For ever, everlasting, eternal

The phrase/word “for ever” occurs 380 times in Scripture, while “everlasting” is used 91 times. We will not look at any examples where they are used in conjuction with God and heaven, because that obviously means endless, immortal, eternal, infinite, and so forth. The questions and confusion occurs when it is applied to other things.

Having said that, those two words come from Hebrew and Greek words that mean indefinite time. They might mean endless time, but from where the writer stands he cannot see past the horizon of today to know if there is an end or not. “Forever” and “everlasting” means eons and ages and more time than can be seen. Context is needed to help figure out if an endpoint exists. As we will see, this is not an easy task.

“For all the land which you see to you will I give it, and to your seed for ever.” (Genesis 13:15)

If the seed comes to an end on this earth does forever come to an end? If the seed starts living on the land again, does forever begin again? If the seed lives forever on the land then forever means endless? Does forever have different meanings and applications?

“And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your seed after you in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto you and to your seed after you. And I will give unto you and to your seed after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God. And God said unto Abraham, You shall keep my covenant therefore, you and your seed after you in their generations. This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your seed after you, Every man child among you shall be circumcised. And you shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant between me and you. And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of your seed. He that is born in your house, and he that is bought with your money, needs to be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.” (Genesis 17:7-14)

Acts 15 makes it very clear that the circumcision covenant is no longer in effect. This everlasting covenant came to an end. Just as the Jews in the apostles‘ time overextended their use of “forever” and “everlasting” so do many Christians make a similar mistake today.

“And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shall you say unto the children of Israel, I AM has sent me unto you. And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shall you say unto the children of Israel, the LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.” (Exodus 3:14-15)

Clearly forever is here endless because it is describing I AM.

“And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where you are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt. And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and you shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; you shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.” (Exodus 12:13-14)

The Jews were to keep Passover forever, but then they were to become Christians. Christ replaced Passover with the Lord’s Supper/Communion. In a way we still keep Passover in Communion. However, we “eat this bread, and drink this cup,” to “show the Lord’s death until he come.” (1 Corinthians 11:26) The forever Passover has an end when Jesus returns.

“And Moses said unto the people, Fear you not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will show to you today: for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you shall see them again no more for ever.” (Exodus 14:13)

In this life only, the Israelites would “no more forever” see the Egyptians, because everyone will see each other in one or the other resurrection.

“The LORD shall reign for ever and ever.” (Exodus 15:18)

God will rule over the universe endlessly!

“Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl; and he shall serve him for ever.” (Exodus 21:6)

Will the servant serve the master endlessly in heaven? Or does forever stop with the death of the master or the servant?

“And you shall sanctify the breast of the wave offering, and the shoulder of the heave offering, which is waved, and which is heaved up, of the ram of the consecration, even of that which is for Aaron, and of that which is for his sons: And it shall be Aaron’s and his sons‘ by a statute for ever from the children of Israel: for it is a heave offering: and it shall be a heave offering from the children of Israel of the sacrifice of their peace offerings, even their heave offering unto the LORD.” (Exodus 29:27-28)

Did forever continue beyond the cross when all the ceremonies and sacrifices came to an end?

“And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year. And he did as the LORD commanded Moses.” (Leviticus 16:34)

The entire chapter of this verse is referring to the annual day of atonement. Hebrews 9 makes it plain that this everlasting statute no longer applies because we have Jesus for our high priest.

