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Originally Posted by Therapon
I worked with multiples, MPD/DID sufferers, for several years (see my book on the subject, "The Shining Man With Hurt Hands"). I could be in conversation with one alter who would decide to go "inside," i.e. into the spiritual world, and I might not talk to that same alter again for several days. When I saw her again, I could ask her if we had been talking continually or if time had elapsed between our two conversations. Well guess what, time had not elapsed while she was inside, so in the spiritual world there is no time!
{ this conclusion leaves out the possibility of external factors that might affect the perceptions of the individual alter; besides, are not angels - which are 'spiritual' creatures - "confined" by / in time? } In fact, time is a creation of God.
{ this is true }
Isaiah 45:12 "I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded."
The universe was not created in place, but "stretched out," and that took time. So God created time by His act of stretching out the heavens.
{ No - both time and space had to exist the 'instantaneous moment' that matter came into existence. } But God exists in eternity, before He created time, in timelessness, and understanding that fact changed my whole view of the six days of creation!
Sometimes we have to stand back and look at scriptural events from God's perspective.
{ Indeed! } There were no human observers at creation, only God was there. Therefore, God must have dictated the account of the six days of creation to Adam, Genesis 5:1. So was God telling man about the six "days" from His eternal perspective or from finite man's?
{ perspective of finite man - no doubt about it... } Can't tell from text, but we should at least look at the possibility that the Lord was describing those days from His position in timelessness,
in which 1,000,000,000 years are but an eye-blink.
{ 'technically', this is not true - even an 'eye-blink' takes time... }
So could creation have taken place in six 24 hour days?
{ yes - and it did - because God said so; although, I would not be totally dogmatic about the days being [ exactly ] 24 hours - what is of the most important significance is the "evening and morning" aspect of it } Of course, but as God saw those "days,"could creation have taken place over geologic ages?
{ nope - a close study of the order of things as they were brought into existance tells us otherwise } Of course.
{ Sorry - not a chance... }
What I'm getting at is this: Once we understand that God dictated the account from His eternal timelessness,
it is no longer important whether the six days of creation are six 24-hour days or six geologic ages! { Oh, but yes it is! } In my opinion, neither position does damage to Scripture
{ the "long" version does } so I can happily worship the Lord with brethren who hold either position.
{ Good. Then you will not get mad at me for disagreeing with you... } <smile>
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From God's perspective in 'timelessness' - any and every amount of time is - well - 'timeless'.
As in, no amount of time at all. To God - no amount of time is 'shorter' or 'longer' than any other. He literally "
sees all time at the same time" - 'at every moment', as it were... ( except that, "every moment" is actually more like "one moment" - but, with no time at all - because, even a moment takes time...
)
For some strange reason, people seem to think that the 'spiritual' realm is "separate" from the 'physical' realm. ( in the spatial sense, like they were parallel universes or some such thing ). In terms of the "space, time, and matter" physical nature of this universe -- the two "realms" are in the very same space. Only, that which is "confined" to the 'physical' realm -- simply cannot see / hear / etc. [ all of ] that which is in the 'spiritual' realm.
At some point in time, someone will no-doubt want to pull out 2 Peter 3:8...
2 Peter 3:
[SUP]8[/SUP] 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.
The "sense and tense" of the word 'with' in this verse is one of 'judgment' and not 'perception'. Which makes sense, because God does not "perceive" a day any different than He does a thousand years.
With regard to this word 'with', the verse is saying that God "considers" or "regards" a day the same as He does a thousand years - i.e., to Him, they are no different. (
"Because, He 'sees' the complete total sum of 'every moment' all at the same time - all the time." ) In a broader sense, I believe that the writer is using this statement to give a contextual "heads-up" clue to the reader.