Don Stewart :: Does the Bible Teach That God Has Always Existed?

Does the Bible Teach That God Has Always Existed? (The Eternity of God)

The Attributes of God That Belong to Him Alone – Question 1

Yes. The Bible teaches the eternity of God. This means that God has always existed. His existence extends endlessly in the past, and will extend endlessly into the future. There was not a time when He did not exist. He never came into being and He will never cease to exist. Scripture says the following.

1. God Has Always Existed

The Bible says that the God of the Bible has always existed. This is a consistent theme in Scripture. The psalmist wrote,

Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. (Psalm 90:2 NIV)

He has been God from everlasting and there was never be a time in which He did not exist. Before anything else was formed, God was there.

John wrote, in the Book of Revelation, that He, God, is the One who is the Creator. We find the following testimony of a mighty angel.

Then the mighty angel standing on the sea and on the land lifted his right hand to heaven. And he swore an oath in the name of the one who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and everything in it, the earth and everything in it, and the sea and everything in it. He said, “God will wait no longer.” (Revelation 10:5-6 NLT)

God is the Creator of all things. The fact that He created everything shows that He existed in the beginning. Again, He had no beginning.

2. He Will Always Exist

Not only has God always existed, the Bible says that He always will exist. Scripture records God Himself saying this. We read the following in the Book of Deuteronomy.

“‘For I lift up my hand to heaven and swear, as I live forever.’” (Deuteronomy 32:40 ESV)

The Lord Himself testified that He will live forever. Since He cannot lie, we can be assured of His eternal existence.

Isaiah the prophet wrote about the Lord claiming to be both the “first and the last.” The Lord declared,

“Who has performed and done this, calling the generations from the beginning I, the Lord, am the first, and with the last—I am He.” (Isaiah 41:4 HCSB)

The Lord is both the first and the last. He had no beginning and He will have no end. This is the testimony of Scripture.

In the New Testament, we read about the eternity of God. Paul the apostle wrote the following to Timothy.

Glory and honor to God forever and ever. He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; he alone is God. Amen. (1 Timothy 1:17 NLT)

There will never be a time when God ceases to exist.

3. He Is the Everlasting God

One of the names of God is El Olam (this means “the everlasting or eternal God”). We read about this in the Book of Genesis.

Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beer-sheba, and there he worshiped the Lord, the Everlasting God. (Genesis 21:33 HCSB)

Even at this early time in history it was understood that the Lord was the everlasting God.

The Bible also says that God inhabits eternity. In Isaiah, the Lord says of Himself,

For thus says the high and lofty one who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with those who are contrite and humble in spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite. (Isaiah 57:15 NRSV)

He is the One who inhabits eternity. Time does not limit Him.

4. He Was There in the Beginning

As far back as we go, God is already there. Scripture says,

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1 KJV)

At the beginning of all things, we find that God was there.

This same truth is recorded in the psalms. Before anything was created, God was already there. The psalmist wrote,

“O my God,” I say, “do not take me away at the midpoint of my life, you whose years endure throughout all generations.” Long ago you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. (Psalm 102:24-25 NRSV)

God has existed from the beginning. He laid the foundations of the earth.

5. There Is No God but Him

The God of the Bible is the first and the last. No other God exists but Him. In Isaiah, we read of this,

This is what the Lord, the King of Israel and its Redeemer, the LORD of Hosts, says: I am the first and I am the last. There is no God but Me. (Isaiah 44:6 HCSB)

There was none who came before God and there shall be no God, or gods, who come after Him. He is the first and the last.

6. He Is the Alpha and Omega

The Lord is also called the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end. In the Book of Revelation, it says,

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” (Revelation 1:8 NKJV)

Alpha and Omega are the first and the last letters of the Greek alphabet. By saying He is the Alpha and Omega the Lord is stating that He is the Beginning and the End. Again, this emphasizes that He inhabits eternity.

