The greatest minds conceive the greatest ideas.

[1Timothy115]

Eternity, something that is purely conceptual was put forward by a farmer! How absurd can we be?

[Annie]

Eternity, something that is purely conceptual was put forward by a farmer! How absurd can we be?

Not sure what you're driving at here, Tim. Are you saying that...
1) Farmers are dumb and/or incapable of conceptual thinking?
2) A farmer invented the concept of eternity?
3) A particular farmer (JOB, maybe?) is the first human on record to express the concept?

Maybe I missed something. If you're talking about JOB, I'll comment briefly. First, whenever divine revelation is at work, human "brain power" is irrelevant. (IOW, no finite human can understand the concept of eternity, let alone come up with it on his own.) Second, JOB was most likely a lot "smarter" than anyone in the modern world. Human intellect, which has increasingly felt the weight of the fall and the downward spiral initiated by the curse and continued throughout thousands of years, is IMO nowhere near what it was in JOB's time. Contrary to evolutionary theory, people are getting "dumber" and weaker, not smarter and stronger, as the universe wears itself out. I'm not saying there aren't brilliant thinkers among us today...just that they are the exception (and that they appear brilliant only because we're comparing them with the general modern population). Adam and Eve must have passed on a brilliant intellect, but, due to the effects of the curse, their descendants have gotten increasingly "dumber."

What a blessing to have God's wisdom offered to us through the Bible! Edited December 14, 2010 by Annie

[1Timothy115]

Not sure what you're driving at here, Tim. Are you saying that...
1) Farmers are dumb and/or incapable of conceptual thinking?
2) A farmer invented the concept of eternity?
3) A particular farmer (JOB, maybe?) is the first human on record to express the concept?

Maybe I missed something. If you're talking about JOB, I'll comment briefly. First, whenever divine revelation is at work, human "brain power" is irrelevant. (IOW, no finite human can understand the concept of eternity, let alone come up with it on his own.) Second, JOB was most likely a lot "smarter" than anyone in the modern world. Human intellect, which has increasingly felt the weight of the fall and the downward spiral initiated by the curse and continued throughout thousands of years, is IMO nowhere near what it was in JOB's time. Contrary to evolutionary theory, people are getting "dumber" and weaker, not smarter and stronger, as the universe wears itself out. I'm not saying there aren't brilliant thinkers among us today...just that they are the exception (and that they appear brilliant only because we're comparing them with the general modern population). Adam and Eve must have passed on a brilliant intellect, but, due to the effects of the curse, their descendants have gotten increasingly "dumber."

What a blessing to have God's wisdom offered to us through the Bible!

Just looking for thoughts on eternity. I can't answer your questions above. JOB did consider eternity and it appeared to be familiar to him. The first book in our current KJV to speak of eternity was in Genesis. Of course we have no way to measure the intellect of JOB or his contemporaries but they did know how to live and prosper so, I would be to agree that they were not dumb by any means.

The statement and question I made was purely rhetorical and intended to represent logic and reason of today from a worldly perspective.

PrOBably not much thought today concerning the inception of the idea of eternity?

[John81]

Coming from a Christian perspective I believe man knew of eternity from the beginning. The various false ideas regarding eternity came about just as so many other false aspects. Men who didn't want to follow God, or had fallen so far away they didn't even remember the whole truth, took the concept of eternity and formed it into various meanings. Reincarnation, living on as a spirit being, living on as an animal or even plant after death, or even eternity not existing, of death being the end for each person, etc.

It would seem from Scripture that God created man with a keen intellect. Adam and Eve were not some child-like, simpleton adults as some depict and believe. Early man wasn't simple-minded and unskilled. God created man ready and able to fully function. It didn't take thousands of years, or millions as some would think, for man to develop his own mind and become "smart".

[1Timothy115]

Coming from a Christian perspective I believe man knew of eternity from the beginning. The various false ideas regarding eternity came about just as so many other false aspects. Men who didn't want to follow God, or had fallen so far away they didn't even remember the whole truth, took the concept of eternity and formed it into various meanings. Reincarnation, living on as a spirit being, living on as an animal or even plant after death, or even eternity not existing, of death being the end for each person, etc.

It would seem from Scripture that God created man with a keen intellect. Adam and Eve were not some child-like, simpleton adults as some depict and believe. Early man wasn't simple-minded and unskilled. God created man ready and able to fully function. It didn't take thousands of years, or millions as some would think, for man to develop his own mind and become "smart".

The concept of eternity was and is foriegn to everything around man.
Even the sun appears to die daily only to be reborn the next.
Stars in the heavens appear and allow a gauge of space.
Clouds pass by and disappear on the horizon.
Even the earth, during times of famine appears to die.
Eternity provides no cycle of death and rebirth.
Eternity was as hard to grasp then as it is for the finite mind today.

There is only one answer for the concept or idea of eternity. Edited December 15, 2010 by 1Tim115

[1Timothy115]

The eternal question (El Olam (The Everlasting God))

If you ever look for the origin of the word “eternal” you’re in for a chase and you won’t pin anyone down to even a culture. It appears many will define “eternity” within the realm of Christianity but, they stop short of attributing the idea of “eternal” being given to a man through the revelation of the God of the Bible.

There is no doubt in my mind that a herdsman came up with this. It was either Abraham or JOB both were herdsmen for cattle, sheep, etc.

How did man ever come up with the idea of an eternal God?
How would man ever come to think “eternal?”

What could man see that would cause him to conceive the idea of eternal?

If man was so naïve and lacked the knowledge of today then, how could he ever think “eternity?”

The great thinkers of 19th and 20th centuries have developed concepts which at there inception staggered men to comprehend. However, men’s minds came to understand and even expand those thoughts. Albert Einstein’s “Theory of Relativity” is a good example of a complex idea which was difficult at first to grasp but, not beyond men to eventually comprehend.

But eternity, the most complex of ideas one could attempt to grasp was first put forward by a cattleman. Genesis 13:2 “And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.”

Abram had great wealth and wasn’t uneducated by the day’s standard, he was a man of substance Genesis 12:5 “And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.”

However, Abram was not confounding the known world with ideas of modern logic or reason either. He didn’t develop a sociology, algebra, surgical procedures, rocket fuel, or even potato chips. What did this simple man do? He put forward an idea that our minds still cannot grasp today…eternity.

Did nature teach him this? What evidence can be put forward from nature? All things have a birth and a death, that is, as far as Abram could have seen. Even the earth, fertile for a time, became barren around him and brought forth famine. Genesis 12:10 “And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land.”

With all the great thinkers of today and their vast knowledge and education advantage; WHY, was eternity not conceived by them after the establishment of formal education and thought? Why so much earlier by the mind of a farmer without scientific method?

First mention of God’s eternity in the King James Bible.

Genesis 21:33 And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the LORD, the everlasting God.

Psalms 90:2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.

Psalms 103:17 But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children;

Psalms 106:48 Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye the LORD.

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

Only God could have given man this idea of eternity.