The angels in heaven have no concept of time. There is no time in eternity. When people die, they pass out of time.

submitted by In-the-clouds from self.whatever

When Jesus was asked about the end of the world, he said that no man knows the hour, not even the angels of heaven know, but the Father only. The angels do not understand time like us mortals, because they are not limited by time, space, or matter.... So they do not know the hour of the end of the world. Only our heavenly Father knows.

The end is much sooner than most men imagine, so it is important for all to repent now and turn to Jesus, while there is yet time.

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[–]NastyWetSmear 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (7 children)

Doesn't make sense. They must know of time the way we do. If not for the fact that they appear in places and times when needed, like at Jesus's birthday to direct people to the stable, then just in as much as normal interactions require:

"Hey, Raphael? Can you please pass me that flaming sword of God's vengeance?"
"Sorry, Uriel, I'm carrying this plate of cheese. Let me put it down, then I can hand it to you."
"But why can't you have already handed it to me?"
"Because putting down this plate of cheese takes... Something... A duration of some kind... A period of something passing while something is done."

[–]In-the-clouds[S] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (6 children)

It doesn't make sense to us mortals because we are trapped in time, space, and matter. But the angels of heaven are in eternity. They still perceive changes, but instead of in time, theirs is in different states.

Have you ever heard how "time flies when you're having fun"? In the state of pleasure, time seems to travel faster than when in a state of torment. Angels in heaven perceive changes of state, but not in time.

The book of Revelation gives this supporting statement: An angel declares there should be time no longer.

[–]NastyWetSmear 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (5 children)

No, it literally doesn't make sense.
Time can pass without you having an understanding or measure of it, and it can be understood even if it's meaningless. Like I pointed out with my examples - Angels wouldn't have been able to appear at crucial times if they didn't at least understand time as we do, though they could also understand it better or "More". If you didn't understand time, it would be impossible to appear:
At night
When Jesus was born
As the wise men were traveling

You would just rock up at a random date, a random time and miss the moment. You'd need to have an understanding of time.

Also, as per my other example, not being confined by time is irrelevant so long as actions have durations. An angel would understand it take another angel a moment to cross the surface of the earth, or that there is a difference between when you start speaking and when you finish speaking - otherwise you'd only need one angel, as they would be in all places at all times all at once doing everything because time is irrelevant, and when they appeared to humans none of them would understand them, as they would give their message instantly, at all moments, all at once, because they wouldn't understand that humans take a split second to hear and understand words.

Angels understand time just fine. Besides which, you deciding you know what angels do and don't understand like that is pure hubris, basically blasphemy, and utter Pride:

Angels in heaven perceive changes of state, but not in time.

How dare you pretend to understand the workings of God and his Angels like that? You should be more humble. You don't know how angels know things and your tiny, mortal mind never could. Get thee to a nunnery!

[–]In-the-clouds[S] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

Do you not think that a God of love, our Father in heaven, would want to teach us these things? We that love God are on our way to eternity.... We will learn about the changes to our lives soon enough, as we leave the natural and enter the spiritual.

Yes, the angels appeared at the birth of Jesus, but they appeared because there was a change of state, not because it was a certain time as measured by men. The birth of the Savior is one of the biggest events in human history, when light came into a dark world. But even we men do not know the exact time for the birth of Jesus: the year, day, or hour, do we? The angels did not have to know the time in the natural realm, as they could perceive the change of state in the spirit realm.

Remember, Jesus said the angels in heaven do not know the time (the hour) when it will be the end of the world. If you are right, that they perceive time as we do, then why would he say that they don't know the time?

otherwise you'd only need one angel

It is true that only one angel is needed to destroy the whole world, and one could do this in an instant. But no angel wants to do this, because they have the love of God toward mankind as their will.

Angels in heaven do not perceive time, and another piece of evidence from the Bible to support this: There is no night in the city of God. It is always day. We count our days based on the rotation of the Earth, which makes it appear that our sun is going up and down, bringing day and night, but in heaven, there is no need of a sun, as God's glory provides the light.

