What does it mean that God is El Olam?

God Father

TL;DR:

El Olam, a name of God in the Bible, means "The Everlasting God" or "The Eternal God". God's eternality means He has always been and always will be, with no beginning, end, or change.

God has no limit and is not bound by time; He has always been and will always be. When God spoke to Moses and gave him the task of leading the Israelites out of Egyptian captivity, He gave His name to Moses simply as "I AM" (Exodus 3:14), signifying His true, eternal being, His self-existence, and His position above all other beings. This name also speaks to God's consistency throughout time (Hebrews 13:8). He is not only what He is at the present time but also what He has been and will be, and He will be what He is. Jesus claimed this name when He declared Himself to be the eternal "I AM" (John 8:58). As equal with God, Jesus has always been and always will be (John 1:1). God's eternal existence is revealed clearly through His creation (Romans 1:20), and no one has an excuse for not knowing of Him. All people can see God's eternality by observing creation and its consistency and order across generations and over time, proving, without a doubt, God's never-changing nature.

from the old testament

The first words of the Bible, "In the beginning God," do not seek to prove the existence of God but rather simply state that God has always been, even before the beginning of recorded time (Genesis 1:1).
Abraham remembered God's goodness by planting a tree at the location where God made a covenant with him. There, he gave thanks "to the Eternal God" and called on Him in prayer (Genesis 21:33).
God's description of Himself and the name He gives Himself, "I AM," signify that He is self-sufficient and has always been. This name points to His eternality and consistency over all time (Exodus 3:14).
In his words of praise, the psalmist declares that God has been the people's "dwelling place throughout all generations." He also speaks to God's eternality, saying that God was present "before the mountains were born" and that the world was brought forth from God (Psalm 90:1-2).
God is the everlasting, eternal Lord who created the ends of the earth. He never grows tired or weary and does not have failing strength as finite, time-bound people do. He is so great that no mind can fathom His understanding (Isaiah 40:28).

from the new testament

The first words of the book of John show Jesus as being fully eternal and outside of time, fulfilling the name "Everlasting God". Jesus and God the Father are one in essence, they exist sans time, and they share equally in the attribute of eternality (John 1:1).
Jesus uses God's self-given name "I AM" to identify who He is. The use of this name equated Him with God and identified Him as eternal and everlasting, just as God the Father is (John 8:58).
God's creation speaks of His everlasting, eternal existence. His qualities are clearly seen in what He has made, so much so, that no one can say they couldn't have known of Him (Romans 1:20).
Jesus, sharing equality with God, is consistent, as God is, throughout history, never changing, remaining the same (Hebrews 13:8).

implications for today

The everlasting nature of God provides us comfort, as it points to Him as trustworthy because He is consistent and never-changing (Hebrews 13:8). We do not have to fear waking up one day to a different God we no longer know or understand. God will always be the same as He has always been. We can believe He will keep His promises now because He has kept His promises in the past. We can trust His plan for the future because we can see how He has been throughout millennia of history (Psalm 90:1-2). God will also never grow tired or weary, failing physically as humans do (Isaiah 40:28). We can place our trust securely in our Everlasting God because He is beyond us, greater than us, and always steadfast. These qualities He possesses can offer us hope and peace in an ever-changing world.

understand

The name, El Olam, means "The Everlasting God" or "The Eternal God."
God's eternality displays His steadfastness and never-changing consistency throughout all time.
The Everlasting God provides stability and hope that can always be trusted in an always-changing world.

reflect

How does God's consistency provide comfort to you when the world is overwhelming in its ever-changing reality?
How does God's eternality and never-changing nature affect your level of trust in Him for the future?
How can observing God's creation personally illustrate to you His everlasting nature?

engage

How can we help unbelievers see God's everlasting, never-changing nature?
In what ways are you challenged or encouraged by the fact that God's eternal nature is seen in His creation, leaving everyone without excuse (Romans 1:20)?
How does God's being everlasting impact our faith in our day-to-day lives?

More Resources

Father

How is God Eternal?

God is eternal and existed before all space, time, matter, and energy. God, as an eternal Being, has the power to sustain everything He created and has eternal power, eternal plans, and eternal dominion.

Father

What does it mean that God is the Creator?

People can only create new things from preexisting materials made by God, but God is unique in that He created the universe out of nothing. Only God exists independently of everything else; therefore, God, who has always existed, is the one and only true Creator.

Old Testament

What is the meaning of ‘I AM WHO I AM’ in Exodus 3:14?

In Exodus 3:14, God declares “I AM WHO I AM” to reveal His eternal, unchanging, and self-existent nature—completely distinct from all created things. I AM WHO I AM affirms God’s sovereign authority, His presence with His people and His identity as the one true God, fulfilled and echoed by Jesus in the New Testament.

Son

Is Jesus the Creator?

Jesus is not a part of creation—He is the Creator Himself, the divine Word through whom everything exists. The One who made the universe is the same Savior who entered it to redeem and restore us.