Time use in the scriptures and a summary article on time by T. J. Tofflemire
Time is used in scripture about 900 times; some of these are noted below:
Genesis 1:14
And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years.
Genesis 38:27
When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb.
Numbers 9:2
“Have the Israelites celebrate the Passover at the appointed time.
Numbers 9:13
But if anyone who is ceremonially clean and not on a journey fails to celebrate the Passover, they must be cut off from their people for not presenting the LORD’s offering at the appointed time. They will bear the consequences of their sin.
Numbers 19:4
Then Eleazar the priest is to take some of its blood on his finger and sprinkle it seven times toward the front of the tent of meeting.
Deuteronomy 3:18
I commanded you at that time: “The LORD your God has given you this land to take possession of it. But all your able-bodied men, armed for battle, must cross over ahead of the other Israelites.
Deuteronomy 4:40
Keep his decrees and commands, which I am giving you today, so that it may go well with you and your children after you and that you may live long in the land the LORD your God gives you for all time.
Deuteronomy 15:2
This is how it is to be done: Every creditor shall cancel any loan they have made to a fellow Israelite. They shall not require payment from anyone among their own people, because the LORD’s time for canceling debts has been proclaimed.
Deuteronomy 16:16
Three times a year all your men must appear before the LORD your God at the place he will choose: at the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Weeks and the Festival of Tabernacles. No one should appear before the LORD empty-handed:
Deuteronomy 19:17
the two people involved in the dispute must stand in the presence of the LORD before the priests and the judges who are in office at the time.
Deuteronomy 32:35
It is mine to avenge; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; their day of disaster is near and their doom rushes upon them.”
Deuteronomy 34:8
The Israelites grieved for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days, until the time of weeping and mourning was over.
Joshua 6:15
On the seventh day, they got up at daybreak and marched around the city seven times in the same manner, except that on that day they circled the city seven times.
1 Samuel 1:20
So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I asked the LORD for him.”
2 Samuel 2:1
[ David Anointed King Over Judah ] In the course of time, David inquired of the LORD. “Shall I go up to one of the towns of Judah?” he asked. The LORD said, “Go up.” David asked, “Where shall I go?” “To Hebron,” the LORD answered.
2 Kings 13:19
The man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck the ground five or six times; then you would have defeated Aram and completely destroyed it. But now you will defeat it only three times.”
1 Chronicles 1:19
Two sons were born to Eber: One was named Peleg, because in his time the earth was divided; his brother was named Joktan.
1 Chronicles 12:32
from Issachar, men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do—200 chiefs, with all their relatives under their command;
1 Chronicles 20:4
[ War With the Philistines ] In the course of time, war broke out with the Philistines, at Gezer. At that time Sibbekai the Hushathite killed Sippai, one of the descendants of the Rephaites, and the Philistines were subjugated.
2 Chronicles 36:21
The land enjoyed its sabbath rests; all the time of its desolation it rested, until the seventy years were completed in fulfillment of the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah.
Nehemiah 9:28
“But as soon as they were at rest, they again did what was evil in your sight. Then you abandoned them to the hand of their enemies so that they ruled over them. And when they cried out to you again, you heard from heaven, and in your compassion you delivered them time after time.
Nehemiah 13:31
I also made provision for contributions of wood at designated times, and for the firstfruits. Remember me with favor, my God.
Esther 1:13
Since it was customary for the king to consult experts in matters of law and justice, he spoke with the wise men who understood the times
or seen the storehouses of the hail,
Job 38:23 which I reserve for times of trouble,
for days of war and battle?
Job 39:2
Do you count the months till they bear? Do you know the time they give birth?
Psalm 9:9
The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.
Psalm 12:6
And the words of the LORD are flawless, like silver purified in a crucible, like gold refined seven times.
Psalm 31:15
My times are in your hands; deliver me from the hands of my enemies, from those who pursue me.
