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ETERNITY.—There is no word either in OT Hebrew or in NT Greek corresponding to the abstract idea of eternity.
In Isa_57:15 both Authorized Version and Revised Version NT 1881, OT 1885 have the phrase ‘the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity.’ Massoretic Text has ùֹׁëï òַø , lit. ‘dwelling for ever’—the thought of the writer being evidently the unchangeableness of God. òַø probably comes nearest of all Hebrew words to express permanence. Originally it was a substantive connected with Assyr. [Note: Assyrian.] adú, meaning ‘time,’ ‘passing time,’ ‘the present.’ But in OT it is used adverbially to express indefinite duration of time generally in the future. Its use is mainly poetical: of God (Isa_57:15), His law (Psa_19:9), His attributes (Psa_111:3; Psa_111:10). But it is found also in connexion with things whose existence in Hebrew thought would be limited, e.g. a king’s life (Psa_21:6, Pro_29:14), the lip of truth (Pro_12:19).
A word of wider meaning and more general application is òåֹìָá , connected with Assyr. [Note: Assyrian.] ullânu, meaning ‘remote time.’ òåֹìָí is frequently used of the fast-days (Isa_63:9; Isa_63:11, Mic_5:1; Mic_7:14 etc.), people (Isa_44:7, Jer_5:15), hills (Gen_49:26, Hab_3:6). It is also used, like òַø , of God or His attributes as existing from the remote past (Psa_93:2; Psa_119:52, Isa_63:16; Isa_63:19) to the remote future (Psa_138:8, Jer_31:3, 1Ki_10:9), specially in the phrase îֵäָòåֹìָí åְòַø äָòåֹìִí ‘from everlasting to everlasting’ (Psa_90:2; Psa_103:17, Neh_9:5 etc.). But in the case of òåֹìָí also there are many places in OT where its meaning is obviously limited to the affairs and lives of human beings, e.g. of a slave (Deu_15:7, 1Sa_27:12), of careless dwellers (Psa_73:12), and in the familiar phrase, ‘May the king live for ever’ (1Ki_1:31, Neh_2:3). Often, however, the word is used to indicate the writer’s hope or belief that a certain state of good [e.g. God’s covenant (Gen_9:16), or His promises (Isa_40:8), or His relations to His people (Psa_45:17; Psa_85:8, etc.)], may continue indefinitely. Particularly is this true of the Messianic hope (Isa_9:6, Psa_110:4; Psa_45:3). Sometimes this thought of permanence is emphasized by the use of the plural (Isa_26:4; Isa_45:17, Dan_9:24). In Ecc_3:11, a very difficult passage, (Revised Version margin) gives as an alternative rendering of äָòֹìָí ‘eternity.’
The other Hebrew phrases worthy of note are ð ֪ öַç ‘perpetuity’ in the frequent phrase ìִðָöַç ‘for ever’ (Isa_13:20; Isa_25:8, Amo_8:7, Hab_1:4 etc.), and àֹøְêְ éָîִéí ‘length of days,’ Deu_30:20, Job_12:12, Psa_21:4, and in the well-known passage Psa_23:6 ‘I shall dwell in the house of the Lord ever.’ Here the meaning is disputed, but the probability is that the highest anticipation of the Psalmist was to have the joy of spending an indefinite period in the Temple in prayer and meditation. Similar to ìְòåֹìָí is the phrase ìִøֹø åַøֹê , lit. ‘to age and age,’ .e. to future ages (Exo_3:15, Psa_10:6; Psa_33:11; Psa_49:11). It is mainly poetical.
The idea of eternity, like the idea of immortality, was probably beyond the range of early Jewish thought. It arose after the Exile, partly through a natural development of the Hebrew conception of God, and partly through the force of circumstances. (1) The pious Jew, turning away more and more from the anthropomorphism of cruder religions, strove to differentiate the infinite God from finite man. God is transcendent—above the limitations of earthly existence. Hence He is eternal, from everlasting to everlasting. A thousand years in His sight are but as yesterday. (2) With the Exile came a decay of national ideals, and the Jew began to consider more his own personality and its relation to this eternal God. This thought developed slowly, and was mixed with various elements. The Jew found himself in an evil world. His own nation was oppressed, almost blotted out. Good men suffered; wicked men seemed to prosper. If the eternal, omnipotent God ruled the world, then all this must surely end. The Day of the Lord would come for oppressed Israel, for the oppressors, for the whole world, and (in Apocalyptic literature, Ps-Sol 3:16, 13:9 etc.) for the Jew himself. Then the present evil world ( òåֹìִí äַåְּä ) would give place to a new and glorious era ( òåֹìִí äַëָּà , see Generation). Whether this òåֹìָí äַëָּà would be endless the Jew did not at first stop to inquire. Sufficient for him that it would come with countless blessings in ‘the end of the days’ ( ÷õ äִéָîִéí , cf. Mat_13:39; Mat_24:3). In the Book of Enoch, however, ‘Time’ is followed by ‘Eternity’ in the òåֹìָí äַëָà . Later Judaism developed the idea, probably borrowed from the Zend religion, of a series of world epochs (cf. the world empires of Daniel’s vision), followed by the Messianic age.
In the time of Christ, Jewish thought on the future had developed very much, and had assumed many forms (see Eschatology). Jesus must have sifted the various elements. He retained and perhaps developed the view of a new age ( òåֹìָí çַôָà ) about to dawn on the world as opposed to the present ( òåֹìָí äַåָּä ; Mat_12:32, cf. Mat_13:39; Mat_28:20). ‘the kingdom of heaven’ ( îַìְëåּç ùָׁîַéִí ) would be established. Jesus endeavoured to concentrate the thoughts of His hearers on their relation to this kingdom, and the desirability of sharing it (see Life, Eternal Life). Doubtless this kingdom would be for ever and its members live for ever (cf. Dan_12:2 çַæֵé òåֹìָí ‘eternal life’). The vexed question of the absolute endlessness of this kingdom, with its rewards and punishments, would probably never be raised in the minds of Jesus’ hearers. At the same time, there is no evidence in the teaching of Jesus of any limit to the òåֹìָí äַáָּà , and while the frequent adjective áἰþíéïò , ‘eternal,’ must be taken in the Gospels as referring in the first place to this coming kingdom, it may, so far as we know, be taken as implying also that quality of absolute permanence with which that kingdom has always been associated in the minds of men.
Literature.—The subject is practically part of the larger topic Eschatology, and all books dealing with this latter subject refer more or less to Eternity. On the OT and Apocalyptic views see Stade, Dic Alttest. Vorstellungen vom Zustand nach dem Tode; Schwally, Das Leben nach dem Tode; Schultz, OT Theology, vol. ii. pp. 364–398; Salmond, The Christian Doctrine of Immortality; Orelli, Die hebr. Synonyma der Zeit und Ewigkeit; Marti, Geschichte der Israel. Religion, pp. 270–310. On the NT see the various NT theologies, especially those of Beyschlag and H. Holtzmann. Ct. also Samuel Davidson, Doctrine of the Last Things; Toy, Judaism and Christianity; A. Beet, Last Things2 [Note: designates the particular edition of the work referred] ; Dalman, The Words of Jesus.
G. Gordon Stott.