World and Age
Kosmos and Aion
World and Age
The translators of the King James Version of the Bible made very little distinction between the two Greek words, “kosmos” and “aion.” For the first, “kosmos,” they translated it as “world” in every instance except one (1 Peter 3:3 where it is translated “adorning” by some). The word, “aion,” was often translated the same as “kosmos,” meaning world rather than the more proper term age. Failure to distinguish the two terms, or rather assigning the same meaning to both, does an injustice to our English translations. It has clouded passages which otherwise would have been richly graced in clarity of understanding and meaning.
Kosmos puts forth the concept of the world with regard to space or the physical. Aion speaks with regard to the aspect of time. Both concern creation, but with two diverse themes or attributes of creation.
- To illustrate the importance of their dissimilarities we refer to the following passages:
- Matt. 13:39, “The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.”
- 1 Cor. 10:11, “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.”
- – here both have aion translated as world, but they actually refer to the end or consummation of “the age.”
1 Cor. 2:6 tells of the wisdom and princes of the world, but in truth it speaks of the wisdom and princes of this age.
2 Cor. 4:4 “the god of this world” should be “the god of this age.”
Luke 16:8 “the children of this world” accurately is “the sons of this the age” (in their generation) are wiser than the children of light.
Eph. 2:2 is particularly interesting with both aion and kosmos used together. “Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course (aion-age) of this world (kosmos), according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:” Paul is reminding the Ephesians that they had once lived according to the (present) age of this world.
These verses and others give strong implication that what is in this world at this time will cease. The wisdom, princes, children, god, and carnality of this world exist in an age, or for a period of time, of this world/creation.
Aion
Aion signifies a period of time, short or long, of an unbroken duration. Often it is used of the duration of a human life in its secular usage. It is a measure of existence. It can signify all which exists in the world under the conditions of time. Thus with aion there is a beginning, the duration, and an end. So the term “age” is a well-translated word for aion.
There are many “ages” mentioned or implied in both the Old Testament and the New. The major ages are called by some as dispensations. These would be the periods of time between Adam and Abraham, then between Abraham and Moses, from Moses to Christ, between the two advents of Christ, and finally the Millennium age. In these we have what has been called the “Patriarchal Age,” the “Law Age,” and the “Church Age.” Jesus referred to a division of the Old Testament as the Law and the Prophets, both of which signify an age. There are many more, but this serves the purpose of illustration. All of them have their beginning, duration and end.
But what of the “eternal?” Except when eternity is specified does time become limitless. A. T. Roberson, Word Pictures “The word aionios (from aion, age) means either without beginning or without end or both. It comes as near to the idea of eternal as the Greek can put it in one word. It is a difficult idea to put into language. Sometimes we have ‘ages of ages’ (aiones of the aionon).” The duration has no boundary, making it to be immeasurable or infinite. Mortality is life of an age; immortality is not ageless but rather that of unending age.
The following are all spoken of as eternal: Life, fire (suffering), glory of God, inheritance, Spirit, redemption, judgment, salvation, King (God), purpose (of God), eternal house (resurrected body), things not seen (the spiritual realm of creation), power (of God), and damnation.
The Kosmos
Kosmos, as mentioned, is the material world. But it also expresses certain attributes or features of the world/creation. Creation (the kosmos) is an adornment, with beauty, order and arrangement. Certainly the present heaven and universe is a world of beauty and order. The stars are the host (kosmos) of heaven.
However, now exists the age of the unholy, godlessness distressing an immense portion of the kosmos. This has destroyed much of its beauty, order and arrangement. Just as Satan was called the god of this age, so also is he called “the prince of the power of the air.”
When the context of Scripture is that of evil many have rendered kosmos as “system,” or the “world system.” Thus there is a departure from the strictly material to the moral character of this present world. But this is always in the context of an age, having a beginning and end. The infection of evil in the world is temporary; it will reach its conclusion when Christ as Sovereign Lord reigns. God will renovate this kosmos with fire and a new creation will emerge. This will be in all its beauty, holiness, purity, order and arrangement.
As God created the kosmos He declared that it was good and at the end of the sixth and final day it was declared to be very good. He did not create chaos, disorder, or confusion but perfection. It was a thing of beauty and holiness. All that He made was for His glory—to glorify Him. His will was meant to prevail upon and within all His work. This gave it a perfect order with all in proper arrangement for the purpose He intended. Harmony prevailed between even the most opposed creatures, which later became predator and prey. It all was the fruit of God’s labor, and it was fruitful in of itself.
The Invasion of Sin
But, this is not to say that it was invulnerable to the possibility of upheaval caused by rebellion of conscious beings within creation, i.e. Adam or angelic creatures. And fall they did. By His own words, God cursed the ground and all the creatures that had this world as their environment of life and movement. To this day creation groans and travails in pain from the bondage of corruption. No longer is the world holy, orderly, in its full beauty bringing glory to its creator. All this because man sinned and Satan through his rebellion usurped what was made good.
Now the kosmos and aion embark together. Because of the insertion of sin, unrighteousness and corruption the heritage of the world is reversed from that of glorifying God to evil. The morality of the conscious world is evil. This is the age of the world in which we now live and move. A spiritual darkness has fallen on creation. Consequently, God’s people are commanded not to love the world or the things in the world. The culture of fallen man is that of a wisdom, which God declares as foolish, bound to death and judgment. It leads not men to God but rather away from Him. This is the system of the world, it denies the very one who created it.
Because of the fall, ages, periods of time now began. Scripture speaks of many ages, some short and some lasting millenniums. All ages by their very nature will end. Only the eternal will last indefinitely. To this fact the godly rejoice. Those who seek, hunger and thirst after righteousness yearn for the day when all is restored—when God’s Will is done on earth as it is in heaven.
It is to be observed that God’s work had a beginning; the kosmos has a beginning. Will it have an end? Is there an age of the kosmos? Apparently so, for Peter wrote of the day of the Lord in the which the heavens and earth shall pass away with a great noise, the elements shall be dissolved with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are therein shall be consumed. (2 Pet. 3:7,12) Then in Revelation 22:1 God tells of a new heaven and a new earth, and not there only but also in Isa 65:17; 66:22; 2 Pet. 3:13. In this new kosmos dwells righteousness for the Day of Judgment and destruction of ungodly men and spirit creatures has passed. Thus begins the new kosmos and the final aion.
Through God’s salvation there is a place for those who have believed and received Christ in the new creation. Alas, why do men not repent and believe? Have you?
Return Home