Forevermore

 

For a child will be born to us [nation of Israel], a son will be given to us, and the government [misra – rule, dominion] will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful [pele - a wonder, a miracle, a marvel, something unusual or extraordinary]. Counselor [yaats – consultant, advisor, Jethro in Exodus 18:19], Mighty God [eel gibbor – brave, strong, mighty], Eternal [ad - perpetuity, unforeseeable future] Father, Prince of Peace [shalom – tranquility, wholesome]. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore [olam - a very long time]. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.                             Isaiah 9:6-7

The above passage, like Isaiah 61:1-2, addresses both of Messiah’s comings. His first would be characterized by a newborn child who would have dominion as a king, although not in a physical sense. Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). It would be His second coming when there will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace on the throne of David and over his kingdom. Isaiah also identifies the Messiah’s names when He comes, beginning with Wonderful, the Hebrew pele which speaks not only of marvelous and miraculous but also extraordinary. When God assigns a name, it addresses a characteristic of that individual. Jesus would be extraordinary! 

Isaiah also refers to this coming Messiah as Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, and Prince of Peace. Counselor describes a consultant or advisor as opposed to an authoritarian or dictator. Eel gibbor specifies that He will be a God of great strength and might; it is a name given to God in Isaiah 10:21 and Jeremiah 32:18. Eternal Father and Prince of Peace indicate His fatherhood and that He would bring peace and wholeness as a prince. The promises would be justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. What is forevermore?

Time & Eternity

It should be noted that there is no general word for time in Hebrew, and there are no special terms for the past, present, future, and eternity. The Hebrew words ad and olam (a very long time) should be compared, with special attention given to the nineteen times when these words were used together. Justice and righteousness describe His kingdom from then on and forevermore. Olam usually refers to looking forward but often expresses the idea of looking backward. It can also refer to a particular span of time. Forevermore does not only reference eternity. 

Before the mountains were born or You gave birth to the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.                Psalm 90:2 

And this brings us to the meaning of the word eternity. Eternity is a term used to express the concept of something that has no end and/or no beginning. God has no beginning or end, but He cannot be wholly defined by eternity, especially as a measure of time. (God is eternal, but eternity does not equal God. Similarly, God is all-powerful, but power does not equal God.) Eternity is one of God’s attributes, but having created time, He is greater than time and exists outside of it. 

Completed Before it Begins

“Remember the former things long past [olam – long time past, of old], for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times, things which have not been done, saying, ‘My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure’; Calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of My purpose from a far country. Truly, I have spoken; truly, I will bring it to pass. I have planned it; surely, I will do it.    Isaiah 46:9-11 

The Lord, through Isaiah, is reminding the Hebrews that God has been consistently dealing with His people as His commitment to be their God. “Listen to Me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, you who have been borne by Me from birth and have been carried from the womb; Even to your old age I will be the same, and even to your graying years I will bear you! I have done it, and I will carry you, and I will bear you, and I will deliver you (Isaiah 46:3-4). From the vantage point of eternity, God sees everything as completed before it begins. Time is no obstacle to the plans and purposes of God. I know that everything God does will remain forever; there is nothing to add to it, and there is nothing to take from it, for God has so worked that men should fear Him (Ecclesiastes 3:14). The Father of Time & Eternity is fully equipped to fulfill every good pleasure.

Dwelling in Eternity

For thus says the high and exalted One Who lives forever [sakan – dwells in eternity], whose name is Holy, “I dwell on a high and holy place, and also with the contrite and lowly of spirit in order to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.          Isaiah 57:15

When man was created, he was made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26). Just as God is three dimensional (Father, Son, & Holy Spirit), so he created man as body, soul, and spirit. The entire material world follows this same pattern. Space is defined by height, width, and depth, while matter exists in either gas, solid, or liquid. Since time is linear, it can be referred to as past, present, or future. The material world, patterned after a three-dimensional God, is also three-dimensional. As a spirit, God dwells outside of time, in eternity, but enters time and space with the contrite and lowly of spirit. The condition of man's heart determines his connection to God. 

Opportune Time 

There is an appointed time [zepan – opportune] for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven.         Ecclesiastes 3:1

In Ecclesiastes 3, Solomon introduces a discussion of time when he says, “There is an appointed [opportune] time for everything [actions & events]. And there is a time [as a duration] for every event [activity – what one desires] under heaven”. The essence of this verse is that God has given time as a gift to be managed to discern its most significant meaning and find His will amid its details. It also brings up the idea of seasons of life when conditions or events govern different periods of life: A time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down, and a time to build up. A time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn, and a time to dance (verses 2-4). The summary of the passage is found in verse 11, where God has made everything beautiful or appropriate in its time. The highest quality of life is found when man seeks God's daily purpose. 

Make the Days Count 

As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, or if due to strength, eighty years, yet their pride is but labor and sorrow; for soon it is gone, and we fly away. Who understands the power of Your anger and Your fury, according to the fear [yirah – reverence, acknowledging God’s good intentions] that is due You? So, teach us to number [manah – make it count] our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom.   Psalm 90:10-12

Moses recognized that his length of days on earth is numbered, and the quality of that life revolves around his ability to number his days, meaning that each day has great value in and of itself, so he focuses his attention on the current day; it has value unto itself. When prioritizing each day in this way, he finds the wisdom of God intended for that day. For a thousand years in Your sight are like yesterday when it passes by or as a watch in the night. You have swept them away like a flood; they fall asleep; in the morning, they are like grass which sprouts anew. In the morning, it flourishes and sprouts anew; toward evening, it fades and withers away (Psalm 90:4-6). Each day is an integral part of God's larger plan for each life. God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good (Genesis 1:31).

In the Present Moment 

I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."               Revelation 1:8 

Just like Jesus was crucified between two thieves, the present is also being stolen from the believer by the past and the future. Too many are driven either by the failures of the past or the unknowns of the future, and this robs them of the joy in the relationship God has intended. You see, He told Moses in Exodus 3 that His name is “I Am that I Am,” which means He is the God of the present moment and therefore every moment. Jesus acknowledged that His name is also “I Am” when he told the Jewish leadership that “before Abraham was born, I am” (John 8:58). Ultimately, God meets each of us in the present moment, learning that to “cease striving and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10) is our place of rest. Jesus taught His disciples to “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness” and “do not worry about tomorrow” (Matthew 6:33-34), meaning His presence is in the present moment. 

He has weakened my strength in the way [the course he was pursuing]; He has shortened my days. I say, “O my God, do not take me away in the midst of my days; Your years are throughout all generations. “Of old You founded the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. “Even they will perish, but You endure, and all of them will wear out like a garment; like clothing, You will change them, and they will be changed. “But You are the same [God does not change], and Your years will not come to an end. “The children of Your servants will continue, and their descendants will be established [kun – make firm, prepare] before You.”                    Psalm 102:23-28             

Psalm 102 is entitled A Prayer for an Afflicted Man. He laments his weakened state due to his experiences, yet he understands that the Lord’s endurance and immutability (He does not change) will carry the day. “But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing and her people for gladness (Isaiah 65:18). God’s people, both old covenant and new covenant, will find their rest in the Father of Time & Eternity, forevermore.

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