Time

The name of God in Hebrew is connected to the idea of time. YeHoVaH is basically the verb TO BE in past, present, and future tense together. The name “I am that I am” from the burning bush episode (Exodus 3) actually says, “I will be that I will be.”

But even that is not exactly true from biblical syntax. In fact, there isn’t a strict past, present, and future tense in the common, modern meaning of the term. The verb forms occasionally overlap and switch places according to the context.

Even a relatively beginning student of biblical Hebrew knows that when the letter “vav” is added to a verb in sequence, the verb may flip from future to past, or from past to future.

Even that is oversimplified. In some sense, the biblical text is following the theme of the storyline, and the verbs flex their tense – before, after, during, continuing, completed, verbal noun, verbal adjective – as it relates to the main theme.

The name YHVH implies that God is The Eternal One, not dependent on or submitted to time limitations. God is the first cause. God is the creator. He is independent. Everything else is dependent. He is absolute. Everything else is relative.

And that includes time. Time is flexible to God’s purposes and presence. Time is submitted to Him, relative to Him, dependent on Him. Time is a created system or tool inside the creation of God. God can change time and seasons (Daniel 2:21).

God is stronger than time. As a strong man’s arm can bend a bow in order to place an arrow in it, so can the Lord bend time in order to fit His purpose. As a large planet bends the gravitational field around it, so does the presence of YHVH bend time and space around Him.

Although this sounds overly mystical and even irrational, it is in accord with Einstein’s theory of relativity. Time and matter are stretched and changed relative to the speed of light. Light is the only absolute, and it is the physical equivalent to the presence of God. Modern astrophysics agrees with biblical metaphysics.

When a human being is living inside normal natural parameters, he is submitted to the limitations of time and space. However, if there is an intervention of God, or if the person moves into the realm of the spirit, those limitations can be overcome.

Moses said that a day to God is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is like a day (Psalm 90). At the moment the universe began, there would have been so much mass and energy and speed and light, that the measuring of time would be totally different.

(This can explain the seeming contradiction at the timing of creation. Genesis time didn’t make sense until the discovery of Einsteinian physics. Now the argument over “young earth – old earth” can be solved through Einstein’s explanation of the relativity of time.)

When the Prophets were “in the Spirit,” they would step out of the limitations of natural time. They would see the future in the present; they would experience time through God’s unlimited power beyond natural restrictions.

In the book of Revelation, John was “in the Spirit” (Revelation 1:10). At that time, he saw and experienced events from a heavenly perspective. In that condition, there was not much difference between past, future and present. In the natural world, there is limitation; in the spirit there is not.

Yeshua before the resurrection said that He himself did not know the times of God’s plan (Mark 13:32); whereas after the resurrection, He said that His disciples did not know (Acts 1:7).

Yeshua said that He is coming “soon” (Revelation 22:20). In God’s eternal timing it is like a split second. For us the timing is unknown.

There are two words for time in Hebrew and two in Greek. זמן z’man in Hebrew and chronos in Greek indicate the fixed, set system of time, hours and dates. עת ‘et in Hebrew and kairos in Greek indicate the timing for an event to come to pass in the “now” moment.

The fact that time is relative when compared to the absolute nature of God is a very significant principle. It can be seen in many scriptures, biblical grammar, modern physics, the name YHVH, and the experience of the prophets.

Why do I mention all this?

We are coming into the end times spoken of by the Prophets. As John experienced something beyond the limitations of time, so will we need to understand how the Spirit of God is stronger than time limitations.

Who has not had that feeling that we “just don’t have enough time”? Schedule pressures can bring frustration, helplessness, and despair. Yet the power of God helps us not to be slaves to our schedules. Our times are in the hand of God (Psalm 31:15).

We need faith, to not be subjected to worldly time pressures, but live in the freedom of the spirit. God can stretch, change, shorten and direct our schedules. Remember that the sun stopped for Joshua (Joshua 10:12) and went backwards for Hezekiah (Isaiah 38:8).

Any moment can be infused with the presence of God; something can take place that has eternal weight and significance. Time will bend and flex around us when we are walking in obedience to the Holy Spirit. What is impossible with man, is possible with God (Matthew 19:26).

A moment can seem to last forever. And what seems to have been an “eternity” can take place in a moment. Let’s walk with God in His dimension of timing; and let’s invite God to walk with us in our experience of time.