The Attributes of God: Eternity

God's incommunicable attributes are attributes that belong to God alone; those which He does not share to others. (See article ”The Attributes of God: Introduction and the Importance of its study”) And one of God's incommunicable attributes is His eternity. The eternity of God belongs to His infinity as He is not limited by time. In the Bible, He is often called ”the everlasting God” and the ”King eternal.”

”The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms.” (Deuteronomy 33:27)

”The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.” (Isaiah 40:28)

Eternity is that which is appropriately without beginning and without end, and is without succession, or does not proceed in a succession of one moment after another. It is opposed to time, which has a beginning, goes on in a succession, and has an end, such as a creature's life.

“Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” (Psalm 90:2)

1. God is without beginning or ”from everlasting.” If God has a beginning, it would mean He must have been formed by the will of another who is both prior and superior to Him. If God has a beginning, He may one day ceased to be or there was an instance when He was not. From His nature and being, His self-existence is absolutely necessary. "Declares the Lord, "Before Me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after Me."" (Isaiah 43:10)
2. The Eternity of God can be proven from His other attributes, several of which are described as eternal or ”from everlasting.”
   1. The "power" of God is expressly described as eternal and is proven by the works of creation. "For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made." (Romans 1:20)
      1. The "knowledge" God possesses is from eternity. "the Lord, who makes these things known from of old (from eternity)." (Acts 15:17-18)
      2. The "love" of God, which is no other than Himself, for "God is love." "The Lord appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you." (Jeremiah 31:3)
   2. God is Eternal as may be proved from his purposes, counsels, and decrees; which are also said to be "from everlasting."
      1. "O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you; I will praise Your name, for You have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure." (Isaiah 25:1)
      2. "This was according to the eternal purpose that He has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Ephesians 3:11)
      3. Of His pre-ordination of a Redeemer and Savior of men. "He (Christ) was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God." (1 Peter 1:20-21)
      4. Of His choice of men unto salvation. "He (God) chose us in Him (Christ) before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will." (Ephesians 1:4-5)
   3. The eternity of God may be proved from His works in time.
      1. "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." (Genesis 1:1) Creation proves the eternity of God; All things are created by Him, and so have a beginning; but He has no cause of His own being, and therefore must be eternal. Here, creation is proof of His eternal power and Godhead--creation proves His eternity, and His eternity proves His deity. (See article ”Is there a God? 2”)
      2. This is the very same argument used to prove the eternity of Christ, the Word, that "He was in the beginning", that is, eternity "with God" (John 1:1-2).
         1. "All things were made through Him, and without Him was not any thing made that was made." (John 1:3)
         2. "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth,… --all things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together." (Colossians 1:15-17)
3. God is "to everlasting", that is "without end," as may be argued from His self-existence, His being the First Cause, who is without any cause; He is the only sovereign “God over all, blessed forever“ (Romans 9:5).
   1. God is eternal as opposed to His creatures, which are finite and mortal, even the heaven and the earth.
      1. "Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away, but you are the same, and your years have no end." (Psalm 102:25-27)
      2. "All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever." (1 Peter 1:24-25)
   2. The eternity of God can also be inferred from His government and “dominion.”
      1. As king. “But the LORD is the true God; he is the living God and the everlasting King“ (Jeremiah 10:10).
      2. As for His kingdom. “How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion endures from generation to generation“ (Daniel 4:3).
   3. As for His purposes and decrees, they are never frustrated, because He ever lives to bring them into execution. Unlike men, they take up resolutions and make plans, which, by reason of death, never came to fruition. “The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations.“ (Psalm 33:11)
4. The Eternity of God is without succession, that is, no successions nor distinctions of one moment (time) after another.
   1. He is eternal because He existed before time came to be or was created. “Before the day was, I am He” (Isaiah 43:13).
   2. God is called ”The Ancient of Days” in Daniel 7:22, not ancient “in” days, as aged persons getting along in years. Respecting God, He is more ancient than days for He was before all days, and His duration cannot be measured by them. It can be observed that the differences and distinctions of time are together attributed to God, and not as succeeding one another.
      1. He is “the same yesterday, today, and for ever” (Hebrews 13:8). These are all at once, and together with him.
      2. “Him who is and who was and who is to come” (Revelation 1:4). These meet together in His name with all the points of time; but is unaffected and untouched by it. Hence “one day is with the Lord as a thousand years; and a thousand years as one day” (2 Peter 3:8). If his duration was successive, or measured by succeeding moments, days, and years; one day would just be one day with him, and not a thousand; and a thousand days would correspond to a thousand days, and not one day only.

God sees and knows all things, past, present, and future not as succession of events but all together and at once. Everything is open and laid bare before Him at once and together, not only the past and the present, but He calls on things not yet done, as though they were; He sees and knows all in one view, in His all comprehending mind. Furthermore, in successive duration, there is an order of former and latter; there is always a starting point from which every distinction of time proceeds, and from which it is reckoned as hours, days, months, and years. But it is said of Christ, with regards to His divine nature being one with God, that he has “neither beginning of days, nor end of life” (Hebrews 7:3). In short, God is Eternity itself, and ”inhabits eternity” (Isaiah 57:15); And as He was before time, and without succession; and as He is throughout time; and so He will be to all eternity. To Him ”who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality. … To Him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen” (1 Timothy 6:15-16).