The Greek word syntéleia, represented by G4930, signifies an entire completion or the consummation of a dispensation. It appears 6 times across 6 unique verses in the Bible and is consistently translated as end. The term is used specifically to refer to the conclusion of an age.
In scripture, G4930 is always used in the context of "the end of the world" or age. The disciples ask Jesus for the sign of his coming and of the end of the world Matthew 24:3. In the parable of the tares, Jesus explains that "the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels" Matthew 13:39. This event marks a time of separation, when angels will "sever the wicked from among the just" Matthew 13:49. While often referring to a future event, the term is also used to frame the significance of Christ's first coming, noting that he appeared "once in the end of the world... to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself" Hebrews 9:26.
Several related words help clarify the meaning of G4930:
- G165 aiṓn (age, world): Defined as "an age; by extension, perpetuity... by implication, the world." This word appears alongside G4930 in all 6 of its occurrences, specifying that the "end" refers to the consummation of an age Matthew 24:3.
- G3952 parousía (coming, presence): This word, meaning "advent" or "return," is directly linked to the end of the age when the disciples ask about the sign of Christ's coming and the end of the world Matthew 24:3.
- G2326 therismós (harvest): This term for "reaping, i.e. the crop" is used metaphorically to describe the events at the end of the world, a time of gathering and separation Matthew 13:39.
- G32 ángelos (angel, messenger): These beings are key actors during the end of the world, serving as the reapers G2327 who separate the wicked from the just Matthew 13:49.
The theological significance of G4930 is centered on the completion of God's redemptive plan.
- Consummation of the Age: The term does not simply mean a stopping point, but the "entire completion" of an age, G165. It marks the transition from the present dispensation to the next.
- Time of Final Separation: The end of the world is explicitly defined as the time of harvest G2326, when angels will come forth to sever G873 the wicked from the just, as described in Matthew 13:40 and Matthew 13:49.
- Framing Christ's Advent: The concept of G4930 is connected to both the beginning and end of Christ's work on earth. His sacrifice occurred at the end of a previous age Hebrews 9:26, and his coming G3952 will mark the end of the current one Matthew 24:3.
In summary, G4930 syntéleia provides a specific theological concept for the end of an era. It is not just a chronological end, but a designed consummation, a point of entire completion. Its biblical usage consistently links it to the end of an age G165, a time of harvest and divine separation carried out by angels, and the climactic coming G3952 of Christ.
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