Eternity Now

Eternity is a difficult thing to think of. It not only boggles the mind, but it also brings uncertainty and fear to many who ponder it. It is our aim with this little paper to bring eternity before you now, so that you may better understand it and be prepared to face it.

Eternity as a Concept

What is eternity? Many definitions and illustrations have been attempted, but they all seem to fall short of fully capturing the concept. This is probably because we are so accustomed to time—to counting seconds, days, and years—that we try to picture eternity as never-ending time. But eternity isn't truly time that never ends; it is more properly the absence of time. Eternity is timelessness.

Eternity as a Reality

Regardless of the way we choose to conceptualize eternity, let us never lose sight of the truth that eternity is a reality. The passing of each day brings us all nearer to it, and we must all enter it sooner or later. What will eternity be like? The Bible tells us a lot about it—in fact the whole message of the Bible was written by God who "inhabiteth eternity" (Isaiah 57:15) so that we might know how to spend it with Him.

When all the teaching of the Bible on eternity is "boiled down" to its essence, we have two things left: heaven and hell. These disparate destines become the dwellings of all who have walked the earth, and your reality and mine for eternity will be either the joys of heaven or the woes of hell.

Eternity as a Perspective

It's amazing how things can change when we get a new perspective. The earth seems very large to us, but when compared to the vastness of the universe it becomes very small. In an even more impressive way, the significance of the things which occupy us now will change drastically when we look at them in view of eternity.

Are you prepared for the reality of eternity? Do you know where you will be in eternity? Are the things you care about today things that will benefit yourself or others for eternity? We urge you to take time now to consider eternity, and trust that it will change your life! Someone has said: "Life is too uncertain, death is too sure, and eternity is too long to further risk delay. God's Word is to be accepted now."

—T. Don Johnson