Bible Talk:

Does the oft used “time immemorial” characterize the state of being (not the state of the Being) of Jehovah God?

Here is how the Oxford Languages defines the phrase “time immemorial”

“A [phrase of time] used to refer to a point of time in the past that was so long ago that people have no knowledge of it…”

Discussion

Based on the definition, no, it does not hold for the following reasons, at least:

(1) That there is a God, is established by the incarnate God Jehovah in the person and ministry of Jesus Christ. That God is omnipresent, and eternal is axiomatic (“Let There Be Light“). Jehovah God claims to be omnipresent and eternal (“Jehovah the Living God,” “The Alpha and the Omega“). Jehovah is in this manner (self) existent. In their truest sense then, the human abstractions we call “infinity,” and “eternality,” are best understood over against the revealed existent nature of Jehovah God, not mathematically. Abstraction-laden mathematics points conclusively to the possibility of the former (to the revealed existent God Jehovah; that there is such a thing as “infinity” humankind has established via its mathematics, which is itself a form of revelation-established but not understood). Abstractions strip down reality to gain focus and insight…about reality, thus mathematics and the created order it abstracts can only be a pointer to the quintessence of reality, God, and no more; the abstractions inherent in mathematics lead to sound, logical grounds for such things as infinitude and existence of the type claimed and borne out by the incarnate God Jehovah in the person of Jesus. It would follow that there is no sort of fiducial reference point in time that would, by definition, characterize the existent Jehovah God as a “time immemorial” Being. He is an eternal Being, One without beginning and without ending (bidirectional, time immemorial is inaccurately unidirectional and errantly bespeaks a beginning no less).

(2) By itself, “Immemorial” (literally “not relating to memory”) is not good either. Jehovah God does in fact have a (necessarily self-proclaimed) memorial name, which bespeaks His eternality: He is (the great) I AM (Exodus 3:13-15).

So “time immemorial,” literally “time not relating to memory,” as regarding the existence of Jehovah God is technically inaccurate. The devil is in the details here.

Many years ago, we wrote a Psalm of Praise entitled “The Joy of Heaven” wherein we utilized the time phrase time immemorial. After thinking about it some, we realized that its utilization in this psalm is accurate. Can you discern why it is accurate in this instance? Hint: it has to do with the heavenly hosts!

Praised be your Name great Jehovah God. Amen.