THE FOUR EXISTENCES

The infinitude of God (a state without limits) can only be understood with respect to the third of the four existences. The first existence is the sidereal, the second is the psychological, and the third is the spiritual. These three existences relate to us and correspond to our bodies, minds, and souls, respectively. There is a fourth existence that does not relate to us, but relates only to God, and is called the eternal existence. The eternal existence had no beginning and has no end. Therefore, it can be said that God is eternally in existence, or to be even more precise, we can simply say that God "IS".

Each of the three existences that relate to us have what are called the orthogonal dimensions of time, space and motion. For example, time dimensions are past, present and future, space dimensions are length, width and height, and motion dimensions are the x, y, and z vectors. These orthogonal dimensions are co-existents of our being. Each creature exists orthogonally with respect to time, space and motion. Lacking one of these dimensions, no creature exists orthogonally with respect to time, space and motion. For example, if a human being does not exist in time, it does not exist, if it does not exist in space, it does not exist, and if it does not exist in motion, it does not exist.

The references of all three existences are different. Sidereal existence relates to the stars, or more specifically, to the speed at which the stars travel and to the distance the stars travel. For example, the time it takes the earth to travel around the sun, we call this one year. The time it takes the earth to rotate completely about its axis we call one day. It doesn't matter if at some point, the earth rotates more quickly about its axis or around the sun, our references will not change - our references are sidereally related. Without either sidereal time, space, or motion, sidereal time, space and motion would be non-existent.

The psychological existence is based on mental or psychological referential parameters, in which the mind can compress or expand time and space, and can increase and decrease motion, by simply "inventing" its own reference points. We cannot do this compression in the sidereal existence. For example, when dreaming we can imagine traveling through the galaxy. Our distance, time and rate of motion or rate of speed, can be compressed or expanded based on our own psychological parameters. Normally, it would take light years to get to a particular star, for example, but if we are dreaming, it could only take seconds by compressing time and space, and increasing the rate of speed to many times the speed of light.

The spiritual existence is the most difficult to comprehend because while in the spiritual existence, we no longer are using the three sidereal or psychological parameters of time, space and motion but are now instead using spiritual parameters. For example, in the sidereal existence, our "stationary" reference point is a stellar reference point, either the sun, or a star or a combination of stars and our sun. Those are not absolutely stationary points, but are relatively stationary points, since they are not really stationary, and are in fact, in motion.

In the psychological existence, the parameters are fixed by the mind. Any stationary reference points are arbitrarily assigned by the mind. It uses the imagination and the faculties of the mind to process information, and is devoid of sidereal references. In the spiritual existence, however, there is only one reference, and that reference is absolutelely stationary, unlike the stars. That absolutely stationary reference is God. Time, space and motion therefore, in the eternal existence, is infinite, but there is no sidereal time, space or motion in the eternal existence because God does not exist in the sidereal or psychological existence. If time existed in the eternal existence, then God would not be God, simply because among other things, time equals change and God cannot change because God is immutable, or simply put - God always is..

The only reference for our spiritual existence, therefore, is none other than God. There are no sidereal or psychological references in the spiritual existence. There is no time in the spiritual existence (or Heavem). The reason for this is that for time to exist, there are two things necessary, distance and motion. If God were in motion, then God would not be the Prime Mover. (As I have proven elsewhere, God must be eternally stationary, else God would be moved, and we would be confronted with "who moved God if God is the Prime Mover?")

So God is the Unmoved Mover, and everything in the spiritual existence (God's Home or Heaven), therefore, is relative to God only. Consequently, spiritual time, place and motion is relative to God Who is not in our spiritual existence, but Who is in the eternal existence, and Who has no reference, since God is the absolute reference of all references. If God had to rely on a reference, God would not be God.

Consequently, as I have said before, because God is infinite, in Heaven there is infinite time, space and motion, but in Heaven, time, space and motion do not exist. This definitely sounds like a contradiction - unless you've been there - then it is a most beautiful paradox.

NOTE: The eternal existence has been used by others to denote the Heavenly existence, but one must be careful in doing so, in order not to confuse the spiritual or Heavenly existence, with the eternal existence, which only relates to God. These terms are the terms that I use, that is, the four existences of sidereal, pyschological, spiritual and eternal. Others may use only two, the sidereal and the spiritual, but although it is simpler to understand, it is not accurate. It is simpler to understand because we can immediately understand the concept of being here on Earth or in Heaven (or hell).

