Does the Bible talk about the possibility of time travel?

TL;DR:

Despite mankind’s fascination with time travel, it doesn’t seem to be an important topic in Scripture. The possibility of time travel should point us to God, who created time.

The Bible doesn’t explicitly deal with the possibility of human time travel. However, it does express that God exists outside of time. He was “before” time, will be “after” time, and is not bound by its limitations. He created time it as a boundary for human life.

In our western context, we tend to view time as linear. We start at Point A and end up at point B. However, the middle-Eastern Hebrew mindset saw time as a cyclical series of patterns. They started at Point A, circled around to Point B, then came around again to Point A, establishing a pattern along the way as the cycle continued.

This is the contextual framework of Scripture. Some things—but not all—were created as cycles. God set evening and morning in motion, created spring to blend into summer, autumn, winter and back to spring. Man wasn’t meant to see time as something to control or manipulate but rather as a means to experience the patterns and character of God Himself.

from the old testament

•God existed independently before creation (Genesis 1:1), and still does (Exodus 3:14).
•God knows us and plans our lives before we are born (Psalm 139:16; Jeremiah 1:5).
•God knows the future and gives glimpses of it to His prophets.

from the new testament

•God can insert Himself into any given moment in time (Galatians 4:4).
•God sees us already seated with Him in our future state (Ephesians 2:4-6).
•To God, a thousand years is as irrelevant as a single day (2 Peter 3:8).
•God is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end (Revelation 1:8).

implications for today

The Bible indicates that every person has a time appointed for his death (Hebrews 9:27) and that God knows every person's days before they happen (Jeremiah 1:5; Psalm 139:16; Acts 17:26). Man cannot change the time of his birth and death in history. The Bible also mentions that every event happens according to God's timing and plans (Genesis 21:1; John 7:8; 1 Timothy 2:6). Even if man could travel through time, the events would still remain in God's control and would adhere to His timing.

Although the Bible does not mention the possibility of time travel, the Bible reveals that God is the only one independent of time. This does not necessarily mean that God "time travels," but it does mean that God sees time in a way that surpasses our own understanding of it (Genesis 1:1; Exodus 3:14; 2 Timothy 1:9; 2 Peter 3:8). God has complete knowledge of all things; He is "omniscient." Isn't it spectacular that when we pray, we pray to a God who exists in past, present, AND future?

Sometimes, God will allow His people to have visions, which permits them to see future events coming to pass (Revelation 1:9–11; Daniel 7:13–14). There are arguments that the visions John experienced in Revelation were "time travel," because he saw the events that will accompany the apocalypse.

It is important to note that if we were able to time travel, it would not change our relationship with God any more than did discoveries about physics or chemistry. Psalm 90:12 says, "So teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom." We should treat each day as a gift and live them wisely, because we do not know how many days we will experience in this life, and we do not have "do overs" (Ephesians 5:16; Colossians 4:5).

understand

•The Bible portrays God as existing beyond time, unaffected by its constraints, and having foreknowledge of events.
•The Bible emphasizes God's sovereignty over time, indicating that events unfold according to His plans and timing, irrespective of human actions, including the notion of a predetermined time for each person's life.
•Even if the possibility of time travel existed, it would point us to the God who created time and is the only one who operates independent of time.

reflect

•How does the concept of God's existence beyond time challenge your understanding of the nature of time itself?
•In what ways can seeing God’s use of cycles influence our perception of life's patterns and God's character?
•Reflecting on the idea that God has predetermined each person's lifespan, how does this impact your perspective on the significance of each day?

engage

•We do not know whether time travel is possible or impossible for humans. Time travel has interested humans for generations and is a popular science fiction theme. Why do you think there is such a fascination with time travel?
•Considering God's foreknowledge of events and predetermined timing, how does this affect our understanding of free will and human responsibility?
•In what ways does the concept of time travel, even if purely hypothetical, provoke deeper reflections on God's sovereignty and our relationship with Him?