Eternity is Approaching

One thing is certain: eternity is inevitably approaching. But are we prepared for it? Perhaps the thought suddenly occurs to you: Is there even an eternity? Haven’t we just been led to believe it? Isn’t it just a dream, an old legend that modern people today tend to smile about? The majority of people no longer believe in eternity and think that everything is over at death. 

 Today I would like to tell you why I believe in eternity. Perhaps this will shed light on the twilight of your soul. In every human being, there is a deep longing for a higher, infinite life, for an existence full of fulfillment. In quiet moments, when we are bowed down by suffering or revel in happiness, when we hear the sound of the wind sweeping the autumn leaves before us or observe the buds of spring, when we see the stars at night or experience the sunrise in the mountains or by the sea – then we are overcome by an awareness of the infinite. We sense that behind all the visible, transient things there is something eternal, something lasting, for which our soul is destined. Since God has placed this longing in people’s hearts, it must also have a goal. Otherwise, it would be pointless. 

But there are even more reasons. The religions of the nations speak of a final judgment in which good is rewarded and evil is punished. Our conscience also tells us this, does it not? It may remain silent for a long time, but at some point, it wakes up and makes our misdeeds clear to us. It tells us unequivocally: guilt is followed by punishment! There is eternal retribution. Even a criminal senses this. An inner voice that originates from God testifies to him: there is a future world and eternal judgment. 

Even in the happiest of lives, questions, riddles, and problems remain for which we cannot find answers. There are unfinished tasks that must one day be completed. When we look at the history of nations and families, we come across many unanswered questions. Life often seems to be a chaos, a tangle of a thousand threads that seem to run through each other senselessly, and we despair. Is a solution ever to be expected? But if there were never a solution, our lives would have no meaning. We would be at the mercy of chance or a blind fate that throws us around without a goal. But one person has brought eternity into our time: Jesus Christ. He is the bridge between this world and eternity. His disciples sensed in His presence, in His words and deeds, that He carried something eternal within Him, something that was not of this world. “Lord, to whom shall we go?” they asked (John 6:68). 

 Especially in that hour of farewell described in John 17, you could literally feel the proximity of eternity in the circle of disciples. They recognized that their Master had come from eternity and was returning there again when he prayed: “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world” (John 17:24). 

 The strongest proof of eternity is the Bible. Its words may have been written down by mortal beings, but behind the words, eternity shines forth – from the first page to the last. God has allowed some to see behind the curtain that still separates heaven and earth. Their hearts and mouths overflow with what no eye has ever seen and no ear has ever heard and what God has prepared for those who love him. Those who immerse themselves in the Bible in prayer and research will attain the certainty of eternity and look forward to heaven with joy. May you also be granted this great gain! “Lord, make us ready for a blessed eternity!”