Thanks.
"In the absence of time, events cannot occur. In the absence of space, things cannot exist."
OK, and thus, God does not "exist" in any way that physicists, or the rest of us for that matter, exist or can meaningfully comprehend, except through the Incarnation.
I don't think even physicists know much about what the nature of BEING will be or is apart from OUR time/space dimension. Postulations, inferences, assumptions, extrapolations are all likely to fall short.
I THINK, [MY bias] that it is reasonably safe to say that OUR PARTICULAR time/space dimension will not be the priority operant one in eternity. I think that's a very safe statement. At SOME point, it Biblically appears to be scheduled to be wrapped up and flushed or stored away or some such.
I personally don't THINK [MY personal bias] that it is BIBLICALLY SOUND to assert a lot of THEREFORE WHAT'S about time and/or space otherwsie in eternity. Not that saying so will stop anyone from postulating and pontificating about possibilities; including me.
I consider that it is AT LEAST Biblically plausible that there will be myriads of 'spheres' of 'existence' [given no better words] where BOUNDED TIME AND SPACE are uniquely and markedly different from ours.
I do NOT consider it BIBLICALLY PLAUSIBLE that there will be NO 'existence', BEING [more in the Martin Buber sense?] involving some
God's NATURE displayed IN SCRIPTURE and IN CREATION is AT LEAST
GOD'S NATURE IS DYNAMIC !!!!PLUS!!!! a host of things--but it is NOT BIBLICALLY A HOST OF THINGS MINUS DYNAMIC.
GIVEN GOD'S UNCHANGEABLE NATURE--it is BIBLICALLY VERY SAFE TO ASSERT, postulate, infer, assume, extrapolate that the DYNAMIC aspect of GOD'S NATURE will persist throughout the countless 'ages' of eternity in at least virtually all contexts and STATES OF BEING.
1. In The Garden, God was dynamic with Adam and eve and satan.
2. On Mt Sinai God was dynamic with Moses . . .
. . .
3. On The Mercy Seat between the golden cheribim, God's PRESENCE was dynamic--vs a lump of motionless, static, dead gold or anything else.
4. In the fiery furnace, GOD was dynamic.
. . .
5. In Soddom & Gomorrah, God was dynamic.
6. With Noah, God was dynamic.
. . .
7. At the Tower of Babel, God was dynamic.
8. With King David and Solomon, God was dynamic.
. . .
9. Announcing Christ's coming to Mary and Joseph, God was dynamic.
10. Christ's birth, Life, Crucifixion, Death, Resurrection and Ascension were supremely, paragonly, maximally DYNAMIC and the fulcrum of all creation for all ages, eras, states of being; dimensions; . . . at least as far as I can Biblically infer and postulate.
. . .
11. The concluding of history as we have known it in this time/space dimension is evidently [as Biblically indicated] again to be supremely DYNAMIC.
12. The entire universe and all observable and remotely comprehensible, conceivable about the universe and all that IS--all that BE's--all that is God's overt observable, detectable expression of Himself beyond any localized manifestation of His PRESENCE--IS INCREDIBLY DYNAMIC.
. . .
13. Even some scientists are now postulating that the universe as is observable, conceivable and comprehensible may well go on infinitely expanding, 'generating' endless galaxies and 'existence.'
14. Dozens upon dozens of Heavenly visitations viewing THE THRONE and even the LIVING STONES would describe all such as EXTREMELY DYNAMIC--SUPREMELY PROFOUNDLY PREGNANT with MOVEMENT. I can't actually imagine The God of The Bible as anything less than or other than DYNAMIC AND ABUNDANTLY FULL OF MOVEMENT--pressed down, shaken together and overflowing, with MOVEMENT. 15. Even "common" structural components in Heaven such as building walls; the transparent gold streets etc. are characterized as having a LIVING DYNAMISM to them--CONSTANT MOVEMENT--IN A MYSTERIOUS SPIRITUAL, IMPOSSIBLE TO ARTICULATE SENSE.
I think folks like kosta50 and many of my denomination have an inherent aversion to conceptualizing in anything beyond fairly strict black/white; on/off binary terms.
Yet, I have observed repeatedly in Scripture and in my life and in countless lives of others that GOD IS QUITE OFTEN IF NOT MOST OFTEN, BOTH/AND.
GOD IS UNCHANGEABLE IN HIS NATURE. YET HIS NATURE IS INHERENTLY DYNAMIC--ALWAYS MOVEMENT--ALWAYS CREATING, MATURING, ENHANCING, NURTURING, MANIFESTING UNFOLDING DRAMAS AND EXPRESSIONS OF HIS GLORY; OF HIS NATURE; OF HIS LOVELINESS AND LOVE-ISHNESS. I canNOT IMAGINE He will pull in His shingle and quit such when the last saint is HEAVEN 'located.' For His Nature does not change.
I guess I should be held responsible for this “undead” thread. ;-)
Don't tell anyone, but I agree with you.
I hope you are sitting down: I agree! :)
I’m about to get ready for the Divine Liturgy so more later, but I do want to make a brief comment on this:
“God’s NATURE displayed IN SCRIPTURE and IN CREATION is AT LEAST
DYNAMIC!
GOD’S NATURE IS DYNAMIC !!!!PLUS!!!! a host of things—but it is NOT BIBLICALLY A HOST OF THINGS MINUS DYNAMIC.”
I think you are absolutely right. But lets make a distinction about God’s “Nature”. What we believe we perceive or know about God’s nature is as a result of our observations of the results of God’s uncreated divine energies, grace if you will, as the Greek Fathers put it. We can, apophatically, gain some understanding by saying what God is not, but beyond that, we simply cannot “know” or share in God in His divine essence (ousia)though through grace and Christ we can come at least to a recognition of God hypostatically as Trinity. This distinction between the divine essence and divine energies takes on a major importance when we consider our own hoped for eternal life. We WILL NOT cease to “exist”!
Later.