How is eternity expressed mathematically?

How is eternity expressed mathematically?

Here are the largest numbers I could find as a layman's point of reference:

Googol: A large number. A "1" followed by one hundred zeros.
10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000

Googolplex: The second largest number with a name.
A "1" followed by a googol of zeros.
See www.Googolplex.com

Googolplexian: The worlds largest number with a name.
A "1" followed by a googolplex of zeros.

Googolplexian: 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, etc.

http://www.googolplexian.com/

Question: Is anyone able to fathom the infinite quantitative/qualitative aspect of an eternity with or separated from God?

Originally posted by Grampy Bobby
[b]How is eternity expressed mathematically?

Here are the largest numbers I could find as a layman's point of reference:

Googol: A large number. A "1" followed by one hundred zeros.
10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000

Googolple ...[text shortened]... thom the infinite quantitative/qualitative aspect of an eternity with or separated from God?[/i]

Can you demonstrate scripturally that a person can exist eternally, while separated from God?

Originally posted by Grampy Bobby
How is eternity expressed mathematically?

I am not a mathematician by training but I was always taught that infinity is expressed using the symbol ∞ [like the number 8 lying on its side]. Wouldn't that suffice as a mathematical expression of "eternity" i.e. something like ∞ time or ∞ hours?

edit: my 'number 8 lying on its side' symbol appears ok on my screen when i compose the post but appears as a string of letters etc. when it is posted. But I think you know the symbol I mean.

Originally posted by divegeester
Can you demonstrate scripturally that a person can exist eternally, while separated from God?

Not that I think the topic of 'existing eternally' deserves too much time spent being speculated about (or even being hoped for), especially when there is so much more to life as we know it, here and now, in its indisputably finite form, but I do not see the emotional or intellectual attraction of 'eternal existence'.

I acknowledge that imagining it is an upshot of the capacity of the human spirit to conceptualize abstract things, but this in itself does not make it anything other than an unappealing proposition, even as a thought game hypothetical.

Originally posted by FMF
Not that I think the topic of 'existing eternally' deserves too much time spent speculating about (or even hoping), especially when there is so much more to life as we know it, here and now, in its indisputably finite form, but I do not see the emotional or intellectual attraction of 'eternal existence'.

I acknowledge that imagining it is an upshot of the ca ...[text shortened]... not make it anything other than an unappealing proposition, even as a thought game hypothetical.

The OP is slightly misleading in that it initially requests a solution to a "mathematically" denoted problem, but concludes with the premise of a spiritual conceptualisation. My response is to ask for clarification on the spiritual angle by providing biblically based references as wether an eternity separated from God is supportable.

Originally posted by divegeester
The OP is slightly misleading in that it initially requests a solution to a "mathematically" denoted problem, but concludes with the premise of a spiritual conceptualisation. My response is to ask for clarification on the spiritual angle by providing biblically based references as wether an eternity separated from God is supportable.

Well, of course, somebody telling me that they think they are going to live forever or that I am going to live forever "separated from God" is scarcely here not there to me personally. The question of why one would want to live forever, however, is more interesting.

The ancient Greeks didn't accept infinitely large numbers. (Hence the 'Achilles and the tortoise' paradox, which in fact isn't a real paradox, only for those who don't accept infinity.)

Modern mathematics has no problems expressing eternity.

Originally posted by divegeester

On your screen, is this... &#8734

...appearing as the number 8 lying on its side or as "& # 8 7 3 4"?

Originally posted by FMF
Well, of course, somebody telling me that they think they are going to live forever or that I am going to live forever "separated from God" is scarcely here not there to me personally. The question of why one would want to live forever, however, is more interesting.

It is not so much that people want to live forever, but that they don't want to die/be dead. That is actually quite an understandable position, since having that survival instinct is pretty much hardwired into each living creature.

It is therefore not surprising that humankind - with its superior imagination - has come up with ideas like heaven (and hell) and life after death.

Wrong, of course, but very understandable.

Originally posted by Great King Rat
It is not so much that people want to live forever, but that they don't want to die/be dead. That is actually quite an understandable position, since having that survival instinct is pretty much hardwired into each living creature.

It is therefore not surprising that humankind - with its superior imagination - has come up with ideas like heaven (and hell) and life after death.

Wrong, of course, but very understandable.

I have the survival instinct too. I don't want to die today. Or tomorrow. I try to keep healthy. I protect my children from existential threats. But for me to comfort myself by declaring myself to be immortal ~ in effect, denying that there is death altogether ~ is only "understandable" as a piece of psychology, not as some sort of supposed "knowledge" that people "teach" to others.

Originally posted by FMF
On your screen, is this... &#8734

Like this.

Originally posted by divegeester
Can you demonstrate scripturally that a person can exist eternally, while separated from God?

divegeester's soul is the invisible, incorporeal essence of the real person behind the nickname; that soul was imputed by God and will live forever at one of two addresses: faith alone in Christ alone, in Heaven; rejection of Christ, the Lake of Fire.

"11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." Rev. 20:11-15

Originally posted by Grampy Bobby
divegeester's soul is the invisible, incorporeal essence of the real person behind the nickname; that soul was imputed by God and will live forever at one of two addresses: faith alone in Christ alone, in Heaven; rejection of Christ, the Lake of Fire.

"11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven f ...[text shortened]... e was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." Rev. 20:11-15

with an eternity of existing, what is stopping each individual good soul at some point rebelling against god?

Originally posted by stellspalfie
with an eternity of existing, what is stopping each individual good soul at some point rebelling against god?

stellspalfie, believers in Christ in heaven will no longer have the sin nature all of us inherited from Adam.