Time and Eternity: January 2020
Table of Contents
Time and Eternity
God inhabits not time but eternity: “Thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place” (Isa. 57:15). Time was created for the first man Adam and his race into which all of us were born. Unless born again, a man lives only for time, while knowing that his time will end in death, for all connected with the first creation ends in death. Such a man, by God’s holy judgment, is cast with death and hades into the lake of fire, which is the second death. In this state he spends eternity. The believer is born again and receives eternal life and shares with Christ, the last Adam, his part in a new creation which is designed for eternity with God. Time is just the means God is using to accomplish His eternal purpose: “The mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: to the intent that now ... might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Eph. 3:9-11). Now, we who have eternal life and belong to a new creation are to live with God’s view of time.
The Concept and Creation of Time
We are all very much aware of time, and we use the word constantly in our speech, for we live and move in a world characterized by time. However, if we begin to talk about it and define it, we may find it difficult to do so. Although a good definition of time can be rather tricky and elusive, Webster’s dictionary defines time as “the measured or measurable period during which an action, process, or condition exists or continues.” This definition is reasonable, but many would feel that it falls short of encompassing every aspect of time. Over the centuries many scientists and philosophers have debated the meaning of time, and it is not our purpose to go into their thoughts in detail. However, we would point out that different cultures often have very diverging ideas about time and its meaning. For example, the Western world usually looks at time in a linear fashion, but in the East it is more frequently looked at as cyclic or circular. This is especially true where Eastern religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism are dominant. The Western mind wants to get things done, while the Eastern mind looks more at the quality of the interaction, rather than the quantity. Other cultures seem to be halfway between these two, perhaps emphasizing multitasking, rather than focusing on doing one thing at a time. In addition, man sometimes makes a fool of himself when he considers time. Some years ago, Dr. George Wald of Harvard University wrote an article on “The Origin of Life” (which was actually published in the Scientific American) arguing for the spontaneous generation of life. Here is his explanation:
“However improbable we regard this event [the accidental origin of life], or any of the steps which it involves, given enough time it will almost certainly happen. ... Time is in fact the hero of the plot. ... Given so much time, the impossible becomes possible, the possible becomes probable, and the probable virtually certain. One has only to wait; time itself performs the miracles.”
We scarcely need to comment on the ridiculous lack of logic in such reasoning, and we are reminded of Romans 1:22: “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.” When man gives up God, it is not unusual for him to lose even his common sense. As another has aptly commented, “We speak of common sense, but man forgets that it is God that gave it to him, and God that maintains it for him.” When man dismisses God as being irrelevant in his modern world, God may allow him to see the abysmal end of his course, in the loss of his reason.
The Scriptural View of Time
When we turn to the Word of God, we find clear and definite revelation concerning time, how it came to be, and how long it will last. The Scriptures clearly support a linear view of time, although they recognize that events as they appear in this world are sometimes cyclic. We read in Ecclesiastes 3:15 (JND), “That which is, was long ago, and that which is to be, hath already been; and God bringeth back again that which is past.” But we must remember that Ecclesiastes presents a view of the world as it is “under the sun”; that is, it brings before us a world looked at through the eyes of the natural man, and thus the seeming futility and nihilism of all that this world has to offer. Without the revelation of God’s Word, the world does indeed seem to be cyclic, and the same events seem to occur over and over again.
The End of Time
But the world will not always be this way, nor will time exist indefinitely. The Lord Jesus Himself could speak of the “last day” (John 12:48), while Paul could speak of the time when the Lord Jesus will give up the kingdom to God the Father, using the words, “Then cometh the end” (1 Cor. 15:24). Both of these are a clear reference to the end of what we call time. Time may be represented as a historical era, commencing with the present creation, and concluding with the final judgments at the end of the millennium, at which point the present world order will have been terminated (see 2 Peter 3:10-13). God created time as a parenthesis in eternity, during which He is using this world as the theater in which to honor and glorify His beloved Son, as well as to bring believers into blessing. Another has expressed it well: “All time was a kind of parenthesis in eternity, in which all that was eternally in the mind and character of God, wrought out on the earth in time, should be brought out in its glorious results and display — His glory and its accomplishment in the Son in the future eternity.” When this present world, and time as well, have served their purpose, they will be dispensed with, and eternity will once again ensue.
