God is Eternal

 

God is Eternal

Genesis 21:33, And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the LORD, the everlasting God.

My intention is to simply explore Bible statements that aid our perception of God as eternal.

In Genesis 21:33, Abraham plants large evergreen trees (tamarisk trees symbols of longevity and life) in Beersheba and he engaged in public worship of Yahweh as El Olam (the Everlasting God) there among them.

A new name, ’el ‘olam, the everlasting God, characterized this worship. Thus did Abraham seek the Lord’s blessing on the new relationship with Abimelech (21:31–34).^[1]

Abraham was acknowledging God’s eternal nature, faithfulness, and enduring covenant. Abraham realized that God was providing comfort amid his wandering, transitory, and traveling lifestyle; a stability and sameness God alone could provide. This was also important because it marked a shift toward established, long-term worship of the Eternal God. 

In calling on the Lord, we must eye him as the everlasting God, the God of the world, so some. Though God had made himself known to Abraham as his God in particular, and in covenant with him, yet he forgets not to give glory to him as the Lord of all: The everlasting God, who was, before all worlds, and will be, when time and days shall be no more.^[2]

Then in Deuteronomy 33:27, God says: "The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them." 

Emphasizing how He is a secure refuge—dwelling place—who affords Israel everlasting and constant support, protection, and guarantees final victory over her enemies.

Because God is eternal and is a Refuge for His people, His everlasting arms, figuratively speaking, would protect Israel in times of calamity, and would destroy her enemy (v. 27). Having such a wonderful and powerful God the nation could be assured of conquering Canaan and then of living for a while in safety and prosperity (v. 28). ^[3]

Then our attentions are called to Psalm 102:11-12, which highlights the brevity of human life compared to God's eternal nature stating: "My days are like a shadow that declineth; and I am withered like grass. But thou, O Lord, shall endure for ever; and thy remembrance unto all generations".

Furthermore, in Psalm 90:2 we read: "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God". Singling out God’s eternal nature and sovereignty as Creator. Clearly God’s everlasting and unchanging nature provides the foundation for His faithfulness. These verses indicate that God is outside the constraints of time, serving as the self-existent Creator (Exodus 3:14).

“God is above and beyond time. Again, God has no past, present, or future; He simply has an enduring eternal present.”—Norman L. Geisler

Dr. Geisler goes on to say,

“God not only created the ages, but He was also before the ages. To be before time and have made time is not to be in time. Therefore, the Bible teaches that it was not a creation in time, but a creation of time that God accomplished at the beginning. The Creator of time can be no more temporal than the Creator of the contingent can be contingent, or the Creator of the effect can be an effect himself.”—Norman L. Geisler

God’s eternality is everlasting, without beginning or end. While people experience time as a sequence of moments, God transcends these temporal limitations—He looks backward and forward infinitely and perceives past and future as present.

Once more 1 Timothy 1:17, declares, “Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.”

This profound, Spirit-led outburst of praise worships God as the eternal, invisible, and immortal “King eternal” or King of the ages. Because we have received grace despite being incredible ‘sinners,’ we must acknowledge God’s supreme, unparalleled nature, declaring Him the only God worthy of eternal honor and glory. 

So, then God is eternal; He exists outside the constraints of time, having no beginning and no end. As a self-existent, unchanging Being, God is not subject to the succession of moments, but experiences all of time—past, present, and future—simultaneously as an ‘everlasting present’. He is the creator and sustainer of all things. 

Rather than proving God’s existence, the Bible assumes it, beginning with “In the beginning God …” (Genesis 1:1). God’s self-disclosure to Moses as “I AM THAT I AM” shows His total being, self-existence, and eternality, embracing all time—past, present, and future. This name portrays God as not only what He is presently, but what He has always been and will always be.

Several points should be noted of God's eternal nature:

• Transcending Time: God is not restricted or accustomed by time but rather exists outside of it.
• No Beginning or End: Scripture describes God as existing "from everlasting to everlasting," signifying He was not created.
• Self-Existence: God is the "I AM," existing independently of any cause or other being.
• Unchanging: God's eternal nature means He is not subject to growth or decline. He is already and always will be perfect.

These biblical references among many others, showcase God as the ultimate reality.

Finally, the Lord Jesus claimed this same eternality when He declared “Before Abraham was born, I AM” (John 8:58). His Jewish audience understood this statement as a claim to deity worthy of death under their law. Clearly Christ shared this attribute of eternality with the Father.

“The implications are profound. God’s eternal nature provides assurance in His plan for human lives, since nothing surprises Him. Creation itself testifies to God’s eternal power and plan—the regularity of celestial bodies, seasons, and natural cycles all point to His timeless sovereignty. God will ultimately create a new heaven and earth that, like Him, will endure eternally, and believers will share in this eternal existence.”—Unknown

Beloved, the Bible explains that God is eternal, having no beginning and no end, existing from "everlasting to everlasting" inhabiting eternity. 

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^[1] James E. Smith, The Pentateuch, 2nd ed., Old Testament Survey Series (Joplin, MO: College Press Pub. Co., 1993), 159.

^[2] Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume (Peabody: Hendrickson, 1994), 52.

^[3] Jack S. Deere, “Deuteronomy,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 322.