When the Bible says "forever," how can we tell it really means forever? [closed]

Question

For instance, it is clear that God wanted the Sabbath laws to continue forever, based on these passages:

Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant (Exodus 31:16).

Every sabbath he shall set it in order before the LORD continually, being taken from the children of Israel by an everlasting covenant (Leviticus 24:8).

It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever (Leviticus 16:31).

And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD (Isaiah 66:23).

And yet systems in the OT do come to an end. Look at these two passages:

And thou shalt gird them with girdles, Aaron and his sons, and put the bonnets on them: and the priest’s office shall be theirs for a perpetual statute: and thou shalt consecrate Aaron and his sons (Exodus 29:9).

We know from Hebrews 7:11-12 that Aaron’s office has been shut down:

If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron? For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law (Hebrews 7:11-12).

Perhaps the words for perpetual and related words actually mean "a very long time," and not forever. Perhaps they are to be understood in a colloquial sense like when we say, "It took forever for the bus to get here," and they are not to be taken literally.

There are people in Christianity who believe that we should follow the Law because it continues forever, even though it has been fulfilled in Christ and put aside, according to the book of Hebrews and other books.

Under which conditions, or on what basis, are we to understand when the Bible really means forever when it uses such words?

Answer 1

While both עולם (olam) and Greek αἰών (aiōn) can mean "eternity," they can also be limited to a particular duration of time or "an age."

Olam Ha-Zeh and Olam Ha-Ba

The Jews typically divided time into two ages or worlds (עולמים): "this age/ world" or עולם הזה (olam ha-zeh), and "the age/ world to come," or עולם הבא (olam ha-ba). In this particular context, we know that עולם couldn't possibly be understood as "eternity," since there would not be a "this eternity" and an "eternity to come." For more information, see the Jewish Virtual Library.

Contexts Denoting Finite Duration

There are certainly contexts in scripture wherein עולם simply cannot refer to "eternity."

For example, in Exo. 21:6 (KJV), it is written,

Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever.

וְהִגִּישֹׁו אֲדֹנָיו אֶל־הָאֱלֹהִים וְהִגִּישֹׁו אֶל־הַדֶּלֶת אֹו אֶל־הַמְּזוּזָה וְרָצַע אֲדֹנָיו אֶת־אָזְנֹו בַּמַּרְצֵעַ וַעֲבָדֹו לְעֹלָם

Here, the English phrase "for ever" is translated from the Hebrew word לְעֹלָם (le'olam). But, could a slave really serve a master for eternity? Such is not possible, since every slave was mortal and would eventually die. In fact, what this tells us is that death frees man from the commandments (cp. Rom. 7:1-4). This is why a Jew who is born again is no longer under any obligation to keep the commandments of the Old Covenant (i.e., the Torah), including the Sabbath. Now, if by chance particular commandments were ratified under a New Covenant, then an individual would keep those, for it's an entirely different covenant.

In addition, Rashi says that the phrase לְעֹלָם in Exo. 21:6 does not mean eternity, but rather, עד היובל (ad ha-yovel, i.e. until the "Jubilee," which occurs every 50th year; cp. Lev. 25:54). So, in theory, if a master had taken a slave on the 49th year and 360ish day of the year, and the 50-year Jubilee occurred a few days later, the slave was able to go free. Ergo, לְעֹלָם may only refer to a few days.

---

Many learned Jewish scholars have contended that the Torah of Moshe is eternal because various words used in reference to commandments seem to imply eternality. On the other hand, other learned Jewish scholars have contended that these words do not imply the eternality of the Torah.

In his treatise ספר העיקרים (Sefer ha-Ikkarim), Rabbi Yosef Albo (1380–1444) of Spain wrote,

יש מי שחשב להביא ראיה לנצחיות תורת משה ממה שנמצא בכתוב בקצת מצוות יזכיר לשון חוקת עולם ובקצתם לדורותיכם ובקצתם אות היא לעולם...אבל לא באו אלו הלשונות להורות על נצחיות התורה כלל, כי אפשר לומר שבהבטל שאר המצוות יבטלו אלו גם כן.

which is translated as,

There are those who have thought to introduce proof of the eternality of the Torah of Moshe from that which is found in scripture with a few of the commandments. They mention the expression "חוקת עולם" ("a statute of an עולם"), and לדורותיכם ("in your generations"), and אות היא לעולם ("it is a sign לעולם")...But these expressions are not introduced to indicate the eternality of the entire Torah, for it is possible to assert that when the rest of the commandments are abolished, these will likewise [be abolished].

^{Sefer ha-Ikkarim, Book III, Ch. XVIII}

Furthermore, he wrote,

מלשון עולם או עד עולם או חוקת עולם או לעולם אין ראיה, כי כבר ימצאו אלו הלשונות ודומיהן על זמן מוגבל, לא על זמן בלתי בעל תכלית.

which is translated as,

Neither is there any proof from the expression עולם (olam) nor עד עולם (ad olam) nor חוקת עולם (chukkat olam) nor לעולם (le'olam), for these expressions and their like are already found [to be] until a limited time, not an infinite time.

