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Forever?


But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

2 Peter 3:10

 

One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth forever. 

Eccl. 1:4

 

Is this an inconsistency? Is it possible that the Bible contradicts itself on the status of the earth? Is it possible that the advocates of a renovated earth are correct? No, no, and no. Come let us reason together from the Scriptures and look at just the meaning of “forever.”

 

First, the word here in Hebrew is olam. This word means forever in a more limited sense as in "a long duration." Unfortunately, many are confused between things which are eternal and things that were going to last for the foreseeable future but would have an end one day.  Shall we consider the Passover? Exodus 12:24 And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons forever. Just from our study of Galatians alone, you can recall that the practices of the Law of Moses are not binding on the Christian who is under the Law of Christ.  

 

Shall we consider Deut. 15:17? Then thou shalt take an awl and thrust it through his ear unto the door, and he shall be thy servant forever. And also unto thy maidservant thou shalt do likewise. So, if you had a slave who wanted to stay in his master's house, the master could pierce his ear and this would be a sign of his work status forever. Did this slave live forever? In the Hadean realm is this servant a servant of his master? Absolutely not. 

 

But what about Ecclesiastes 1:4?  Let us consider the words. The preacher writes all is vanity, what profit has a man for all his labor? Nothing that he can take with him, that is the answer. For one generation passeth away and another cometh. The earth abideth forever. Must we conclude the earth lasts forever? No. Why don't we just consider that the earth outlasts generations? They come and go, but the earth has continued. Solomon wrote this many years after Adam. 

 

The passage in 2 Peter 3:10 does not contradict but rather points to the end of the earth, which consequently will be the end of the generations of men. The earth will outlast all generations of men until it is needed no more. 

 

Please be wary of all those who will try and apply buzz words like forever, olam, equally. That is how the Judaizers will force circumcision, rebuild the temple, the Sabbath, and dietary restrictions. 

 

Grace and Peace,

Ryan


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