The term "until" is a significant temporal marker in the Bible, often indicating a period of waiting, expectation, or the fulfillment of divine promises. It serves as a bridge between the present and the future, highlighting the unfolding of God's plan throughout biblical history.

Old Testament Usage

In the Old Testament, "until" frequently appears in prophetic contexts, marking the time before the fulfillment of God's promises. For example, in Genesis 49:10, Jacob prophesies over his sons, saying, "The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes and the allegiance of the nations is his." Here, "until" signifies the anticipation of the coming of a messianic figure, understood by Christians as a reference to Jesus Christ.

Another notable instance is found in Psalm 110:1, "The LORD said to my Lord: 'Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.'" This verse is often interpreted as a messianic prophecy, with "until" indicating the period before the ultimate subjugation of Christ's enemies.

New Testament Usage

In the New Testament, "until" continues to play a crucial role in the narrative of redemption. In Matthew 1:25, it is written about Joseph and Mary, "But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a Son. And he gave Him the name Jesus." This usage underscores the virgin birth of Jesus, affirming the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy (Isaiah 7:14).

The term also appears in eschatological contexts, as seen in Matthew 24:34, where Jesus declares, "Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have happened." Here, "until" marks the period leading up to the fulfillment of end-time events, emphasizing the certainty and imminence of Christ's words.

Theological Implications

Theologically, "until" often signifies the tension between the "already" and the "not yet" of God's kingdom. It points to the present reality of God's work in the world and the future consummation of His promises. For instance, in 1 Corinthians 11:26, Paul writes, "For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes." This verse highlights the ongoing remembrance of Christ's sacrifice and the anticipation of His return.

Eschatological Expectation

The use of "until" in eschatological passages underscores the Christian hope in the second coming of Christ. In Revelation 2:25, Jesus exhorts the church in Thyatira, "Nevertheless, hold fast to what you have until I come." This exhortation encourages believers to remain faithful amidst trials, with the assurance of Christ's eventual return and the establishment of His eternal kingdom.

Conclusion

The word "until" in the Bible serves as a powerful reminder of God's unfolding plan and the hope of future fulfillment. It calls believers to live in anticipation of God's promises, maintaining faith and obedience as they await the culmination of His redemptive work.1. (prep.) To; unto; towards; -- used of material objects.

2. (prep.) To; up to; till; before; -- used of time; as, he staid until evening; he will not come back until the end of the month.

3. (conj.) As far as; to the place or degree that; especially, up to the time that; till. See Till.

2193. heos -- till, until
... till, until. Part of Speech: Adverb Transliteration: heos Phonetic Spelling:
(heh'-oce) Short Definition: until, as far as Definition: (a) conj: until, (b) prep ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2193.htm - 6k

891. achri -- until, as far as
... until, as far as. Part of Speech: Adverb Transliteration: achri or achris Phonetic
Spelling: (akh'-ree) Short Definition: as far as, up to, until Definition: as ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/891.htm - 6k

3360. mechri -- as far as, until
... as far as, until. Part of Speech: Adverb Transliteration: mechri or mechris Phonetic
Spelling: (mekh'-ree) Short Definition: as far as, until Definition: as far ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3360.htm - 6k

1204. deuro -- until now, come here!
... 1203, 1204. deuro. 1205 . until now, come here! ... Word Origin of uncertain origin
Definition until now, come here! NASB Word Usage come (6), come here (2). ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1204.htm - 6k

3755. hotou -- while
... hotou. 3756 . while. Part of Speech: Relative Pronoun Transliteration: hotou Phonetic
Spelling: (hot'-oo) Short Definition: until Definition: until. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3755.htm - 6k

1519. eis -- to or into (indicating the point reached or entered ...
... reference (2), regard (3), relation (1), respect (2), result (3), resulted (2),
resulting (10), sake (1), so (34), throughout (3), toward (23), until (4), view ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1519.htm - 7k

2872. kopiao -- to grow weary, toil
... labor alike). Cognate: 2872 (from 2873 , "exhausting labor") -- to labor
until worn-out, depleted (exhausted). See 2873 (). Word ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2872.htm - 8k

