The Bible generally uses two different terms for large groups: “people” and “nations.” When it uses “nation,” it is talking about a group with the desire for good as its ultimate underlying motivation; when it uses the term “people” it is talking about a group whose deep motivation is to seek true ideas and concepts. As with all symbolism in the Bible, this can be also used in a negative sense, to describe groups with the lust for evil or those driven by false concepts. It can also be used in the abstract, with “nation” representing desires for good themselves and “people” representing true ideas themselves. In a way, these meanings make sense if we look at the two words themselves. “People” brings to mind a collection of individuals, and that is somewhat how it is with ideas -- you can have many of them that inter-relate, but also stand somewhat on their own, individually. “Nation” is a more unified term, reflecting the way that a desire for good tends to unify other feelings.

In many cases, the use of “eternity” in the Bible is pretty literal, simply meaning forever. This is especially true when the text refers to someone being condemned to hell or elevated to heaven. In some cases, however, “eternity” or “days of old” refers to what the Writings call the Most Ancient Church -- the first church among the earliest people, innocent souls who acted directly out of love of the Lord. Because of this association, things called “eternal” or “everlasting” usually represent the desire for good that arises from love to the Lord. If we love the Lord, then our desire will be to do His will and love as He loves. From that we will have a true desire to love and care for other people. That's the feeling described by “eternal.”