Time and Eternity

Status
Not open for further replies.

InSlaveryToChrist

Puritan Board Junior
Something quite interesting popped into my mind today. It is commonly thought in the Christian world that time and eternity are antonymes. However, when you consider the fact that time indicates change and that Lucifer and some of her underlings changed in their being while in eternity, there has to be a flaw in this manner of thinking somewhere.

Maybe time does not necessarily indicate change? Maybe Lucifer was not in eternity, but under time? So, maybe God already created time in the heaven? When you think about it, it is nowhere stated in the Bible that God created time when forming the universe. So perhaps eternity is only at His hand, in His immediate presence, where no angels or other beings are allowed to enter, except the saints.

I do not desire to speculate on these things. We can know certain things about time and eternity and their relationship though the Bible, and it is always useful to see things more clearly.

Share me your thoughts.
 
Well, my simplistic thought is that all creatures are subject to time--they, by nature, operate within time. Satan may not be tangibly constrained by physical barriers, but I have always considered him to be only in one place at one time, meaning that time applies to him as well.
 
When you think about it, it is nowhere stated in the Bible that God created time when forming the universe.

What do you think "In the beginning" means. A "beginning" assumes there is time. The way I understand it Genesis 1:1 explain that time, space and matter were created simultaneously. You cannot have space and matter (or anything "created" even spiritual entities) without time. (especially if you consider they are outside of God and only God is eternal).
 
there is a passage in Job which seems to indicate it, creatures are subject to time in this material world though in the spiritual realm there would be a lineal progression of action, thought & deed, though it may not be called time!
 
there is a passage in Job which seems to indicate it, creatures are subject to time in this material world though in the spiritual realm there would be a lineal progression of action, thought & deed, though it may not be called time!

Are you referring to this passage

Job 38-4-7

4 Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.

5 Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?

6 Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;

7 When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

If so I don't see this saying the angels (or sons of God) existed before the creation, it's just saying they were there when God "laid the foundation of the earth", it would make sense that it's referring to the creation week but it does nothing to suggest angels existed prior to "the first day".

The scripture do not tell us everything there is to know about God and his creation, it just declare what God choose to reveal to us. Even if the creation of the angels are not specifically mentioned in the first verses of Genesis it doesn't mean they were not created during the creation week. It certainly doesn't prove they exited before the creation. (this include time)
 
Last edited:
The scripture do not tell us everything there is to know about God and his creation, it just declare what God choose to reveal to us. Even if the creation of the angels are not specifically mentioned in the first verses of Genesis it doesn't mean they were not created during the creation week. It certainly doesn't prove they exited before the creation. (this include time)

Interesting! I've always thought (or been taught) that first were the angels and the fall of Satan, then came creation and the fall of man. It would make perfect sense if literally everything and everyone were made "in the beginning," including heaven (not to be confused with eternity) and its angels.
 
Only God Himself is not subject to time.

There was a time when the OT saints and the angels were in Heaven and the glorified and ascended Christ wasn't't there as to His human nature. Since about AD 33, He has been thete.

Earthly time appears not to be unrelated to Heavenly time.

When people speak about "going into eternity" they are speaking about a place where time will not end, not about a place where time is not. Such an extent of endless time may "boggle the mind" here, but will not in eternity.

Sent from my HTC Wildfire using Tapatalk 2
 
Last edited:
Only God Himself is not subjfvct to time.

There was a time when the OT saints and the angels were in Heaven and the glorified and ascended Christ wasn't't there as to His human nature. Since about AD 33, He has been thete.

Earthly time appears not to be unrelated to Heavenly time.

When people speak about "going into eternity" they are speaking about a place where time will not end, not about a place where time is not. Such an extent of endless time may "boggle the mind" here, but will not in eternity.

Sent from my HTC Wildfire using Tapatalk 2

This makes perfect sense! Thank you, Richard!
 
God inhabits time and eternity

Isaiah 57:15 For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.

Anyway time flows at different rates in the universe and even on earth time is slightly different on a mountain and at sea level... slower near heavy bodies and faster away from such gravity wells and fastest in deep space... God is unaffected by time at least not in the same way we are or perhaps only in aspects of the incarnation as it touches on the humanity of Jesus

( but in Jesus the human nature is welded to his divine and redeemed the church by 'the blood of God' so who can say )
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top