The Past Eternity
Prior to the creation of this world, we cannot speak of time, but must rather use the term, “the past eternity.” We cannot speak of time unless there is that by which we can measure it, for without any measurement, the concept of time is meaningless. Thus God created day and night (Gen. 1:5), and later created the sun and moon, saying, “Let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years” (Gen. 1:14). Time had begun, at least in this present creation, and man was able to measure it, for God had given him the means to do so. Finally, man was created, and he was given both privileges and responsibilities in a world bounded by time.
While man lives in a world of time and has a mind bounded by time, it is clear from Scripture that he was made for eternity. It is recorded that “God ... breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul” (Gen. 2:7). Unlike all the rest of the animal kingdom, man has a spirit — a God-conscious part to his being—and will exist forever. While sin has brought in death, man longs for immortality, and his art, literature and music all cry out for the eternal paradise that he lost when he sinned. This is evidenced by Ecclesiastes 3:11 (JND): “He hath made everything beautiful in its time; also He hath set the world [the infinite, or the eternal] in their heart.” Man’s heart, bounded by time, cannot be permanently satisfied by anything in this world, for he was created for eternity, in “the image and likeness of God.”
The Things That Are Eternal
Living in a time-scene, man cannot be satisfied with what is available in time, but nor can his mind understand and encompass eternity. No, only God lives and moves in eternity, and man’s mind, while understanding the concept of eternity, cannot encompass it, although he longs for it.
Only the grace of God can bring us into that which is eternal, through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. With a new life in Christ and indwelt by the Spirit of God, we can live in view of eternity, not merely for time, although still bounded by time as long as we are in this world. Truly, “the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Cor. 4:18). God would have us to look upon the “unseen things” — the things that are eternal.
W. J. Prost
Building for Eternity
In 1 John 2:17 we read these profound and solemn words, “The world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but He that doeth the will of God abideth forever.” As we have been reminded elsewhere in this issue, we live in a world that is bounded by and characterized by time. We must live and move within a sphere of time, yet we are all headed toward eternity. In John’s ministry we do not get assembly truth, but rather truth about the family of God and the family of the devil. The family of God is characterized by living in view of eternity, while the family of the devil has as its horizon only the things of this world. Satan controls men’s lives by the attractions of this world, and he may use only a small trinket in order to do so. But if necessary, he can “up the ante” to “all the kingdoms of the world” (Luke 4:5), which he offered the Lord Jesus as an inducement to persuade Him to worship him. The family of the devil is, of course, controlled by him in this way, but it is sad when he is able to lure believers along this same path, by the same temptations.
Present and Eternal Consequences
It is a most serious fact to ponder that all our actions in this life, whether for a believer or an unbeliever, will have both present and eternal consequences. For the unbeliever who departs this world without Christ and whose life has nothing in it for God, we are told that “the dead ... were judged every man according to their works” (Rev. 20:13). According to Luke 12:47-48, some will be “beaten with many stripes,” while others, less responsible, with be “beaten with few stripes.” God is just, and He holds men responsible for their degree of light as to divine things.
Various scriptures tell us of rewards that will be given at the judgment-seat of Christ for believers. “If any man’s work abide ... he shall receive a reward” (1 Cor. 3:14). Some of these rewards will be limited in time, such as positions of responsibility in the coming millennial kingdom (Luke 19:17,19), but others will be eternal, such as crowns and the white stone. Also, there is the intangible aspect of rewards, such as what we find in Matthew 25:21,23: “Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.” No doubt every believer will enter into this joy, but those who have labored for the Lord, using their talents well, will surely “receive a full reward” (2 John 8). Thus we see that there will be degrees of punishment in hell and degrees of reward in heaven, based on what we have done in time.
All this is very searching, and if taken in and understood by the unbeliever, must surely impress upon him the importance of coming to Christ. But we read in the Word of God that “the god of this world [Satan] hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (2 Cor. 4:4). The things of this world, which can never satisfy, blind men’s minds to the reality of eternity.
