Imagine time. That undefinable, yet undeniable force of purpose and opportunity.
Can you feel time, as it flows right past you?
Think about it. In the few moments it has taken you to read this, that small span of time has now slipped away. Forever.
You’ve lost something—to gain something. Time is like breathing. A breath—held for a moment, then soon released—to make room for the next.
Time is an unseen commodity. A treasure that cannot be bought, but only given. A gift—and its Giver knows the number of your days.
Have you ever wondered why science, with all of its training and technology, has never been able to produce a “time machine?” The answer may be painfully simple: You, my friend, are the time machine. God’s very own, created mechanism for cruising through time. A real life time traveler.
But what does all of this mean? As they say, God only knows for sure. And with God, timing seems to be everything.
IN THE BEGINNING
“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.”
Genesis 1:1-3
Have you ever gotten hung up on those first couple of verses in Genesis? I sure have. And I can tell you, I have many question there, between verses 1 and 2.
Why didn’t our Creator God clue us in more to this mystery? And since He didn’t, why did He even bother to mention it?
One possibility is that this may have been our very first lesson about time and eternity: that it is God alone who knows the end from the beginning.
And neither He, or His infinite purposes can be fully explained to a finite creation. Instead, we are provided with just enough important information.
To believe.
Imagine a young child, viewing his or her “Daddy” day after day. He or she really doesn’t have a lot of the details—his career, or his many concerns of life. All the child really cares about is their relationship.
The mystery of Daddy may certainly unfold with time. But for now, the limited knowledge is enough. Daddy is enough.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The same was in the beginning with God.
All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.”
John 1:1-5
In the beginning, Father God—in His infinite wisdom and perfect timing—created all things that were created. Nothing more. And nothing less. And suddenly, what had been steeped in darkness, was flooded with light!
And things that were not, suddenly were. At His spoken command. In His impeccable timing. Miraculously! Meticulously. As everything changed.
GOD’S INFALLIBLE TIMELINE
Our Bible accurately portrays, historically and futuristically, an amazing timeline of extraordinary events. Magnificently collected and preserved for us, through the power and the presence of His Holy Spirit.
But do you ever feel like you’re just one more tiny “blip” on that immense screen of history? Don’t feel alone. So many of us can feel lost in a sea of details.
Thankfully, our Bible was written for that very purpose. To give us a real sense of time, from God’s point of view—and to know your significance within it.
With its detailed (and never sugar-coated) accounts of biblical history, God’s wonderful plans and purposes can not only be witnessed, but understood.
Extraordinary events that were, and are, and are still to come. Can we include all of them in this article? Not a chance.
But these few (and so important) highlights of history demonstrate our God’s great faithfulness. His impeccable sense of timing. And His plan for you.
THE GREAT FLOOD OF NOAH’S DAY
“And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.
But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.”
Genesis 6:5-8
I won’t pretend to fully understand God’s great flood of Genesis. And I imagine that Noah didn’t either.
But he trusted what he had heard God say. Noah believed God, and then acted upon what he believed was true.
So God responded to Noah’s great faith. And sent what He had promised to come. Suddenly, and sadly, all that had been…was not.
THE CALL OF ABRAM, AND THE PROMISE OF ISRAEL
“Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”
Genesis 12:1-3
Of course, it would take generations of time to unfold God’s sovereign plans for the nation of Israel. But how amazing for us to be able to “witness” Israel’s very first beginnings: Abram’s sudden call, to go forth and search out the land.
Let’s just say, Abram had to put his best foot forward, as he received—and believed—all that God had promised for him and his countless decedents. Forever.
THE COMING OF CHRIST INTO THE WORLD
“But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.”
Galatians 4:4-7
Fast forward some two thousand years. At long last, the promised and prophesied Messiah had arrived. In God’s own perfect moment of time. And He would bring with him the promise of the “firstborn” of the Father—as many “sons” would soon and forever follow in his wake.
“And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”
Luke 2:9-14
Wow! There’s nothing like a birth announcement, and this one was a doozie!
Try to even imagine being one of those hardworking shepherds, out upon the hills above Jerusalem. When suddenly, and sensationally, a great and mighty host of angels appeared! Talk about your open-air concerts! And they were bursting with the good news!
