Atemporal vs Omnitemporal

In the tradition they should mean the same thing, but somehow people have misrepresented the traditional view to where they mean different things. The traditional view of atemporality was "duration without succession."

Some will say they mean different things and I'm sure some in this board will explain why they should mean different things. I'll let them attempt to explain that stuff in their own terms because it always confuses me and is usually invoked in attempts to eradicate all tensions in doctrines that involve God's relationship to His creation as if that were possible down here.

 

It is not so much about God but the argument concering Gods determing what man will do (atemporal) and the actual activity God does with each man as they exist in time (omnitemporal).

God is both but it is actually a discussion of Gods foreknowledge and actaul work in a persons life.

It particularly concerns the doctrine of salvation and the aspects therein.

 

Tim,

I believe you are not comparing the right words. You may look at atemporal or temporal 1st.

The usual understanding of "eternity" is atemporal or timeless existence, that is, existence in which there is no temporal succession or duration.

"Omnitemporal" simply means "existing at all moments of time." It is not the same as "sempiternal," for a sempiternal entity can come into existence at a time and then continue without end. An example of sempiternal, would be light. Light had a beginning, but will never end. While an omnitemporal entity cannot fail to exist at any time.

Generally, an entity described as "outside of time" is considered timeless or atemporal, while an entity which is omnitemporal is still a temporal entity, in that it is saying that the entity is within all time frames. Both are ways of being eternal..the first, timelessly eternal... the second, everlastingly eternal.

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ADDED LATER..

After thinking about it, I would like to change what I said. I guess you can indeed compare omnitemporal with atemporal.

Atemporal means no temporal succession or no duration. Time cannot be pinned to the word atemporal.

so to compare with omnitemporal....

Omnitemporal is in all time frames and only exist as long as there is time. If time stop, so does omnitemporal.

 

Before I give my view...I want to point out what you said...

I agree with this 100%

Can a entity be omnitemporal and not atemporal?

Yes. The earth is just one of many omnitemporal entity that is not atemporal. The earth will always be here as long as time is around. When the earth stops, time is also stopped. With no time, nothing is omnitemporal.

 

*gasp* incorrect Star Trek

In reference to that episode Picard was actually still semptemporal - since he had a birth

omnitemporal goes a little bit further - it actually refers to a non-beginning throughout time

Even the Q were semptemporal - God - even if He was omnitemporal is limited by time - If time has a beginning or ending God would have a beginning and ending. God is outside of time - He is atemporal as we understand it. The problem is we dont fully understand time as either a dimension or an object - since time appears malleable by gravitic forces or other high energy forces - i suggest that it is at best a quasi-dimension at worst an object - In any case it is something I believe that God created on the first day when He created the first day - of course this lumps in with my heretical view that there existed pre-creation

Time is stretched out as threads in a loom - where He weaves and enters as He wills

 

Could another term, extemporal be used? ex - out, as in outside of time. Just as God exists outside of His creation, He is outside of time, since it is part of His creation.