“And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying, Make you two trumpets of silver; of a whole piece shall you make them: that you may use them for the calling of the assembly, and for the journeying of the camps. And when they shall blow with them, all the assembly shall assemble themselves to you at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And if they blow but with one trumpet, then the princes, which are heads of the thousands of Israel, shall gather themselves unto you. When you blow an alarm, then the camps that lie on the east parts shall go forward. When you blow an alarm the second time, then the camps that lie on the south side shall take their journey: they shall blow an alarm for their journeys. But when the congregation is to be gathered together, you shall blow, but you shall not sound an alarm. And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow with the trumpets; and they shall be to you for an ordinance for ever throughout your generations. And if you go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresses you, then you shall blow an alarm with the trumpets; and you shall be remembered before the LORD your God, and you shall be saved from your enemies. Also in the day of your gladness, and in your solemn days, and in the beginnings of your months, you shall blow with the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; that they may be to you for a memorial before your God: I am the LORD your God.” (Numbers 10:1-10)

Blowing with trumpets “shall be to you for an ordinance for ever.” However, in 40 short years Israel would no longer camp on the south side, or any side, of the sanctuary. Forever would be pretty short in that case. But maybe the forever-ness of trumpet blowing for alarm and gathering would continue. Perhaps the principle was endless, which would mean it could still extend to modern times when Israel is called by cell phone rather than trumpet? We must not only be careful how long forever lasts, but to what it applies and what changes might happen in that time.

“If you shall hear say in one of your cities, which the LORD your God has given you to dwell there, saying, Certain men, the children of Belial, are gone out from among you, and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which you have not known; Then shall you enquire, and make search, and ask diligently; and, behold, if it be truth, and the thing certain, that such abomination is worked among you; You shall surely strike the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, destroying it utterly, and all that is in it, and the cattle of it with the edge of the sword. And you shall gather all the spoil of it into the midst of the street of it and shall burn with fire the city, and all the spoil of it every bit for the LORD your God: and it shall be a heap for ever; it shall not be built again.” (Deuteronomy 13:12-16)

When the earth is made new, and the first heaven and the first earth are passed away, and all tears are dried and the former things are passed away, will these monuments of betrayal remain?

“But Hannah went not up; for she said unto her husband, I will not go up until the child be weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before the LORD, and there abide for ever.” (1 Samuel 1:22)

Did Samuel live and serve in the sanctuary, or even in Jerusalem, endlessly?

“And Achish believed David, saying, He has made his people Israel utterly to abhor him; therefore he shall be my servant for ever.” (1 Samuel 27:12)

Is Achish, the heathen king, still alive? Is David still alive? Is David still serving Achish? Will David serve Achish throughout eternity?

“You have rebuked the heathen, you have destroyed the wicked, you have put out their name for ever and ever. O you enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end: and you have destroyed cities; their memorial is perished with them. But the LORD shall endure for ever: he has prepared his throne for judgment.” (Psalms 9:5-7)

Clearly, this has not yet happened. We have many memorials and records of the wicked. Destruction is still happening. At some point in the future the wicked will be condemned and forgotten, and destruction will stop. Only the Lord and His creation will endure endlessly.

“The king shall joy in your strength, O LORD; and in your salvation how greatly shall he rejoice! You have given him his heart’s desire, and have not withheld the request of his lips. For you preceed him with the blessings of goodness: you set a crown of pure gold on his head. He asked life of you and you gave it him, even length of days for ever and ever. His glory is great in your salvation: honor and majesty have you laid upon him. For you have made him most blessed for ever: you have made him exceeding glad with your countenance.” (Psalms 21:1-6)

David was given length of days forever and ever, but he is dead. Perhaps we should include the days of this life and the next? Or perhaps we just accept the common (though not universal) usage that forever means until the end of the indefinite time period. Once again, we need to change how we view things to make all the facts fit.

“God shall likewise destroy you for ever, he shall take you away, and pluck you out of your dwelling place, and root you out of the land of the living.” (Psalms 52:5)

This psalm was written about Doeg, who betrayed David’s location to Saul. Once Doeg was rooted out of the land of living then there would be nothing left to destroy. He would be destroyed forever. Another possible interpretation would be that Doeg would be destroyed in stages while he was still alive until there was nothing left. His death would result in endless destruction that could not be repaired. If you want to interpret Doeg’s destruction as going on endlessly, then you must look at the first part of the verse as applying to the afterlife, while the second part of the verse applies to this life. In any case, forever takes on meaning that is not common today.

“Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever.” (Daniel 6:21)

If Daniel was talking about the king’s physical life, then forever would end in a few years. If he was talking about the future immortal life, then we need to read this very poetically. Either way, forever is not applied in a straightforward manner.

“The waters surrounded me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head. I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet have you brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God.” (Jonah 2:5-6)

“Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.” Yet he was there “for ever.” When something is started and there is no definite end in sight, then it is “forever.” When he prayed, Jonah had no way of knowing that his forever would last only three days.

“Wherefore if your hand or your foot offend you cut them off, and cast them from you it is better for you to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire. And if your eye offend you pluck it out, and cast it from you it is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.” (Matthew 18:8-9)

The fire is declared to be everlasting. Is it truly endless? Will it be everlasting until God brings it to an end? And yet another question, What exactly is hell fire? Everlasting hell fire does not automatically mean endless torture.

“Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was hungry, and you gave me no food: I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and you took me not in: naked, and you clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and you visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we you a hungred, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto you. Then shall he answer them, saying, Truly I say unto you, Inasmuch as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.” (Matthew 25:41-46)

Again, we read about everlasting fire and everlasting punishment. Our current focus is on “everlasting,” but defining that word is not our only problem. We need to define the fire and the punishment.

“And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when you fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.” (Luke 16:8-9)

Jesus is clearly talking about the children of this world in this life. All habitations, everlasting or not, come to an end when Jesus returns and the earth is destroyed. So much for endless everlasting in this case.

“And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.” (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9)

As we have seen, everlasting in this case might actually have an end, but let’s assume it is endless. All this text is telling us is that after the wicked are destroyed their destruction will never be reversed or resurrected. Their nonexistence is endless. If one thinks it means “endless destroying” then one must believe every wicked person and devil is infinite so that their destruction can last infinity. Also, this text tells us the destruction is from presence and glory of the Lord. This appears to contradict the verses that say hellfire destroys the wicked. (We will solve this apparent problem soon.)

“Even as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.” (Jude 1:7)

Obviously, Sodom is not burning now so it is not burning endlessly. The fire, not the burning, was eternal. The fire might have burned indefinitely and then gone it out, or it might be fire with which we are unaccustomed, or both.

“And the smoke of their torment ascends up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.” (Revelation 14:11)

As we approach the end of the Bible and the end of the prophecies, we see that all is not as clear and set in concrete as many would like us to believe. “Forever” and “everlasting” are used in many different ways. This text is no different. “For ever and ever” could be endless or it could be until the end of the indefinite time of torment. Forever could apply to the smoke and the torment, or to only the smoke.

“For true and righteous are his judgments: for he has judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and has avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. And again they said, Alleluia! And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.” (Revelation 19:2-3)

This time of judgment and smoke is right after the destruction of Babylon during the seven last plagues in Revelation 18 and right before the return of Jesus on the white horse in chapter 19. The smoke might stop at Christ’s return or it might continue through the 1000 years that follow next or it might continue endlessly. Nothing tells us for sure.

“And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and surrounded the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” (Revelation 20:7-10)

Our very last text that talks about forever torment says the lake of fire takes place on the earth because Satan and the wicked are on the earth and fire came down from God out of heaven. To conclude the last scene of evil, all things that are not good or immortal (written in the book of life) are cast into the lake of fire. All evil is burning!

“And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:13-15)

Next we read, “I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.” (Revelation 21:1-5)

If all evil is burned up in the lake of fire and if all things are made new and pure (2 Peter 3:9-13; Isaiah 65:17), then “forever” and “everlasting”, when applied to evil, must come to an end. How long it will take to destroy evil is indefinite and unknown (days? months? years?), thus “forever.” However, its destruction will be unending. Sin will never rise again. The punishment of nonexistence will be endless, which means God’s glory, truth, law, and redemption will 100% fill the universe. There will not be a single shadow in the cosmos of light.

We have been open minded with each verse and considered many possibilities. Doing violence to no text, we can see how the Beginning and the Ending can bring resolution to a universe suffering from the pain of evil.