Heavenly Things
However, it is perhaps even worse to see believers who have been brought into the light and who know Christ as their Savior, spending their time acquiring and trying to find their enjoyment in the things around them, instead of enjoying the heavenly things with which God would seek to occupy our hearts. Paul could tell the Colossians, “Have your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are on the earth; for ye have died, and your life is hid with the Christ in God” (Col. 3:2-3 JND). If we as believers were more aware of the eternal consequences of our actions in time, how careful we would be not to use our time in a wrong way!
The Steward
When our Lord was on earth, He illustrated a most important principle for us as believers, namely, the use of present advantage in order to have future gain. In the parable of the unjust steward (Luke 16:1-12), we find a steward who lost his job because he was accused of wasting his master’s goods. But before he was discharged, he used his position to reduce the amounts owed to his master by various debtors. His strategy was that he would gain the friendship of these debtors by this means, in order that he would be able to count on their help when he found himself out of a job. In commenting on the parable, our Lord did not in any way commend the steward for his dishonesty, for He calls him “unjust.” However, He did commend the principle on which the steward acted, in that he used his present authority as steward to provide for his future.
Treasure in Heaven
The lesson for us is that if we have resources in this world — such as time, freedom, money and education—we may use them for that which will be temporal, or we may use them to “lay up treasure in heaven.” If we use this world’s goods faithfully (which really belong to the Lord; we have them only as stewards), then God will commit to our trust “the true riches” (Luke 16:11). The real measure of our spirituality is how we use the things of this world — things over which we are merely stewards. But for all eternity we will enjoy those things that are really ours!
Our Lord’s word to his servants is, “Occupy till I come” (Luke 19:13). All that is of this world must pass away, but, again, “he that doeth the will of God abideth forever” (1 John 2:17). “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom” (Psa. 90:12).
W. J. Prost
On Time - God's Time
Some years ago there were twin brothers, both of whom were brought up in the Republic of Ireland. One of them immigrated to America in his youth, went into business, and was quite successful, while the other remained in Ireland. A number of years later the one who had immigrated to America went home for a visit. His brother in Ireland immediately stopped what he was doing, invited him to sit down, and remarked, “We need to take some time and do some catching up! You know, when the Lord made time, He made lots of it!” The brother from America grunted, then commented, “I think He made only half as much in America!” This anecdote, a true story, points out the fact that different cultures view time differently. Some believe fervently that “time is money” and that every minute must be used to advantage. Others, in different cultures, believe that the event and what it entails is far more important than its timing, and they are willing to have a much more relaxed schedule, even if it means accomplishing less in concrete terms. We may well ask, What does Scripture have to say about this?
As always, we find that Scripture is perfectly balanced and suits every culture. God did not need to write one Word for the West and another for the East. No, the Word of God speaks to every culture and, when necessary, judges every culture.
God’s Order of Time
If we speak about a linear view of time, yes, the Bible presents God as a God of order. When God set to work to establish the present creation, He brought order out of what had become chaos. The world in which we live, and the universe in which our world is located, runs with exact precision and is maintained that way by the One who is “upholding all things by the word of His power” (Heb. 1:3). Also, when our Lord was on earth, He acted in keeping with timing and order. When He kept the last Passover with His disciples, Scripture says, “When the hour was come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him” (Luke 22:14). Neither our Lord nor His disciples took the occasion casually and came late. Likewise, it is recorded that “Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, which is the ninth hour” (Acts 3:1), showing us that they were prompt in being there at a specific time.
Likewise, in our own lives, there are things that ought to be done on time, not only as a courtesy to others, but in the case of spiritual things, out of reverence for the Lord Himself. This requires self-discipline, but we should be willing to exercise ourselves in this way, rather than pleasing ourselves. To be continually late for agreed-upon appointments and events is to display a self-centeredness that imposes our will on others, often without regard to the inconvenience to them.
“No Time Even to Eat”
However, we also find in Scripture that our Lord sometimes altered plans that had been made and inconvenienced Himself in order to accommodate others. For example, we read in Mark 6:31 that the Lord said to His disciples, “Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while.” They had been busy, with no time even to eat. But we know well what happened. Although the Lord and His disciples had departed privately by ship, the people were aware of it, and evidently outran them around the shore of the lake. Here it was the selfishness and thoughtlessness of the people that imposed on our Lord and His disciples, and surely it would have been quite in order for Him to dismiss the people, saying that He and His disciples needed to rest a bit. But no, “He was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd” (Mark 6:34). Instead of dismissing them, He taught them many things, and then He fed them when they were hungry. Our Lord changed His plans, not in order to please Himself, but rather to accommodate the needs of others and to do His Father’s will.