Notes: The first mention of time for signs for days, season, and yrs. is in Gen1:14:, Time has course, there are appointed times, and the Lord’s time. There are specific times and things that happen in due time as a baby on Kairos time. There were wise men who understood the times. I am struck as to how often the word time is given in scripture and the Lord’s involvement in it. Certain numbers are often used with time: 7 days or times, 3, 10, 40. Time is God’s as he made it and uses it for his purposes.
Psalm 51:5
Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
Psalm 75:2
You say, “I choose the appointed time; it is I who judge with equity.
Psalm 119:164
Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous laws.
Ecclesiastes 1:10
Is there anything of which one can say, “Look! This is something new”? It was here already, long ago; it was here before our time.
Ecclesiastes 3:1 all 3:
A Time for Everything ] There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:
Ecclesiastes 3:17
I said to myself, “God will bring into judgment both the righteous and the wicked, for there will be a time for every activity, a time to judge every deed.”
Ecclesiastes 8:5
Whoever obeys his command will come to no harm, and the wise heart will know the proper time and procedure.
Isaiah 9:7
Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.
Isaiah 30:26
The moon will shine like the sun, and the sunlight will be seven times brighter, like the light of seven full days, when the LORD binds up the bruises of his people and heals the wounds he inflicted.
Isaiah 60:22
The least of you will become a thousand, the smallest a mighty nation. I am the LORD; in its time I will do this swiftly.”
Jeremiah 8:1
“‘At that time, declares the LORD, the bones of the kings and officials of Judah, the bones of the priests and prophets, and the bones of the people of Jerusalem will be removed from their graves.
Jeremiah 8:7
Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons, and the dove, the swift and the thrush observe the time of their migration. But my people do not know the requirements of the LORD.
Jeremiah 18:7
If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, Jeremiah 18:9 And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted,
Jeremiah 31:33
“This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the LORD. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.
Jeremiah 33:20
“This is what the LORD says: ‘If you can break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, so that day and night no longer come at their appointed time,
Jeremiah 51:13
You who live by many waters and are rich in treasures, your end has come, the time for you to be destroyed.
Jeremiah 51:47
For the time will surely come when I will punish the idols of Babylon; her whole land will be disgraced and her slain will all lie fallen within her.
Ezekiel 7:12
The time has come! The day has arrived! Let not the buyer rejoice nor the seller grieve, for my wrath is on the whole crowd.
Ezekiel 30:3
For the day is near, the day of the LORD is near— a day of clouds, a time of doom for the nations.
Daniel 2:21
He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.
Daniel 6:10
Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.
Daniel 7:25
He will speak against the Most High and oppress his holy people and try to change the set times and the laws. The holy people will be delivered into his hands for a time, times and half a time.
Daniel 9:25
“Know and understand this: From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble.
Daniel 11:29
“At the appointed time he will invade the South again, but this time the outcome will be different from what it was before.
Daniel 12:1
[ The End Times ] “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered.
Daniel 12:9
He replied, “Go your way, Daniel, because the words are rolled up and sealed until the time of the end.
Joel 2:2
a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. Like dawn spreading across the mountains a large and mighty army comes, such as never was in ancient times nor ever will be in ages to come.
Micah 5:2
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”
Notes: pray to the Lord 3 or 7 times a day. Ecc. 3. Time for everything under heaven. Time for nations to rise and fall. Time for judgment and the end. The animals know the times better than people. Daniel 7 time, times and ½ time. He changes times and seasons
Matthew 16:3
and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.
Matthew 26:18
He replied, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.’”
Mark 1:15
“The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
Luke 1:20
And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”
John 4:23
Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.
Acts 1:7
He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.
Romans 5:6
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly
1 Corinthians 2:7
No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began.
1 Corinthians 4:5
Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.
Galatians 4:4
But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law,
1 Peter 1:5
who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
1 Peter 1:20
He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.
Revelation 12:14
The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach.
Revelation 22:10
Then he told me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this scroll, because the time is near.
Note the sign of the times and appointed times are repeated. The last times are noted.
