Are "everlasting" and "for ever" good translations here?

[Travis93]

Genesis 17:13 He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.

Exodus 31:16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.
Exodus 31:17 It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.

Psalms 119:152 Concerning thy testimonies, I have known of old that thou hast founded them for ever.
Psalms 119:160 Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.

I was trying to show people on the Sabbath and law forum how these laws are supposed to be everlasting and can't be overturned, but some people respond that these are faulty translations and the Hebrew "olam" doesn't mean forever.

 

[YESLORDIWILL]

Great resource: http://www.thehebrewcafe.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?fid=84

 

[gadar perets]

Genesis 17:13 He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.

Exodus 31:16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.
Exodus 31:17 It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.

Psalms 119:152 Concerning thy testimonies, I have known of old that thou hast founded them for ever.
Psalms 119:160 Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.

I was trying to show people on the Sabbath and law forum how these laws are supposed to be everlasting and can't be overturned, but some people respond that these are faulty translations and the Hebrew "olam" doesn't mean forever.

"Olam" can mean "forever" as in Psalm 45:6, but not always as in Jonah 2:6. The word more correctly means "beyond the horizon" or "time out of mind".

Rather than using Exodus 31:16-17 to show the Sabbath is "for ever", you can use it to show it is a perpetual covenant apart from the "Old Covenant". In other words, it is a covenant itself. Therefore, the "casting off" of the OC does not necessarily include the casting off of the Sabbath as well. Especially in light of the fact that Torah, including the Sabbath, will be written on hearts and minds of NC believers (Jeremiah 31:33) and that the Sabbath will continue to be kept during the Millennium (Isaiah 66:23).

 

[danny ski]

"Olam" can mean "forever" as in Psalm 45:6, but not always as in Jonah 2:6. The word more correctly means "beyond the horizon" or "time out of mind".

Rather than using Exodus 31:16-17 to show the Sabbath is "for ever", you can use it to show it is a perpetual covenant apart from the "Old Covenant". In other words, it is a covenant itself. Therefore, the "casting off" of the OC does not necessarily include the casting off of the Sabbath as well. Especially in light of the fact that Torah, including the Sabbath, will be written on hearts and minds of NC believers (Jeremiah 31:33) and that the Sabbath will continue to be kept during the Millennium (Isaiah 66:23).

Why don't you make us a list of which parts of the Torah we may keep and which ones should we discard.

 

[gadar perets]

I believe in keeping all of Torah unless it was fulfilled. It is the Christians that Travis is dealing with that discard it. I thought I made it clear that Torah is written on hearts and minds under the New Covenant.

 

[Open Heart]

Olam is short for l'olam vaed. Olam can mean either world or in the far distance. Thus l'olam vaed means, roughly, to the distant horizon and again, or, a very distant time and even further. Some also translate l'olam vaed as world unto world.