CHAPTER 2
THE ORIGINS OF TIME & LOCATION
Neither time nor location have existed forever into the past. Both were created by God. The Bible declares clearly that time had a beginning:
"We declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began." (1 Corinthians 2:7)
"This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time" (2 Timothy 1:9)
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning." (John 1:1-2)
As we have already noted, before there were souled creatures who needed time and location there was only God Himself alone in Trinity, and neither time nor any location existed because God never needed either. As the creator of time, God is in control of time, not the other way around. And as the creator of all locations He also did not require place, space or any location, so there was no universe or heaven until souled creatures which required time and location were about to be created.
Jeremiah 32:17: “Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.”
Nehemiah 9:6: “You are the Lord, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you.”
As Nehemiah says, heaven itself did not exist until God created it, and neither did a universe. God existed in an "eternal now" apart from time and location until He determined to create souled creatures who needed both time and location.
Time and location are twins. And God is not subject to either. He created both time and location for souled creatures and He controls both as a necessary part of His plan for those creatures. God does not need time or a place to reside or sit. All locations were created by God for residence by His created creatures and to enable His souled creatures to interact with Him. We have seen how God did not require time or space or any other boundaries, but when He decided to create souled beings, they required boundaries such as heaven, a universe, planets, stars, animals and plants, and so on. And yes, they required time. Without time, created beings cannot orient or function. So in the beginning, God created…..time. In fact, time was the first thing God ever created. Then after there was time, God created the first location which was the original universe (we will explain the "original" part shortly) and also heaven. And after all of that infrastructure was in place He created the first souled beings, which were the angels. Created beings with souls must be placed into time and location. Time is the mechanism by which sentient beings have continuation, can orient to their roles in life, have a basis for meaning and purpose and motivation, and can relate to each other and to God. Location provides a material place in which material beings can function, since they cannot exist inside an immaterial environment. It also defines boundaries, provides for a frame of reference for understanding what is going on around them, gives them order and predictability regarding their surroundings, provides for nourishment, and allows for finding and interacting with God and other created creatures. The universe has different types of materiality, as shown by the difference between human and angel bodies, such as how angels can perform space travel, be invisible or visible, and other issues we will discuss. That is also why the universe and heaven are both material, although a different type of materiality.
We know that God is Trinity, and the Bible reveals which Members of the Trinity were involved in the various aspects of creation, and later restoration, of the various locations which will have been created over time. The Second Member of the Trinity, known as God the Son, created time and the original universe.
Hebrews 1:1 “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. 3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.”
Colossians 1:15 "The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him."
During the history which has played out over time to this point, God the Son became Jesus Christ the God-Man Savior. It was the deity side of the Son who created everything which exists.
It is difficult for humans to understand there was a point when time was created, and therefore time simply did not exist before that creation occurred. But it should be even more difficult to accept that time is as ancient as God. If time went back as far as God, then it would be His equal, and God could not know the future until time revealed it to Him since they would be on the same path, with God needing to wait for the future for it to be revealed to Him by time. God would therefore need to rely on time to teach Him and reveal to Him and allow Him to understand things which have not yet happened inside of time. These are impossible, since that would not be the limitless perfect God the Bible reveals. God is not subject to, reliant on, or beholden to time since He created everything which exists, including time and all locations. If God did not create time, then there is no such thing. But He did, and there is. Therefore, time is a “thing,” a confined and circumscribed part of God's plan, something controlled by God for His own purposes, not something which always was, and into which God must find a way to “fit.” John 1:3 says "All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being." And Hebrews 1:3 reveals "The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.” The creation and sustaining of all things includes both time and location, which God the Son created and now sustains, which in turn allows souled beings to exist. Of course this is deep and hard to understand. But hang on, and it will become more clear....over time.
We have discussed how there was a timeless period before souled creatures existed when there was only God. No universe, no heaven, no angels, no mankind, no animals or plants, and no time. Eternal now means God can be anywhere in sequence at any moment, and everywhere in sequence all at the same moment. Created creatures must be inside time and can only proceed in sequence as time proceeds, creating an ever increasing past as the future sequentially becomes an ever-transforming present, which continuously becomes part of the past. Sequence creates a past but time can never proceed faster than the sequence allows. This is a key to understanding God in relation to time, that God is not subject to the inexorably changing sequence which time contains. Therefore, at any point of time God can be in any and all other points of time as though the entirety of time was the present moment. In reality, all of time is in the present moment to God, which defines the eternal now in which He lives. God does not live sequentially. And to God all things are continually in the present, and all at the same time. But He chooses to act toward His creatures in ways allowing for time and sequence to play out under conditions where each souled creature has free will to make decisions in their own present time, and sequentially.
