And it may only be an English pecularity that wouldn't change the presentation that you made, Legoman, but the translation that you quoted actually seems to say that one of the living creatures, who liveth for ever and ever, or that the seven angels live for ever and ever, or in both cases "ages of ages" in the Greek. Perhaps it's clearer in the Greek 'cause I see that a few other translations give that ambiguity. You could even read it that the seven golden bowls filled with the wrath that lives for the eons of eons, or that the seven golden bowls live for the eons of eons. Just going by the English on Revelation 15:7 that you presented.
Aions of Aions does appear to be the duration given to any creature, other than God, reigning or being reigned over by either others or punishment. In the book of Revelation, a couple of the "God" references are specifically talking about Christ Jesus, even in the Concordant Literal, which is an important point to bring up for Trinitarians that just about choke to death on the Concordant's handling of Revelation 3:14.
The problem has been that everything we've considered foundational -- to almost every doctrine -- has been built upon really horrible translations and then we [often] can't endure good translations that differ on our proof texts, when the strong likelihood is that if the doctrine will stand the scrutiny, then it may very well be proven by other texts previously obscured by bad translations rather than having to defend classic readings tooth and nail. So, the likelihood that "ages of ages" in the book of Revelation simply talking about His reign leading up to 1Corinthians 15:28 is very high.
Much of our defense of UR gives too much to the fundamentalist as though certain passages were saying what the fundamentalist insists that it was saying. Eternal Life in the evangelical way of looking at it can never ever be based upon aion or aionios, but must be looked at through the word akataluton in Hebrews 7 'cause we're joint-heirs of His life, but there is no corresponding indestructibility to the punishments that the wicked endure. And it must be looked upon based upon the nature of God's singular intent that none should perish, but that all should come to repentance. That's why for years the name of my website was Universal Repentance, based upon a series of writings of the same title, rather than other terms for the Global and Extradimensional conquest on the part of the Gospel.
Ezekiel says that God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked should repent and live. Reading that verse more carefully a few times, it seems to speak of post death repentance although as a secondary meaning when the primary meaning is obviously the warning of Israel not to die in their sin. Because the verse is saying that God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, as though an accusation were being addressed that God was gleeful 'cause so and so had died.
Some take the eroneous stand that William Barclay took that because of these two passages, (i.e. Romans and Revelation cited in opening post,) and maybe one or two more, that therefore aionios sometimes means eternal and sometimes means finite time depending on the context. But no word in any language means one thing and it's exact opposite depending upon it's context. Aioios simply means "an age pertaining to_________(fill in the blank)" and that's where your context comes in. But the context doesn't ever determine aionios to mean "eternal." In the book of Revelation quote, contextually it can even be used to define the punishments as eons of eons because that's how much time God is willing to devote to them as denoting Him as living to the eons of eons (i.e. as a punisher). God works through the ages to accomplish the salvation of all, rather than eternally, according to Romans 16.
Not sure if someone more well versed in Greek will tear me apart on this point. If they can, I prefer it to saying this for 75 more years, but eons of eons or ages of ages seems to be saying to me, not just a duration of the several different ages that have made up the creation being revisited or repeated or being punished or given life in proportion to, but it seems to be conveying to me the idea of the eons within the eons, which for me pulls out their extradimensionality in content/substance, extent, and purpose. Because duration by itself doesn't really reach the deepest part of either the blessed or the condemned, but if it's punishment or reigning within the eons of the eons, which more closely reaches my interpretation of St. Paul, then all that can be addressed by those in the superior position to the punished will finally be realized.
