The Stars Forever

“Those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.”  Daniel 12:3

The setting of this beautiful verse is after the resurrection of the saved “to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt” (v. 2). Its glorious promise to those who “have insight” and who “lead the many to righteousness” through Jesus Christ is that of shining forever, like the stars.
   
Evolutionary astronomers believe that stars evolve through a long cycle of stellar life and death, but this idea contradicts God’s revelation that he has created this physical universe to last forever. Speaking of these stellar heavens, the majestic 148th Psalm, centered on God’s creation, says that “He has also established them forever and ever; He has made a decree which will not pass away” (Psalm 148:6).

It is true that, because of sin, “the whole creation groans...together until now” (Rom. 8:22), and the heavens “will become old like a garment, and they will also be changed” (Heb. 1:11-12). In fact, the earth and its atmospheric heaven (not the sidereal heaven) one day will “pass away” (Matt. 24:35), and then will be transformed by God into “new heavens and a new earth” (2 Pet. 3:13), which will never pass away.

But the infinite cosmos of space and time, created in the beginning by God, was created to last forever, and God cannot fail in his purposes. “I know that everything God does will remain forever; there is nothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from it, for God has so worked that men should fear Him” (Ecclesiastes 3:14).

The stars are innumerable, each one unique, each one with a divine purpose, and they will shine forever. We can never reach them in this life, but in our glorified bodies, we shall have endless time to explore the infinite heavens.