Because, since He has not any beginning, so consequently He is not conscious of an ending; unless perchance—and far from us be the thought—He at some time began to be, and is not above all things, but as He began to be after something else, He would be beneath that which was before Himself, and would so be found to be of less power, in that He is designated as subsequent even in time itself. For this reason, therefore, He is always unbounded, because nothing is greater than He; always eternal, because nothing is more ancient than He. For that which is without beginning can be preceded by none, in that He has no time. He is on that account immortal, that He does not come to an end by any ending of His completeness.
Novatian, 200-258 AD, Treatise Concerning the Trinity, Chapter II, (translated by Rev. Robert Ernest Wallis, Ante-Nicene Fathers, Rev. Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson, T & T Clark and Wm. B. Eerdmans, Vol. V, p.1015)
What implications does the eternity of God have for us? What application does it have to our lives?
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The implications for me is the way that I imagine the afterlife where I will exist in a reality where time does not exist.
ReplyDeleteI am not myself convinced one way or the other whether in the afterlife we go outside time or whether we are creatures of time and will meet God inside a new time stream of some sort. But it is helpful to understand the options.
DeleteI have always wondered about this whole idea of time and whether another time bounded existence awaits us when we die. I question whether heaven could exist in such a time bounded realm. If it did then it would seem that God might not exist there because time appears to be something he created. It seem more logical, even though it is unimaginable, to think that we will enter an existence where we are no longer bound by time and, unlike this world, will be in the very presence of God.
DeleteI can make arguments both ways. It is clear that God is present everywhere and can invade any time-bound realm as long and as frequently as He wants to. Note His regularly walking with Adam in the cool of the day. And I wonder it we as finite creatures could absorb being outside of time. But I am not dogmatic either way, but prefer to wait and see how it all works out.
DeleteIt makes sense to me that God does not exist in something (i.e. time) that he created. Hence, heaven is not bound by time since it is his residence ... if God has a residence.
ReplyDeleteI believe God can be with us in whatever state of existence we find ourselves in. But I am not totally sure what that will be.
DeleteI am thinking that heaven will be very similar to earth if our relationship with the eternal/timeless God happens in a time-bounded reality.
DeleteI think it is hard to know how similar heaven is to earth. I think there will be both similarities and differences that will surprise us.
DeleteThe concept of time seems to be a physical/earthly limitation. If it exists in heaven God will certainly not exist in heaven any differently than he does on earth.
DeleteWhen I think about Jesus being the same yesterday, today and tomorrow, I think of a God who exists where time is irrelevant.
On the flipside, you are correct in saying that heaven will surprise us. ツ
I agree that God created time, but He also created us. Where we belong I am not absolutely clear on, but I know it will be with Him.
DeleteI guess we can not know for sure what heaven is like. Even so, I imagine it to be a dimension that is not limited by earthly constraints. Especially when I consider how Moses and Elijah appeared on the Mount of Transfiguration.
DeleteWith that I agree.
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