Understanding the biblical perspective on time is essential to understanding God’s purposes, His interactions with creation, and the eternal hope He extends to humanity. The Bible treats time not as an illusion, nor as a mere philosophical abstraction, but as a real, linear, and divinely ordered framework through which Jehovah accomplishes His will. From creation to consummation, Scripture presents time as a meaningful, purposeful progression—a stream that originates from God’s eternal nature and flows according to His sovereign design. This stream intersects with human history and will ultimately give way to eternity.
Time in Scripture: Divinely Measured and Purposefully Structured
Time is first introduced in the very opening of Scripture: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). Here, “the beginning” marks the initiation of time. Before creation, God existed alone in eternity—unbounded by time (Psalm 90:2). When He created the universe, He also created time as a dimension in which His purposes would unfold (Isaiah 46:10).
God’s purpose in structuring time is affirmed in Genesis 1:14, where He creates the sun, moon, and stars “for signs and for seasons and for days and years.” These cosmic bodies serve as fixed time indicators, allowing humans to track the passage of time in accordance with God’s providential order. Seasons, weeks, months, and years are not arbitrary—they are divinely instituted frameworks for life and worship (Leviticus 23:4–44).
Moreover, time is one-directional. It flows from past to future, without reversal (Ecclesiastes 3:1–11). While human beings may desire to undo past actions, Scripture clearly teaches that time cannot be retraced: “Man goes to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets” (Ecclesiastes 12:5). This irreversibility gives urgency to how we use our time (Ephesians 5:16), underscoring the biblical exhortation to “number our days” (Psalm 90:12).
Time and Human Life: A Divine Stewardship
Biblically, time is not an impersonal force, but a gift from God, given so that men might seek Him (Acts 17:26–27). The “appointed times” of Ecclesiastes 3 reflect God’s sovereign control over human life. There is a divinely appointed time for birth, death, planting, weeping, and rejoicing. Each phase of life is meaningful and embedded within the tapestry of God’s providence.
Scripture also teaches that the brevity of human life should drive men to humility and wisdom. “Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow…they quickly pass, and we fly away” (Psalm 90:10). Yet, within this fleeting span, man is called to walk in fear of God and obedience to His will (Ecclesiastes 12:13–14).
Eternal God in Temporal Creation
Though God created time, He is not subject to it. Jehovah is eternal—He exists “from time indefinite to time indefinite” (Psalm 90:2). This eternal nature is central to His being and underscores the vast chasm between the Creator and the creature. While humans measure life in years and days, God’s experience of time transcends all measurement: “With the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (2 Peter 3:8; cf. Psalm 90:4). This figurative language emphasizes God’s sovereign timelessness—He is not constrained or hurried by time.
However, God chooses to act within time, entering human history to accomplish His purposes. This is seen supremely in the incarnation of Jesus Christ, who came “when the fullness of time had come” (Galatians 4:4). Christ’s life, death, and resurrection occurred at a specific point in the stream of time, with ramifications that extend into eternity (Hebrews 9:26–28).
Calendars and Chronology in Scripture
The Bible records time with extraordinary care. The Hebrew calendar was lunisolar, combining lunar months with adjustments to align with the solar year. This precision ensured that feasts and agricultural cycles remained synchronized. The lunar month, based on phases of the moon, lasted about 29.5 days, while intercalary months were added periodically to keep the calendar aligned with the seasons.
God instituted the seven-day week based on His creative pattern (Genesis 2:2–3), culminating in the Sabbath, a memorial to creation and a foretaste of eschatological rest (Hebrews 4:9–10). The Hebrew year originally began in the autumn (civil calendar) but was reoriented in the Exodus to begin in spring (religious calendar, Exodus 12:2), marking deliverance as the true beginning of Israel’s identity.
Pivotal dates, such as the fall of Babylon in 539 B.C.E. (Daniel 5:30) and the start of John the Baptist’s ministry in the 15th year of Tiberius (28/29 C.E., Luke 3:1), serve as anchor points for biblical chronology. From these fixed events, other occurrences can be dated with reasonable precision.
Time in Prophecy: Symbol and Measure
In apocalyptic literature, time is often used symbolically. For example, a “time, times, and half a time” (Daniel 7:25; Revelation 12:14) is generally interpreted as 3.5 prophetic years of 360 days each, totaling 1,260 days. Ezekiel’s symbolic days (Ezekiel 4:5–6) also illustrate how time can function metaphorically while retaining precise measure. These symbolic durations emphasize the certainty of fulfillment—prophecy unfolds on God’s calendar, not man’s.
The Eternal State: Time Transcended
While time is central to human experience, Scripture looks forward to an eternal state in which time, as we know it, gives way to unending life. Revelation 21:4 declares, “There shall be no more death,” signaling an existence not subject to decay or chronology. In this new heavens and new earth (Isaiah 65:17; 2 Peter 3:13), the redeemed will enjoy continuous, conscious fellowship with God—a life not measured by years but by the quality of divine presence.
This eternal life is not timeless in the abstract sense but is marked by unending duration (zōē aiōnion). It reflects the permanence of God’s covenant blessings and the irreversible triumph of Christ. Thus, eternity is not the negation of time, but the completion and perfection of time, where every moment is saturated with meaning, joy, and divine communion.
Implications for Christian Living
Given the fleeting nature of time and the certainty of eternity, Scripture exhorts believers to live wisely. Paul writes, “Look carefully then how you walk… making the best use of the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15–16). Time stewardship is a theological imperative; it reflects both reverence for the Creator and responsibility in light of judgment (Romans 14:10–12).
Young people are especially urged to “remember your Creator in the days of your youth” (Ecclesiastes 12:1). Time is a non-renewable resource—once lost, it cannot be reclaimed. The wise invest it in eternal pursuits: worship, discipleship, evangelism, and acts of love and obedience (Colossians 3:1–2).
Conclusion: The Stream of Time and the Ocean of Eternity
Time is not an illusion, nor is it accidental. It is a creation of God, a divine framework in which His purposes are revealed and fulfilled. It flows in one direction—onward—moving inexorably toward the consummation of all things in Christ. Each tick of the clock draws us closer to the fulfillment of God’s eternal plan. The past is irretrievable, the present is fleeting, and the future is filled with either judgment or eternal blessing.
Believers are called to live with eternity in their hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11), knowing that the stream of time empties into the ocean of eternity prepared by Jehovah. In that coming age, “time indefinite” will be the domain of God’s people—uninterrupted by death, pain, or sin (Revelation 21:4). In the presence of the Eternal One, time will lose its tyranny, and life will reach its true fulfillment.
EDWARD D. ANDREWS (AS in Criminal Justice, BS in Religion, MA in Biblical Studies, and MDiv in Theology) is CEO and President of Christian Publishing House. He has authored over 220+ books. In addition, Andrews is the Chief Translator of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV).
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