Space,
Time, and God
By
Stephen Terry
In
our universe we have defined space and time in four dimensions. The first
dimension is linear space, the second is planar space, and the third is
tri-dimensional space. The first dimension of time could be considered linear
time, if the parallels are consistent then the fifth dimension which would also
be the second dimension of time would be planar time. Logically the third
dimension of time would be tri-dimensional time.
If we were to construct a symbology meaningful to
hypothetical inhabitants of these dimensions, we would perhaps do so using
imagery from the highest attribute of the dimension in question.
For the first dimension, we might create a sacred line
or point. The second might have a holy parallel. The third might possess a
sacred structure. The fourth might have a sacred object constructed of linear
time. Perhaps, this might be a day set aside for sacredness. Naturally, the
possibilities would extend with appropriateness across each dimension. We might
even be able to define the possibility that a substitution of an appropriate
symbol for a particular dimension with one from a lower dimension might be seen
as regression or heresy. For example, replacing veneration of a holy day in the
linear time dimension with veneration of a holy object from the third dimension
might be such a case.
Perhaps it can be seen from my poor attempts at description,
my existence in the linear time dimension causes me to portray and may cause my
reader to visualize these dimensions in a linear progression. However, these dimensions
rather than being linear in nature are quite possibly co-existent and are
simply to be understood as each lower dimension simply being a subset of and therefore
contained within all the higher ones.
Just as I who exist in the linear time dimension can
create in the second dimension, so those in the higher dimensions do not lose
their ability to manipulate the lower ones. Those two dimensional inhabitants
might consider my ability to enter their realm and create objects as “god like.”
I in turn might feel the same about individuals who could enter my dimension
and manipulate time. However, if we consider each subset to be of a continuum
defined by eternity then another factor may come into play.
There might be a Remoteness Principle. This could mean
that the farther two dimensions are from each other, the less likely the inhabitants
of one would be to interact in any way with the inhabitants of another. This
would be because the lower would be less and less likely to understand any
interaction with the greater due to the limitations of their subset. For the
greater dimensions, self-interest may be the only reason for remote, lower
subset interaction. Perhaps illustrative of this would be the biblical story of
the Tower of Babel.
This Remoteness Principle might be visualized as a
hierarchy by beings in our dimension with our linear thinking. Lower in the
hierarchy and less remote might be those who are most frequently involved in
interactions with our dimension (angels?) while the hierarchy progresses in
remoteness infinitely to that which by definition we would call God, although
we could not actually define God since the definition is that definition is
impossible.
For this reason, Jesus, is also an enigma. He is an
interjection into our linear dimension of all that such a being could reveal of
itself to us. We speak often of God willingly limiting Himself to human form,
yet this is not adequately descriptive. Perhaps it would be more accurate to
speak of a being who can no more fully interject Himself into our dimension
than we can fully be integrated into the limitations of the second dimension.
At most, we could only succeed in fully integrating a two-dimensional
representation of our being into that dimension. In short, Jesus is the face of
God we see and understand but that revelation is veiled by our own limitations.
If we turn now to the concepts of creation and creator, it
can be seen that higher dimensions should be able to spawn subsets of themselves as a property of their being a superset of those
subsets. The existence of those subsets might also be considered proof of the
supersets’ existence, with each superset of course being a subset itself of the
infinite set. While there may be little or no linearity involved, a
creator/creation model might be a singularly adequate means to describe the
indescribable to the linear beings of the fourth dimension.
Salvation might also be defined in this cosmology as a fully
integrated restoration of a subset to its proper superset. Such restoration if
infinitely applied across all subsets could easily mean immortality, although
what that truly means could not be adequately understood within the confines of
any subset short of infinity. Instead, attempting to visualize it would be like
seeing “through a glass, darkly.” (1 Corinthians 13:12) Perhaps this is why our
futile attempts to understand any revelations from these higher dimensional
subsets must continually be constructed on a foundation of faith as opposed to
substance. The tools of this dimension are inadequate to the task.
This Article is a Service of Still
Waters Ministry
