; and
Luke 13:28).
No wonder Yeshua urged His listeners: “Enter through the
narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that
“God may be extraordinarily loving and merciful, but He is also utterly just,
and does not change or contradict Himself.”
leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is
the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a
few find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).
Hebrews states emphatically, “It is appointed for men
to die once, but after this the judgment” (9:27), and Yeshua
declared “whoever believes in the Son has eternal [adjectival
aion] life; whoever disbelieves/disobeys the Son will not see
life, but God’s wrath abides over him” (John 3:36). God may
be extraordinarily loving and merciful, but He is also utterly
just, and does not change or contradict Himself. We would
all do well to “consider therefore the kindness and severity of
God” (Romans 11:22).
Tragically, readers of the book Love Wins who are not well
versed in the Scriptures and who have little or no knowledge
of Hebrew or Greek—including both Believers and non-
Believers—will most likely take its hugely popular and
influential author at his word, believing that neither olam
nor aion mean ‘forever’. They may very well be deluded into
thinking everything’s going to work out OK, for everyone.
Yet, even in this short study we have seen clear evidence to
the contrary from a number of sources. Hebrew is important
for the Believer, whether Bible-teacher or layman. In the case
of Rob Bell’s thesis, we might even go as far as to say that
it’s a matter of life and death—helping us to understand the
full gravity of choosing between eternal life and “the second
death.”
“Give thanks to Yahweh, for He is good; His love endures to olam (eternity)!” (1 Chronicles 16:34)