Question about heaven?

[CHCatholic]

Is it theoretically impossible, as souls in heaven, to “go back” in time and see past events?? I know its not a definitive answer, but its there anything theological that would forbid, lets say me watching Moses split the Red Sea or something, when I’m in heaven??

thanks

 

[BarbaraTherese]

I dont know how to answer you from a clearly theological perspective (I hope someone else will) but I do know that in Heaven “every tear will be wiped away” and we will be totally fulfilled in every way. Perhaps the things we wonder about here on earth will no longer be of interest to us in the Joy and stunned awe, praise and thanksgiving, of God in Heaven in the Beatific Vision…or perhaps they will be and The Lord will fulfill those interests, hopes and expectations we had here on earth to see such wonders as the parting of The Red Sea. All things are possible to God!

Blessings and regards…Barb

 

[mattkubes]

Perhaps the things we wonder about here on earth will no longer be of interest to us in the Joy and stunned awe, praise and thanksgiving, of God in Heaven in the Beatific Vision

This was my first thought after reading the question, and it’s something that C. S. Lewis seemed to support as well (I know, we don’t have to believe him at all, but he did have some great insight!). Pick up a copy of The Great Divorce if you’re interested in what he had to say - it’s a really quick read too

 

[Tantum_ergo]

Well, ‘time’ (which is a creation) will not exist in Heaven. Eternity does not consist of past, present and future but is more like an eternal ‘now’.

It is entirely possible that when you are in Heaven, you are ‘now’ cognisant of all that is, was, and will be. . .but you won’t be ‘seeing it’ the way we do as beings ‘in time.’

 

[MarieVeronica]

Oh, if we COULD witness certain things, in Heaven! How wonderful. I would choose three things:

1.) The Birth of Our Lord

2.) Our Lord’s Ascension (Return) to Heaven

3.) Our Lady’s Coronation

Oh what joy!!! To behold these things! To be “present” for these Heavenly events! God bless and thanks for an interesting question!

 

[Ohwesty]

Time ceases when we pass from this world into eternity. We are in the “eternal now.” Therefore I think we will be able to see events of all time as they happened/are happening.

I would love to see Moses splitting the Red Sea, the Birth of Christ, the Ascension, Our Lady’s Assumption. Now think of this: The Second Coming! Why limit ourselves to *past *events?

• Westy

 

[Nan_S]

Time ceases when we pass from this world into eternity. We are in the “eternal now.” Therefore I think we will be able to see events of all time as they happened/are happening.

I would love to see Moses splitting the Red Sea, the Birth of Christ, the Ascension, Our Lady’s Assumption. Now think of this: The Second Coming! Why limit ourselves to *past *events?

• Westy

I’ve always looked at this passage from the Book of Revelation to mean that souls in heaven, before the Last Judgment, were still aware of Linear Time.

Rev 6:9-11 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne; they cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before thou wilt judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell upon the earth?” Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.

I rather think we will be on the cusp of eternity, but not fully a part of it, until the events of the Revelation are complete. As such, unfortunately, we would probably not be able to “examine” past events that were not part of our own lives.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

In heaven there is a large library of DVD’s that you can watch, going back to the creation of the world.

Hope this helps!

Jim