Understanding OLAM in John 3:16

 John 3:16 in Hebrew: Olam

John 3:16 in Aramaic: Alma

John 3:16 in Greek: Kosmon from Kosmos G2889

Meaning of Olam: H5769 is from alam H5956 which means to veil from sight/conceal/hide/secret thing. While the word 'olam' itself means time past or future, also is translated as forever/always/ eternal/everlasting/beginning of the world + without end.

The power of Limited Atonement:

The efficacy of the blood of the Lamb can save billions of worlds, but this is not how Aluahym planned. Below are few scriptures which show the Atonement is limited and not for the whole world:

Matt20:28 “just as the Son of Adam did not come so that others would serve Him, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom in place of many.”

John 15:13 - There is no greater love than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Eph5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as the Mashiyach also loved the assembly and gave Himself up for her, 

John 10:15 “just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father and I lay down My life for the sheep.”

Matt 11:27 “Everything has been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one recognizes the Son except the Father, and no one recognizes the Father except the Son, and those to whom the Son desires to reveal Him.”

Matt 1:21 “And she is giving birth to a son, and you shall call His name YAHUSHA, for He shall save His people from their sins.” 

Heb 9:28 so the Mashiyach also, having been offered one time to bear the sins of many, shall appear a second time for salvation without sin, to them that look for Him. 

Aluahym imposed his wrath due unto, and Mashiyach underwent the pains of death for either:

1) All of the sins of all men – which means all men are saved.
2) Some of the sins of all men – which means men are still in their sins.
3) All of the sin of some men – which is the biblical position.

Understanding 'olam' in the light of John 3:16 based on the 3rd point mentioned above:

John 3:16 “For the Elohim loved the/HA world/OLAM with an abundant love, to the extent that He gave His only Son so that all who believes in Him shall not perish but rather live eternal life.”

We saw 'olam' H5769 is from alam H5956 which means to veil from sight/conceal/hide/secret thing.

Hence, something is being hidden/concealed from plain sight. What is hidden?

We see on the Day of Atonement the high priest went into the Most Set Apart place once a year & sprinkled the blood of the red heifer on the mercy seat. The second red heifer, he placed his hands on it & confessed the sins of Yasharal.

Lev 16:20 When he finishes making atonement for the holy place and the tent of appointment and the altar, he shall offer the live goat.

Lev16:21 Then Aharon shall lay both of his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the sons of Yisra’El and all their transgressions in regard to all their sins; and he shall lay them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a ready man.

While the live goat/red heifer on whom the sins of Yasharal was confessed upon was sent into the wilderness bearing the sins of Yasharal, it is understood that the one which was killed, its blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat, its blood was for the Atonement for Yasharal and not for the whole world. What the blood just covered is hidden/concealed as to whose sins were covered in the sacrifice offered on the Day of Atonement as even among Yasharal, not all were saved or chosen for salvation. 

Hence, when reading John 3:16 at face value, we shouldn't conclude that the world mentioned there is every single person born into this world. This kind of view is a direct opposition to the efficacy of the atonement of Mashiyach for when one dies as a pagan (without knowing Yahuah or His ways) and you profess Yahusha died for him as well, then you make the blood of Mashiyach ineffective in saving the one dying in his sins. Hence, the evidence in scripture for limited atonement is ignored.

If the world is every single person who ever lived or would live, then you should read this scripture.

John 17:9 “I shall implore You on behalf of man/adam, I shall not implore on behalf of the world/olam, but rather on behalf of those that You have given to Me, for they are Yours.”

Yahusha differentiates adam from the world. The adam/man category are "of those that You have given to Me", He says.

John 6:37 “All those that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I shall not shove out.”

John 6:39 “This is the will of the Father who sent Me: that all He has given Me I should not lose of it, but should raise it on the last day.”

The Atonement of Yahusha is not limited in its power to save, but in the extent to which it reaches and will save certain individuals whom He chose to receive salvation.

Yaaqob & Esau purpose of election:

Shaul the emissary in Romans 9 states Yahuah's purpose in election by saying they are not all the sons of Abraham who are his descendants, but the promised seed is accounted for salvation.

Rom 9:7 nor are they all sons because that they are Abraham’s descendants, but, In Yitschaq (Issac) your descendants shall be called. 

Rom9:7 nor are they all soms because that they are Abraham’s descendants, but, In Yitschaq (Issac) your descendants shall be called.