[–]NastyWetSmear 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

You just said it doesn't make sense to us because of our understanding of time, space and matter, so now you're saying God Tried to teach us... But failed?... You're just full of sin today, aren't you? Maybe you should talk less and pray for forgiveness for assuming the intent of the lord God more?

It doesn't matter that there was a "Change of state"... Whatever that vague, hand wavey, pesud-intellectual nonsense means. The fact is, without an understanding of time... Which, again, it is amazingly blasphemous for you to assume God didn't give his chosen servants... They couldn't have appeared to anyone at the right time to announce it. Without a knowledge of When someone was leaving for Bethlehem, How Long it would take them to travel from their point of origin to Bethlehem, how far in hours they were from the stable and, thus, what point In Time to appear to them to tell them to head there in order to find the baby Jesus, they wouldn't have been able to perform any task given to them by God. All of these things require an understanding of time which you have sinfully decided is a limitation of Angels.

I didn't say anything about destroying the world, you're the only one fixated on the end of the world. I said you'd only need One Angel, full stop, because that angel would be everywhere, doing all things at all times for all time and instantly if they existed outside of time and had no understanding of it. They would uselessly be rocking up right now to announce the birth of Christ, because they would always be announcing the birth of Christ, because despite the event happening at a set point of time, that point of time would be meaningless to them, and the message delivered now, to them, would be as useful as being delivered just before his birth.

If there are Angels they must, and do, perceive time, otherwise they would be unable to comprehend the need to tell mortals anything at any specific moment. You have to now deal with the fact that you have falsely accused the lord God of creating imperfect Angels incapable of doing their task and, already, in this thread, claimed that God failed to pass on his learning to us, making him fallible. There's really nothing else for it. You have to take time away from the internet to go ask his forgiveness for assuming failure in his design and his teachings and learn to accept that his Angels understand more things than you do. Your mortal mind can't comprehend them, but that doesn't mean that Their minds aren't capable of understanding things better than you.

To your scriptures. Quickly now!

[–]In-the-clouds[S] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

You make assumptions of what is right based on the limited thinking of a natural man who is still trapped in time, space, and matter. An angel in the spirit realm perceives events differently than a man in the natural realm, but this in no wise implies they are inferior. Angels do not have to know the time as man measures it. God is a loving Father who wants to teach us and there is no fault in him.

For anyone who would like to know more, I suggest praying to God directly and asking him. He will not get angry at anyone for asking questions with the motive for knowing the truth.

[–]NastyWetSmear 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

You did imply they were inferior by suggesting they don't see time as we do: Something they are, apparently, incapable of doing, according to your simple interpretation of some texts.

I didn't make assumptions, I pointed out a requirement: Angels need to be able to perceive time as we do, even if they have a greater understanding of it.

Call the flagellants. Tell them you are wanting.

[–]thomastheglassexpert 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

Is there any evidence or reasoning of logic to base your conclusion? I'm not saying you're wrong but asking what makes you believe in this theory you are presenting as a fact?

[–]In-the-clouds[S] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

I am convinced of this through God's Spirit which teaches us all things. The scriptures I shared support the claim about time, and if you search, you will find:

  • Matthew 24:36 - Angels do not know the time.
  • Mark 13:32 - Angels do not know the time.
  • Revelation 10:5-7 - Angel says there should be time no longer. We will be liberated from time.
  • Revelation 21:25 - We measure time by the cycle of night and day, but there is no night in the city of God, so no measure of time. It is always day.

We men, including myself, struggle to understand reality without time. Time is a form of bondage. We are stuck in one moment of time, unable to move back or forward but always stuck in the current moment, in a specific location of space, and with a material body weighing us down. We mortal men are stuck in time, space, and matter. They are free in heaven from these constraints and yet still experience existence similar to ours in that they perceive changes in state. They both see and hear like we do, but they see spiritual things, while we see natural things.

Most people are not ready for more truth, but I'm glad you asked. If you continue to ask, God will reveal more truth to you. Most people will not believe what Jesus said on our earth, so how can they learn about heaven? Jesus said, “If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?” John 3:12 There are things in heaven that worldly men can not even begin to imagine.