A Time to Visit
In another example, we find our Lord taking the time to visit with a sinful woman at Sychar’s well, en route from Judea to Galilee, and even going without His necessary food in order to spend the necessary time to complete His visit with her.
Likewise, Paul and Silas received a clear call to go to Macedonia, from a man in a vision: “Come over into Macedonia, and help us” (Acts 16:9). Yet when they arrived, they initially found only women having prayer at the riverside. But they were content to minister to these women, and it was only after some time, and after they were beaten and thrown into prison, that they met up with the man in the vision — doubtless the Philippian jailor.
Thus we see that while God is a God of order and punctuality, yet Scripture allows for priorities in our Christian lives and the taking of time to accomplish what God has given us to do. The great thing is to be walking with the Lord, to be sensitive to the leading of His Spirit, and to recognize that He will give us guidance as to how to use our time. We never find our Lord inconveniencing others by being casual about time, nor do we ever find Him wasting time. But we do find Him inconveniencing Himself in order to do the Father’s will and taking the time to complete that work, rather than adhering to a strict schedule. These are good examples for us to follow as Christians.
W. J. Prost
Now and Then or Time and Eternity
The principles of truth laid down in Luke 12 are of the most solemn and searching character. Their practical bearing renders them, in a day like the present, of highest importance. Worldly-mindedness and carnality cannot live in the light of the truth here set forth. They are withered up by the roots. If one were asked to give a brief and comprehensive title to this most precious section of inspiration, it might be entitled “Time in the light of eternity.” The Lord evidently designed to set His disciples in the light of that world where everything is the direct opposite of what is down here — to bring their hearts under the holy influence of unseen things and their lives under the power and authority of heavenly principles.
Hypocrisy
Such being the faithful purpose of the divine Teacher, He lays the solid foundation for His superstructure of doctrine with these searching words, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees which is hypocrisy” (Luke 12:1). There must be no undercurrent in the soul. The deep springs of thought must be laid bare. We must allow the pure beams of heaven’s light to penetrate the most profound depths of our moral being. We must not have any discrepancy between the hidden judgment of the soul and the style of our phraseology, between the bent of the life and the profession of the lips. In a word, we specially need the grace of “an honest and a good heart,” in order to profit by this wondrous compendium of practical truth. We are too apt to give an indifferent hearing or a cold assent to home truth. We do not like it. We prefer interesting speculations about the mere letter of Scripture, points of doctrine, or questions of prophecy, because we can indulge these in immediate connection with all sorts of worldly-mindedness, covetous practices, and self-indulgence. But ponderous principles of truth, bearing down upon the conscience in all their magnitude and flesh-cutting power, who can bear, save those who, through grace, are seeking to purge themselves from “the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy”? This leaven is of a most specious character, takes various shapes, and is, therefore, most dangerous. Indeed, wherever it exists, there is a most positive and insurmountable barrier placed before the soul in its progress in experimental knowledge and practical holiness. If I do not expose my whole soul to the action of divine truth, if I am cherishing some secret reserve, if I am dishonestly seeking to accommodate the truth to my own standard of practice, then assuredly I am defiled by the leaven of hypocrisy, and my growth in likeness to Christ is a moral impossibility. Hence, therefore, it is imperative for every disciple of Christ to search and see that nothing of this abominable leaven is allowed in the secret chambers of his heart.
