Pearls of the Word

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From this present world to the world to come

by Jean-Louis Coraboeuf

"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say, "Amen!" Praise the Lord!" (Psalm 106:48).

Verses 45-48 of this Psalm are a prayer in favour of the Aliyah (return of the Jews to Israel). God remembers His covenant and allows Himself to yield to His infinite mercy. He then awakens compassion among those who hold captive His people so that they may gather from the midst of the nations in His land to celebrate His holy name and be saved.

Literally, the expression "from eternity to eternity" is written "from the world to the world". This means, according to Jewish thought, "from this present world (olam azeh) to the world to come (olam haba)". Indeed, the purpose of the Aliyah is the return of Jews to Eretz Yisrael (the Land of Israel) to welcome the Messiah who is to come to inaugurate the messianic reign of a thousand years of which the book of Revelation speaks.