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God is a time traveler

Discussion in 'Baptist Theology & Bible Study' started by Soulman, Nov 13, 2009.

  1. kyredneck

    kyredneck Well-Known Member
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    That isn't what I was saying at all, but, so be it.

    Everyone would do well to read the eye witness account given by Josephus.

    .....in the words of my hero Forrest, "And that's all I have to say about that".
     
  2. Winman

    Winman Active Member

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    Well, I am not going to pretend I understand God, I think we are overstepping our bounds when we attempt this.

    But some information is given us in the scriptures. First, God told Moses that his name is I AM.

    Exo 3:14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

    God simply exists. He has always existed, and always will. This is mind-boggling to say the least. I have often wondered why God waited so long to create the world and us now. If we were to go back a hundred trillion years in time, God existed hundreds of trillions of years before that. We cannot grasp infinity.

    And how can we grasp God's knowledge? Knowledge is infinite, and yet God knows all things. And the scriptures say that God has foreknowledge, so he knows all things that are to come to pass.

    Jesus also said he is the Alpha and Omega, which means the beginning and end. So, here God seems to place himself within time.

    Rev 1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

    God really has no beginning or end, he has existed forever and always will. But God seems to place himself within time.

    That's about all I can say on the subject. I do not keep myself awake at night worrying about things like this. God is too great for us to understand.
     
  3. donnA

    donnA Active Member

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    God can not be a time traveler, as He is not bound by time as we are, to Him this boundry does not exist, if the boundry does not exist then time travel isn't necessary and wouldn't even exist.
     
  4. Soulman

    Soulman New Member

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    I understand that God exists outside of time as you state. However as one that can exist (does exist) in the past, present and future you could call it omnipresent or omnitemporal. I wanted to have a little fun with it. I called it time travel. As distasteful or simplistic as you find the term to be, it is just another way of saying God knew the last from the beginning.
     
  5. donnA

    donnA Active Member

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    No, it means something other then the meaning you have assigned it, go with the real meaning please, the real meaning limits God.
     
  6. Marcia

    Marcia Active Member

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    To be a time traveler, one must move from one point in time to another. That is what it means. So God is not a time traveler because He is omnipresent and does not "move" through time. Seeing all time at once is not the same as traveling through time.
     
  7. Soulman

    Soulman New Member

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    How do you know he doesn't do both? His omnipotence means he is everywhere at the same time. Does it mean He is in every moment of time all the time or CAN He move from one point to another? To say He cannot limits Him also. Doesn't it? If He is in the future would He run into His future self? Same God, different time. Omnitemporal and time traveller.

    You may not like the definition as it is simplistic. I realize God and His ways are a mystery to us. But you gotta admit, it is interesting and no one here seems to beable to disprove it.
     
  8. webdog

    webdog Active Member
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    If you exist in all points of time at the same time, you can never unexist in all points of time at the same time to travel throughout time. This doesn't limit God anymore than saying God cannot sin.
     
  9. Johnv

    Johnv New Member

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    Webdog is correct. In the same manner that God is imnopresent, God is also omnitemporal. These do not limit God at all. Omnipresence (existing at all places at once) is an easy concept for us, because we ourselves can move from once place to another, and back again. Omnitemporality is rather difficult for us to understand, because we are bound to a fix time moving in a continuous direction, and cannot move forward or back along the timeline at will.
     
    #29 Johnv, Nov 17, 2009
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 17, 2009
  10. Marcia

    Marcia Active Member

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    God can't do both because that would be contradictory. God cannot be both A and B if A and B contradict, which they do. Either God moves from one point to the other, which means He's not omnipresent, or He doesn't move between time because He is omnipresent.

    This is not limiting God. God does not go against his nature. There are at least 2 places in the Bible that say it is impossible for God to lie and that God doesn't lie. Does not being able to lie limit Him? Of course not!

    Can God be evil? No, of course not? Does that limit Him?
     
  11. Soulman

    Soulman New Member

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    Ok! Ok! So God isn't a time traveller. But! If He exists in the past, present and future and He is able to present future events as He did to John, doesn't it present the possibility that future events have already happened? Not for us as we are restricted by linear time. But in God's view? Could we already be in heaven or in hell somewhere in the future where God is also present?
     
  12. webdog

    webdog Active Member
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    It's possible to God, but impossible for man.
     
  13. Soulman

    Soulman New Member

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    If it's possible then it is possible. Not because man can do it or not but because it is possible. Thanks Webdog and everyone else for an interesting thread. See you in heaven or saw you or are seeing you now. Whatever!!
     
  14. Darrenss1

    Darrenss1 New Member

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    It's anyone's guess, how does God know the future? Middle knowledge? Because He is an infinite being of infinite knowledge? I think we ought to be thankful that God does know the future but whether the bible actually says how HE does it, is another matter. I'm a bit fuzzy on the whole time travel thing, I like sci fi, I just don't think time travel is possible though, especially past time, its happened already and time has moved on. Anyway....

    Darren
     
  15. webdog

    webdog Active Member
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    No problem, I enjoy this topic. I would say something can be possible for God and impossible for man at the same time. For instance, God is omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent. These are all possible for God and impossible for man.
     
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