One of the more difficult issues to understand is how free will can exist in souled beings yet God knows the future. The only answer is God's eternal now existence outside of time where God is not subject to sequence. God allows each souled creature to make free-will decisions and He also allows those decisions to determine the future of each of those beings and the future course of history which will be developed over the entirety of time. God knows the future decisions which will be made by souled creatures because He is outside of time, but God does not make those decisions for those creatures, or force them to make certain decisions. This defines predestination in the Bible, that God already knows all future decisions, but He does not coerce those decisions when they are related to choosing for or against His plan. God's will and the free will of souled creatures co-exist during history, and God's knowledge of the future decisions which are yet to be made does not negate the freedom of those souled creatures to make those decisions. God may influence decisions, for example to protect His own believers from harm caused by the decisions of others, but the core issue of free will in souled creatures is the choice to freely choose for or against God, and such choices are the key part of free will which God does not coerce. This is one of the most amazing things about God, that He allows and enables true free will in His souled creatures while at the same time He is already at the end of all things, outside of time in His eternal now, but also continually in the present time with His own believers during time. Once again, out of all of the concepts which are most difficult for us as humans to understand during this life, the issues of time and God's relationship to it and souled creatures having free will are definitely among them. But you are now beginning to understand, and you will learn much more.
As humans we are tempted to say that time is eternal in both directions, so we generally attempt to relate to God in His eternal now by calling the period before time began something like “the eternal past” or some other term of accommodation, which is not accurate. But it is understandable that we try to comprehend the eternal now in which God lives by using a term for it related to time and thinking of time as going back eternally. But eternity into the past only applies to God Himself inside His eternal now which is outside of time, so eternity does not apply to time itself, which makes our heads hurt because we try to relate eternity to time, including past time, which is incorrect. Remember that God's eternal now is not inside of time, and time has not existed forever, therefore saying time goes back eternally is not a valid concept. Therefore eternity does not apply to time going backward, only forward, so we can more appropriately use the term "everlasting" which applies only to future time, not to the past. The phrase “the eternal past” makes God subordinate to time, implying time is as eternal as God since it does not account for the absence of time before God created it. Saying that God lived in an “eternal past” is therefore inaccurate since time only goes forward from the point of its creation, and does not go backward before it was created by God. It implies there was a past before time was created, and that cannot be true. In reality, before God created time it simply did not exist, and only God existed in an “eternal now” apart from time, and still does. Eternity past would require that time never had a beginning, but it did. However, it is understandable that we use some imprecise words and phrases to explain such deep concepts as time, therefore this is merely an explanation, not an attempt to criticize and seek to eliminate all impure terminology. But technically speaking, time is not eternal, only everlasting since it had a beginning. Eternal means no beginning or end, and that only applies to God in His eternal now outside of time. Everlasting means perpetual continuation forward once created, so that applies to time and all souled creatures. The reality is that time did not go back eternally, but rather simply did not exist before God created it. If time went back eternally, it would have gone back as far as God, and that is not possible. God pre-existed time inside His eternal now, and He created time, otherwise He would be subject to it. A perfect God cannot be subject to time.
If it seems like these discussions have said the same thing several different ways from different perspectives, that is what was intended. With such a deep concept as time there is not one simple way to make the issues clear. So there is a method in doing this, and it is the only way to make these issues understandable. The core principles must be stated in different ways in different contexts if they are to be communicated clearly, so this will continue to be an issue in this book.
Regarding location, there could not be any location without time. These twins of time and location were created by God for souled creatures to enable them to interact with Him. So why do we use the term “location” instead of “the universe” or “space”? It is because some locations are not inside the universe, so it is not an all-encompassing term. And the term “space” is not specific enough for our use, and space does not go on into infinity, at least not as the term is commonly used, so at least one location is outside of what we call “space.” Furthermore, although several locations already exist, there will be more in the future, and some will not be contained inside the current universe or space, but rather in a new universe. Therefore using the term “location” allows us to discuss past, present and future places, some of which do not yet exist, and some which will cease to exist. Location is commonly thought of as two very different but connected places, namely the existing universe and heaven. But there are also other locations which currently exist, some occupied and others not occupied at this point, which will also be discussed. And within the major locations there are sub-locations, such as the universe containing earth as a primary focus for God's plan, so we must understand that the current universe is a set of sub-locations, and also a single location in its entirety. Therefore the term “location” is useful when we sum up all of the various places created by God such as the universe, heaven, and others, some past and others still future. Although many have not recognized heaven as included in the term “location,” it definitely is since it was created for souled beings as a place for creatures to locate and interact with God. We will discuss how the universe, heaven and other locations, past and future, are connected. And all locations relate to time. We cannot discuss one without discussing the other.
