Does 'Time" exist in heaven?

[Retro_Ace]

Yes, extremely exciting. I find it interesting that i get more insight into this from science fiction writers, and physicists like Albert Einstein, than from most theologians.

I wonder if the fifth dimension is something that transcends time in a similar way that the third dimension called depth transcends the two dimensions of height and width. If this is the truth, then life in eternity will be as different as a three-dimensional living creature is different from a two-dimensional drawing of that creature. That is, we really will not be fully alive until we live in that new dimension. Maybe this is what eternal life is–not longer life, but fuller and more complete and more real life?

to me heaven and hell do not have time because there is no need for it there, Purgatory perhaps, things don’t age in the realms of heaven nor hell, its always the same

 

[guiltyofdoubt]

Interestingly enough, what I was taught in religion/catechism class was that upon becoming an angel, one would “instantly be infused with all of the knowledge of the universe.” Now, this did not mean, all of the knowledge about the universe, but rather, all of the knowledge there is. If that is so, then we can’t grow, or, change, in knowledge in Heaven. So, there could neither be a sequence to gaining knowledge, nor, a time-line for gaining it.

I would point out respectfully that we don’t “become angels”. Angels are a separate creation of God, spirit without mortal body, though angels may be able to take the image of a human body when it suits them. We have bodies, and our bodies will be resurrected perfectly, whether in Heaven or Hell, and rejoined with our spirit. As humans, we are the joining of spirit and mortal body, which makes us a unique creation. In Heaven, we will be Saints, but not angels. I agree with the rest of what you wrote and perhaps this is just a case of semantics.

 

[mikekle]

I don’t think time exists in Heaven. My reasoning is because the angels are either with God or against Him and have no opportunity to fall again or repent if they’re fallen. For instance, satan doesn’t have the opportunity to repent and be saved. He made his decision to go against God once and for all.

We dont know this for sure though. I dont think this is mentioned anywhere in the bible…But if anyone can cite a verse that does say this, Id love to hear it.

IMO, if satan and 1/3 of the other angels who chose to follow him were able to make this decision, Its highly possible more angels COULD do the same. Personally I find it odd that satan managed to convince 1/3 of the entire angels he was correct and to follow him, Angels are very intelligent beings, much more than we are, it seems strange so many could be deceived by another angel, plus God is all knowing and all seeing, so before he even created the angels, he KNEW what was going to happen and which angels were going to side with satan.

Regarding the time issue in the afterlife, IMO, this is something we simply cannot grasp, everything we do and experience is in terms of time, so to even think of a place without time, is impossible for us, furthermore, it is said a day with God is like 1000 years and 1000 years is like a day, so when you look at eternity from this aspect, it is probably not the loooong time we think it will be, as it will not even be like that to begin with (actually this even hard to describe) LOL

 

[openmind77]

I know God exists outside of time. But those saved ( I hope I am one ) and will eventually unite with their glorified bodies. I assume these will be used and if so change occurs and Time involves change. If we use our bodies(say move a leg) this involves Time.Presuming we will be doing different things and different events would develop into an unending series.I am a bit uncertain about this except to say thinking about it is awesome. Can you clarify?
Thank you ,
nickpeter

I am not quite sure what a glorified body is. But here is a ‘New Age’ answer to your question. There are multiple planes of existence, each more ‘spiritual’ than the one below and time is experienced differently on each plane (see table below). As you rise through the planes time appears to move faster, until at the highest plane the speed of time is infinite and past/present/future becomes one (ie there is no time).

View attachment 19133

Hence the Father knows all of the future and the Son does not. In heaven we will experience time, but it wiill be different from time on earth

 

[empther]

We will experience time in Heaven.

In Summa Contra Gentiles
dhspriory.org/thomas/ContraGentiles4.htm#92
volume 4, chapter 86 ON THE QUALITY OF GLORIFIED BODIES
paragraph 1

[1] Grant, of course, that in the resurrection the merit of Christ does remove the deficiency of nature commonly from all men—from both the good and the evil; nonetheless, a difference will persist between the good and the evil in respect to what is suitable to each group personally. Now, it is an essential of nature that the human soul is the form of the body which vivifies the body and preserves it in being, but by its personal acts the soul merits to be elevated to the glory of the divine vision or to be excluded from the order of that glory by reason of its sin. The body, then, will be commonly disposed in all men in harmony with the soul, with this result: The incorruptible form bestows an incorruptible being on the body in spite of its composition from contraries, because in respect to corruption the matter of the human body will be entirely subject to the human soul. But the glory and power of the soul elevated to the divine vision will add something more ample to the body united to itself.** For this body will be entirely subject to the soul—the divine power will achieve this—not only in regard to its being, but also in regard to action, passion, movements, and bodily qualities.**:bigyikes: :extrahappy: :bounce:

So our bodies will be capable of movements and other things? This is only possible in time.

Aquinas thought this was so obvious to the professional philosophers he was writing for he didn’t dwell on it.

 

[Charlemagne_III]

This is one of those questions that cannot be answered until we get to heaven.

Time as we know it was created at the Big Bang along with everything else. But since heaven is not of this world, it does not seem that if there is time in heaven it will be measured in the way that we know it. There would seem to be time in Purgatory (again not necessarily the way we measure it) because we must wait through our suffering to be cleansed.