The answer to this question is yes and no, for the words everlasting life aren’t really found in the original Hebrew and Greek texts. Take for example, the familiar words of John 3:16, “God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten son, in order that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed, but have everlasting life” (or at least, that how most Bibles render those words). However, if you examine the Greek words that are translated everlasting life here, you’ll find that they are zoen aionion, or life ages.

Then if you look at the words that are found at John 17:3 (“This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ”), you’ll find that the words Jesus spoke (in Greek) were aionios zoe, or, age (singular) life. So, although the words zoe aionion (life ages) could imply everlasting life, the singular use of aionos at John 17:3 cannot mean everlasting life, because Jesus wasn’t speaking of ages of life, but of life in the age. So, what was he talking about?

First, let’s discuss the meaning of the Greek words aionion or aionios. If you look up the words in your Kingdom Interlinear Bible (I recommend that all serious Bible students use this Bible for their readings in the Greek Scriptures), you’ll find that the words are rendered as ζώήν άίωνίον (John 3:16) and άίώυιος ζώή (John 17:3). Take the time to lean how the Greek letters are pronounced (the pronunciations are found on the inside front over of that Bible), because this is important. Five-year-olds learn the alphabet, so it can’t be that hard.

Now turn to Matthew 24:3, and you’ll find that Jesus’ Apostles came to him and asked (in Greek), “κάί (and) τί (what) το (the) σημειον (sign) σης (your) πάρουσιάς (nearness) κάι (and) συντέλειάς (end) του (of the) άιώνος (age)?”

So, if aionos means forever or everlasting, how could those who developed the New World Bible translate it as system of things? Obviously, the word means age or ages, and it’s where we get the English word eon from. Say, didn’t we once complain about the many ways the King James Bible translated sheol?

Now, if you’ve been in the organization long enough to remember the introduction of the Hebrew Scripture portion of the New World Translation, you’ll remember how much we disliked their taking the old King James word forever, and translating it as time indefinite. For that really messed up scriptures like Ecclesiastes 1:4, which used to read, “One generation goeth and another generation cometh, but the earth abideth forever.” Saying “to time indefinite” really lost the point we were trying to make that the earth will always be here.

Why did they do this? Well, the Society’s Hebrew translators were more scrupulous than were the earlier Greek-text translators, for when they reached the Hebrew word לעולם (I hope I got that right) they correctly translated it as time indefinite, not forever. However, this same word is translated as aionion in the Greek Septuagint (which dates to the Third Century B.C.E.). So, to the ancient Jews, both words meant the same and neither ever meant forever or everlasting, they both meant a period of time.

When Aionion Probably Means Forever

However, there are probably instances when aionion means forever. Take for example, the scripture found at 1 Peter 4:11, which reads, “The glory and the might are his (God’s) forever and ever.” There the Greek words are aionas ton aionon, or ages of/the ages. And we’ll assume that God’s glory lasts forever. So, there are instances where aionion (when doubled) can mean forever.

Is Everlasting Life on Earth Possible?

We know that anything is possible with God, so yes, it is possible… but not likely. For as science can prove that everything ends, the Bible says it too. Notice the prophecy at Hebrews 1:10-12. It says (NW), “And: you at the beginning, O Lord, laid the foundations of the earth itself, and the heavens are the works of your hands. They themselves will perish, but you yourself are to remain continually; and just like an outer garment they will all grow old, and you will wrap them us just as a cloak, as an outer garment; and they will be changed, but you are the same, and your years will never run out.”

Now, we’re all familiar with the arguments in the Evolution book that were used to prove that the universe had a beginning. For example, the temperature would be constant throughout the universe if it had always been, and there could be no energy, since the energy sources would be expired. So, this same argument is true of the future… the earth and the universe can’t always be. It will, as the scripture says, “grow old,” which will require God to “wrap it up” and change or renew it.

Then, what will happen to the faithful? The Bible simply doesn’t tell us, but we can be confident that God will never destroy those he loves.

Is Planet Earth “The Earth?”

Another interesting Greek word is ges, which is translated variously as earth, ground, and land. The choice of which of these English words is used to translate it is strictly up to the translator. For there are instances where the Bible is obviously talking about the globe, but in others it’s talking about a particular land, or about the ground itself (for ges is differentiated from thalassa, which means sea). So, whenever you find the words earth, ground, and land used in the Bible, recognize that they all come from the same Greek word, ges.

Why does this one word mean so many things? Well, it came from ancient non-scientific peoples, and it simply refers to what is below us. And the same thing is true of the Greek word ourano, it is translated as both sky and heaven, and it refers to everything above us. So, what Genesis 1:1 really said was, “In the beginning God made what is below us and what is above us.” So, the earth in the Bible doesn’t really mean this planet, but the ground we live on, wherever that may be in some future time.

Does the Bible Ever Speak of Everlasting or Forever?

Yes it does, because the Greek word aidios (which means eternal or everlasting) is used at Jude 6, for example, where it speaks of the bondage of the angels who forsook their place in heaven as being eternal. So, Bible writers knew the word, but chose not to use it when speaking of the hope of humans.

But on the other hand, Paul did write at 1 Corinthians 15:54, “When this which is corruptible puts on incorruption and this which is mortal puts on immortality, then the saying will take place that is written, Death is swallowed up forever.”

The Greek word that is translated as immortality there is athenasian, which means undying. So, it looks like some will never die (not that they are immortal or incapable of death, but that they won’t have to die). Who will this be? Well, the Society has taught us that Paul was speaking there of those with the heavenly hope. However, our research indicates that he was actually speaking of all the faithful, regardless of whether their destiny is earthly or heavenly. For more information, see the linked document http://www.2001translation.com/inherit.htm.

So, perhaps the Bible does speak of everlasting life, but not in those words.

Getting back to the word aionos (age, singular) that is used at John 17:3 and in dozens of other places in the Bible, what was Jesus talking about when he said the faithful will receive life in the age? Well, this is one instance where translating the singular form aionos as forever badly distorts the meaning of Jesus’ words. Notice, for example, his promise at John 11:26, where he said, “Everyone that is living and exercises faith in me will never die at all. Do you believe this?”

Jesus wasn’t talking about some future time thousands of years later; he was talking about something that could happen to his listeners then and there. It wasn’t that they wouldn’t physically die, for he had just said, “Everyone that exercises faith in me, even though he dies, will come to life.” However, what he was promising them was the gift of LIFE, as opposed to being counted among “the Dead.”

You already know what this means, for what does the term “the rest of the dead” imply when speaking of the resurrection? We’ve learned that these people won’t be physically dead, for they will have been resurrected. But they will still considered dead in the sense that they won’t have been given the gift of life yet.

So, when Jesus spoke his prayer that’s found in John the Seventeenth Chapter, and he said, “This means age life (aionios zoe) their taking in knowledge of you…” he was saying that his faithful followers would be counted among the “living” during their age or lifetime, and they would thus be worthy of the “first resurrection,” not a resurrection among “the rest of the dead.” So, aionos doesn’t tell us how long they will live, but when they receive the gift of life. The word life (gr. zoe) in the Bible implies undying, so no other word is required to tell us what this means for the faithful.