What does it mean that God is eternal?

Answer

The term eternal signifies “everlasting, with no beginning and no end.” Psalm 90:2 reveals God’s eternality: “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” As humans perceive everything in terms of time, it is challenging for us to grasp something that had no start but has existed forever and will continue endlessly. The Bible does not aim to demonstrate God’s existence or His eternality but straightforwardly states, “In the beginning God…” «In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. », (Genesis 1:1), indicating that at the commencement of recorded time, God already existed. From timeless past to timeless future, from eternal ages to eternal ages, God was and is eternal.

When God tasked Moses with delivering a message to the Israelites, Moses questioned what he should say if they inquired about God’s name. God’s response was profound: “God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you'” «And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. », (Exodus 3:14). This declaration signifies the true essence of God, His self-existence, and that He is the Supreme Being. It also denotes His eternality, immutability, constancy, and faithfulness in fulfilling His promises, encompassing all time—past, present, and future. The meaning is not only I exist as I am now, but I have always been, and I will always be, remaining unchanged. God’s own words regarding His eternality resonate with us from the page.

As of Scripture.

Jesus Christ, God incarnate, also confirmed His divinity and His eternal existence to the people of His time by stating to them, “Before Abraham was born, I AM” «Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. », (John 8:58). It is evident that Jesus was asserting His deity in human form because when the Jews heard this declaration, they attempted to stone Him to death. To the Jews, claiming to be the everlasting God was considered blasphemy and punishable by death «And he that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the LORD, shall be put to death. », (Leviticus 24:16). Jesus was affirming His eternal nature, just like His Father’s eternal nature. The apostle John also affirmed this truth about the essence of Christ: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” «In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. », (John 1:1). Jesus and His Father are unified in essence, beyond time, and equally possess the attribute of eternality.

Romans 1:20 informs us that God’s eternal character and His everlasting power are displayed to us through His creation. All people perceive and acknowledge this aspect of God’s character through the testimony of the various elements of the natural world. The sun and celestial bodies maintain their courses century after century. The seasons arrive and depart at their appointed times; the trees sprout leaves in spring and shed them in autumn. Year after year, these processes continue, and no one can halt them or change God’s design. All of this serves as evidence of God’s enduring power and His purpose for the earth. One day, H

We will create a new heaven and a new earth, and they, like Him, will continue into eternity. We who belong to Christ through faith will also continue through eternity, sharing the eternal nature of our God in whose image we are created.