It was, quite literally, heavenly—when the shepherds heard, and believed. It was that very day, when our own King Jesus was born upon planet earth.
Right on time.
GOD’S GREATEST GIFT, GIVEN AT THE CROSS
“After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.
Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a sponge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth.
When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.”
John 19:28-30
It was the most astounding and pinnacle moment of all time. As our Christ Jesus was lifted up, between heaven and earth.
It was brutal. Breathtaking. Bringing us the greatest gift ever bestowed upon fallen humanity: His true Life.
And liberty. And the immense privilege of pursuing and finding godliness.
Jesus’ own blood had bought everything for us. As he finally proclaimed those unforgettable words: “IT IS FINISHED,” Nothing else needed to be said. All had been accomplished. For God had suddenly and soundly spoken.
And called us all, to believe.
“Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.”
Matthew 27:50-53
The veil (huge curtain) of the temple was ripped from top to bottom! And the earth shook so violently it split rocks!
Many graves were suddenly opened—after Christ’s resurrection—as the “saints” once dead, went walking right into Jerusalem, and were seen alive by many.
Causing many to believe.
And nothing would ever be the same again.
THE MOST AMAZING DAY OF PENTECOST
“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
Acts 2:1-4
Imagine. Forty days had passed since Christ’s triumphant resurrection. And Jesus had briefly returned to earth, to be witnessed alive and well, by crowds of amazed disciples.
And before His soon departure to Heaven, He gave express instructions for them to wait in the city (Jerusalem) until the promised “Comforter” would come.
Sure enough, ten days later—and right on time—the Holy Spirit suddenly and seriously fell!
In the fullness of God’s perfect timing. Upon all and everyone, who were waiting to receive Him—filling them to the fullest!
Then overflowed out into those streets of Jerusalem, convicting and convincing the multitude of their Sin—as they believed.
And suddenly, the church of Jesus Christ had been born!
THE CALL OF SAUL INTO MINISTRY
“And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,
And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.
And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:
And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do”
Acts 9:1-6
It’s amazing how such unlikely candidates are often chosen for God’s service. And wow—that was quite an intervention that day—when the zealous persecutor of the Christians was suddenly called on the carpet, right there on the road to Damascus.
Jesus quoted a Greek proverb when He said, “it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks (a device to make oxen behave). In other words, “Saul, it won’t do you any good to rebel against Me!”
This man who had thought he saw things so clearly, would be blinded for a time—that he may finally believe—and truly see the realities of God’s own purposes.
And Saul (soon to become the Apostle Paul) would be changed forever. All in God’s patient and perfect timing.
THE SUDDEN REBIRTH OF THE NATION OF ISRAEL
“Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.
Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the LORD: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God.
Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her”
Isaiah 66:8-10
Yes, I know I keep saying wow. But…wow! Fast forward yet another two thousand years of time. Our timely God had long ago promised it.
The year was 1948—and the ancient prophecies of Israel’s long awaited rebirth was at last to be fulfilled. Jews rejoiced, and Christians around the world knew this was really something to see—and believe.
Because with God, a promise is a promise. You can take that to the bank.
“For I will take you from among the Gentiles, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.
And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God. I will also save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you. And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that ye shall receive no more reproach of famine among the Gentiles.”
Ezekiel 36:24, 28-30 (NKJV)
“The hand of the Lord came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry. And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”
So I answered, “O Lord God, You know.”
Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! Thus says the Lord God to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live.”
Ezekiel 37:1-5
Well, it may have taken two thousand years to happen. But God wasn’t worried. (And we shouldn’t be worried about the promised events of God’s good timing either).
If He said it, He meant it. And without a doubt, it would certainly come to pass.
Suddenly, the ancient promise of Israel was brought into being, before the eyes of a war-weary world. Hitler’s “final solution” hadn’t been able to stop it. Nor could any geopolitical forces hold it back. Suddenly, after two thousand years of time, the nation of Israel was reborn!
Right on time. In the fullness of time. Right on God’s perfect and purposed schedule.
And with it, the “time clock” of God’s countdown of end times world events had suddenly been activated! And what an amazingly accurate timepiece it is—right up to this very hour!
