How many Christians believe there is time in Heaven?

Question

"It seems that the idea that created beings become timeless in heaven is not one that is widely held. God, as the Creator of time, space, and matter, is the only Being that exists outside of time, space, and matter."

That is a quote I have taken from a commentator on this very site (I would gladly cite WHO if I felt this was wanted or indeed, allowed). To me, the idea of time passing just the same in Heaven is, frankly, awful- you'd always be a traveller and never reach a complete conclusion...even if perfect happiness were yours, you'd still be going on to the next thing and then the next...). BUT, I confess, a great many (if this site is anything to go by- MOST...) Christians believe otherwise. Even (hauntingly) my hero, CS Lewis, seems to disagree with me on that score. Do most Christians believe Time WILL continue in Heaven?

I realise (before anyone leaps there) that this question begs an OPINION. So let me rephrase the question a little bit...

In the magority of written works, sermons and opinions heard by you lovely folk, have they been supportive or against the idea of a timeless Heaven?

I suppose one must also throw into the ring, whether the Biblical account of Heaven is literal or symbolic...if literal, then (as it does refer to things like 'months' passing) we must realise there IS time.

Answer 1

Christians are diverse in their view about time and eternity but nonetheless, it does not affect orthodox teachings.

Eternity- without beginning or ending. The Father, Son and Spirit are the only persons who are eternal.

Time- the measure of any activity done either by sense in action (as in "I did it") or by sense in the stars, moon and sun (as in 9:30 pm).Immortals such as men's spirits and angels has a beginning but no ending. Mortals such as humans has both beginning and ending.

Every activity or acts of God has time in it. God makes his own time by acting. Action demands time. Or to put it more clearly:

Action is something that is done. "Done" means it was completed in the past. When you do something, "do" is in the present tense. Both past and present tense is in relation to time. Therefore, action demands time.

The difference between God's time and our sense of time is that in us, change is involved in time because we are in the realm of space and matter while in God, time does not involved change because he is outside space and matter.

The Classic example of this view of time is in the doctrine of Eternal Generation of the Son:

God is outside our time but he himself is coeval with his own time as anthropomorphic revelation in the Bible allows. The Scripture says that God does things and thus, he has his own time for action demands time. In us humans, we understand God’s activities via our own concept of time.

God did accurately communicate with us his reality. Hence, the begetting of the Son is always said to be done at the present time in order to reveal the nature of the begetting as without beginning nor ending because the begetter himself is without beginning and ending ( Exodus 3:14 LXX, Psalm 45:1 LXX, Proverbs 8:25 LXX, Hebrews 1:5, 5:5, Acts 13:33)

It seems like it's explicit in the Bible that time exists in heaven:

Revelation 4:8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying:“‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.

Revelation 8:1 When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.

Revelation 6:10-11 "How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?"And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also.

Answer 2

I think we must start by understanding that God sees all things as one..He sees The end from the beginning. He does not see as we see neither does He think as we think "For as the heavens are higher than the Earth so are My ways higher than your ways".

Isaiah 46:10 New American Standard Bible (NASB) 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, ‘My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’;,

He sees the end, because He determines that end, "My purpose will be established" Why? Because "I will accomplish" !

Before God all things are one..Before the foundation of the Earth, before the creation of any creature, God determined and therefore foreknew and foresaw all things!

To say that *action equates to time is fallacious to the extent that God has always been working, John 5:17-18

17 But He answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working.”

Before there was any creature, God is and had no beginning. Do you think you can understand that? The creature sees time because he is created and has a beginning. But God, who can look on His face and live? All representations of Eternity, are necessarily couched in time, simply because we cannot understand Gods eternity, as we are not eternal. When John says there was "Silence in heaven for half an hour" that was his perception. God does not see in time as we do. In order to understand "Not having a beginning" we must put ourselves in that place, something we cannot do! The question arises though, whether we will when we see Christ, for then we will " Know fully even as we have been fully known".

So from Gods point of view, everything is one, there is no progression, as we experience life and the created realm.

To answer your question we must first determine what Heaven is. Is it "In His presence forever"?

Psalm 16:11 New American Standard Bible (NASB) 11 You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.

We certainly, cannot contemplate what it will be like, as "eye hath not seen neither ear heard neither has it entered into the heart of man what God has prepared for them" ! It is futile, to try and imagine, in fact it could be idolatry to do so!

If time, is the awareness of events passing, of forward movement, then yes we experience this now. But I doubt we will be looking at a clock when we are in the presence of the Eternal God..and I doubt whether time will be an element in that experience, certainly not in the way we experience time now. For now we long to see Him in the future. Time has many emotions connected with it. Regret, longing, hoping and others. None of these will be experienced in Heaven as we will know even as we have been known.

Thoughts of heaven must always fall into the category of, "Eye has not seen-neither has it entered into the hearts of men, what God has prepared for them that love him" ! Time may be swallowed in eternity just as this, "Mortal will be swallowed up in immortality".