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What is Your Interpretation of 'Eternal' Life?
by Numbers » Sun Sep 13, 2020 10:18 am
Many of you probably still think that 'eternal' refers to duration of time. But I have come the understanding that 'eternal' actual refers to quality of life. Eternal life essentially means 'God life'. It is the state of being that represents our completed life inside the kingdom of God. And I'll go a step further and say that eternal life doesn't begin with the death of the body! Eternal life begins the moment you turn towards God. It is attainable NOW. Your thoughts...
- Numbers
Re: What is Your Interpretation of 'Eternal' Life?
by jimwalton » Mon Nov 07, 2022 12:50 am
The Hebrew word for "forever" is olam.
Without droning on and looking at every verse, the word occurs 400 times in the Hebrew Bible and pertains to duration of time. This same usage is attested in nearly a dozen cognate Semitic languages. This understanding is founded on the great wealth of evidence throughout the Old Testament and agreed upon by every Hebrew scholar. Meaning is based on usage.
Having said that, though, the word does not refer to anything as philosophically determined as "eternal"—instead it pertains to that which is perpetual or enduring, without anticipated or determined beginning or end (depending on the context). It is more like "always" or "in perpetuity" rather than the abstraction "eternal."
The Israelites never give an indication that God had a beginning (though all of their neighbors had theologies where their gods had beginnings).
In Greek thought, Plato used aionion for "perpetual."
In the Septuagint, in Isa. 9.6 the messiah is called “pater tou mellontos aionos”: the everlasting Father, including the Father of the world to come.
By the time we get to the New Testament, aionion is used for "indestructibility; unlimited in time." Sometimes it refers to this indestructibility as a blessing (Gal. 6.8).
Matthew 25.41. It speaks of duration. Since the reference is to the devil and his angels, we can't really interpret it as meaning "quality." This "eternal" fire comes with the idea of unceasing and endless, extending beyond any purely temporal meaning.
In John 14.16, we read that the Counselor will be with you "forever," as opposed to Jesus, who would be leaving them. The emphasis is not on quality but rather on duration. The Spirit would be a perpetual companion, and once given, He would not be withdrawn. This new state of affairs would be permanent.
In Philippians 4.20 we have to go with the idea that glory will ALWAYS be due to God; He will always be worthy of it. Eternity is perceived as a succession of cycles that never cease
Jude 1.25, used in the sense of eternity (duration).
Based on these samples, I'm going to stick with the idea that "eternal life" pertains to duration more than to quality, though one could never dismiss the idea that our eternal life necessarily has a certain quality to it in distinction to eternal death.
If there are specific verses you'd like to discuss, I'd be glad to.
- In Gn. 6.3 it is contrasted with mortality (duration, not quality).
- In Gn. 9.16 (also Isa. 63.11), it refers to an event remote in time (of long duration), and yet still having both a beginning and an end. (nothing to do with quality)
- In Gn. 21.33, it is used of God. The thought is that of eternal duration, not anything to do with quality. The treaty was expected to be valid for all time, just as God is.
- Lev. 25.46: a long duration (but not eternal). Nothing to do with quality of life.
- Ps. 90.2. Enduring length of time
Without droning on and looking at every verse, the word occurs 400 times in the Hebrew Bible and pertains to duration of time. This same usage is attested in nearly a dozen cognate Semitic languages. This understanding is founded on the great wealth of evidence throughout the Old Testament and agreed upon by every Hebrew scholar. Meaning is based on usage.
Having said that, though, the word does not refer to anything as philosophically determined as "eternal"—instead it pertains to that which is perpetual or enduring, without anticipated or determined beginning or end (depending on the context). It is more like "always" or "in perpetuity" rather than the abstraction "eternal."
The Israelites never give an indication that God had a beginning (though all of their neighbors had theologies where their gods had beginnings).
In Greek thought, Plato used aionion for "perpetual."
In the Septuagint, in Isa. 9.6 the messiah is called “pater tou mellontos aionos”: the everlasting Father, including the Father of the world to come.
By the time we get to the New Testament, aionion is used for "indestructibility; unlimited in time." Sometimes it refers to this indestructibility as a blessing (Gal. 6.8).
Matthew 25.41. It speaks of duration. Since the reference is to the devil and his angels, we can't really interpret it as meaning "quality." This "eternal" fire comes with the idea of unceasing and endless, extending beyond any purely temporal meaning.
In John 14.16, we read that the Counselor will be with you "forever," as opposed to Jesus, who would be leaving them. The emphasis is not on quality but rather on duration. The Spirit would be a perpetual companion, and once given, He would not be withdrawn. This new state of affairs would be permanent.
In Philippians 4.20 we have to go with the idea that glory will ALWAYS be due to God; He will always be worthy of it. Eternity is perceived as a succession of cycles that never cease
Jude 1.25, used in the sense of eternity (duration).
Based on these samples, I'm going to stick with the idea that "eternal life" pertains to duration more than to quality, though one could never dismiss the idea that our eternal life necessarily has a certain quality to it in distinction to eternal death.
If there are specific verses you'd like to discuss, I'd be glad to.
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