THE CHOSEN YOU
“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven”
Ecclesiastes 3:1
I recall, years ago, seeing a poster on a high school gym wall. It showed a sober-faced teen-aged girl, with the question below her: “Will it matter, that I was?”
I’ve never forgotten that. After all, most all of us must struggle with some similar inner question. I have a hunch that the most basic question might be: Who am I?
And that’s why you appear in this timeline of God’s events.
You, my Christian friend, probably wouldn’t regard yourself as an actual “event” within history. But you should.
If you’ve came to believe in the Lord Jesus, and trusted him with your heart, He has made His home in you. You are a real and significant event. Yes you.
Understand it or not—your Heavenly Father is sooo proud of you, for coming when He called to you. And for choosing His dear Son, so He could choose to make you His very own. You really are that big of a deal.
And yet, you still may be wondering just how your small life fits into all of God’s magnificent plans. Do you fit? Oh yes. You fit.
In fact, you are a perfect fit. A real and active piece of His great puzzle, precisely placed into your exact position in time. To fulfill God’s amazing plans!
Because you believed, Father God can now spend an eternity upon you—and show you what your simple act of blind faith was really worth. And, like all good Fathers, He’s prepared a place for you, to be there with Him. (Never too far away from His throne room, I would imagine.)
And He provided an astonishing way for you and I, and all true believers, to be gathered up together, into His glory! For soon and suddenly He will personally call us home. To be with Him.
“BEHOLD, I SHOW YOU A MYSTERY”
“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”
John 14:1-3
The year was approximately AD 30-33. That night was a solemn occasion, as Jesus ate “the last supper,” and observed the feast of Passover with his twelve disciples. He understood their sorrow and confusion, as His day drew near.
Jesus comforted his companions, using the exact words of the promise of a bridegroom, to return for his betrothed bride. It was a promise that any Jewish person living in that day would have well understood. And for those who also believed in Christ Jesus to be their Messiah, it would mean everything.
“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.”
I Corinthians 15:51-54
Some years later, the Apostle Paul—once radically raised up by Jesus himself to be an apostle to the Gentiles—received the revelation of a great mystery, soon to be realized upon His church.
The promise of the “catching away,” or as many call it now, the rapture of the church of Jesus Christ.
“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
For 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:
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”
I Thessalonians 4:13-18
Just as the promise of “power” from on high at Pentecost was a great mystery to those first disciples then, so too was the “mystery” of the catching away—the “rapture” of every true believer in Jesus Christ!
So too, is the power of that promise. For just as Christ (our “first fruits”) was resurrected from the dead, so are we to follow! That same power that raised Jesus from death, will soon raise us too, when He mightily calls us upward!
Today, seventy-three years since the rebirth of the nation of Israel, the “countdown” continues.
You see the world around you. Surely by now, you sense that we stand upon the very precipice of time and eternity. We are witnessing a failing world, plunged into the darkness and desperation of these fragile, final days.
But should we worry, as the world worries? Should we succumb to the fears around us? Never. For there is no need to.
Instead, we must now look up. For our blessed hope of redemption draws ever nearer.
God, in His perfect will and wisdom, from His all-seeing vantage point, now awaits His perfect and purposed moment. TO APPEAR!
And so, we wait as well. And watch. And pray. And lay our lives before Him. That we might be found worthy to escape the wrath soon to be released upon an unsuspecting world.
We wait, with a faith-filled expectation—for that great and glorious moment in time! With the trumpet sound! And the voice of the archangel! And the call of all calls, from our Christ Redeemer, “COME UP HERE!” For behold, He comes! Suddenly and swiftly! In the twinkling of an eye!
Friend, it’s time to let go of this world. It cannot save us.
Lay hold on the promise of Jesus Christ’s soon coming—in the fullness of time. When suddenly, the world will be turned upside down. And we will be suddenly changed, to meet Him, in the air! And we will be with Him. Forever.
And what shall we say, of things still yet to come? All things, within their own times and seasons. Now purposed under heaven.
“Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.”
Revelation 3:10-11
Yes, Lord. We wait—patiently and faithfully—for your promised appearing.
When suddenly we will see you, in your great glory! That magnificent moment of time!
When everything is forever changed.
And we, at last, are released—to fly!