What are we as Christians to make of these passages? Are we to disregard them as oriental hyperbole, or a literary device, or a contextually limited application? Or are we to accept the clear and conspicuous, historically anchored meaning of “forever”? To reject the truth of Scripture’s “foreverness” presents the need to reinterpret the passages below which is no small feat. And critics capriciously say, “No doctrine is effected with the reconstruction of novel texts and versions, except is this case the doctrine of Scripture’s “foreverness.”
I leave you, gentle reader, with the following list for your reading pleasure.
Job 19:24, “Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book! That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever!” Psalm 12:7, Thou shalt keep them, O Lord, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever (לְעוֹלָֽם, olam). Psalm 33:11, “The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations (לְעוֹלָ֣ם, olam).” Psalm 105:8, “He hath remembered his covenant for ever (לְעוֹלָ֣ם, olam), the word which he commanded to a thousand generations.” Psalm 117:2, “For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever (לְ֜עוֹלָ֗ם, olam). Praise ye the LORD.” Psalm 119:89, “Forever (לְעוֹלָ֥ם, olam), O Lord, they word is settled in heaven.” Psalm 119:111, “Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever (לְעוֹלָ֑ם, olam): for they are the rejoicing of my heart.” Psalm 119:144, “They righteousness of thy testimonies is everlasting (לְעוֹלָ֑ם, olam); give me understanding, and I shall live.” Psalm 119:152, “Concerning thy testimonies, I have known of old that thou hast founded them for ever (לְעוֹלָ֣ם, olam).” Psalm 119:160, “Thy Word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever (וּ֜לְעוֹלָ֗ם, olam).” Ecc. 3:14, “I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever (לְעוֹלָ֔ם, olam): nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.” Isa. 30:8, “Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever (עוֹלָם, olam) and ever” or “forever to eternity.” Isaiah 40:8, “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever (עוֹלָם, olam).” Isaiah 54:10, “For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee.” Isaiah 59:21, “As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord; My spirit that is upon thee, and my Words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever (עוֹלָם, olam).” Matthew 5:18, “For verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass (οὐ μὴ παρέλθῃ ) from the law, til all be fulfilled.” Matthew 24:35, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away (οὐ μὴ παρέλθωσιν).” Luke 16:17, “And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.” 1 Peter 1:23-25, “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God which liveth and abideth forever (αἰῶνα). For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth forever (αἰῶνα). And this is the Word which by the gospel is preached unto you.”
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