Now and Then
But not only is hypocrisy utterly subversive of spiritual progress, it also entirely fails in attaining the object which it proposes to itself, “for there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known” (Luke 12:2). Every man will find his level, and every thought will be brought to light. What the truth would do now, the judgment-seat will do then. Every grade and shade of hypocrisy will be unmasked by the light which shall shine forth from the judgment-seat of Christ. All will be reality then, though there is so much fallacy now. Moreover, everything will get its proper name, though it be misnamed now. Worldly-mindedness is called prudence; a grasping, covetous spirit is called foresight; and self-indulgence and personal aggrandizement are called judicious management and laudable diligence in business. All these things will be seen in their true colors and called by their true names before the judgment-seat. Wherefore, it is the wisdom of the disciple to act now in the light of that day when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed. As to this, he is placed on a vantage ground, for, says the Apostle, “we must all [saints and sinners, though not at the same time nor on the same ground] be manifested before the judgment-seat of the Christ” (2 Cor. 5:10 JND). Should this disturb the disciple’s mind? Assuredly not, if his heart is so purged of the leaven of hypocrisy and his soul so thoroughly grounded by the teaching of God the Holy Spirit that Christ is his life, and Christ his righteousness; that he can say, we “have been manifested unto God, and I hope also that we have been manifested in your consciences” (2 Cor. 5:11 JND). But if he is deficient in this peace of conscience and transparent honesty of heart, there is no doubt but that the thought of the judgment-seat will disturb his spirit.
The Judgment-Seat
Hence we see that in the Lord’s teaching, in Luke 12, He sets the consciences of His disciples directly in the light of the judgment-seat. “I say unto you, My friends, be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: fear Him, which after He hath killed, hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear Him” (Luke 12:4-5). “The fear of man bringeth a snare” (Prov. 29:25) and is closely connected with “the leaven of the Pharisees.” But “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Prov. 9:10) and causes a man always so to carry himself as in the full blaze of the light of Christ’s judgment-seat. This would impart immense dignity and elevation to the character, while it would effectually nip, in the earliest bud, the spirit of haughty independence, by keeping the soul under the searching power of divine light, the effect of which is to make everything and everyone manifest. There is nothing which so tends to rob the disciple of Christ of the proper dignity of his discipleship as walking before the eyes or the thoughts of men. So long as we are doing so, we cannot be unshackled followers of our heavenly Master. Moreover, the evil of walking before men is morally allied with the evil of seeking to hide our ways from God. Both partake of “the leaven of the Pharisees,” and both will find their proper place before the judgment-seat. Why should we fear men? Why should we regard their opinions? If their opinions will not bear to be tried in His presence, who has power to cast into hell, they are worth nothing, for it is with Him we have to do. “With me, it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man’s judgment” (1 Cor. 4:3). Man may have a judgment-seat now, but he will not have it then. He may set up his tribunal in time, but he will have no tribunal in eternity. Why, therefore, should we shape our way in reference to a tribunal so frail and short-lived? God grant us grace to act now, in reference to then—to carry ourselves here with our eye on hereafter; to look at time in the light of eternity.
C. H. Mackintosh (adapted)
Redeeming the Time
We find the expression “redeeming the time” twice in the New Testament: once in Ephesians 5:16 and again in Colossians 4:5. In both cases it is connected with our time, no doubt with the thought of making the best use of the time that is given to us and taking hold of every chance we have to advance Christ’s interests in this world. The same Greek word that is translated “redeem” is used in two other New Testament scriptures, in Galatians 3:13 and also in 4:5. In these scriptures it is connected with how Christ has rescued us from the curse of the law and brought us into liberty in Him. I would suggest that both of these meanings have an important lesson for us as believers.
First of all, the word “redeem” has the thought in English of buying back that which once was ours, but has somehow been taken from us. It is closely related to the word “redemption,” which also occurs a number of times in the New Testament and also has the thought of ransom — buying back that which has been taken from us. We well know how that Satan, using the power of sin, has taken us away from God, so that in the words of Scripture, we were “dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1). But God “in His great love wherewith He loved us” (Eph. 2:4) has redeemed us through the work of Christ on the cross, so that we have “redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Eph. 1:7). A hymn expresses it well:
By nature and by practice far,
How very far from God!
Yet now by grace brought nigh to Him,
Through faith in Jesus’ blood.