^ibid

One example Albo gives is Pro. 22:28, in which it is written,

Do not remove the landmark of [עֹולָם] which your fathers made.

אַל־תַּסֵּג גְּבוּל עֹולָם אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ אֲבֹותֶיךָ

Clearly, this landmark could not have been made by their fathers in eternity. Rather, the גְּבוּל was a boundary made for a plot of land made by one's ancestors. When a father died, this land was inherited by a child. Hence, the commandments instructs one not to re-define the boundary, as it would infringe on another person's land (cp. Deut. 19:14). Thus, we see that עֹולָם in this particular context does not refer to eternity.

Answer 2

Perhaps this isn't the answer you're looking for - but how about until God says otherwise?

As you point out, most of these occurrences seem to literally mean "forever" - and we should probably understand them as such. However, if we hold to the rule that Scripture interprets Scripture, we know that passages (particularly in the NT) sometimes provide additional explanation that shows otherwise.

Thus if later in the Bible we are told some practice has become obsolete (such as the ceremonial law), we know that the "forever" was not literal. But for the other "forevers" - like the Lord's Day - we have nothing that says to stop, so we continue.

Keep in mind, too, that many of our still-active "forevers" will come to an end someday.

Again, maybe not the answer you wanted, but I think this the right way to approach it.

Answer 3

Well, I was reading Lev 17 and when I got to verse 7 I saw generation forever;

Lev 17:7 They shall no more offer their sacrifices to demons, after whom they have played the harlot. This shall be a statute forever for them throughout their generations.

This one is clear because it says their generation forever. I think this is in the Old Testament generations. A generation is about 40 years, as we see it throughout the bible.

As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. Then the Lord said to him, “Know for certain that for four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved and mistreated there... In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here... (Gen 15:16)

God said to Abraham that after 400 years He would deliver Israel, "...in the fourth generation". A generation in the Bible is normally 40 years. However, here a generation is 100 years (4 * 100 = 400 years). This is understood by virtue of the fact that Abraham had his promised child when he was exactly 100 years old (Gen. 21:5); it is evident, therefore, that the age of a man when his first child is born is the raw definition of a generation.

Nevertheless, notice that the full number (400 years) is exactly ten-times that of a regular generation of 40 years. Both 100 years and 40 years are a generation in the Bible. However, the average of these two, 70 years, is on occasion also found in the bible, (Psalm 90:10). But "70 years" is a generation according to the average age of a man at his death, rather then when his first child is born (as with the example of Abraham).

I think all the things in the old covenant is approached in a new and living way in the New Testament

Heb 8:13 In that He says, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.

So when something is said in the Old Testament that says we should do something forever, that very thing could be approached in a new living way. We are to serve the lord forever and praise his name. yet, how are we going to serve him in this new living way. In the old days a priest has to offer sacrifice once every year but this time we can offer sacrifice of praise, thanks and as priest and as kings .everyone in the New Testament is a priest and a king a prophet. We are all that Christ Jesus is in the New Testament. He who is joined with the Lord is one spirit with him.

1 Cor 6:17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.

Revelation 1:5,6 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, 6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

So if God said, do this or that forever, it could be done yet in a new and living way because of the cross.after the cross things are approached in different ways.

19 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh

Answer 4

Hebrews 4:14 Therefore, since we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, יהושע the Son of Elohim, let us hold fast our confession.

Jesus is our High Priest. So it is not that it ended, so it is forever. Jesus became the ultimate sacrifice for us.

1 Peter 1:19 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.

So when it said

For the priesthood being changed

It was changed to Jesus (Yeshua) being our High Priest. I hope this was a simple answer to the original question.

That Sabbath is for ever.

Exodus 31:16 ‘And the children of Yisra’ĕl shall guard the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as an everlasting covenant.

We as believers of Jesus are grafted into believing Israel. So the Sabbath is what we are supposed to keep. the way God says keep it.

Romans 11:17 But if some of the branches were broken off (Non believing Israel -of Jesus), and you, although a wild olive shoot (believing Non Jew), were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, (God's Family)

Answer 5

When the Bible says “forever,” how can we tell it really means forever?

Both olam and aion can be tricky because they are like the English word “big”. A person can be “big” as well as a mountain.

Aion can mean a lifetime, the reign of a King, or even (as Young’s literal translation defines it) “age lasting”.

This puts the translator in the position of trying to determine from the context a greater specificity than the word itself contains (this is always a tricky proposition).

An additional problem for us is that we may not be able to grasp a clear understanding of the infinite. For example, how would one determine if eternity is the end of time or time unending?

Some have attempted to search Greek texts to determine the common usage of “aion”. However, it is difficult to use the frequency of usage to make a determination of any probable meaning, just as it would be to use the word “big” to make a definitive determination of size.

There are many things in the Bible of which we would like to know more. We (like the angles) desire to look into these things, but for now must wait.

1 Peter 1:12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

God may also intentionally withhold some information from us to help us avoid the temptation to judge him, critique his plans, and question his purpose.