If eternity should mean endlessness, what does that mean? Here are some interpretations:

These variants are different to contradictory. There might be other interpretations. But which interpretation belongs to the Bible? And is the biblical meaning included in this list? If so, where do we read about it?

We will look at the question of the biblical context below. I have heard all of the variants mentioned here before from Christians – in conversations, in books, in studies on the subject. So it is far from being the case that eternity, for example, is a clear phenomenon that everyone agrees on. This is not the case. Even between different Bible translations there are great differences in how to translate the words of the basic languages. It blithely interprets and defines what is never said in the text.

When eternity is defended as “endless,” usually only three points are mentioned:

1. The Eternity of God
2. Eternal life, and
3. The Eternal Punishment.

These are, so to speak, the core statements that condition each other. It is a construct that attempts to draw its relevance from these three points. But it is a thoroughly ramshackle system that has little to do with the Bible.

It is true that in many translations there are the words “eternal” and “eternity”, but there are also Bible translations in which these words do not appear anywhere – because they do not exist like that in the original languages. So with one Bible translation, these things seem to be confirmed, but with another translation, it does not work because the words do not appear at all.

These discrepancies should make one’s ears prick up and invite one to take an in-depth look at the conceptual world of the Bible in order to then see how one can understand it.

Deepening

• Think about what thoughts you yourself associate with the word “eternity
• Share with others how they understand the word
• What insights do you gain? Where do these findings come from? What is lacking in understanding?