This article was inspired when a friend of mine and I were discussing *forever* and how long we each thought that would be. I have to admit right up front that I'm rather a literalist, meaning if the Bible says it I take it literally. This is not to say my friend doesn't believe likewise, I'm just speaking for myself here. But for those of you that perhaps haven't thought to investigate what a word (here we're talking about forever) means, I'll list what I've found here for you. If there is one thing I've learned that I would like to pass on, regarding the Bible, is that it IS the whole truth in its entirety. If God, being God (almighty, omnipotent, omniscient, everlasting, eternal), said that He did something in a specific amount of time ... like creating the world in just six days ... I believe Him. To think or believe less means you don't think God IS God. Likewise, I believe that the word *forever* means eternal, without beginning, without end ... everlasting.

        I'll be fetching my scriptures in KJV from BlueLetterBible.org, anything in {curly brackets}, (normal brackets) or bold/underline/colors is my own emphasis :o}

The first place the word(s) for ever (KJV) is mentioned is in:

Gen 3:22 "And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:   Gen 3:23  Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. Gen 3:24  So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life."

        It's interesting to note that *forever* is first mentioned in association with the creation of mankind, the scene being from man's fall into sin (disbelief in what God said to them and believing the lies of satan the devil). Notice how the LORD God says that if they eat of the tree of life they would live forever (eternally), so He drives them out of Eden for the sake of keeping the tree safe from abuse/use at that time and more importantly man becoming immortal in his newly acquired (satanic) sinful nature. From that time until now and until and into the future we ALL die (physically). What was man's sin? That will be another article as I have much to say about that. As a side note, God has Eden right where it was but invisible and guarded by Cherubims, perhaps that will be another article also.

        Back to forever, which in the KJV is shown as *for ever*, click the link to go investigate that, but you will have to weed out the separate for and ever passages to find only those that have both in them together without a break in the words.

        Next we need to do a Strongs' search for this, to see what the actual meaning is in the Hebrew. The Hebrew Strongs' # for forever is 05769 (link below), occurring 439 times in the OT, which means:
1) long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world
  a) ancient time, long time (of past)
  b) (of future)
    1) for ever, always
    2) continuous existence, perpetual
    3) everlasting, indefinite or unending future, eternity

        Notice that forever not only counts the future, but also the past, indeed forever spans all time (for lack of a better word) from the beginning, but is not limited to time as it goes into eternity, which brings us to another study because in fact forever means eternity and eternity has no time at all. I looked up some of these words online at dictionary.com and here are their meanings, just click each word to go there, each will open in it's own window:

eternity | ever | forever

        There is no Greek word showing in BLB for forever or *for ever*. But it's root word *ever* does show in both Old and New Testaments, 417 times. The first instance we see ever in the New Testament is in 1 John 2:17 "And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." Notice it is *for ever* also but the previous search in BLB did not return anything in the NT so this is a hit on a different Greek Strongs' #s of: 165 (link below). Looking up this Strongs' numbers returns this info:

165 = aion {ahee-ohn'}
  1) for ever, an unbroken age, perpetuity of time, eternity
  2) the worlds, universe
  3) period of time, age
The world aion, is more commonly spelled aeon, it's root word is eon. Click on either word to view it in dictionary.com!

        Now that we've established the logistics of the word and it's roots, let's get to some scripture and apply what we've learned shall we? I'm specifically targeting *prophetic books* of the OT so that it cannot be said these things have already occurred, after all, how could *forever* have already occurred?

OLD TESTAMENT (HEBREW) *FOR EVER* Strongs' # 05769

Isa 40:8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever (05769).

Isa 45:17 [But] Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting (05769) salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world (05769) without end.

Isa 51:11 Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting (05769) joy [shall be] upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; [and] sorrow and mourning shall flee away.

Isa 60:19 The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting (05769) light, and thy God thy glory. Isa 60:20 Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the LORD shall be thine everlasting (05769) light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended. Isa 60:21 Thy people also [shall be] all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever (05769), the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified.

Isa 64:4 For since the beginning of the world (05769) [men] have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, [what] he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.

Eze 37:28 And the heathen shall know that I the LORD do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore (05769).

Dan 12:2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting (05769) life, and some to shame [and] everlasting (05769) contempt.

Dan 12:3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever (05769) and ever (05703).

Dan 12:7 And I heard the man clothed in linen, which [was] upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever (05769) that [it shall be] for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these [things] shall be finished.

        There are many other OT scriptures of course, but I'll stop here for OT because I want to reiterate what this last passage from Daniel said, "him that liveth for ever" (05769) is none other than God Himself, and/or His Son Jesus. If you can deny in your heart even here that forever doesn't mean eternity you might want to do a spiritual reality check.

NEW TESTAMENT (GREEK) *FOR EVER* Strongs' # 165
Jesus' words in red!

Mat 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for (1519) ever (165). Amen. {This is the last verse of the Lord's prayer.}

Luk 1:33 And he {Jesus} shall reign over the house of Jacob for (1519) ever (165); and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

Luk 18:30 Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world (165) to come life everlasting (166).

Jhn 8:51 Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never (3364 1519 165) {not ever} see death.

Hbr 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for (1519) ever (165).

1 Pe 1:25 But the word of the Lord endureth for (1519) ever (165). And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto (1519) you.

1 Jo 2:17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for (1519) ever (165).

Rev 1:18 I [am] he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for (1519) evermore (165 165) {ever and ever}, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

        There's more but you can look up the links and read those at your leisure. I stop here in NT scriptures where once again Jesus (God the Son) says, "I am alive for (1519) evermore (165 165)". Believe it! If you believe that God and His Son Jesus are alive for evermore, which is eternity, then by now you should realize that the word forever means eternity, ever, aeons & eons, limitless time (for lack of a better word) without beginning or end ... this is the inheritance of all those that believe in Jesus as their Lord & Savior for we know the scriptures make us this promise:

1 John 3:2 "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is."

 Amen! Maranatha ~ Come Lord Jesus Come! God Bless :o}