7. He Is the One Who Is, Was, and Will Come

The Lord says that He is the one who is, was, and who is to come. We also read about this in the Book of Revelation.

And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and inside. Day and night without ceasing they sing, “Holy, holy, holy, the Lord God the Almighty, who was and is and is to come.” (Revelation 4:8 NRSV)

This is another way of emphasizing His eternal nature.

8. He Is the Eternal God

In the Book of Deuteronomy He is called the eternal God. Moses wrote,

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

As the eternal God, He has always existed. Furthermore, He holds us in His everlasting arms. This is indeed a wonderful thought.

9. God Is the Great I Am: The Self-Existent One

God is timeless, the eternal I AM. When the Lord spoke to Moses in the burning bush, He revealed this about Himself.

Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” (Exodus 3:13, 14 NIV)

The eternal I AM is beyond the restraints of time. He is not limited by time as are we humans. His realm is an eternal realm. Our notion of time is bound up with the way in which the stars and planets move. However, God is the One who created the universe and all that is in it. Hence, He is not bound by time.

10. Because He Is the Eternal God, Only He Knows the Future

Because God is not bound by time constraints, He knows what will happen in the future. We find Him answering the questions of the martyrs to certain events before they occur. In the Book of Revelation we read,

They called loudly to the Lord and said, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long will it be before you judge the people who belong to this world for what they have done to us? When will you avenge our blood against these people?” Then a white robe was given to each of them. And they were told to rest a little longer until the full number of their brothers and sisters—their fellow servants of Jesus—had been martyred. (Revelation 6:10, 11 NLT)

Consequently, God will always be in control of all events.

11. God Is Not Bound by Time

Space and time are a creation of God. Scripture speaks of events in the past, present and future. However God has never been bound to time. The Bible gives this comparison.

But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. (2 Peter 3:8 NRSV)

Time does not limit the Lord in any way.

12. We Can Only Approximate the Truth about God’s Eternal Existence

The idea that God inhabits eternity, but has His dealings in time causes apparent contradictions in the mind of humans. This is one of the paradoxes in Scripture (two truths that are seemingly non-reconcilable). Yet, this is what the Scripture teaches. Consequently, we must accept it has true.

Conclusion: The Eternal Nature of God Is a Comforting Truth

The doctrine of the eternity of God provides comfort to believers. Since God will never cease to exist neither will those who have put their trust in Him. We can be confident of our future because He will always be there with us.

Summary – Question 1
Does the Bible Teach That God Has Always Existed? (The Eternity of God)

The Bible teaches what is known as the eternity of God. This means a number of important things.

First, the God of the Bible has always existed. There was never a time when He came into existence. Indeed, as the Creator, He has made all things.

Furthermore, there will never be a time when He goes out of existence. He has endlessly existed in the past and He will exist endlessly into the future.

The Scripture, in the Book of Genesis, calls Him the “Everlasting God.” At this early time in human history the eternal nature of God was evident.

This same truth is echoed in the New Testament. When we go back to the very beginning we find that God was already there. This is specifically said of God the Son, Jesus Christ. He was in the beginning with God.

The fact of God's eternal nature is also made known by the claims that He is the only God which exists. There are no others. By definition, God has always existed.

The Bible also gives titles to Him that shows His eternal nature. This includes such designations as the Alpha and Omega, the One who was, is, and is to come, and the Beginning and the End. They all support the idea that the Lord has existed forever.

Because God has always existed and will always exist, He is able to know what is going to occur in the future. Not being bound by time, God is able to accurately tell us what will take place in the days and years to come. Among the many reasons He is able to do this is that He is a timeless Being.

While God dwells in eternity, He can still have dealings with His people in time. While this truth is certainly beyond our comprehension, it is something which is clearly taught in Scripture. Thus, we are to believe it.

These truths about God provide comfort to those who are His. We can rest confidently in His promises because He will always be around to carry them out. Thus, the doctrine of the eternity of God is one which gives much encouragement to the believer.