ETERNITY

1. The Future World

a) Men have always had a story of a golden age in the past, or a dream of one in the future. Most important, God's inspired prophets told of a wonderful time to come when all men will be blessed. From the Bible, we know that all blessings come through God the Son. So the "Golden Age" is really the Kingdom of Christ.

2. Eternity

a) Time is like a little stone with a mountain on each side of it. We do not know how long time will last. Before the creation of the world, there was a measureless age called eternity. When time ceases to be measured, we will come to the eternity of the future.

i) From eternity to eternity thou are God, Psalms 90:2.

b) The word "eternity" means an endless age of "time." Paul and Peter and John speak of "the ages of the ages." We cannot say how  long it will last. We can only say it will never end.

c) This world has been defiled by sin. God plans to destroy it by fire and create a new one, 2 Peter 3:10-13. He will also create a new heaven. Isaiah said that the old will not be remembered,  Isaiah 65:17. John had a vision of the new heaven and the new earth, Revelation 21:1. In the new earth righteousness shall dwell, 2 Peter 3:13.

d) During the ages of history, God revealed Himself in different ways. For example we have the age of law, the age of grace, the kingdom age. In the ages of the future we will go on to learn more of God, Ephesians 2:7. We will no doubt find the answers to all the mysteries of the Bible, of history, and of nature. Of course, only God can know everything. But man will not be as limited as he is now.

e) Some people would like to think that the wicked will cease to be. But the Bible uses the same word for eternal punishment, and the eternal God, Revelation 14:11; 15:7. Sad but true, men who reject Christ will be separated from God forever.

f) The same word is used for the joy of believers, Revelation 22:5. We will be with Christ, John 17:24. We will be fellow heirs with Christ, Romans 8:17. We will be like Christ, 1 John 3:2. We will share the pleasures at His right hand for evermore, Psalms 16:11.

TO HIM BE ALL THE PRAISE!