"For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." —Revelation 19:13
Time
Prophecy is history written in advance. God
lives in eternity, were their is no time. This is why a day is as a
thousand years with God, and a thousand years as a day. 2nd Peter 3:8
states, "But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is
with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day."
Mankind lives within the framework of time. In fact, there is coming a
day when time will cease. We read in Revelation 10:6, "...that there
should be time no longer."
Can you imagine a world without time? Here's something you've probably never thought about ... time will also cease to exist in Hell. We've all heard the familiar saying, "Time heals all wounds." Well, if you die in your sins without Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, then your wounds will never heal--because there will be NO time. Hell will have no end, because there will be no time. Without time, there can be no end. Scary huh?
This is why God has no beginning, "Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually." This Scripture speaks of Melchisedec, the King of Salem, who's description in Hebrews Chapter 7 could only be that of the Lord Jesus Christ. God has no beginning. God always was, and always will be.
It was Einstein who discovered that time slows down as velocity increases. Theoretically, on paper, Einstein submitted that time would stand still if a man could travel at the speed of light. Various tests have been performed by scientists, which have shown that time does indeed slow down as speed increases. The implications are limitless and astounding to the human mind. Few people realize that a mere loaf of bread, has enough energy in it to annihilate a large section of a city, if it's nuclear power were released all at once.
Scientists use uranium and
plutonium for nuclear power, only because those elements are naturally
unstable, emitting constant showers of atoms. However, the same nuclear
energy binds all of creation together. Everything around you is composed
of the same nuclear energy. The human mind cannot fathom the
astronomical amount of energy in the universe. Mankind only has a small
grasp of the greatness of God's creation.
Perplexing Questions for the Unbeliever
Mankind lives within the creation of time. God created time for man to live in; BUT, with God there is NO past, present, or future--because God lives in eternity, not time. This is why we read in Revelation 13:8, "And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." Jesus had already been crucified in the eyes' of God, before the world was ever spoken into existence. Why? ... because God lives in eternity. Though this may seem difficult to grasp, it explains the unexplainable.
Mankind cannot comprehend how a universe could have evolved from NOTHING, which is scientifically impossible. The laws of thermodynamics prove that energy can be neither created nor destroyed. So where did the energy required to create a universe come from? Doesn't it make much more sense to accept 2nd Peter 3:5 by faith, which declares...
"For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water."
The Bible declares that the universe was created by the Word of God, Jesus Christ (John 1:1-3,10; Colossians 1:16). This makes infinite more sense, than for some idiot with a degree to claim that the universe JUST HAPPENED! Please! It doesn't take a whole lot of sense to understand that life doesn't just happen. Jesus is the reason for the seasons. Science CANNOT explain where time originated. How can they? Can time have a beginning? No, it cannot. How could there have been a time when there was no time? Do you mean to tell me that the clock just started ticking at some point in nothingness? That's as absurd as it is unscientific!
The only logical, and sensible,
answer is a Divine God--an omnipotent (all-powerful) individual with
incredible intelligence, brilliant craftsmanship, a sense of humor, and an
abundantly good heart. God is so wonderful. And to think that He
sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to pay for our sins with His own precious blood, "Forasmuch
as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and
gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and
without spot." -1st Peter 1:18,19. Thank God for the blood of Jesus,
which takes our sins away!
No Time in Eternity
Again, we read in Revelation 10:6, "...that there should be time no longer." God lives in eternity; but man lives in time. Romans 8:29 states, "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren." God knew in His foreknowledge, in eternity, who would one day be saved, and who wouldn't. God NEVER chooses anyone to salvation. This is a heresy taught by Calvinists, which violates the plainest teachings of the Word of God--that WHOSOEVER may be saved.
Romans 10:13 declares, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." It is abundantly clear that ANYONE can choose, by their own free will, to come to Christ for salvation. Jesus said in John 5:40, "And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life." Notice that Jesus didn't say, Ye cannot come; NO, Jesus said, "Ye will not come." Anyone can be saved if they'll come to the Savior for forgiveness of their sins. John 6:37, "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." God knew in eternity, before the world began, who would be saved.
God predestinated those individuals to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. Again, Romans 8:29 states, "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son..." Nothing is ever mentioned about being chosen to salvation. Again, if we understand the Biblical truth that God lives in eternity, it makes it much easier for us to understand other Biblical truths; such as predestination. God's omnipotence is not limited by time. God truly has a time machine, that can go anywhere throughout time and space.
John 16:22, "And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you." Amen!