3739. hos, he, ho -- usually rel. who, which, that, also ...
... someone (1), such (1), there (1), these (6), these things (3), thing (1), things
(4), third (1), this (22), this is what (1), those whom (1), until* (1), what ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3739.htm - 7k

1487. ei -- forasmuch as, if, that
... NASB Word Usage although* (1), if (341), no (1), only (1), only* (11), suppose*
(1), though (7), though* (5), unless (2), unless* (5), until* (1), whatever* (1 ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1487.htm - 7k

3752. hotan -- whenever
... Word Origin from hote and an Definition whenever NASB Word Usage after (2), soon*
(1), until* (1), when (107), whenever (9), while (2). as long as, whenever. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3752.htm - 7k

5704. ad -- as far as, even to, up to, until, while
... 5703, 5704. ad. 5705 . as far as, even to, up to, until, while.
Transliteration: ad Phonetic Spelling: (ad) Short Definition: until. ...
/hebrew/5704.htm - 7k

5705. ad -- even to, until
... 5704, 5705. ad. 5706 . even to, until. Transliteration: ad Phonetic
Spelling: (ad) Short Definition: until. Word Origin (Aramaic ...
/hebrew/5705.htm - 6k

834. asher -- who, which, that
... so (9), so* (1), steward* (4), storehouses (1), such (8), such* (2), than* (1),
therefore (1), these (2), this (1), though* (1), unless* (1), until* (35), what ...
/hebrew/834.htm - 7k

1115. bilti -- not, except
... 15), no longer (1), no* (1), nor (2), nothing (3), other than (1), prevent* (2),
so (3), stop (1), unceasing* (1), unless (3), unless* (1), until (1), without ...
/hebrew/1115.htm - 6k

1768. di -- who, which, that, because
... 1), because* (5), before* (1), even (1), forasmuch* (1), inasmuch* (9), since (2),
so (6), soon (1), soon* (1), surely* (1), than* (1), until* (11), what (1 ...
/hebrew/1768.htm - 6k

3588. ki -- that, for, when
... soon (1), still* (1), surely (63), surely* (8), than (1), than* (2), then (2), then*
(1), though (37), though* (2), truly (5), unless* (10), until* (5), what ...
/hebrew/3588.htm - 7k

518. im -- if
... 4), surely (6), surely there shall be neither (1), surely* (35), than* (2), though
(35), though* (2), truly (1), truly* (2), unless* (16), until* (7), when (17 ...
/hebrew/518.htm - 6k

5381. nasag -- to reach, overtake
... reach, overtake NASB Word Usage able* (1), afford* (2), attained (1), becomes
sufficient (1), caught (1), find (1), insufficient (2), last until (2), limited ( ...
/hebrew/5381.htm - 6k

5921. al -- upon, above, over
... therefore* (139), thereon (1), through (3), throughout (3), together (3), too (3),
top (1), top* (2), toward (20), toward* (5), under (12), until (1), upright ...
/hebrew/5921.htm - 8k

'Until that Day'
... EXPOSITIONS OF HOLY SCRIPTURE; ALEXANDER MACLAREN, DD, Litt. D.; ST. MATTHEW
Chaps. XVIII to XXVIII 'UNTIL THAT DAY'. 'I will not ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture b/until that day.htm

Until the Day Break and the Shadows Flee Away, I Will Get Me to ...
... CHAPTER IV. 6. Until the day break and the shadows flee away, I will get me
to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense. ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/guyon/song of songs of solomon/6 until the day break.htm

Meaning of "Until. " no Limitation of Promise.
... Book XII. 34. Meaning of "Until." No Limitation of Promise. But since some
one may think that the promise of the Saviour prescribes ...
/.../origen/origens commentary on the gospel of matthew/34 meaning of until no.htm

The Ascension: Back Home Again Until -- --
... III. The Great Experiences of Jesus' Life. 7. The Ascension: Back Home
Again Until"". Tarry ye"Go ye: the Jerusalem meeting ...
/.../gordon/quiet talks about jesus/7 the ascension back home.htm

