It's not just endless harp-playing on clouds, that's for sure.
In the Kabbalah, particularly in texts like Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah (which, by the way, translates roughly to "138 Openings of Wisdom"), we get glimpses into a fascinating vision of time, existence, and the ultimate state of being.
The text speaks of realms "above Atik." Now, Atik Yomin (אַתִּיק יוֹמִין) translates to "Ancient of Days," and it is one of the names of God, a manifestation of the Divine will. This is heady stuff, and we're already diving deep! Above this level, the text suggests, lie the lights of the "Ears, Nose, and Mouth." These aren't literal body parts, of course, but rather symbolic representations of divine attributes and channels of emanation. Think of them as conduits through which the divine essence flows into creation.
But what does any of this have to do with eternity?
Well, the Kabbalah often divides time into millennia, with each millennium representing a different stage in the unfolding of creation. According to Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah, everything above Atik—those lights of the Ears, Nose, and Mouth—reflects the state that will exist from the seventh millennium onward. That's when things start to get...eternal.
The idea is that after the seventh millennium, death, as we understand it, will cease to exist. These millennia are collectively called "eternity." No more death? It's a powerful concept, isn't it?
However, even within this eternal timeframe, there are distinctions to be made. The text differentiates between a "time of ascents," which lasts until the tenth millennium, and a subsequent "time of eternity," when everything becomes firmly fixed. During the "time of ascents," there's still a process of spiritual refinement and elevation, as humanity strives to reach the lights of AV.
Who or what is AV? In Kabbalah, AV (sometimes spelled AB) represents the archetypal Man, the perfected human form, and it's associated with the Sefirah of Chokhmah (Wisdom). Reaching the lights of AV suggests achieving a state of profound spiritual understanding and connection to the divine.
After the tenth millennium, when everything is "firmly fixed," we enter a state of true, unwavering eternity. As it says in Daat Tevunot (pp. 253-5), this will be "for ever and for all eternity."
So, what does it all mean for us here and now? Perhaps it's a reminder that even amidst the chaos and uncertainty of our present lives, there's a deeper reality—a realm of eternal light and boundless potential—waiting to be revealed. And maybe, just maybe, by striving for spiritual growth and connection in this lifetime, we can begin to glimpse, however faintly, the contours of that eternal future.