Time

When I read this scripture I would think of how fast time seems to go the older I become. I think you will agree that when you were a child, summers seemed like a very long time. Now, so many decades later, the summer feels like a few weeks to me, and a year feels like a few months instead of the twelve months it is. This made me decide that since God is timeless – has lived forever, is eternal, has no beginning or end – then a portion of our time would seem like a drop in the bucket to him. It would only make sense that one thousand years would seem as one day to someone that has lived such a long time.

As I watched a program on the science channel, I was amazed to see that there are clocks that measure time in very minute slices of seconds. One of the ways these clocks are used is to scrutinize time with several satellites at once to cause the GPS in a car to determine your location as you travel to a set destination.

Through this technology scientists have also determined that time slows down the farther from earth one goes. On this particular science program that I had been viewing, it was shown how scientists were able to calculate the distance a person would have to travel - live there for ten years - then return to earth to find that a thousand years had past. In this instance, this hypothetical person would have lived or aged ten years to earth’s one thousand years.

This now causes me to wonder if it could be configured how many miles one would have to travel so that one day equals a thousand of our years. Then instead of looking at this scripture as relative, we could see it as a factual statement and determine how far away God’s throne actually is from our earth. I love to wonder and this has been another one of my wondering moments.

How amazing it is, with all this space between us that God looks down upon us and knows all that transpires here. He has never completely removed himself from our world – his creation: From walking on this earth and visiting daily with the first man and woman, to sending his son to walk among us, to a future time when his son will return to live among us once again, finally culminating with the time God himself will return to live with us.

They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."(Acts 1:10-11 NIV)

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. (Rev 21:3 NIV)

The throne of God and of the Lamb [Jesus] will be in the city [new Jerusalem]…And they will reign for ever and ever. (Revelation 22:3, 5 NIV)

Through the years and even today, many doubt the return of Jesus, the Christ. They don’t even think far enough ahead to wonder with amazement that even God the Father will come to live among us on what he calls the new earth. But the Bible predicted this attitude many centuries ago:

First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, "Where is this 'coming' he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation." (2 Peter 3:3-4 NIV)

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:8-9 NIV)

When Christ left the first time, his followers thought he would return in their life time. That was over two thousand years ago. Even today, among those who listen for his voice, he says the time of his son’s return is near. And certainly each day does bring us closer to that day. But to us, whose physical life spans are much shorter, it seems like a terribly long time. In comparison, to God - whose one day equals our thousand - it has only been two days. That gives us a different perspective to think about.

Will he be back before his third day is over? Only God knows:

"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father…"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come… So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. (Matthew 24:36, 42, 44 NIV)

So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. (2 Peter 3:14 NIV)

The time will come. Instead of when, the more important question is – Are you prepared to meet him?

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.