Topical Bible: Time: The Duration of the World

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The concept of time, particularly as it pertains to the duration of the world, is a significant theme throughout the Bible. From the creation narrative in Genesis to the prophetic visions of Revelation, Scripture provides insights into the divine orchestration of time and the temporal nature of the world.

Creation and the Beginning of Time

The Bible begins with the establishment of time in the creation account. Genesis 1:1-5 states, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth... And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day." This passage marks the commencement of time as we understand it, with the creation of day and night. The six days of creation set a pattern for the weekly cycle, underscoring the divine order and rhythm established by God.

The Temporal Nature of the World

Scripture frequently emphasizes the transient nature of the world. Psalm 102:25-27 declares, "In the beginning You laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing You will change them, and they will be passed on." This passage highlights the contrast between the eternal nature of God and the temporary state of creation.

The New Testament echoes this theme. In 2 Peter 3:10 , it is written, "But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and its works will be laid bare." This apocalyptic vision underscores the eventual end of the current world order, pointing to a future transformation.

God's Sovereignty Over Time

Throughout the Bible, God is depicted as sovereign over time. Ecclesiastes 3:1 states, "To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven." This verse reflects the belief that God has ordained specific times and seasons for all events, both in the natural world and in human history.

The prophetic books often reveal God's control over time, as seen in Daniel 2:21 : "He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes them." This passage affirms that God orchestrates the rise and fall of nations according to His divine timetable.

Eschatological Fulfillment

The Bible culminates in the eschatological fulfillment of time, as depicted in the book of Revelation. Revelation 21:1 describes the creation of a new heaven and a new earth, signifying the end of the current temporal order and the beginning of an eternal state: "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had passed away, and the sea was no more."

The anticipation of Christ's return is central to the Christian understanding of time's culmination. Jesus Himself speaks of the end times in Matthew 24:36 , saying, "But about that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." This statement emphasizes the mystery surrounding the exact timing of the end, reinforcing the call for vigilance and readiness among believers.

The Eternal Perspective

While the Bible acknowledges the temporal nature of the world, it also encourages believers to adopt an eternal perspective. In 2 Corinthians 4:18 , Paul writes, "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." This exhortation invites Christians to focus on the eternal realities of God's kingdom, transcending the limitations of earthly time.

In summary, the Bible presents time as a creation of God, with a definitive beginning and an anticipated end. The temporal nature of the world serves as a reminder of God's eternal sovereignty and the ultimate fulfillment of His divine plan.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Job 22:16
Which were cut down out of time, whose foundation was overflowed with a flood:
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Revelation 10:6
And swore by him that lives for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer:
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Greek

165. aion -- a space of time, an age
... continued duration Definition a space of time, an age NASB Word Usage age ... 20),
forevermore (2), long ago (1), never* (1), old (1), time (1), world (7), worlds ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/165.htm - 8k

Strong's Hebrew

2465. cheled -- duration, world
... Word Origin from an unused word Definition duration, world NASB Word Usage life
(1), lifetime (1), span of life (1), world (3). age, short time, world. ...
/hebrew/2465.htm - 6k

5769. olam -- long duration, antiquity, futurity
... Word Origin from an unused word Definition long duration, antiquity, futurity ... of)
old (time), perpetual, at any time, (beginning of the) world (+ without end ...
/hebrew/5769.htm - 7k

Library

That the World and Time had Both one Beginning, and the one did ...
... But none could then be past, for there was no creature by whose movements its duration
could be measured. But simultaneously with time the world was made, if ...
//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/city of god/chapter 6 that the world and.htm

Whether the Time of Our Resurrection is Hidden?
... a number of years to elapse before the end of the world or until the preaching of
Antichrist, but to the time of Antichrist's preaching and the duration of his ...
//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether the time of our 2.htm

Whether the Time of the Future Judgment is Unknown?
... intended to indicate a short length of time, but to signify the last state of the
world, which is ... Thus neither is fixed duration appointed to old age, which ...
//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether the time of the.htm

Time and Eternity. February 24.
... endless duration, but that ever- present moral world, governed by ... in which we should
be equally, whether time and space, extension and duration, and the ...
/.../kingsley/daily thoughts /time and eternity february 24.htm

The Answer to a Sixth Letter,
... other bodies be there, or anywhere else, or not at all; just as time or duration
is the ... or whether there was or was not any sun, or any material world at all ...
/.../the answer to a sixth.htm

Whether the Universe of Creatures Always Existed?
... But if God is prior by duration; since what is prior and posterior in duration
constitutes time, it follows that time existed before the world, which is ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether the universe of creatures.htm

Whether it is an Article of Faith that the World Began?
... motion, of necessity precedes its effect in time; because the ... be prior to the thing
made in duration as appears ... God is the active cause of the world, that He ...
//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether it is an article.htm

That the World Took Its Beginning in Time.
... statement that this world had its beginning at a certain time, and that, agreeably
to our belief in Scripture, we can calculate the years of its past duration. ...
/.../origen/origen de principiis/chapter v that the world took.htm

The Time of the Evening.
... The duration of Protestant power is 350 years, which ... the worldliness of sectism at
the time the Spirit ... in this dark, seducing, and soul-deluding, sinful world. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/orr/the gospel day /chapter ii the time of.htm

Of the Falseness of the History which Allots Many Thousand Years ...
... this Egyptian assigned more than 8000 years, counting to the time of Alexander ... because
it does not exceed the true account of the duration of the world as it ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/augustine/city of god/chapter 10 of the falseness of.htm