• Tiglath-pileser (III)
    Aid to Bible Understanding

    • French scholar, Georges Roux, in his book Ancient Iraq (p. 251) states that “for thirty-six years . . . , Assyria was practically paralysed.” As for Ashurnirari V, considered to have been the predecessor of Tiglath-pileser III, the same author observes: “. . . he hardly dared leave his palace and was probably killed in a revolution which broke out in Kalhu and put upon the throne his younger brother [?], Tiglath-pileser III.” In view of this it seems entirely possible that Tiglath-pileser may have exercised the power of kingship for a longer period of time than commonly credited to him, even perhaps as a coregent.

      At 2 Chronicles 28:16 Ahaz is spoken of as sending “to the kings of Assyria for them to help him.” While the plural “kings,” occurring in the Hebrew Masoretic text, appears in the singular (“king”) in other ancient manuscripts and in the Septuagint, many modern translations favor the Hebrew plural (JP, [English and French], NW) Some scholars view the plural here as merely indicating the sum of majesty and greatness ascribed to the one monarch (Tiglath-pileser III) as the “king of kings.” Yet attention is also called to the boastful claim of the Assyrian monarch recorded at Isaiah 10:8: “Are not my princes at the same time kings?” It is thus possible that the reference to “Pul the king of Assyria” (2 Ki. 15:19) may also be applied in the sense of his being the ruler of an Assyrian province prior to becoming head of the entire empire.

      Upon his death Tiglath-pileser III was succeeded by Shalmaneser V. More details might be known concerning this king were it not for the fact that a still later king, Esar-haddon, caused Tiglath-pileser’s inscriptions to be mutilated, a rare affront elsewhere unknown in Assyrian history.

  • Time Indefinite
    Aid to Bible Understanding

    • TIME INDEFINITE

      The Hebrew word ʽoh·lamʹ (ʽo·lamʹ) relates to “time” and is derived from a root verb meaning “to hide, conceal.” From the standpoint of the present, ʽoh·lamʹ carries the thought of hidden, indefinite or uncertain time. One lexicographer defines it as meaning “hidden time, i.e. obscure and long, of which the beginning or end is uncertain or indefinite.” (A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament, translated from the Latin of William Gesenius by Edward Robinson, 1836, p. 746) Accordingly, expressions such as “time indefinite” (Ps. 25:6), “indefinitely lasting” (Hab. 3:6), “of old” (Gen. 6:4), “a long time ago,” “of long ago” (Josh. 24:2; Prov. 22:28; 23:10) and “long-lasting” (Eccl. 12:5) appropriately convey the thought of the original-language term.

      The word ʽoh·lamʹ is at times associated with that which is everlasting. The prophet Isaiah wrote: “Jehovah, the Creator of the extremities of the earth, is a God to time indefinite.” (Isa. 40:28) Jehovah is “from time indefinite to time indefinite.” (Ps. 90:2) Since Jehovah is immortal and does not die, he will continue to be God for all eternity. (Hab. 1:12; 1 Tim. 1:17) However, the Hebrew expression ʽoh·lamʹ does not in itself mean “forever.” It often refers to things that have an end, but the period of such things’ existence can be said to be ‘to time indefinite’ because the time of their end is not then specified. For example, the ‘indefinitely lasting’ Law covenant came to an end with Jesus’ death and the bringing in of a new covenant. (Ex. 31:16, 17; Rom. 10:4; Gal. 5:18; Col. 2:16, 17; Heb. 9:15) And the ‘indefinitely lasting’ Aaronic priesthood similarly came to an end.—Ex. 40:15; Heb. 7:11-24; 10:1.

      Another Hebrew term, ʽadh, denotes unlimited future time, everlastingness or eternity. (1 Chron. 28:9; Ps. 19:9; Isa. 9:6; 45:17; Hab. 3:6) At times, as at Psalm 45:6, the words ʽoh·lamʹ and ʽadh appear together and may be rendered “age-during, and for ever” (Yg), “age-abiding and beyond” (Ro) and “time indefinite, even forever.” (NW) Concerning the earth, the psalmist declared: “It will not be made to totter to time indefinite, or forever.”—Ps. 104:5.

      The Hebrew term neʹtsahh can also denote everlastingness. Among the ways it may be rendered are “forever” (Job 4:20; 14:20), “perpetually” (Isa. 57:16) and “always.” (Ps. 9:18) Sometimes neʹtsahh and ʽoh·lamʹ occur in parallel (Ps. 49:8, 9) or the terms neʹtsahh and ʽadh appear together. (Amos 1:11) All three words are found at Psalm 9:5, 6: “You have rebuked nations, . . . Their name you have wiped out to time indefinite [ʽoh·lamʹ], even forever [ʽedh (ʽadh)] . O you enemy, your desolations have come to their perpetual [neʹtsahh] finish.”

      In the Christian Greek Scriptures, the word ai·onʹ may denote a time period of indefinite or indeterminate length, a period of remote, but not endless, time. For example, at Luke 1:70 and Acts 3:21 ai·onʹ can be rendered “of old,” “of old time,” “in ancient times.” (AT, NW, RS) Often, however, the context suggests that ai·onʹ is to be understood to refer to a time period of undefined length because of such period being endless in duration. (Luke 1:55; John 6:50, 51; 12:34; 1 John 2:17) Similarly, the adjective ai·oʹni·os (drawn from ai·onʹ) can, as evident from the context, signify both “long lasting” (Rom. 16:25; 2 Tim. 1:9; Titus 1:2) and “everlasting.” (Matt. 18:8; 19:16, 29) Another Greek adjective, a·iʹdi·os specifically means “eternal” or “everlasting.”—Rom. 1:20; Jude 6, AT, NW, RS; for a further consideration of ai·onʹ, see AGE and SYSTEMS OF THINGS.

  • Time of the End
    Aid to Bible Understanding

    • TIME OF THE END

      Jehovah God, through his prophets, has on occasion revealed what would happen at the conclusion of certain periods of time. For example, Jerusalem was to be reinhabited and have its temple rebuilt at the end of seventy years of lying desolate. (2 Chron. 36:20-23; Dan. 9:2) Similarly, the prophet Daniel was given a preview of events to occur in the distant future. Thereafter he was told: “And as for you, O Daniel, make secret the words and seal up the book, until the time of the end. Many will rove about, and the true knowledge will become abundant.”—Dan. 12:4.

      Concerning this text, commentator Thomas Scott, in the first half of the nineteenth century, observed: “The angel, by way of conclusion, intimated to Daniel, that this prophecy would remain obscure, and as ‘a sealed book,’ of which little would be understood, ‘till the time of the end;’ . . . The fact has evidenced this to be the case: immense difficulties have always been acknowledged in many of Daniel’s prophecies, and they have been ‘as words shut up’ even from believers in general. . . . In these latter ages many have bestowed great pains, in searching into history, to illustrate those parts of these prophecies which are already accomplished; and by comparing them with other scriptures, to form some judgment of what yet remains to be fulfilled: and thus much light has been thrown on them. As they shall gradually be more and more accomplished, they will be better understood; and future generations will be far more surprised and instructed by them, than we are.” (Scott’s Bible Commentary, Vol. IV, p. 700) The lack of understanding concerning Daniel’s prophecies