He then gives an example for Yaaob and Esau, stating that before the children were born or had done anything good of evil, so that the purpose of election would stand, Yahuah said "Yaaqob have I loved, Esau I have hated"

Rom 9:10 And not only this, but that there was Ribqah also, when she had conceived by one, our father Yitschaq (Isaac).  

Rom 9:11 That before her son were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that the purpose of the Elohim according to His choice would stand, not out of works but as the will of Him who calls,

Rom 9:12 it was said to her, The older shall serve the younger.

Rom 9:13 As it is written, Yaaqob (Jacob) I have loved, but Esau I have hated.

Rom 9:14 If then, it is said that there is a burden on Elohim? Let it not be! 

Rom 9:15 For He says to Mosheh, I shall have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I shall have compassion on whom I have compassion.

Rom 9:16 Therefore, the Word is not in the hands of him who is wanting, nor in the hands of him who is running, but in the hands of Elohim who shows mercy.

  

Based on the passages above, is it correct to say that Yahusha died for Esau? Not at all, as it would make the sacrifice of Yahusha ineffective. Aluahym forbid that we believe this way! There are free will believers who teach that Yahuah before the world began knew how man would behave and based upon their free will, He chose His people. They also teach that those who turn to Yahuah with all their heart can also fall away and become pagan.

The problem with the free will view is refuted in Rom 9:11 where Shaul the emissary says ''not out of works but as the will of Him who calls"

Even so, verse 16 says "Therefore, the Word is not in the hands of who is wanting/willing, nor in the hands of him who is running (trying to get right with Aluahym) but in the hands of Aluahym who shows mercy.

Didn't Esau seek repentance? 

Heb 12:16 lest there be any of one who is a fornicator or profane one found, as Esau, who for one stew sold his birthright.

Heb 12:17 Did you not know that he was rejected afterwards, when he want to inherit the blessing, for he found no place of repentance, even though he sought it with tears?

Free will believers, should read and re-read this again, that Esau by works sought repentance with tears but found no place of repentance. Hence, it was not based on the works but by election by favor.

How do we translate the word 'olam' there?

The Greek dilutes the word 'Kosmon from Kosmos G2889' We get our English word 'Cosmos' from the Greek which means 'world/universe.' 

Hence, we look at Aramaic word from Khabouris & Peshitta and we find the Hebrew equivalent word 'alam/alma' which in Hebrew is 'olam'

For example Daniel 3:33 is in Aramaic as portions of this book in Hebrew are missing. We find the word 'alam' translated as 'everlasting' here

3. (3:33 in Aramaic) ‘athohi k’mah rab’r’bin w’thim’hohi k’mah thaqiphin mal’kutheh mal’kuth `alam w’shal’taneh `im-dar w’dar. 

 Dan- 4:3 How great are His signs and how mighty are His wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting/alam kingdom and His dominion is from generation to generation. 

Coming back to John 3:16

John 3:16 “For the Elohim loved the/HA world/OLAM with an abundant love, to the extent that He gave His only Son so that all who believes in Him shall not perish but rather live eternal life.”

The word 'olam' is in expressible in any other language and hence the translators translated it as 'world'. If you replace the word as 'forever/everlasting/beginning of the world + without end/eternal etc. doesnt make sense in English.

But we perfectly understand in the Ruach who is referred to as 'olam' whom Yahuah loved when we see it in the paleo hebrew word 

'lam' (Lamed Mem) in Hebrew means 'belonging' and we can see in the name 'Lemuel' which means 'lem/belonging u/to EL/Elohim'

It's also rooted in the word 'ALAM' (Alaph Lamed Mem) which is translated as 'sheaf' (a bundle of grain stalks laid lengthways and tied together after reaping and is stacked in a standing position). The last 2 letters in the above image spelled as 'olam' is 'lam'

the root word 'al' in 'olam/alam' means 'raise/above/upon/high'. This same word 'ol/al' is also a root word in H5927 'alah' which means 'be high/bring up/went up' 

Hence, we see the concealed meaning of 'raising up to belong to Aluahym' while the word itself has multiple meanings which we already saw related to 'time.'

This clearly shows that in Yahuah's time He raises those whom He chose to belong to Himself. The firstfruits in Mashiyach.

May Yahuah help His people to see the election by favor in Mashiyach to be in the favor of being atoned for as David says in Psalms 32

A Psalm of Dawid. A contemplation. Ps32:1 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered! 

Ps32:2 Blessed is the man to whom Yahuah does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit! 

Shalum!