WHAT IS ETERNITY?

Said Moses, “Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of men. For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night. Ps.90:1-4

     In the span of eternity the history of sin on the Earth is but a blip of time. But within this blip is seen the most profound moment of time in all eternity: the day our Creator laid down His Life to save us from our sins and its consequence of death. As our Saviour hung as a spectacle condemned by both Jews and Romans (a condemnation that exists even unto this day) the Bible says, "Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour." Matt.27:45. From noon until three the Father made it pitch black so that none could witness the dying agonies of His dear Son. This agony of the Saviour words cannot describe; but the duration of Christ’s suffering was short.

     The suffering that our Saviour, Jesus Christ endured was not due to the double scourging of Pontius Pilate; nor was it the nails that pierced His hands and His feet when He was literally nailed to a tree as the supreme “trophy” for the “big game hunter” of sinful man; nor was it due to the difficulty of breathing while mounted on the crucifix, where it is said that crucified victims typically lived up to a week in this brutal execution before they suffocated and perished. No, no! His agony was carrying the sins of the entire human race: the guilt, the torment, the feelings of responsibility for the enormous cry of woe emanating from this world throughout its agonizing history where trillions of creatures that Christ intended to receive blessing, peace and joy in the day He created them—all are perishing—drowning in desperation, fear and pain! (Never forget, over 800 verses of Scripture verify that Jesus Christ is the Creator of all things.)

     In addition, the weight of sin was coupled with the thought of being forever separated from the presence of His Father. He could not see the victory that the Bible prophesied was surely His, while in His agony. This was not a time when He could sing praises to GOD. Medically speaking, He literally died of the broken heart (Jn.19:34).

     Our LORD and Saviour entered the grave without the comfort of the foreknowledge of His being delivered from it. He thought sin was so distasteful to the Father that His separation from Him was to be eternal (Matt.27:46). But He chose to lay down His existence—forever. His willing condescension to become a man and the humiliation He bore will never be measured, for who can measure the self-emptying love of GOD, whose Love is as infinite as time and space? As His life faded, in the end Christ placed His fate in the hands of His Father regardless of the outcome, because the salvation of His children was more important to Him than that of His own life. This was The Incarnate Love Born of Heaven. This is the same Love that rules the whole universe: the same Love the whole world including apostate Christianity is defiantly at war with because they reject the Holy Law of GOD: the Ten Commandments that GOD Himself obeyed to secure our salvation. His closing words to His Father were, "into thy hands I commend my spirit." Lu.23:46.

     Our Father in heaven ordained the sacrifice of “his only begotten Son” to restore His children into the flowing river of eternity. GOD’S desire is to share the joys of eternity with all of His children. And those who are found faithful to the Sacred Laws where we are safe in one another’s care will share with Jesus the experience of perpetual activity, joy, wonder and worship of the GOD Who made it all possible.

     Within all of man’s wrangling opinions and abuses, to ponder the glory of creation: to take our eyes off of the finite and focus on the infinite provides a rest to the soul that truly comforts amidst life’s afflictions. How marvelous it is to consider how no two snowflakes are alike; no two trees are alike; no two clouds are alike; or weeks or years; and how no two people are alike. The diversity of the panoramas of life and substance in our universal home will keep the saints busy in its exploration throughout eternity. And with every new discovery a new revelation of the Cross will be seen. The Cross of Christ will be the science of eternity.

     To think of GOD is to think of the Infinite: a Creator whose knowledge is as infinite as time and whose power is as infinite as space. And most importantly, because unselfish love is the cornerstone of Creation's government (as seen in the science of symbiosis), GOD must be a GOD of Infinite Love. As time is infinite, as space is infinite, so must His Love be infinite. The relationship between GOD and His Creation must be founded on the very laws He established: the laws of sacrifice and love. And for GOD to change or remove any established laws that govern His creation is to remove the sense of reliance that men need to move forward in their growth and understanding.

     What the agnostic, the atheist and many religious men refuse to consider is the moral fact that GOD never intended death to enter His Creation. GOD has to obliterate its curse to restore His intended purpose. This is why Paul said, “The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.” I Cor.15;26. Destruction is ordained for the regime ruling this world with its domineering selfishness, fear and pain; and GOD will replace it with His intended purpose for the life He created: an inheritance of everlasting peace and joy for every creature, great and small, “and none shall make them afraid.” Isa.17:2.

     Imagine a world where fear and death has absolutely no place. The routine of eternity we can but vaguely imagine, for incorporated into its makeup will be the fulfilling of man’s loftiest aspirations and creativity. We are children of the Creator, made in His image and likeness (Gen.1:27); therefore, it is GOD’S creative nature that men and women will emulate, and create works of art and science with an intellect that is far beyond today’s comprehension (I Cor.2:9). And none of the creations envisioned of men will threaten the safety of life ever again. Man will know and follow the boundaries ordained of GOD for the preservation of life—forever.

     Bible prophecy even gives the clear assurance that in the “new earth” every creature will be a vegetarian just as they were in the beginning (Gen.1:29,30) with none of the animals attacking, slaughtering and eating one another. Carnivorous behavior is a product of sin and will be done away. As it is written: “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.” Isa.11:6-9.

     A long time ago, in that infinite expanse of time before the creation of life when GOD sat alone on His throne—the time before stars, angels and man—the time we call Eternity Past was solely devoted to fulfill one purpose and one purpose alone according to Jesus Christ: “that your joy might be full.” Jn.15:11. And this is one prophecy that He will see to its fulfillment.