Notes: The first mention of time for signs for days, season, and yrs. is in Gen1:14:, Time has course, there are appointed times, and the Lord’s time. There are specific times and things that happen in due time as a baby on Kairos time. There were wise men who understood the times. I am struck as to how often the word time is given in scripture and the Lord’s involvement in it. Certain numbers are often used with time: 7 days or times, 3, 10, 40. Time is God’s as he made it and uses it for his purposes.
Notes: pray to the Lord 3 or 7 times a day. Ecc. 3. Time for everything under heaven. Time for nations to rise and fall. Time for judgment and the end. The animals know the times better than people. Daniel 7 time, times and ½ time. He changes times and seasons
Final notes: God created time for his purposes. He changes times and seasons. Dan 2:21
I am struck that in Gen.1:14 time is noted for signs for days, yrs. and seasons. This is the time for seeing the stars from earth and setting normal time (day 4). There is the possibility that time was dilated on earth vs. in deep space, on days 1-3. We do not know for a fact that the earth was rotating once in 24 hrs on days 1-3. Scripture indicates God’s is in complete control of time using it for his purposes and changing types of time as needed.
Ganssle, Gregory “God and Time” Areopagus Journal, Vol. 11 | Num. 1,2011 p.16-21 This ref. offers some views of time that are not limited to our current 24 hr. day time: For example timelessness and metaphysical time.
Some philosophers think that God’s relation to time cannot be captured by either of the
categories of temporality or timelessness. Rather, God is in some third kind of relation to
time. One in-between position is that God is not within our time, but he is within his own time. Another view is that God is “omnitemporal.” It is true on this view as well that God is not in our time, but he experiences temporal succession in his being. Our time is constituted by physical time.1 God’s time (metaphysical time) has no intrinsic metric and is constituted purely by the divine life itself.2 If God is omnitemporal, his metaphysical time does map in some way onto our physical time. Another view is that God became temporal when time was created.3 God’s existence without creation is a timeless existence but once temporal reality comes into existence, God himself must change.
Although there are many arguments for the claim that God is timeless, this essay will
look at three of the most important. These are arguments concerning God’s knowledge of future free actions, the fullness of God’s life, and God’s creation of the universe.
1. Free Actions: This power is not seen to be problematic because God’s timeless knowledge of an event is thought to be strongly analogous to our present knowledge of an event. It is the occurring of the event that determines the content of our knowledge of the event. So too, it is the occurring of the event that determines the content of God’s knowledge. 2. Fullness of God: In thinking about God’s nature, we notice that whatever God is, he is to the greatest degree possible. He knows everything that it is possible to know. 3. Creation: Another argument for God’s timelessness begins with the idea that time itself is contingent. If God created time as part of his creation of the universe, then it is important whether or not the universe had a beginning at all. If the past is infinite, then it is metaphysical time and not physical time that is everlasting. Arguments such as the Kalam Cosmological Argument aim to show that it is not possible that the past is infinite. Suppose time came into existence with the universe so that the universe has only a finite past.4 This means that physical time was created by God. It may be the case that
metaphysical time is infinite or that God created “pure duration” (metaphysical time) also. In the latter case, God had to be timeless.
Arguments for temporality:1. God acts in the world. God’s interventions in the world are often interactions with human beings. He redeems his people, answers their prayers, and forgives their sins. He also comes to their aid and comforts and strengthens them. 2. Many philosophers think that God’s knowledge of the present strongly supports his temporality.5
In Between Views: Alan Padgett and Gary DeWeese have each argued that God is not in physical time although he is everlastingly temporal. God’s time is metaphysical time. The claim that God is “relatively timeless” or “omnitemporal” allows its proponents to endorse some of the criticisms of divine timelessness and, at the same time, affirm some of the arguments for timelessness. Since God is not subject to the laws of nature, he is not subject to measured time. He does experience a temporal now, somewhat as we do, but his intrinsic experience is not measured by regular, law-like intervals. He experiences
temporal succession, but this succession is that of the progression of his own
consciousness and actions rather than that of any external constraints. Craig’s position holds that God is temporal in that he is within metaphysical time. Once God created the universe, he became temporal. Prior to creation, God was timeless. Craig’s position raises an interesting question. Is it possible for a timeless being to become temporal or for a temporal being to become timeless?
