What does eternity mean in Hebrew?
First rule in Hebrew study – Hebrews think in concrete and Greeks think in Abstracts. Concrete thinkers think in relation to things that can be seen, touched, smelled, heard or tasted. Some examples of this are tree, singing, smell of baking, etc. Abstract thoughts are such things as believe, faith, grace, etc. These cannot be sensed by the 5 senses. The word everlasting (the usual translation of the Hebrew word “olam”) is an abstract word. The Hebrew meaning is something like “behind the horizon.” It is something that is beyond what you can see (or understand) at the moment but may be revealed as you travel closer (or at a later time). The abstract idea of “everlasting” would have been a foreign concept to the ancient Hebrews.
