The Precursor
January 2000
A Thousand Years
As we enter the final year of the second millennium, and as we begin the 2000th year of the Christian era, we have occasion to pause and reflect on what this means. In one sense the passage from one millennium to the next is artificial, based as it is on a calendar that does not even mark, accurately, the birth of the Lord. But still, it is a milestone, one that occurs, not once in a lifetime, but once in fourteen lifetimes of seventy years (cf. Ps. 90:10). It is a thousand-year milestone, and a thousand years is a long time. So much has happened during the history of the last thousand years. Think of how much music we love to listen to that did not exist a thousand years ago. Think of how much literature was yet to be written. Think of the works of art yet to be painted, great buildings yet to be built. Think of all the people, famous and unknown, who were yet to be born. All this in a thousand years!
From the Lord's viewpoint, though, a thousand years is as nothing: "For a thousand years in Your sight are like yesterday when it is past, and like a watch in the night" (Ps. 90:4). What seems such a long time is, to Him, as nothing. It is but the smallest fragment of the history of the world, and as nothing compared to the endless years that lie ahead. The Lord is eternal, far above the passage of time. He always has been, always is, always will be. He is the one "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." (Rev. 1:8).
It is hard for us, being finite, so limited, to contemplate the eternity of God. In essence it is beyond our comprehension. Furthermore, if we try to think of it as an eternity of time, we hopelessly confuse our minds, because eternity in God is above time. It is, in the words of Divine Love & Wisdom, an "eternity not from time" (DLW 156). And in explaining the meaning of the words of Psalm 90, it is said in the Arcana that "'A thousand years' stands for that which is outside time, thus for eternity" (AC 2575).
The reason that the Lord is never-changing, the reason why, from millennium to millennium, His love never ceases, and the reason why a thousand years is as nothing to Him, is that His eternity is timeless. Time came about with creation, and is an attribute of creation, whereas God is uncreate, for He is the Creator.
Eternity, then, is above time. It does not change with, and is not affected by, the passage of the years, nor even by the passage of thousands of years. And this is very important for us to know, because it helps us understand something very important about our relationship with the Lord.
The Lord offers us eternal life. He creates us so that we can live for ever and ever. Our tendency is to think of this eternity of life as an infinite period of countess years, one after the other, stretching out forever. And to think this way is not wrong: we will continue to exist forever and ever. If we follow the Lord and are brought into heaven, our lives of happiness there will never ever come to an end. But the reason eternal life lasts forever is that it has within it something that is completely above time.
If we draw close to the Lord, if we open our hearts and minds up to Him, and receive His presence, receive His love, His compassion, His wisdom, then we receive within ourselves something that is truly living, something that is far deeper than the things of this world, and something that far transcends the passage of time. Each day, in the very present, we can receive and be blessed by spiritual life and by spiritual gifts, gifts that are eternal.
This is the way it is with the angels. There is in the Arcana a beautiful passage describing the angels' view of eternity:
. . . the true idea of Divine Eternity is instilled into them by the fact that thousands of years do not appear to them as a period of time, almost as if they had lived for only a minute. Both ideas [of Infinity and Eternity] are also instilled by means of the fact that the present with them includes past and future together. Consequently they have no anxiety about things of the future, nor do they ever have any idea of death, but only of life. And so their whole present includes within it the Lord's Eternity and Infinity. (AC 1382)
When the year 2000 begins, it will mark a milestone that occurs only once every thousand years. But, for those who turn to the Lord, each and every day is a milestone. In the course of each day we can walk in the presence of the Lord, and receive from Him a life of happiness that will never end, and will never die.
"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. (Jn. 10:27-28)
Unless otherwise noted, all events are at the church building. Classes for
those in high school and for younger children are available upon request.
The Reading Discussion group meets normally twice a month. We are currently reading from the Old and New Testaments
during our sessions. There is no advance reading, but please bring a Bible with you.
Wednesday, Jan. 5
Pastor's Council. 7:30pm
Saturday, Jan. 8 General
Doctrinal Class. 7:30pm. Subject: Holy Supper. Suggested reading is HD 210-215 [New Jerusalem & Its Heavenly
Doctrine].
Sunday, Jan 9 Divine Worship. 11:00am. Holy Supper service. Usher: Volunteer needed. Sunday School: Volunteer needed.
Sunday School Subject: Please see Jane Blair for details.
Tuesday, Jan. 11 Reading
Discussion Group. 7:30pm. Bring along a Bible. No advance reading.
Wednesday, Jan. 19 Trustees'
Meeting. 7:30pm.
Saturday, Jan. 22 General
Doctrinal Class. 7:30pm. Subject: Resurrection. Suggested reading is HD 223-229 [New Jerusalem & Its Heavenly
Doctrine].
Sunday, Jan 23 Divine
Worship. 11:00am. Usher: Volunteer needed. Sunday School: Volunteer needed. Sunday School Subject: Please see Jane
Blair for details.
Tuesday, Jan. 25 Reading
Discussion Group. 7:30pm. Bring along a Bible. No advance reading.
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Baptism
On Sunday, November 14, 1999, at Glendale, Ohio, Fiona Rose Dwyer, daughter of Mr and Mrs Owen John Dwyer, III, (Susan David), born July 27, 1999
at Lexington, Kentucky, the Rev. Patrick A. Rose officiating.
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Our Sympathies
We extend our sympathies to Ed and Jill Brown. Ed's mother was called by the Lord into the spiritual world on December
11th, 1999.
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Thanks
Our thanks to Patrick and Gill Mayer for hosting our annual Christmas potluck supper. Thanks for a lovely evening!