Catesby Paget, 1868-1930
We Belong to God
But if we have been redeemed and, as we know, a very high ransom paid for us, we are not our own. In one sense we were never our own, for we belonged to God in right of creation, and then we belonged to Satan as a result of his usurping God’s claims over us. But now we are reminded that “ye are not your own, for ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Cor. 6:19-20). Since we have been redeemed, we belong to the Lord, as the One who has ransomed us from the power of Satan, the power of sin, and the curse of a broken law. We have been made free from all this, but not in order to please ourselves. This brings us to the additional references to the word “redeem,” and the practical effect it should have in our lives.
Since we are not our own, we are exhorted, while we are down here in a world of time, to be redeeming the time. It is a sobering thought that in our short lives down here, we are preparing for eternity. This preparation includes not only our salvation, but also how we use the time given to us. None of us know how much time we will have, and we are reminded in 1 Peter 4:2 that after we are saved, it is important for the believer not to “live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.” It is not a question of how much time we may have, but rather what we do with it. Some men of God, like Enoch, lived lives of several hundred years to the glory of God, while others, like John the Baptist, lived a comparatively short life. Yet the Lord Jesus could say of him, “Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist” (Matt. 11:11). More than the actual length of time, it is a matter of “understanding what the will of the Lord is” (Eph. 5:17) and doing it. Being indwelt with the Spirit of God in this dispensation of God’s grace and in walking with the Lord, the believer is able to discern the will of the Lord.
Time Wasted
We are all familiar with such phrases as, “He is wasting his time,” or, “That was a waste of time.” Yet all of us, if we are honest with ourselves, must admit that we waste time at least occasionally. God will hold us responsible for what we do with our time down here, as to whether we use it for our own interests or for His glory.
In the day in which we live, at least in much of the Western world, it seems that time is at a premium, and there are many demands made on us. Many long for a simpler way of life, yet most find that it is not practical or even possible to avoid the complications that beset our lives in the modern world. In the middle of so many demands, it is more than ever necessary to understand what the will of the Lord is and to establish priorities in our lives. This is something that should start in our younger years, for if we form good habits in our early years, they will stand us in good stead all our lives. This requires discipline, a character trait that comes easier to some than others. But it must be practiced, if we are to accomplish anything for the Lord in our lives. If we think that we can do what we consider necessary for life down here and then do something for the Lord afterward, we will soon find that Satan will see to it that our time is always filled with either “the cares of this world” or “the deceitfulness of riches” (Mark 4:19). There will be no time left for the Lord.
The First Place
No, the Lord must have the first place in our lives, but then, when this is done, we have His promise that, as to temporal things, “your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things” (Matt. 6:32) and that “all these things shall be added unto you” (Matt. 6:33).
If these promises are kept in mind, we will be able to use our time for the Lord and have discernment as to how to set priorities in a difficult day.
Lest we should be misunderstood, let us hasten to say that we recognize that there are those who have very little free time. This was true in the apostles’ day, for some of the believers were slaves to masters who had total control of their time. Yet Paul could say to such, “Ye serve the Lord Christ” (Col. 3:24). If they did their service as unto the Lord, it was accepted as service to Him. Thus our motive is more important than what we do, but at the same time we are encouraged to seek the mind of the Lord, and if our time is at our disposal, to use it as He directs.
W. J. Prost
Prophetic Terms: The Eternal State
While the Old Testament speaks at great length about the coming millennial kingdom of Christ, and there are some references to it in the New Testament, very little is said in the New Testament about the eternal state — the new heavens and new earth — and it is not mentioned in the Old Testament. Some verses from the Old Testament are quoted in the New, and there they are applied to the eternal state, but the Old Testament does not go beyond the millennium.
The millennium will be a glorious time for the present earth, and it will last for one thousand years; yet it will finally come to its close. At its close, the heart of man at enmity toward God will again be demonstrated even after such abundant goodness. The fire from God out of heaven will consume the rebels.
The Final Disposition
The devil who again deceives men after his short liberation from confinement in the bottomless pit, or abyss, will then be cast into the “lake of fire and brimstone.” This is his final disposition. When he is cast into that awful place, it is said that the beast (that head of a revived Roman Empire) and the false prophet (the Antichrist) are still there. They had been cast in there one thousand years before, at the coming of Christ to reign. Although they are in the lake of fire for one thousand years, they are not annihilated. There they and the devil together are to remain and to be “tormented day and night forever and ever” (Rev. 20:10). Man’s wish is parent to his thought of annihilation, but it is foreign to the Word of God. There is an eternity of punishment for the beast, false prophet, and the devil (and for all who die in their sins), according to the word of Him who “cannot lie.” Some have thought and written that the devil is a king in hell, but the Scripture depicts him as being tormented there day and night. May we have God’s thought and not man’s.
