THE ETERNALITY OF GOD

I) SINCE GOD IS ETERNAL, I.E., TIMELESS, THERE IS NO TIME IN WHICH OR BEFORE WHICH GOD CREATED THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH, NOR DOES GOD PARTICIPATE WITH ANYTHING THAT PASSES WITHIN TIME, NOR DOES HE INTRUDE UPON TIME, BEING ETERNAL AND TIMELESS BY NATURE. SO HIS DECREES, HIS CREATION OF TIME AND THE UNIVERSE, HIS APPARENT INTRUSIONS INTO HUMAN HISTORY, HIS HEARING OF OUR PRAYERS AS REPORTED IN SCRIPTURE DO NOT ACTUALLY OCCUR IN HIS TIME, BECAUSE HE IS WITHOUT TIME. NEVERTHELESS, HIS CREATION, HIS ABSOLUTELY TIMELY INTRUSIONS UPON THE AFFAIRS OF MEN, THE HEARING OF OUR PRAYERS AS WE PRAY TO HIM, ETC. ACTUALLY DO OCCUR WITHIN MAN'S PERSPECTIVE OF TIME. GOD IS SO ALMIGHTY, MAJESTIC AND ETERNAL THAT THIS IS POSSIBLE - BEYOND THE CAPACITY OF MANKIND TO UNDERSTAND, AND ALL THE MORE TRUSTWORTHY IN WHAT HE HAS PROMISED WILL COME TO PASS, FOR IT IS ALREADY DONE - EVEN THOSE THINGS WHICH HAVE NOT YET OCCURRED IN HUMAN HISTORY!

A) [Gen 1:1]:

(Gen 1:1 NASB) "In the beginning God created the Heavens and the earth."

Just as a sunset can be described from a finite human observer's point of view as a particular series of moments in time from a particular point of view upon the Earth so that the Sun appears to be setting down below the horizon of the Earth, but in fact it can be observed from outer space as a progressive series of points in time and space during which the Earth is revolving around the Sun while rotating upon its own axis; so much and infinitely the more can God's creating of the Heavens and the Earth be described from the vantage point of man looking - in the sense of thinking - back in time at the beginning of the creation of the universe and the creation of time by what Scripture says - as inspired by God the Holy Spirit - for the finite understanding of mankind, "In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth;" but in fact, since God is Eternal, i.e., timeless, (Dt 33:27; Ps 90:2; Isa 40:28), there is no time in which or before which God created the Heavens and the Earth, nor does God participate with anything that passes within time, nor does He Himself intrude upon time, being eternal and timeless by nature. So His decrees, His Creation of time and the universe, His apparent intrusions into human history, His hearing of our prayers as reported in Scripture do not actually occur in His time, because He is without time. Nevertheless, His Creation, His absolutely timely intrusions upon the affairs of men, the hearing of our prayers as we pray to Him, etc. actually do occur within man's perspective of time. God is so Almighty, Majestic and Eternal that this is possible - beyond the capacity of mankind to understand, and all the more trustworthy in what He has promised will come to pass, for it is all already done - even those things which have not yet occurred in human history which Scripture speaks about! Although some contend that God intrudes upon time because of certain phrases in Scripture such as those which begin with the words rendered "before," or "since" or "from" preceding the words rendered, "the foundation of the world," (refs. Jn 17:24; Eph 1:4; 1 Pet 1:20; Rev 13:8; 17:8); these phrases are only applicable linguistically from man's perspective who is constrained by the dimensions of time and language which were all created "before/ since / from the foundation of the world."

Although time, the heavens and the earth have their own finite parameters within themselves, they are occurring in a timeless eternity. Their beginnings and their existences and their ends having no finite parameters within Eternity. There is nothing new which is inherent in time, the heavens and the earth to God Who is Omniscient – certainly nothing new to His knowledge or experience. Since God is Eternal, Omniscient, Immutable, Almighty, Omnipresent, etc., then He does not discover or experience new things. The creation of time and the heavens and the earth are not new discoveries or experiences to Him, they are a part of His Eternality.

II) IN THE BEGINNING OF THE TIME WHEN ALL THINGS CAME INTO BEING, THE WORD WHO IS GOD "WAS" - UNCREATED, ETERNAL AND SELF-EXISTENT, OUTSIDE OF THE CONSTRAINTS OF CREATION AND TIME. AND THE WORD / GOD BECAME FLESH ADDING TO HIMSELF HUMANITY AND DWELT IN CREATION AND TIME AMONGST MANKIND SO THAT MEN MIGHT KNOW WHO GOD IS AND BEHOLD HIS GLORY

A) [Jn 1:1-3, 14, 18]:

(Jn 1:1 YLT) "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God;

(Jn 1:2 YLT) this one was in the beginning with God;

(Jn 1:3 NASB) All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.

(Jn 1:14 NKJV) And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the [One and only from] the Father.

(Jn 1:18 NASB) No one has seen God at any time; [but] the [lit., One and only] God Who is in the bosom of the Father, He has [lit., declared] Him."

In the beginning of the creation of all things - when all things came into being which includes time - the Word Who is God "was" in the sense of His being, uncreated, eternal, self-existent, beyond the constraints of creation - of time. Whereupon Jn 1:14 stipulates that the Word became flesh in the sense of adding to His eternal, timeless Being, Humanity Who dwelt among mankind within the contraints of creation, namely earth and time, so that men might see Him - His finiteness in His Humanity in the timeframe of the first century A.D. And that experience is stipulated as declaring within the finite perception of men, Who God is - the Eternal, Uncreated, Self-Existent God and to behold His Glory as He has indeed intruded into creation and time in His Humanity, Whose name is Jesus the Christ - both God and Man: "And we beheld His glory, the glory as of the One and only from the Father. No one has seen God at any time; but the One and only God Who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him."

III) JN 3:16 STIPULATES THAT GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD, (PAST TENSE), THAT HE GAVE HIS ONE AND ONLY SON, (PAST TENSE), THAT ACTUALLY REFERS TO A YET FUTURE EVENT: THE DEATH OF HIS SON - THE ETERNAL SON OF GOD, THE WORD, JESUS CHRIST ON THE CROSS FOR SINS. SINCE IT IS THE ETERNAL SON OF GOD IN HIS DIETY / HUMANITY WHO IS MAKING THIS STATEMENT, THERE IS NO CONTRADICTION FOR GOD / THE SON OF GOD IS NOT RESTRICTED BY THE LIMITS OF TIME

A) [Jn 3:16]:

(Jn 3:16 NIV) "For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him [should] not perish but have eternal life."

Although God is Eternal - not restricted by the limits of time, Jn 3:16 stipulates that He so loved the world, (past tense), that He gave His one and only Son, (another past tense), that actually refers to a yet future event: the death of His Son - the Eternal Son of God, the Word - on the cross for sins. For it is Jesus, the Eternal Son of God, Who is speaking these words to Nicodemus about when at some future time He would die on the cross for sins, before He went to the cross as if at the time He spoke to them the future event had already occurred. Since it is the Eternal Son of God in His Diety and His Humanity that is in view and Who is making this statement, His Eternality not being restricted by the limits of time, He would not be speaking in error to say that God gave His one and only Son in the past tense, for God / the Son of God is indeed not restricted by the limits of time or space. In God's existence there is no past tense, or future tense or present tense, or new experiences - He is Eternal, Omniscient, Immutable, Omnipresent, Almighty, etc.

IV) WHEN MOSES ASKED GOD WHAT HIS NAME WAS, GOD SAID TO MOSES, "I AM THAT I AM" - HIS NAME FOREVER: "YHWH"

A) Ex 3:13-15; 6:3-8]:

(Ex 3:13 NASB) '''Then Moses said to God ["ElOhim"], "Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you.' Now they may say to me, 'What is His name?' What shall I say to them?"

(Ex 3:14 NASB) God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM'' and He said, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'I AM has sent Me to you.' "

(Ex 3:15 NASB) God, furthermore, said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent Me to you.' This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name to all generations.' " '''

The name of God - forever shall be "I AM THAT I AM" in the present, always present; and in the future, always future; and in the past, always past in the perspective of man; absolutely outside of the constraints of time in the perspective of God. Thus the forever name of God, "I AM THAT I AM" = "YHWH," rendered LORD, is derived from the verb "HAYAH," to be in the sense of forever to be:

(Ex 6:3 NASB) ''' "and I [God - "ElOhim"] [speaking to Moses] appeared to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, as God Almighty [El Shaddai] but by My name, "LORD" ["YHWH"], I did not make Myself known to them.

(Ex 6:4 NASB) I also established My covenant with them to given them the land of Canaan, where they resided as foreigners.

(Ex 6:5 NASB) Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered My covenant.

(Ex 6:6 NASB) "Therefore, say to the Israelites: 'I am the LORD [Yahweh 'YHWH'], and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage. I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments.

(Ex 6:7 NASB) Then I will take you for My people, and I will be your God, Who brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.

(Ex 6:8 NASB) I will bring you to the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I will give it to you for a possession; I am the LORD [Yahweh = YHWH].' " '''

So the One and Only, Unique, Eternal, Almighty, Creator God of the Universe is YHWH, Who is outside of time and creation, yet He is YHWH: our Lord and God Jehovah. And we who trusted alone in His Son, Jesus Christ alone for eternal life are His children forever and He is our Eternal Father.