Meaning of Eternal and Everlasting in Greek and Hebrew

The terms "eternal" and "everlasting" in Hebrew and Greek can indeed denote a limited period, an age, or a point "from of old," and they do not invariably mean duration without a beginning or an endHHMLD 292.2+2. 🌿

The Hebrew Understanding: Olam

The Hebrew word often translated as "everlasting" is olam (or holam), which stems from a root meaning "to conceal" or "hide"HBS 195.6.

• Time Indefinite: It fundamentally refers to "time hidden from man" or a "time indefinite" rather than strictly infinite durationHBS 195.6.

• Limited Durations: In many scriptural instances, olam refers to a period that is clearly limited, such as a person's lifetime, the time until a year of jubilee, or the duration of the Jewish dispensationHBS 195.6.

• Applied to the Earthly: This term is applied to things that endure for a long season but are not without end, including the possession of the land of Canaan, the Mosaic ordinances, the "everlasting" mountains, and the time of service rendered by a slave Genesis 17:8+1MND 271.4+1.

The Greek Understanding: Aion and Aionios

In the New Testament, the words aion and aionios are the equivalents of the Hebrew olam and similarly signify a space of time, an age, or a long periodARSH April 17, 1866, page 157.8+1.

• Ambiguous Nature: Lexicographers agree that these words are ambiguous and must be understood according to the nature and circumstances of the things to which they are appliedARSH April 17, 1866, page 157.8+1.

• Finite and Infinite: These terms can signify finite duration just as easily as infinite durationHHMLD 292.2+2.

• Historical Examples: Ancient Greek authors used these terms to describe things that eventually ended, such as the "everlasting glory" of the Jewish nation or the "everlasting imprisonment" of a tyrant which lasted only a few yearsARSH April 17, 1866, page 157.8.

• Ending an "Eternity": The Bible itself speaks of the "end" of an aion (translated as "world"), such as the "ends of the world" or the "end of the world" when Christ appeared to sacrifice Himself 1 Corinthians 10:11+1ARSH May 15, 1866, page 185.11. To speak of the end of something that is strictly endless would be a contradictionARSH May 15, 1866, page 185.11.

The Rule of Interpretation

A consistent principle used to understand these terms is that they cover the whole duration of the object they describeHHMLD 296.2+1.

• To Immortal Beings: When applied to the self-existent God, angels, or the future happiness of the saints who have been "clothed with immortality," these words denote absolutely unending durationHHMLD 296.2+2.

• To Perishing Objects: When applied to things destined to come to an end—such as the existence of the wicked in the second death—the words signify only the length of time during which those things existHHMLD 296.2+2.

• From of Old: The phrase "from of old" or "from the days of eternity" refers to a point in the distant past that spans ages beyond human comprehension or "time out of mind" Micah 5:27ABC 438.6+1.

Christ and "Everlasting"

Christ is described as having "goings forth" that have been "from of old, from the days of eternity" Micah 5:27ABC 438.6+1. While His existence spans dateless ages that the human mind cannot grasp, some understand the relationship of Father and Son to imply a priority of existence, suggesting that "in the order of nature, the Father must have existed before the Son"ATO 128.1+1. He was "set up from everlasting" and was with the Father before the foundations of the earth were laid Proverbs 8:22-23PP 34.1+1.

Ultimately, whether these words mean "without beginning" or simply "a long age" depends entirely on the nature of the subject being describedHHMLD 296.2+1. ✨