How many times is ‘live for ever’ mentioned in the bible?

In earlier posts I explained where the concept of living for ever came from.

How many times is ‘live for ever’ mentioned in the bible? That really depends upon what bible translation we’re reading. In a search throughout the King James translation of the bible the words ’live for ever’ come up 28 times but only around 19 of these apply to living forever and around 7 of these occasions were royal greetings. That leaves 12 other occasions where the words ‘live for ever’ are mentioned.

The first time

The first time the words, ‘live for ever’ are mentioned is in the third chapter of the bible.

 And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:

And the Lord God commanded the man.

In the previous chapter God had commanded Adam not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. God was clear enough about it, he said, ‘If you don’t do as I tell you, you will die.’

And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Some bible commentators say that Adam was given a choice but what I read is that God ‘commanded’ Adam not to eat of the tree. A command is like an order and not a choice as far as I’m concerned.
It follows  from the above scripture that if we do as God tells us to, we may live for ever and if we don’t, we’ll die.

Young’s literal bible

Young’s Literal bible translates the same verses as follows,

And Jehovah God layeth a charge on the man, saying, `Of every tree of the garden eating thou dost eat; and of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou dost not eat of it, for in the day of thine eating of it — dying thou dost die.’

According to scripture some will die twice. However those who overcome won’t die twice. Twice? Yes twice.

1599 Geneva Bible

Once more the same scripture verses, this time from the 1599 Geneva Bible (GNV),

And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Thou shalt eat freely of every tree of the garden, But of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt die the death.

Stay in God’s good books

What does it mean ‘to die the death?’ In the book of Revelation we’re told about the second death.

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

In the first book of the bible, in the second chapter of the book of Genesis, we’re told  that those who disobey God will ‘die the death.’ And in the last book of the bible, in the second chapter of the book of Revelation, we are told that he that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

We have to make sure that we are in God’s good books if we want to avoid the second death and live for ever.

And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

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