Eternity is, so to speak, the ultimate of all time concepts. Everything which is divine is said to be eternal, and everything that is eternal would have a divine origin. This is how it is understood in many cases. This is especially true for theological applications. Eternity is the seal of approval placed on the “right” faith, or the ultimate threat if judgment were to come. “Eternity” became a key concept in many beliefs. Is this interpretation correct? We’d like to explore that a bit in this short series.
The idea of an endless duration was alien to Hebrews, and any reference to a very long time was not meant quantitatively, but usually qualitatively or situationally – even in the sense of a prophetic outlook. The definition of “eternity” as “endless duration” is a quantification of this term. It was probably first formulated in this way by Tertullian and elevated to church doctrine, especially to give more weight to the threats of hell (Petry/Thomson, “How Eternity CreptIn”).
An “endless eternity” is not a biblical fact, but an eisegesis – a meaning that has been put into the Bible. It incredibly obscures our view of God’s nature and work.
The dogmas that shape our understanding of faith
The concept of “eternity” is a pillar of many theological approaches and formative of many ideas Christians have about God, the afterlife, and other things. The meaning given to this term shapes everything the word is linked to – God, life, salvation, lostness, heaven, hell.
“Eternal” becomes something like a potentiation of meaning. Everything takes on more weight when it is “forever”. From this we can see that the term “eternity” is dogmatically charged. Being aware of this is a first step towards clarification.
Anything that is dogmatically charged is tricky. It’s tricky talking to those who place a lot of importance on just that. The “endlessness of eternity” is such a dogmatically charged understanding. This understanding of eternity must not be shaken in many circles. If one does this, then the believer “loses” his “eternal” life, and then the “eternal” punishment suddenly appears in a different light. One is happy because you can think about it in a new way. What one intuitively doubted can be concretely examined. The other, however, closes itself off because one notices that old familiar images are beginning to waver.
To shake the image of an endless eternity can cause fear. But that is only one side. Who removes the endlessness, plays, so to speak, with the own “eternal life”. While such an inference is a short-circuit, that’s how I hear it regularly. That’s why this kind of reaction is real and wants to be taken seriously. The other side is that the Bible is allowed to make you think. The word “eternity” is about much more than is expressed by “endlessness”. God is speaking, and I want to listen properly. This can be quite a positively oriented attitude of faith. I want to actively learn to understand what this is all about. I am not bound to an understanding that is often only very human, but I am connected to Him who is above all.
It can be liberating to learn what the Bible actually says (and doesn’t say) on the subject. It can be liberating to step out of the narrowness of interpretation into the vastness of God’s promises and God’s Word. The Bible does not show a dogmatic building, but leads into relationship.
When we study the Bible, we hear about God’s ways and God’s work. We can listen to this revelation in amazement and be introduced to His (God’s) thoughts. We can gain confidence by letting His goals come before us. Then we will also be able to recognize that, on closer inspection, nothing is taken away from us, but much that is new is given: We take a look at eternity, for which there is no word in the Bible.
