Earth Time and Heaven Timelessness

EARTH TIME AND HEAVEN TIMELESSNESS

It is generally agreed (at least for me) that God created the heaven, the earth, and the passage of time for humanity to live within and upon.  It also may be agreed, or assumed, that God and the heavenly beings do not live in time but rather are eternal or timeless. This article will take the position that God is timeless and does not live within time.  After all He is the beginning and the end and the first and the last.

Understanding the concept of eternity or “no time” is impossible for a person to comprehend, although some may believe they understand. This brings up a host of unanswerable questions such as:  How does God view our span of life if He doesn’t experience time; Since He knows the end from the beginning, does this mean it has already happened; If it has already occurred, does this mean the two resurrections, the White Throne judgment, and the dead are now (in our time) living eternal lives in the new heaven and earth?

Some exegetes have surmised the existence of three heavens or dimensions as some call them.  [This is not an argument with some scientists who claim there are 11 or more dimensions]  The first heaven would be the universe; the second would be the realm of the heavenly beings; and the third heaven would be the abode, or existence, of God.  It is OK if anyone disagrees with the above statement; it’s not fact or doctrine – just an opinion, although somewhat justified by scripture. 

Let’s now view some scriptures that may validate some of the above comments. 

EXAMPLE #1

Daniel 7:16 KJV  I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things.

Stood by

Word Study:  qûm: An Aramaic verb meaning to stand, to arise, to set up, to establish. It means to get up from a sitting or lying position, to stand erect

Most of the Hebrew dictionaries translate the word qum as “stood by” or to change from a sitting position to one of standing. 

The Concordant Literal Version translates “one of them that stood by” as “one of the risers”.  How did this entity rise?  Who is this riser?  He is not referred to as an angel by Daniel.

Daniel 7:16 CLV  I draw near to one of the risers, and as to the certainty of all this am I petitioning him. Then he speaks to me, and the interpretation of the matter is he making known to me."

The context begins with Daniel 7:9-10 which is prophesying of the White Throne Judgment.  Verse 10 is referring to the resurrection of the dead and the CLV states, “ten thousand ten thousands are rising before Him”.  This would make a riser one who has risen from the dead in the CLV translation.

EXAMPLE #2

Revelation 19:10 KJV  And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

Brethren

adelphos

Thayer Definition:

1) a brother, whether born of the same two parents or only of the same father or mother

2) having the same national ancestor, belonging to the same people, or countryman

3) any fellow or man

In Revelation 19:10, John is spoken to by a being.  Although the being is not identified, John apparently thinks the person is an angel or something similar and falls to the being’s feet.  The person rebukes John and tells him that he is a fellow servant and also that he is of John’s brethren.  The Thayer definitions are similar to other dictionaries and indicate that a “brethren” is a fellow man at the minimum and could be an ancestor or of the same group of people.

EXAMPLE #3

Revelation 22:8-9 KJV  And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.  (9)  Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.

In this example, John attempts to identify the speaker as an angel, however, the being rebukes him with the same message as did the previous speaker.  In addition, the being adds that he is of John’s brethren “the prophets and of those who heed the words of this book”. 

The actual Greek word for angel is aggelos (angelos) but in this instance the Greek word used (and translated as angel in the KJV) is actually the word malak which is defined as “messenger” although it could be employed in conjunction with an angel as describing one of their duties.

Although a messenger can be either earthly or heavenly, this being identified with prophets, which are not considered heavenly.  It is almost possible to conclude that the being was a prophet or “saint” who had lived in former times and had since died, only to be sent back to give John this revelation.

This brings us into other areas of thought, particularly the state of the dead, the issue of time, and the fact that God “is not the God of the dead, but of the living; for all live to Him” (Luke 20:38). Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were all dead insofar as man’s perspective is concerned, but from God’s timeless perspective, “all live to Him.” In the same manner it is possible that Moses and Elijah were able to appear on the Mount of Transfiguration.