#### Q.

According to certain Bible critics, 2 Peter 3:10 contradicts Ecclesiastes 1:4.
Whereas Peter wrote, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the
night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the
elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are
in it will be burned up ” (emp. added), Solomon declared in the book of
Ecclesiastes, “One generation passes away, and another generation comes; but
the earth abides forever ” (emp. added). Is one of these two declarations
an “erroneous statement” as skeptic David Miles contends (2007), or is there a
logical explanation regarding why the “burned up” Earth is said to “abide
forever”?

#### A.

The answer to this question actually is very simple: the Bible frequently uses
the term “forever” (Hebrew _olam_) in a more limited sense, to mean “a
long duration,” and not necessarily a literal eternal existence (see
_Olam_ , 1999). Consider a few examples:

* Prior to the Israelites’ departure from Egypt, Moses instituted the Passover. He then added: “And you shall observe this thing as an ordinance for you and your sons forever ” (Exodus 12:24, emp. added).
* Under the Law of Moses, when a servant pledged allegiance to his master, the master would “take an awl and thrust it through” the servant’s ear to the door (Deuteronomy 15:17). This was a sign that the servant would work for his master “forever” (15:17).
* After the Israelites visited King Rehoboam and petitioned him to lighten their burdens (2 Chronicles 10:3-4), the elders advised the king to be kind to the people and they would be his servants “forever” (10:7).

Like so many words throughout Scripture that have more than one meaning, the
term “forever” must be understood in light of the context in which it is
found. Concerning Ecclesiastes 1:4, the context is about the things of “this
world.” The wise writer was reminding his readers that man’s tenure on this
Earth is very brief. Unlike the Earth that (from a human vantage point) seems
to “abide forever,” “[o]ne generation passes away, and another generation
comes.” Human life on Earth is “a vapor that appears for a little time and
then vanishes away” (James 4:14). It is “like a breath,” and “like a passing
shadow” (Psalm 144:4; cf. 90:10). The Earth, however, was here long before
the current inhabitants, and (if the Lord delays His coming) it will be here
long after we are gone. The duration of the Earth compared to man’s fleeting
life span is the contrast Solomon is making in Ecclesiastes 1:4. Furthermore, Christians understand that the Earth being 'burned up' refers to its ultimate purification and renewal into a new Earth, not its total annihilation.

Indeed, as the psalmist declared: “Of old You [God] laid the foundation of the
earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You
will endure ; yes, they will all grow old like a garment; like a cloak You
will change them, and they will be changed. But You are the same, and Your
years will have no end” (Psalm 102:25-27, emp. added).