Timeless View In Between views Temporal view
God transcends A. God exists in time but in God exists in time but is time and exists in a time different from our time. Everlasting.
an eternal present
Proponents: Proponents: Proponents:
Paul Helm, Brian Alan Padgett, Garrett DeWeese Nicholas Wolterstorff,
Leftow, Hugh Richard Swinburne
McCann B. God is timeless without
creation, temporal with creation
Proponent: William Lane Craig
Conclusion: Questions about God’s relation to time involve many of the most perplexing topics in metaphysics. These include the nature of the fundamental structures of the universe as well as the nature of God’s own life. It is not surprising that the questions are still open even after over two millennia of careful inquiry. While many philosophers often come to conclusions that are reasonably settled in their mind, they are wise to hold such conclusions with an open hand. God invites us to explore his grandeur through using the minds he has given us.
1This article is adapted and considerably shortened from my “God and Time,” The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, http://www.iep.utm.edu/, February 24, 2010.
2See Alan G. Padgett, God, Eternity and the Nature of Time (London: Macmillan, 1992); and Garrett J. DeWeese, God and the Nature of Time (Hampshire UK: Ashgate, 2004).
3William Lane Craig, Time and Eternity: Exploring God’s Relationship to Time (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2001).
4William Lane Craig and Quentin Smith, Theism, Atheism, and Big Bang Cosmology (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1993).
5This argument is put forward in various ways by Craig, Time and Eternity; DeWeese, God and the Nature of Time; Padgett, God, Eternity and the Nature of Time; and Nicholas Wolterstorff, “God Everlasting,” in God and the Good: Essays in Honor of Henry Stob, ed. Clifton Orlebeke and Lewis Smedes (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1975).
In addition, one should note the Wikipedia comments on time. “Main article: Time dilation Einstein showed in his thought experiments that people travelling at different speeds, while agreeing on cause and effect, measures different time separations between events, and can even observe different chronological orderings between non-causally related events. Though these effects are typically minute in the human experience, the effect becomes much more pronounced for objects moving at speeds approaching the speed of light. Many subatomic particles exist for only a fixed fraction of a second in a lab relatively at rest, but some that travel close to the speed of light can be measured to travel further and survive much longer than expected (a muon is one example).”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time
Ross noted in Beyond the Cosmos that Einstein added the 4th dimension of time to unify his theory of special relativity(p.31). The weak nuclear force and the electromagnetic force have been unified and six quarks found in the 1990’s(p.35). String theory with 10 dimensions had been proposed to unify all the forces. Strings are like rotating vibrating elastic bands that behave like points, because of their small size. Ross gave 6 evidences for strings in his appendix(p.38,227). It is theorized that the forming cosmos at 10-43 sec., split its 10 dimensions into 6 and 4 (l,w,h, and time). The four continued to expand while the six are curled up and dispersed in the universe(p.40).
It is again noted the first mention of time in the Bible is in Gen.1:14, relative to day 4 when the earth is in place relative to the other heavenly bodies. Perhaps time was dilated before this as in the Bible; the heavens were being stretched on days 1 and 2. Thus it could be that the time dimension was relative on days 1, 2 and not fixed relative to earth until day 4. It was noted in my paper on numerics (Tofflemire 2012) that “4 is the number of creation as 3+1 =4 perhaps time is added as the 4th dimension from earth’s perspective”. It was also noted the 2 is a number of division and on day 2 separation and stretching was occurring. It was noted for the Bible verses above that God is in complete control of time and uses it for his purposes. Ecc. 3. Time for everything under heaven. Time for nations to rise and fall. Time for judgment and the end. Dan. 2:2; He changes times and seasons.
Tofflemire, 2012 Can Numerology aid in Interpretation of the Days and Aspects of Creation?