TIME
“But do not forget this one thing,
dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand
years are like a day.”
2 Peter 3:8
Time is always changing it keeps on ticking and never stands still. Time is continuous
and not stationary. While Time can change our perceptions; our perceptions of
time change continuously. Astronomer
Carl Sagan
had it right when he said that time is "resistant to a simple
definition."
A day is the duration of time it takes for the earth to rotate all the way around. The sun does not really move across the sky; it appears that way because the earth is spinning. A year is the time it takes the earth to orbit the sun.
Standard time is measured from the meridian of longitude that passes through the Greenwich Observatory in England. A meridian is an imaginary circle around the earth passing through the poles and any given point on the earth's surface. Longitude is a measurement of location east or west of the prime meridian (the meridian that passes through both poles and Greenwich, England). Longitude is measured in degrees, minutes, and seconds. Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) is the mean solar time at the zero meridian of longitude.
There are 24 time zones. Each time zone is about 15 degrees of longitude in width (15 x 24 = 360). Within each zone, the local time is standardized. The time in each time zone differs from the time in the neighboring time zone by one hour. As you travel east, the time is one hour later in the next time zone. As you travel west, the time is one hour earlier in the next time zone.
Time may appear like a riddle to many of us, an unfathomable mystery. It leaves us with puzzles and paradoxes. James the half brother of Jesus states: “Your life is like the morning fog… it's here a little while, and then it's gone.” (James 4:14)
Saint Augustine once asked, “What is time? If no one asks me I know; but if any person should require me to tell him, I cannot.” Augustine was highlighting the fact that time is very difficult for us to understand. When we do try to think about it… we are overwhelmed by a sense of the weakness of human intelligence; we cannot put this reality into words. Furthermore, we can’t sum it up with an equation. Einstein’s theory of relativity has not brought the expected breakthrough; we are still waiting to understand the real nature of time! All the laws of our physics are said to break down at the quantum singularity (t = 0).
The author of the universe, the creator of heaven
and earth, according to the Bible is the originator of the space and time
continuum. In Scripture, Time is
measured by a “beginning” and an “end.” The Bible commences with these words: “In the beginning God created the heavens
and the earth” (Gen. 1:1) Jesus once said:
“But at the beginning of creation
God 'made them male and female.” (Mark. 10:6)
Time clearly does not relate to God and man in the same way. In describing God, the psalmist declares: “. . . from everlasting to everlasting, you are God . . .” (Psa. 90:2). Yet, in the same context, of man it is said: “The days of our years are threescore years and ten . . .” (v. 10). God dwell outside of the space and time continuum know as Eternity. Eternity is endless, but time is measured by a “beginning” and an “end.” The Bible commences with these words: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1). One thing is certain, the Scriptures make a distinction between the “temporal” and the “eternal.” Paul says that the things that are seen are “temporal” but the things not seen are “eternal” (2 Cor. 4:18) making a very interesting observation.
In both ancient world and in our modern era, time in a sense has been viewed different from what is portrayed in the Bible. In the Scriptures, time is represented as a linear experience, whereas many have contended that time is cyclic, that is, it involves a series of revolutions that occur again and again. This perception of cyclical time is common to religions like Buddhism and Hinduism, and it has become popular in the modern “New Age” movement.
For example, Hindus believe that when a person dies, his soul (which, allegedly, is eternal) “transmigrates” into a different body. This may happen hundreds of times, but, hopefully, with each new “reincarnation” the soul is progressively purged by one’s “Karma” until finally it merges with “God,” who is the “Soul of Souls.” This aspect of Hinduism is called the “wheel of life.”
The ability for God to manipulate time can be seen throughout Scripture. Teleportation better known as Time Travel is seen as the Apostle John on the Island of Patmos was transported to the future and shown events that will transpire during the end time. The Prophet Daniel in the same manner experienced the same phenomena 164 years before Christ. Philip the evangelist and the Ethiopian Eunuch in Acts 8:34-40 was transported 30 miles between Gaza, the scene of the baptism and Azotus.
Einstein theorized the reality of the Fabric of Time. The Earth displace the fabric of space-time is illustrated in Scripture
as “The
sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up,” (Rev 6:14) NASA scientists could describe the universe is like a sheet of paper. There’s a continuing discussion among astronomers
regarding the actual shape of the Universe. Right now, the most widely accepted
model supports that of a flat universe.
This has been confirmed through accurate measurements made by WMAP
(Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe), a spacecraft that maps out the
differences in temperature of the cosmic microwave background radiation (CMBR)
across the entire sky. These results which only has a 2% margin of error, were
released in 2008.
The Bible describes a parallel universe. It is
the spiritual world, the world of angels and demons. We are told of the
activities of these spiritual beings and how those activities affect our lives,
history, and destiny. Jesus taught is Disciples
to pray “Thy Kingdom they will be done on
earth as it is in Heaven”. This spiritual
world is something we know about by a personal relationship with Jesus Christ that
is revealed in His Word.
The most incredible feature
of all… God has created man to live simultaneously in the material and in the
spiritual world. He wants us to be at home in two worlds. He wants us in His
training program designed to prepare us for an amazing greater world which is
to come.
The opening of doors for us to enter into other worlds was accomplished by the sacrificial work of Jesus Christ over 2000 years ago on a wooden cross in Calvary. We live in a physical universe that involves physics which reveal the super hyperspace the Bible call Heaven.
Scientist's for years have climb the mountain of study, research, theories and facts. When they finally get to the top of that mountain and crest the last peak they will find a group of theologians waiting for them.
Solomon once said, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts,” Ecclesiastes 3:11
Peace,