The Two Resurrections
The wicked dead who had not been raised, when the Lord gave the shout that called the bodies of those saints who have died in Christ from their graves over one thousand years before, will then be raised. Man may speak of one general resurrection at the last day, but they do not get it from the Word of God. Many scriptures teach that there are two resurrections—one to life and the other to judgment. Soon the Lord shall give that quickening shout, and the bodies of those who died in faith shall be raised, but the unbelievers of all ages shall remain in their graves until the time of which we are writing — after the millennium and at the beginning of the eternal state.
The dead, small and great, are to stand before God at the great white throne to be judged. They are to be judged “according to their works,” out of the books. Man hopes that God will forget his wicked deeds, but they are all recorded, and the evidence will be produced in that day. The “book of life” will also be there to prove that their names were never written in it. The evidence will be conclusive and their doom eternal.
“Whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Rev. 20:11-15). Yes, the eternal state of the lost is to be in the “lake of fire.” It is described variously as: eternal fire (Jude 7), everlasting punishment (Matt. 25:46), the worm that never dies (Mark 9:44), everlasting destruction (2 Thess. 1:9), blackness of darkness forever (Jude 13), and many other such expressions. Why should men try hard to prove that his existence is not eternal when God says it is? He will either spend eternity with God in bliss or be tormented with the devil and his angels.
A New Heaven and Earth
Immediately after describing the final judgment of the unsaved and their consignment to the lake of fire, the Word of God goes on to the eternal state of bliss. “I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea” (Rev. 21:1). In 2 Peter 3 we read that we “look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” Previously it says that the present earth and surrounding heavens are to be dissolved and melt with fervent heat. How or where God will sustain the earthly saints at the close of the millennium when the present earth is dissolved, He has not told us. Let it suffice us to know that He can and will. He will then make the earth over — entirely new. From the statement that there will then be “no more sea,” it would appear that many changes will take place. Much of the earth’s surface is now covered with water, and that is necessary to life as it is at present, but then all will be new. Life will be suited to the new condition, whatever it may be.
We are told that righteousness will dwell in that eternal state where sin can never come. At present, righteousness is only preached or offered; we may suffer for righteousness now. In the millennium, righteousness will reign, and wickedness will be put down, but in God’s new heaven and new earth it will dwell. That will be the stable and permanent condition. No breath of sin will ever defile that new scene. Then will be seen the complete fulfillment of John 1:29: “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”
Sin Completely Put Away
At present we who believe know our sins put away. In the millennium there will be a further demonstration of the value of the work of the Lamb of God, but in that eternal bliss we shall see sin completely put away from God’s creation. “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!” (Rom. 11:33). Revelation 21:1-8 gives us the most complete description of the eternal state. The Apostle Paul only approaches it in 1 Corinthians 15:24-28, where he speaks of Christ bringing all into subjection and then delivering up the kingdom which He ruled as man. Then God — Father, Son and Holy Spirit — shall be all in all. This coincides with Revelation 21:3; the tabernacle of God will be with men. There will be no more nations or divided languages, and God Himself shall be with redeemed men in that eternal state.
The Eternal Dwelling With God
When Adam was in innocence in the Garden of Eden, God visited him, but He did not dwell with man in that state. With redeemed men in the eternal state He will dwell. In that eternal day “there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away” (Rev. 21:4). Oh, the glory of that fixed state of bliss! It is truly worthy of God.
And what of the church, the bride of Christ, in that eternal blessedness? In the preview of the eternal state she is seen as the “holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” She still has her beauty as in the day of her espousal. She is still seen as “a bride” (Rev. 21:2). How soon a bride today loses her bridal beauty, but oh, fellow believer, we shall never lose it as the bride of Christ. After one thousand years, the church will still have the same bridal beauty in heaven. If we but laid hold of these things a little more in our hearts, we would see very little beauty in all here below. May the thoughts of Christ and His coming glory, and ours with Him, so lift our poor hearts above this weary world that we shall live in the atmosphere of heaven.
