What Is Time? Foolish question some may think. Everybody knows that time is gauged by the ticking of a clock. Tick tock, tick tock, however, is not time but a gauge denoting the passing of time; the seconds, minutes, the hours of each day of 24 hours are registered as the days turn to weeks, to months, to years. Time began for our world approximately 5977 years ago. This beginning is simply told in the book of Genesis with this foreword: “IN THE BEGINNING GOD CREATED THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH” (Genesis 1:1). “And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep”. (Gen. 1:2).
“TIME” began when it says, “And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters”, verse 3, and herein is the starting of time of Divine work in preparation for God’s purpose and plan of the ages with the earth and man upon it. The facts are simply stated in the six days of creative work of the elohim (angels), during which period the earth was set in order for all living creatures both of man, beasts, reptiles, the fish of the sea, etc. and etc. It was over this newly renewed earth that man was given dominion and instructed in due time the Divine plan of the ages.
The beginning and ending of each day, on the principle declared in the Genesis story, gives to us not only the starting point of time but regulates on the basis that “the evening, morning” were constituted a day. Time is still reckoned on the “evening, morning” principle constituting a day of 24 hours. The elohim continued their labours on the earth in preparation for man during six days; and on the seventh day “they rested from their labours”. From that early beginning up to the present, the days have continued to be measured on this basis.
The Eternal Ail is not subject to time. Likewise, the elohim (angels) being spirit beings. “God is a Spirit” (John 4:24). God “maketh his angels spirits, and His ministers a flame of fire” (Heb. 1:7). We mention this because it is specifically stated that the fulfilment of the Divine purpose will bring the world to a period in history “WHEN THERE SHOULD BE TIME NO LONGER” (Rev. 10:6). This is indicated in the words of the apostle Paul in 1 Cor. 15:24-28, “Then cometh the end . . For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death . . . then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be ALL in ALL”.
Time began for this world on the first day of creation. The angelic work was completed on the sixth day, and on the seventh day, the angels rested from their labours. On the principle expressed by the apostle Peter, “that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day” (2 Peter 3:8), we have envisaged that within a period of 6000 years mankind would have before them the Divine Plan of the Ages, which they may voluntarily acknowledge and accept or disregard God’s Holy word of Truth portrays “the Light” and way to eternal life; without it, mankind will walk in the “darkness” of despair and eternal death. As the Psalmist nicely puts it, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105).
It is interesting to note that both the Old and New Testaments emphasise, in their respective teachings, a grouping of six phases of Divine instruction leading to and/or pointing to a seventh period of Rest (Sabbath) of 1000 years. This thought seems to be emphasised -in the Old Testament in the following books, viz, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, The Judges and The Kings (six in all), whilst the books of the Prophets particularly emphasise the seventh day (Sabbath Rest) in the setting up of the Kingdom of God as Isaiah prophesized,
“For unto us a son is born . . . called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace . . . The Zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this”. (Isa. 9:6-7).
In my view, it is not just a thing that happened by accident, or by chance, that we also find that the same orderly arrangement of Divine teaching is contained in the New Testament. I would arrange them as follows: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, The Acts of the Apostles and six, The Epistles of the Apostles. The seventh book, “The Revelation”, leads us prophetically to the anti-typical sabbath of 1000 years reign of the returned Lord Jesus Christ, and fulfilling the promise of the Angels prophetically singing before the Shepherds on the plains of Bethlehem, “GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST AND ON EARTH PEACE AND GOOD-WILL TOWARD MEN” (Luke 2:14).
Time is running out. Not only for the world but for, the believer. Today is the DAY of salvation; Tomorrow will be too late. It is suggested that our needs individually and ecclesially call loudly for a “STRENGTHENING OF THE THINGS THAT REMAIN”. This instruction from Jesus to the Ecclesias is vital and urgent. It is a command which is both individual and collective.
His coming is represented under two headings. Firstly, to the “Household” in the words of the apostle Peter, “But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch and pray. And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins”. (1 Peter 4:7-8) and in verse 17, “FOR THE TIME IS COME THAT JUDGMENT MUST BEGIN AT THE HOUSE’ OF GOD: AND IF IT FIRST BEGIN AT US, WHAT SHALL THE END BE OF THEM THAT OBEY NOT THE GOSPEL OF GOD?”
In my view, the Heavenly Bridegroom will be coming first to collect his “Bride”, as’ the apostle tells us “The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first” (1 Thess. 4:16-18). It seems evident that, after the resurrection and the judgment of the responsible dead and living in Christ, his next attention will be given to Israel to deliver them from a complete annihilation by first “the Arab confederacy” followed by judgment upon the “Papacy” and the “ten kings” (Rev. 17:12-18): then the destruction of the “Gog” of Ezekiel 38 and Rev. 20:7-10, representative of a world embodying pagan socialism, whose motto has been and still is “Religion is opium to the People”. In my view, this is the final judgment of the nations and will constitute the standing of “the image” of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. It must stand again in all its component parts, that Daniel’s prophecy, chapter 2:34, be fulfilled which reads, “A stone cut out of the mountains without hands shall smite the image on its feet, breaking it to pieces . .”. and the stone (Jesus with the Saints) which smote the image becomes a great mountain and fills the whole earth”. (Dan. 2:34 and Dan. 2:44).
TIME is swiftly marching onward. We are approximately 23 years to the 7th Millennium when “THE KINGDOMS OF THIS WORLD SHALL BECOME THE KINGDOM OF OUR LORD AND OF HIS CHRIST”.
It is a question of TIMES HOW ‘MUCH TIME IS LEFT for the “Household of Faith”, individually and collectively, to put “THEIR HOUSE IN ORDER?” “BEHOLD I COME QUICKLY” and my reward is with me?”
Reflections on the Potter and the Clay