God is apart from time and has never needed time, which is why 2 Peter 3:8 says: “With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.” This describes an eternal now whereby God is not subject to time because He lives in all parts of time at every moment, including all of the past, present and future. With God, all parts of time are compressed into the present, and He can choose which parts to focus on as He desires. But He also recognizes the need to relate to His souled creatures each in their own present time, where time is constantly progressing. Souled creatures must live in an ever-changing present time, which is how God designed time to work for His creatures.
All of this should show the Reader that only an eternal perfect God could create time since it could not have existed without a creation event. As a "thing" time is very complex having multiple intricately designed components including sequence, continuation, series, and so on. We also see why God cannot live inside of time, because He cannot be subject to those components of time and remain God. Therefore He lives in an eternal now where there is no past or future, only all things at the same time, but outside of time. He simply is “Existence.” That is His real name, as He has told us in His Word. Exodus 3:13:
“Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” 14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’”
The Hebrew word for "I am who I am" is what we transliterate into "Jehovah" or "YAHWEH" (the Tetragrammaton) and is often translated as "The Lord". The “I Am” means far more than simply God exists, rather it means He is “The Existence.” As such He exists outside of all else, including time and location. He cannot be subject to that which He created, and which He Himself never required as pure existence with no requirement for anything outside of Himself. “The Existence” as the name of God also confirms no beginning or end, which can only be possible outside of time. John starts his Gospel by saying “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1) This passage calls God "The Word" referring to perfect Truth, therefore the ultimate "beginning" as discussed in the Bible was not Genesis 1:1 but rather John 1:1 where God simply "existed" as Trinity alone and apart from any other created thing, including time. We see in Colossians 1:17 "He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” Part of the “holding together” is time, and the other part which He holds together are the various locations He has created, and those He will create in the future. God not only holds together all things in the present time, but He holds together all things of all time, all at the same time, apart from time.
This is another of the more difficult issues to understand or explain about time, that before God created it, time simply did not exist, but God simply was "The Existence". Time is merely one of the many creations of God, therefore He controls time, not the other way around. To say that God needs anything outside of Himself is an absurdity incompatible with a perfect God who calls Himself “The Existence.” Therefore, how do we know that God created time? The answer is that the Bible describes God as above all and requiring nothing else for His existence. We have discussed how time is a created thing, but to further prove this point let us compare time to God's essence. God is sovereign over all things, therefore He cannot be subject to anything, including time. God can choose to make promises and commitments to His souled creatures, and He has done so and abides by them. But abiding by those promises and commitments does not negate His sovereignty. Furthermore, if God did not create time then He would be subject to it, and so it would be something God must fit inside of. That does not align with a perfect eternal God. It is illogical to say that God existed eternally inside of time which also existed equally eternally. If time goes back eternally, and God also goes back as far as time, then they are co-equal, and that cannot be true or God would not be truly sovereign. Additionally, God is omniscient and therefore knows the future as well as the past and present. An omniscient God cannot be subject to time and also know the future. If God were subject to time, the future would not arrive sooner to God than to anyone else. And if time existed as long as God, with both being eternal into the past, then time would place limits on God such as revealing to Him the future as it unfolds, and that is not the omniscient God described in the Bible. If time existed eternally along with God, then time would also be "existence" since it would have had no beginning. Again, that is not the God described in the Bible. God created time and therefore He “Exists” in all parts of it at the same time, and all at once. That is the “eternal now” from which God knows the future as clearly as the past, since all time is in the present to Him, which is the only way God could know the future before it arrives. But since God exists in an eternal now apart from time He is at all “times” in the past, present and future. Hard to fathom, of course. But God cannot be subject to time and also have the essence the Bible reveals Him to have. The eternal now in which God has always existed, and in which He will continue to exist, is therefore apart from time and not subject to it. To God all parts of time are current, and He knows and lives in each equally. The eternal now is the only alternative which explains God's omniscience, sovereignty, omnipresence, and eternity.
