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No.64.
The Secret Chamber
(3: 1 - 13).
God's Age-Poem
(3: 11 - 13).
pp. 101 - 103
The `intent' to make known through the church the manifold wisdom of God to
principalities and powers in heavenly places (Eph. 3: 10), is preceded by a reference to
creation, and followed by a reference to purpose:
"According to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord"
(Eph. 3: 11).
The literal rendering of this passage reads `according to the purpose of the ages'.
Eternity as such is not a subject of Scripture. The word `eternity' in Isa. 57: 15 is the
Hebrew ad, and when this word is used of man, it is translated `of old' (Job 20: 4). The
word translated `eternal' in Deut. 33: 27 is qedem `before in time or place', and the
one other word in the O.T. thus translated is the Hebrew olam (Isa. 60: 15), and olam
means something secret (Psa. 90: 8). Eternity as such does not enter into the O.T.
Scriptures. Kata prothesin ton aionon "According to a purpose of the ages". This is the
literal translation of the words of Eph. 3: 11. Three things are thereby presupposed:
(1)
That the dispensation of the Mystery, the appointment of Paul, the peculiar condition of
the church, their relation of this Mystery with creation and the principalities and
powers in heavenly places, are all `according to', or in harmony with a purpose.
(2)
This purpose or plan has been already variously spoken of in Ephesians as God's
choice, before the foundation of the world, His predestination, the good pleasure of
His will, the mystery of His will, and the purpose of Him Who worketh all things
after the counsel of His own will.
(3)
This purpose is called `The purpose of the ages'.
The word aion is translated `age' in Eph. 2: 7 and 3: 21, but is translated `course',
`world' and `eternal' in other references. There seems to be need for revision when
one word in one epistle can be translated by so widely different terms as `this world'
which is admittedly transitory, and `eternal' which endures for ever.
The ages, according to Ephesians, are subdivided into this age (Eph. 1: 21; 6: 12),
the ages past (3: 9) and the ages to come (2: 7). The second epistle to Timothy, and the
epistle to Titus combine the words pro aionios with chronos, translated in the A.V.
`before the world began' but literally `before aionion or age-during or age-past times',
and `the present age' ton nun aiona `the now age'. These references bring before us the
sweep of the ages, revealing that there was a time which could be spoken of as `before'
that which is spoken of as `now', `this age', and a period spoken of as the ages that are to
come. Considering what is written in Eph. 1: 4, we perceive that `before the ages' and
`before the overthrow of the world' synchronize, and that the ages therefore must begin at