Scripture: Revelation 10:6 "...there should be time no longer"
Revelation 22:11 "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still."
PROPOSITION: To use these texts and others to show the origin of time. to show that time is a precious gift. to show those who leave this world go into a timeless realm taking their character with them. to show that those who leave this world will be confirmed in holiness or in unrighteousness and in this immutable state they will remain without any time to measure the longevity of eternity. And to show that anyone can have their character transformed in this life if they will but come to Christ for a new heart and a new life.
1.) When was the origin of time, and how was time originally measured?
A. Time, space, and matter had to come into existence together as a continuum, there is no other way. if you had matter without space where would you put that matter? If you had matter without time when would you originate that matter? the first verse in Genesis gives us the origin of time, space and matter. Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning (time) God created the heaven (space) and the earth (matter)". The creation of time, space, and matter had to come into existence by an Eternal and that Eternal had to be both all wise and all powerful, so that he who created time is Sovereignly above and outside of time and yet in his providence works in and through time.
Ecclesiastes 3:11 "He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end."
B. Time was originally measured according to the phrase "the evening and the morning". we read this phrase in Genesis chapter 1 and it always refers to a 24 hour period, which makes up a full day with seven days making a week. The "Ancient of Days" lives in the eternal present and sees the beginning and the end of time as though it is happening in the present and nothing that happens in time surprises him or could surprise him.
Isaiah 46:9-10 "...for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:"
2.) How does time fit into Gods infinite plan for the world?
A. Everything God does in the lives of people is done in and through time in this world. God does a timeless work in our lives in accordance to his own time table, that he is above and outside of, (Galatians 4:4) "But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son", God sent Christ in the fulness of time and yet Christ was crucified in the mind of God from the foundation of the world. Revelation 13:8 "whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." Everything God does is with purpose and design, time is something God does not need but he condescends to use this tool that he created both for our good and his glory.
B. God in wisdom has chosen certain commandments to be directly correlated to time. Exodus 20:8-11 "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work...". also the day of atonement was performed on a specific day that God had appointed. Leviticus 23:27 "Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD". We will only consider these two commandments relating to time in the old covenant, however we have a mediator in the new covenant who has become our atoning sacrifice, and our Sabbath rest, and those who have embraced Christ have "entered into rest".
3.) How should a future world that is uninfluenced by time afect our decisions in this life?
A. It should "teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom." Why? because life "is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away". The consideration that we are making decisions in this brief life that would affect us thoughout an eternity should swallow our thoughts, causing us to be careful and not careless. Jesus has told us that "whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it." Those who refuse to come to Christ make a decision in time that will affect them outside of time. choosing to live a life of sin in this world will prove to be very costly in the world to come, because of what we lose and what we earn, we lose our soul and we earn the wages of unrighteousness.
Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
B. When we sow a sin we reap a character, not just for this life, but for all eternity. in this life an unregenerate man's character is mutable, he is given the opportunity to repent and to believe the gospel, but when a person dies outside of Christ their character is immutable and forever fixed. Some have asked the question, why cannot an unregenerate man suffer in hell torments for a year or two and then be all over with. The answer is because when an unregenerate man dies in his sin his character is forever fixed, if he could ever clean up his character the scripture would not be true which says "let him be filthy still" and also if a person could suffer for a year or two and pay their sin debt it would imply that there was still time throughout eternity, when the scripture makes it very clear "that there should be time no longer"
C. We should be all the more earnest to seek salvation and to obtain it through Christ. Salvation is never attained through our efforts, but through who Christ is, what he has done, and what he has suffered, and the blood he has shed. Moses had opportunity to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season but he refused it, and took Christ as his reward instead. Hebrews 11:26 "Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward." Likewise Paul the Apostle considered what he could have had in this life through the flesh as dung in comparison to knowing Christ.
Philippians 3:8 "Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ", unregenerate men are earnest about acquiring pleasure or acquiring wealth in this world but "a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth."
CONCLUSION: Time is a gift God has given to mankind in this world. it is something we use every day and without it we could not measure our age or organize our days. People form a character in this life that they will take with them into a timeless, eternal realm, God has given us the opportunity through Christ to have our character transformed that we might live a life that would please him, and if through the mighty working of the Spirit of God our character is transformed, then the scripture says "he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still."
