"Forever and ever amen" sounds great, but where does the phrase come from?
“Forever and ever amen!” is a great way to close in prayer. We can find it throughout the Bible. It’s used by David in praise after the ark of God was returned to Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 16:36). In some Bible translations, this expression is included at the end of the Lord’s prayer. Peter, Paul, and John all employed this saying in their writing.
If a phrase is repeated throughout the Bible, and the great women and men of God used it, it is worthy of our study. We can simply repeat it, but understanding its meaning will deepen our prayer life.
What Does “Amen” Mean?
“Amen” is a word we speak to close our prayers daily. It’s like the period at the end of the prayer. We’re done asking. We’ve given the Father our praise, thanksgiving, and needs; now it’s his turn. But “amen’ is more than a period. It’s a word of faith.
In our English dictionaries, the definition of amen includes “so be it” and “let it be so.” It is a word of agreement. But digging deeper into the ancient Hebrew root reveals the intentions of the original authors and speakers as they closed their prayers. A Hebrew word that shares the same root for “amen” is emunah.
In “The Meaning of Amen and the Hebrew Word for Faith,” Avitol Snow explains that emunah means faith with action. It means “faithfulness.” It also shares the same root as eman, which means “to confirm,” and hareem, which means “to trust” or “confide in.”
When we look back at the root that connects these words, we find a common denominator in their definitions: faith, faithfulness, “so be it,” “may it be so,” to confirm, trust, or confide in. All these definitions have one thing in common: faith and trust. So, when we say, “Amen!” we proclaim our faith and trust in God. This is important to understand. If “amen” includes an element of faith and trust, another way to end our petitions could be, “I trust you.” I trust God with this prayer. I trust his response and the way he will work it out.
“I trust you forever and ever.” What a way to end our prayers. Now that we’ve established the deeper meaning of “Amen,” let’s dig into “Forever and Ever.”
The Meaning of “Forever and Ever”
How long is forever and ever? According to the Hebrew words translated, olam and wa’ed,our English has defined it well. It’s never-ending, continually eternal, with no vanishing point. An article on Hebrew Word Lessons explains, “There are certain things that have olam attached to them, things that Biblical authors really want to hit home.”
These things that olam describes include God’s name (YHWH), his covenant, his promises, salvation, and his love.
His name reveals the meaning of “forever and forever.” When the eternal, forever, and ever God introduced himself to Moses, he gave this name:
“I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’
God also said to Moses, ‘Say to the Israelites, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’
This is my name forever,
the name you shall call me
from generation to generation.” (Exodus 3:14-15)
God has no beginning or end. He is, was, and will be. He is, was, and will be worshiped forever and ever with his unchanging son, our savior, Jesus (Hebrews 13:8). The consistent, never-ending nature of God and his Word (Isaiah 40:8) makes him trustworthy with our prayers.
Do We See Anyone Praying “Forever and Ever Amen” in the Bible?
Some of the great men of the Bible incorporated this phrase. Peter closed his first letter with these words, “And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power forever and ever. Amen (1 Peter 5:11). And Paul also penned this benediction at the end of his letter to the Philippians (Philippians 4:20). Becky Harling beautifully describes this phrase as a “benediction of praise to the eternal wonder of God’s glory and power.”
But it’s not only used in benedictions. According to the Apostle John, all of creation will use this phrase of praise and trust one day:
“Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying:
‘To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be praise and honor and glory and power,
for ever and ever!’
The four living creatures said, ‘Amen,’ and the elders fell down and worshiped.” (Revelation 5:13-14)
They fell and worshiped. Their actions reveal the meaning of this phrase. “Forever and ever amen!” is a declaration of trust cultivated as we worship.
Why Is It Important that God Is the Same Forever and Ever?
Aren’t we thankful God does not think like a man? He is not fickle. He doesn’t change his mind or lie. Balaam spoke these words instructed by the LORD:
“God is not human, that he should lie,
not a human being, that he should change his mind.
Does he speak and then not act?
Does he promise and not fulfill?
I have received a command to bless;
he has blessed, and I cannot change it” (Numbers 23:19-20).
This is the nature of the forever and ever God. His unchanging nature is the foundation of our trust. We can give him our worries, sorrow, and fear, and we can trust that he will answer perfectly within the perspective of all eternity—what is very best for our souls and those we love.
What Are Some Ways We Can Remember God Is the Same Forever and Ever?
We can remember God is constant and faithful by watching a sunrise. It’s not missed a day. The moon consistently waxes and wanes, and winter always gives way to spring. The same God who led the Israelites now leads us by the Presence of his Spirit and has made a way for our bodies to be the Temple of the Living God as he dwells in our hearts by faith.
We remember him as we pray, crying out our petitions, thanksgiving, and praise to the only one worthy of our whole-hearted trust. And so, we can end our prayers with “forever and ever, amen!” because of the constancy of the forever, trustworthy God in a changing world.
Prayer to Pray to the Unchanging God for Greater Faith
Dear God, your unchanging, forever love surrounds us. Sometimes we can’t feel your presence, but we stand on your track record. You alone are worthy of our trust, so as we lift our desperate cries for healing and provision. We know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you will answer. Give us greater trust in your answers—even those that aren’t what we’d hoped. You see beyond our today unto all eternity. Because of your vision, we lay this petition for greater faith at your feet and close our prayer with the words of David, Peter, and Paul—men of fervent trust in you. Thank you, covenant God. We praise you forever and ever, amen.
Prayer of Worship to the Unchanging God
To the Master of the Universe, the world’s Creator, we praise You. You made this beautiful world for us with everything we need for life. And you’ve made a way for eternal life. We are amazed by your vision. You’ve missed nothing. We praise you. We worship you, the Alpha and Omega, beginning and end. Give us a glimpse of your hand working through the passage of time. You are forever and ever, and because of that, we end this prayer of worship not only with “amen,” but from the depths of our souls, we end our praise with three small yet resoundingly paramount words, “We trust you for all eternity.”
Photo Credit: © GettyImages/olegbreslavtsev
Andy Lee is an event speaker, blogger, YouTuber, and award winning author of three books, A Mary Like Me; The Book of Ruth Key-Word Bible Study, and Radiant Influence: How an ordinary girl changed the world. She passionately teaches how to find life in God's Word in order to live abundantly. You can catch her life giving messages weekly on Instagram and YouTube. She also provides monthly Bible reading plans and articles on her website www.wordsbyandylee.