P. Wilson (adapted)
My Times Are in Thy Hand
If our times were in our own hand, we would have deliverance too soon. If they were in our enemy’s hand, we should have deliverance too late. But my times are in His hand, and God’s time is always best.
Everything is beautiful in its season: when the mercy is ripe, we shall have it. It is true, we are now between the hammer and the anvil, but do not cast away your confidence; God sees when the mercy will be in season. When His people are low enough and the enemy high enough, then appears the church’s Morning-Star: let God alone as to His time. “My soul waiteth for the Lord” (Psa. 130:6). How good that God should have the timing of our mercies!
Deliverance may tarry beyond our time, but it will not tarry beyond God’s time. After a wet night of affliction comes a bright morning of the resurrection: if our lives are short, our trials cannot be long. Time is short. Though the cross be heavy, we have but a little way to carry it. The time being short, the waiting time cannot be long.
The Young Christian, Vol. 23
The Eternal Spirit
The blood of Christ, according to His Word, meets perfectly every lack spoken of. If it is approach to God, this is perfect; if redemption, for securing God’s rights also, it is eternal; and now our conscience is brought up to the mark suitably for drawing near to God and for resting upon this eternal redemption. Consequently, here follows the practical effect of it: “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who, through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God” (Heb. 9:14).
It is the only place in Scripture where “eternal” is applied to the Holy Spirit, and it is introduced here as the qualifying term of the Spirit, in order to show the absolute way for everlasting issues in which the offering was then presented to God: a Man, but with this truly divine character of never-waning value. Certainly, if there is anything which marks the difference between God and the creature, it is this quality of “eternal.” Here a man on earth presents Himself in this wonderful character.
Again, He “offered” Himself without spot to God. It is not the word for bearing our sins, strictly speaking. There were two parts always in sacrifice: the one is the victim simply, presented as an offering; the other is the sins laid upon the victim. Now this word expresses only the former element.
Offering Himself “through the eternal Spirit” was the perfection of our Lord in presenting Himself. He never acted simply from His own Person, but in the power of the Spirit of God, from the time when, to commence His public ministry, He received the Holy Spirit, for Scripture is express that our Lord did receive and was anointed by the Holy Spirit. It was not only that He was conceived by the Holy Spirit in coming into the world, but He was sealed by the Holy Spirit, as we know, at the time of His baptism. He is thenceforward the dependent Man; whatever He did, all was done in virtue of the Spirit, even this act of His offering Himself up as a spotless victim. The aim and the effect are eternal redemption.
W. Kelly (adapted)
The Course of Time
“The course of time!” Oh, can we scan
Its streams since first our lives began;
The past with all its joys and tears,
Its sunny hopes, and cloudy fears;
Nor trust that He, whose tender arm
Has crowned with good, preserved from harm,
Will never cease our Guide to be,
Through time and through eternity?
A few years since, without a guide,
I launched on life’s deceitful tide;
My chart despised, my compass lost,
By each temptation tempest-tossed:
Where pleasure’s treacherous meteor flashed,
Fearless of ill, I reckless dashed;
And sought — but God and heaven forgot —
For happiness, and found it not.
Thus wandering from my Savior’s fold,
In sin and mad rebellion bold;
Lo! suddenly, on Calvary reared
The Cross, the wondrous Cross, appeared;
I saw Emmanuel crucified,
His bleeding hands, His pierced-side;
I felt my sins, I knew my guilt,
For them His precious blood was spilled.
And did my gracious Savior die
For such a sinful wretch as I?
Did He for me God’s wrath endure,
My peace and pardon to procure?
Yes, blessed Jesus, Thou alone
For sins, like mine, couldst e’er atone;
Thee will I serve, and Thee adore,
Forever, and forevermore!
A few years more! how sweet the thought!
Each fear dispelled, and safely brought
Life’s sea of storms and troubles o’er
To heavenly Canaan’s happy shore;
Arrayed in robes of spotless white,
Forever shall our souls unite
To golden harps, divinely strung,
In hymns on earth once feebly sung.
J. G. Deck