P
Psalm89
Guest
I was thinking about meeting loved ones in heaven one day and a thought came to mind. When we are in heaven time might be different than now. For instance, we know God is outside of time but can function within it, so that when we are in His presence that we will most likely be partially or wholly outside of time.
(Hence no boredom in heaven.)
I have read some philosophers talk about an eternal present, one in many which actions happen at once. I think a good example might be a dream. Ever had a dream that you were somewhere familiar like your house, but at the same time you knew that it wasn’t your house? It doesn’t work when waking, but somehow in a dream it can make sense and can function. It leads me to believe that in heaven that time will not pass, but it might pass in a certain sense.
This leads to further speculation. For instance when we die, the final judgment and purgatory wouldn’t have a temporal sense to them perhaps, but an immediate perception. We would know that we are passing through purgatory and facing judgment, which on one hand might seem a long time and be instantaneous as well. For no one goes to purgatory and then descends to hell.
This leads me to my final point. When in heaven will a father see his children who are saved when he gets there even though his children die years later? Example, a man dies at 70 and his son dies 40 years later. When he arrives in heaven his son is there as well, because heaven operates outside of this time.
Perhaps his son isn’t there in one sense, but once the end of the world happens he is and since the final judgment, purgatory and heaven are outside of time then they might seem instantaneous. That means that your great-great-great-great grandparent whom you never knew, in one sense already knows you in heaven.
That would mean that when you “got to” heaven it might be possible to meet you great-great-great-great grandson the instant you are there.
We see time as a straight line, but the saints in heaven might see it like a piece of paper—in two dimensions. A second line can cross the first one at any point on a two dimensional plane, but the single line can only go forward and see backward. The saints can hear our prayers in heaven even though they died centuries ago and they will continue to hear other people’s prayers until this world is gone. Perhaps the saints have the power to offer up prayers for people that were born before they were! If they are outside of time, then they could see things that happened before their birth and death and pray for people they see before they were born on earth.
Just some thoughts. If any body out there has some philosophy background and would like to comment I would appreciate it.
(Hence no boredom in heaven.)
I have read some philosophers talk about an eternal present, one in many which actions happen at once. I think a good example might be a dream. Ever had a dream that you were somewhere familiar like your house, but at the same time you knew that it wasn’t your house? It doesn’t work when waking, but somehow in a dream it can make sense and can function. It leads me to believe that in heaven that time will not pass, but it might pass in a certain sense.
This leads to further speculation. For instance when we die, the final judgment and purgatory wouldn’t have a temporal sense to them perhaps, but an immediate perception. We would know that we are passing through purgatory and facing judgment, which on one hand might seem a long time and be instantaneous as well. For no one goes to purgatory and then descends to hell.
This leads me to my final point. When in heaven will a father see his children who are saved when he gets there even though his children die years later? Example, a man dies at 70 and his son dies 40 years later. When he arrives in heaven his son is there as well, because heaven operates outside of this time.
Perhaps his son isn’t there in one sense, but once the end of the world happens he is and since the final judgment, purgatory and heaven are outside of time then they might seem instantaneous. That means that your great-great-great-great grandparent whom you never knew, in one sense already knows you in heaven.
That would mean that when you “got to” heaven it might be possible to meet you great-great-great-great grandson the instant you are there.
We see time as a straight line, but the saints in heaven might see it like a piece of paper—in two dimensions. A second line can cross the first one at any point on a two dimensional plane, but the single line can only go forward and see backward. The saints can hear our prayers in heaven even though they died centuries ago and they will continue to hear other people’s prayers until this world is gone. Perhaps the saints have the power to offer up prayers for people that were born before they were! If they are outside of time, then they could see things that happened before their birth and death and pray for people they see before they were born on earth.
Just some thoughts. If any body out there has some philosophy background and would like to comment I would appreciate it.