God’s eternal nature is one characteristic that sets Him apart from mankind altogether. This essentially indicates that God is not limited by space or time. As we read in Revelation 1:8, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty,” he is without beginning and without end. This is astounding. Though we can never fully comprehend what this implies, let’s look at a few Bible texts that could advance our understanding of the everlasting God.
God was there before the foundation of the world
The well-known opening line of the Bible is found in Genesis 1:1, which states, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Numerous other Bible texts support this idea, which says that God existed before the world and the heavens. Consider reading Psalm 90:2.
“You are God from forever to everlasting, before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world.”
Along with God the Father, there has always been God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Writing on the Word of God, the apostle John describes God the Son in lyrical terms: “The Word existed in the beginning, coexisting with God and existing as God. He was with God in the beginning. Everything that was made came from Him, and nothing that was made could exist without Him (John 1:1-3). The Holy Spirit was obviously involved in creation as well, as Genesis 1:2 states, “The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep.” Furthermore, the seas’ surface was being hovered over by the Spirit of God.
God will never end
Not only does God have no beginning, He has no end. The world and the heavens as we know it will both end at some point in time. But God will still be there. How magnificent is our God! In a song, Psalm 102:25–27 says this:
“You created the earth long ago, and You are the one who made the heavens.” They will all fade away like a piece of clothing, but You will endure. They may fade and change like a garment, but You remain the same and Your years never end.
God does not change
The Lord is not like people who are born as infants, grow and mature into adults, and then pass away. “The Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change,” is how James 1:17 refers to Him. Furthermore, the statement “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” is affirmed in Hebrews 13:8. God’s purposes are immutable, in addition to His essence. “The Lord’s counsel endures forever, and His heart’s plans are for all generations.” (Psalm 33:11) We learn from Ephesians 1:4 and 2 Timothy 1:9 that God’s salvation plan was predetermined before the world was ever created, and He has never changed His mind about it. Because of this, God can be totally trusted.
God does not share our conception of time
The Lord God created time, He is not Himself limited by it. He exists beyond time. He is the ultimate reality, and therefore not subjected to any constraints. We can hardly imagine what it must be like to live without time constraints and without experiencing life as a chronological succession of events. This makes yet more clear that we humans are too limited to understand God. But it is nevertheless important to be aware of the fact that God’s conception of time is different from ours, for example when it comes to the fulfillment of His promises: “Do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” (2 Peter 3:8-9) “For a thousand years in Your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night.” (Psalm 90:4)
It is great to have an eternal God
The fact that God is eternal is both astounding and consoling. We don’t have to worry that He won’t exist anymore or that He won’t still be interested in saving us. Rest confident that “the eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms” if you place your confidence in the Lord. (Deuteronomy 33:27)
