SPECIAL TOPIC: FOREVER (GREEK IDIOM)

One Greek idiomatic phrase is “unto the ages” (cf. Luke 1:33; Rom. 1:25; 11:36;
16:27; Gal. 1:5; 1 Tim. 1:17), which may reflect the Hebrew ‘olam. See Robert B.
Girdlestone, Synonyms of the Old Testament, pp. 319-321, and Special Topic:
Forever (‘Olam).

Other related phrases are
“unto the age” (cf. Matt. 21:19; Mark 11:14; Luke 1:55; John 6:58; 8:35; 12:34;
13:8; 14:16; 2 Cor. 9:9) and “of the
age of the ages” (cf. Eph. 3:21). There seems to be no distinction between these
Greek idioms for “forever.” The term “ages” may be plural
in a figurative sense
of the rabbinical grammatical construction called “the plural of majesty,” or it
may refer to the concept of several “ages” in the Jewish sense of “age of
wickedness,” “age to come,” or “age of righteousness” (see Special Topic: This
Age and the Age to Come).