In the fourth existence, time, space, and motion are not coexistents because they do not exist, but yet they are infinite. One can argue that the previous statement is contradictory, and rightfully so, since if they do not exist, they can neither be measured nor could they be immeasurable. But what we have is not a contradiction, but a paradox. For example, if God possessed orthogonal attributes, even immeasurable ones, then by definition, God would not be God. That is because God would be divisible by coordinates, even infinite ones

To illustrate the spiritual/eternal existences, one must be familiar with the term "irresistible grace". Consider a magnet which is placed on a wooden table where a small metal object is being pushed with a pencil toward the magnet. The magnetic force exerts a pull on the metal object - towards it - and one can almost see the pull being exerted by watching the metal object as it gets closer and closer to the magnet. There will come a point when the metal object can no longer resist the pull of the magnet and will be pulled to the magnet rather suddenly, and that point at which the metal object can no longer resist the pull of the magnet, it is called in spiritual terms - "irresistible grace".

And so, irresistile grace is the point at which our soul - the metal object - can no longer resist God's grace - the magnet. Consequently, moving our souls closer to God encourages the effect known as irresistible grace, while moving it away from God discourages the effect known as irresistible grace. There are people who have had NDE's (Near Death Experiences) who are familiar with this concept, and those who have not had an NDE or a spiritual "experience" with God, will never be able to comprehend the spiritual/eternal existences just described. The reason they will not understand it is simple. Those who have had these experiences know what I mean when I say that in the eternal existence, time and space are infinite but time and space do not exist. Everyone else will say that this is purely a contradiction. But so is God's infinite justice and God's infinite mercy a contradiction, except when you witness it personally, then we see it not as a contradicition, but a most beautiful paradox.

And so that brings us to the word infinite and how it relates to God. For God to be God, He must be absolutely stationary. Yet God is the Prime Mover Who was never moved, but Who is also the Source or Cause, so to speak, of all time, space and motion. I describe this phenomenon as static dynamism, where God is eternally stationary, and yet, is the "overseer" of all creation, and sustainer of infinite motion, infinite time and infinite space, none of which exist in His essence. It's a paradox but without it, we wouldn't be here discussing it, but to fully understand it, one must "see" it in the spiritual sense. Some have jokingly, and perhaps seriously, cast aspersions upon this description of the one true God as being a "statue" because He is absolutely stationary, but they don't realize that God IS, and IS is not in the past or the future, but in the eternal present. He IS static dynamism in the eternal present. To characterize God as a statue in view of His dynamism as expressed in His creation alone, is disrespectful and blasphemous.

Therefore, to be with God for all eternity, means that there is no time in eternity (the eternal existence), and neither can there be space or motion. We therefore, in this life, exist in the three existences, the sidereal, psychological and spiritual. Just as we move further away from the sun in the winter, and closer to the sun in the summer, so too, we move closer to our psychological selves the closer we get to our inner being that we identify as "self", and we move further away when we become other than our true selves. Also, we move further away from God when we reject Him and His goodness, and we move closer to God when we accept Him and His goodness. Every second of every day, we experience motion (sidereal, pyschological and spiritualJ).

There is only one being Who has zero motion, zero space, and zero time, absolutely. And yet God is eternal and infinite. Why is that? Because God is the author of all that is, was and will be and He cannot be less than His creation. Nor can God create Himself because that is theologically absurd, for then He would exist after Himself. God cannot create another innascent being because He would be defying His immutability if He could do so, that is, create Himself. So there cannot be, nor can there ever be, another person with zero motion, space or time.

Just remember that with God, nothing was or will be. With God everything IS, because God IS. What we know of civilization for the last 10 or 20 thousand years, is in the present for God, what happens tomorrow is in the present for God, and what happens at the end of time is in the present for God. There is no succession in God, therefore in God there is no time, hence God is not discursive. There is no space in God because then He could be measured, but He is immeasurable. There is no motion in God, else He could not be the Prime Mover. Simply put . . . God IS.

For us, we simply need to know that in eternity, time is infinite but time does not exist, space is infinite but space does not exist, and motion is infinite but motion does not exist. If it were not for this wonderful paradox, we would not exist. Thank God every chance you get for His being infinite and eternal, and most especially, for His being infinitely and eternally good and merciful.

Peace and joy in the one true God,

Carmen

P.S. I have tried to be as complete and accurate as possible. If you have a problem understanding anything, let me know by emailing me at: blueskies24@charter.net ***** HOME *****