This is the real definition of what it means God is eternal existence as the "I AM", namely that God has always existed and never required anything else, not even time. Even using the word "always" in relation to God's existence is not accurate, since God just "exists", not "always existed" since always would require time. With God all parts of time are available to Him and compressed into the present as an eternal now. As a result, we see that the primary name God applies to Himself as “I Am” refers to His perfect pure limitless existence, which is outside of time, space, and other boundaries. We would say He is perfect "eternal" existence if "eternal" did not imply time, showing the inadequacy of human language for describing God. But we will occasionally use terms such as "eternal" and "always" and other time-based terms related to God since it is necessary when communicating concepts, as we are only human.
God does not simply know the future, He lives in the future, as well as in the entirety of the past, and He is always in the present. No part of time escapes God's presence as eternal existence. Since the creation of time God has always been in all parts of it at once. This means that the "moment" God created time He already knew every detail of the entirety of time into the eternal future. At this “moment” God is at the creation of the angels, and the creation of man, and the birth of Jesus Christ, and at the cross, and at the present moment, and at the Second Advent of Jesus Christ, and in eternity with all saved mankind and elect angels in the future New Jerusalem. And everywhere else. At this moment God is as much at the moment of your birth as He is in the present moment. As eternal existence God transcends time, therefore everything is as current to God as anything else in the timeline of time. Essentially, for God nothing is past or future, only now; and all time is in the present to Him. But He chooses to act toward His creatures as allowing the passage of time, with all souled creatures having the free will to determine their own futures sequentially in an ever-changing present time. And God supports those He loves in their ever-changing present as their lives unfold inside of time.
The issue of God and location is similar to that of God and time. We have seen how God can be in all points of time at once since He created and controls time, and lives outside of time. So also God can be in all locations within His creation at once, known as omnipresence. He exists outside of location since it is something created by Him. Therefore God is omnipresent in all places at once, just as He is also omnipresent in all moments of time at once. It is the omnipresence of God related to location which allows us as humans to comprehend the omnipresence of God in all points of time at once, past and future. God is not limited to a single specific location because as the creator of location He cannot be subject to or limited by what He has created, just as He cannot be subject to or limited by time. Therefore God's omnipresence in all parts of time is similar to how He is omnipresent in all locations. Looking at these in combination, God is everywhere at once as well as in all parts of time all at once.
As we have seen with the issue of time, if God were subject to location He would not be the God described in the Bible, since that is an absurdity. This is why there was no universe or heaven or any location until souled creatures needed such places in which to locate and relate to God. This points out an interesting subject, which is that heaven was created at the same time the original universe was created. If God is omnipresent, and He is, then He did not need a heaven to live in. In fact, an omnipresent God cannot fit into a confined space called heaven. If He called heaven His headquarters, where did the rest of Him fit? So we see that an omnipresent God cannot be limited to heaven, therefore He does not require heaven as a place to reside. The key is that God created heaven for His souled creatures to locate and interact with Him, not so He had a place to live. Did God need shelter? Did He require a place where He could sit? Did He need to be able to know where to rest at the end of a hard day? Of course not, since these are absurdities when God is the subject. Heaven was created for souled creatures, and simultaneously with the original universe, so that angels could go in and out of heaven to find and relate to God. God does not need a home, a place to sit, or any of the items described as being part of heaven or the universe, but souled creatures require them.
It may be difficult to understand that God existed forever outside of heaven and the universe, which in our limited minds causes us to think there was “nothingness” prior to that, which is not accurate. We tend to think that God must have needed to be somewhere, otherwise He would not have been anywhere. Again, not accurate. God as Existence is spirit, and spirit does not require location to occupy. We mortals think in terms of the material, since we have material bodies which require a material location. Our bodies will be “material” in some form forever, although changed during eternity. Material requires material for occupancy, and don't forget we also require time for continuation and sequence. God is not material, but spirit. As such He is not subject to the material, and therefore does not require material location. And heaven is material, just a different materiality than earth, since souled beings can live in and relate to heaven as being real. But apart from any of these locations, God as spirit eternally fills what we would think of as nothingness, making nothingness non-existent, because where God is, there is Existence. Therefore, beyond the material universe and heaven, there is infinite God as Existence.