Forever / Ever or Forever / Never
The words of our eternal God are forever true. He cannot lie. Whenever He decrees a matter, no mortal can ever change it. David affirmed this truth when he said, “Forever, O Lord, Your word is firmly fixed in the heavens” (Psa. 119:98, ESV). We should not be surprised that the phrase “forever and ever” is found forty-seven times in the Bible.
There is another way to look at the eternal nature of the truths of God. Instead of looking where He said forever/ever, consider some of those times when He said “forever/never.”
When Noah came out of the ark, God made a covenant with Noah, his sons, all mankind and even the living creatures on the earth. “I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh” (Gen. 9:15). His “never” promise shows that the flood in Noah’s day was a universal, one-time event, which shall never be repeated.
God uses the word “never” in reference to nations. He said that when Babylon was destroyed it would never be inhabited again (Isa. 13:10). He looked at the splendor of Tyre and said, “You shall never be rebuilt” (Ezek. 26:14). The ruins of these cities show how God’s word can be trusted.
Ancient history shows the grandeur of Egypt. Those pyramids stand today as evidence of the wisdom and wealth of Egypt. However, our God then uses the word “never” to describe what has happened to this magnificent culture. “It shall be the lowliest of kingdoms; it shall never again exalt itself above the nations” (Ezek. 29:25).
When Daniel interpreted the dream of Nebuchadnezzar, he describes in great detail four world kingdoms and says that in that fourth kingdom (the Romans), “the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed” (Dan. 2:44). Jesus came and established that kingdom, the church, and the fact that this same kingdom is on the earth day shows how much we can trust the words of our eternal God.
Finally, look at how God describes the destiny of the wicked. His use of the words “no rest” coupled with the words “forever and ever” have the same force as using the word “never.” “And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast” (Rev. 14:11). These eternal words of God should be part of the souls of every person on this earth.
Thank God who gives us both forever/ever and also forever/never affirmations of His eternal, unchanging truths which build our faith and mold our lives. Thank God that He has said, “I will never leave you or forsake you” (Heb. 13:5).