May 7. "I Travail in Birth Again Until Christ be Formed in You" ...
... MAY 7. "I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you" (Gal. iv. 19).
"I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you" (Galatians 4:19). ...
/.../simpson/days of heaven upon earth /may 7 i travail in.htm

Until the Day Break and the Shadows Flee Away, Turn, My Beloved ...
... CHAPTER II. 17. Until the day break and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved,
and be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether. ...
/.../guyon/song of songs of solomon/17 until the day break.htm

Christ Does not "Receive the Kingdom" Until the Time of his Second ...
... IV. PRE-MILLENNIALISM ESTABLISHED. 1. Christ does not "receive the Kingdom"
until the time of His Second Advent. We must quote once ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/pink/the redeemers return/1 christ does not receive.htm

November 25. "Judge Nothing Before the Time, Until the Lord Come" ...
... NOVEMBER 25. "Judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come" (I. Cor. iv. 5).
"Judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come" (I. Cor. iv.5). ...
/.../simpson/days of heaven upon earth /november 25 judge nothing before.htm

Until Judgment came Upon the World from God by Means of a Flood...
... THE DEMONSTRATION OF THE APOSTOLIC PREACHING Chapter 19 Until judgment
came upon the world from God by means of a flood? Until ...
/.../the demonstration of the apostolic preaching/chapter 19 until judgment came.htm

Of the Advent of Jesus; of the Fortunes of the Jews, and their ...
... Book IV. Of True Wisdom and Religion. Chap. X."Of the Advent of Jesus; Of the Fortunes
of the Jews, and Their Government, Until the Passion of the Lord. ...
/.../lactantius/the divine institutes/chap x of the advent of.htm

Until (3909 Occurrences)
... 2. (prep.) To; up to; till; before; -- used of time; as, he staid until evening;
he will not come back until the end of the month. ...Until (3909 Occurrences). ...
/u/until.htm - 7k

Carcase (38 Occurrences)
... (DBY YLT). Leviticus 11:24 And by these ye shall make yourselves unclean; whoever
toucheth their carcase shall be unclean until the even. (DBY YLT). ...
/c/carcase.htm - 21k

Carcass (30 Occurrences)
... Leviticus 11:24 "'By these you will become unclean: whoever touches the carcass
of them shall be unclean until the evening. (WEB KJV JPS ASV WBS NAS RSV NIV). ...
/c/carcass.htm - 18k

Carrieth (10 Occurrences)
... (KJV ASV WBS). Leviticus 11:25 And whoever carrieth ought of their carcase shall
wash his garments, and be unclean until the even. (DBY). ...
/c/carrieth.htm - 9k

Survivor (18 Occurrences)
... Numbers 21:35 So they struck him, and his sons and all his people, until there was
none left him remaining: and they possessed his land. (See RSV NIV). ...
/s/survivor.htm - 12k

Survivors (49 Occurrences)
... (See RSV). Numbers 21:35 So they struck him, and his sons and all his people, until
there was none left him remaining: and they possessed his land. (See NIV). ...
/s/survivors.htm - 21k

Coins (13 Occurrences)
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia COINS. koinz: There were no coins in use
in Palestine until after the Captivity. It is not quite ...
/c/coins.htm - 13k

Crossed (65 Occurrences)
... Deuteronomy 2:14 The days in which we came from Kadesh Barnea, until we were come
over the brook Zered, were thirty-eight years; until all the generation of ...
/c/crossed.htm - 25k

Shamed (91 Occurrences)
... Judges 3:25 They waited until they were ashamed; and behold, he didn't open the
doors of the upper room: therefore they took the key, and opened them, and ...
/s/shamed.htm - 33k

Accomplished (64 Occurrences)
... Matthew 5:18 For most certainly, I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not
even one smallest letter or one tiny pen stroke shall in any way pass away ...
/a/accomplished.htm - 25k

In the Song of Solomon, why is it said that we shouldn't awaken love until it pleases? | GotQuestions.org

Why do some people not turn to God until later in life? | GotQuestions.org

How could there be light on the first day of Creation if the sun was not created until the fourth day? | GotQuestions.org

Until: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus