Saturday, October 22, 2011

THINK ON THESE THINGS - SATURDAY


Think of the word "FOREVER" and we think "never-ending" or infinity.We like to write love songs which tell the object of our true love "I will love you forever"....or the old country song asks, tongue in cheek "How long is Forever....this time"!!


If you look at the last few words of the LORD's PRAYER, you may understand why I am spending so much time on one sentence. We are in Day 4 of this one phrase! Today we look at what modern readers call "FOREVER" but which the English translators of the Bible recognize as literal...and these are two words: "FOR EVER"!

Matthew 6: 8-13:
Our Father in heaven,
      Hallowed be Your name.
      Your kingdom come.
      Your will be done
      On earth as it is in heaven.
      Give us this day our daily bread.
   And forgive us our debts,
      As we forgive our debtors.
    And do not lead us into temptation,
      But deliver us from the evil one.
      For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory for ever. Amen.


We see here, the Lord Jesus actually used two words "for ever" and not "FOREVER".  While they are synonyms, the literal phrase has more impact for the following reason:
FOR: EIS (The Original Greek) ...meaning into, in, unto, to, upon, towards, for or among.
EVER: AION (The Original Greek)...meaning an age, a cycle (of time), especially of the present age as contrasted with the future age, and of one of a series of ages stretching to infinity.


Jesus is more intentional about the Majesty, Mighty and Mystery of His and our Father in Heaven than just a flippant throwaway line in a song about "forever". Get this again - EIS AION - the Lord MEANS that all of these awesome attributes of God are for a cycle or period of time, from Eternity past and not just NOW, but into the future as far as infinity...AND BEYOND! (Incidentally, we get the word 'eon' or 'aeon' from this Greek word, to describe a long period of time.)


Wrap your mind around this for a few minutes and it will but thrill and awe you, just how long and GREAT GOD really is! This is why, when we evangelize, we had better show the unsaved person, the need to  realize how long Eternity away from God really is...and that they really don't want to go there!


LET US PRAY:
ELOHEY KEDEM - oh God of the Beginning, You are the Beginning and Genesis of all things and all mankind! Before there was time, You were there. The creator of Time, You are here, Jehovah Shammah. The God of future Time, You see us there. With You, there is no end. Many will go into everlasting judgment, Father, but You, oh Eternal God, see Your saints from the viewpoint of perfection outside of the realm of time.
Father You have caused Eternity to be built into the very souls and fiber of the human soul. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says You set eternity in the hearts of men. You know our innermost thoughts and leanings, because You have created us. Come now, Lord Jesus, in the Name of Abba Father, and fill us with a sense of Awe and Power of just how Perfect and Magnificent You are that we may grab just an inkling of what all of this really means....just how meaningful the word Eternity is! Give wisdom and understanding of this one true attribute of our Father in Heaven, in Your Name, I pray, Lord Jesus, amen and amen!





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