Page 134 - Coincidences in the Bible and in Biblical Hebrew

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CHAPTER 7 UNITY, UNITY, ALL AROUND
CHAPTER 7 UNITY, UNITY, ALL AROUND 113
Why does the Bible use verbs in future tense to describe events in the past and
verbs in past tense to describe the future? The answer to that question is anyone’s
guess. An explanation, based on no prior knowledge of previous explanations, is
now attempted.
The word “Jehovah ” in Hebrew is linguistically analyzed in chapter 4. As
elaborated there in some detail, the structure of the word implies a procession
from future to present to past. Although the root of the word “Jehovah” means
“being,” the structure includes three syllabi: ye, ho, vah. Each is a syllable in words
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relating to time—namely, “will be” (yehiyeh), “is” (hoveh), and “was” (havah or
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hayah). The fl ow of time is, as we read the word, from future to present to past.
But all these different time directions are united in one name: the name of God,
Jehovah.

An explanation for the conversive vav may likewise be offered, based on what

the name Jehovah insinuates. In sacred scriptures, one may expect to find time
erased, nonexistent: “The word of God is timeless.” The value of that which is
described is not limited by time. Past is future and future is past. The text is
eternal, and therefore must be expressed in a timeless frame of discourse. Were
you ignorant of the function of the conversive vav, you might have read the text
with time reversal: All past is future, all future is past. Conversely, if you know
the function of the conversive vav, then you know what time era you are in while
reading. But you never forget that a right determination of the direction of time
depends on you understanding of the function of the letter vav, which serves to
connect things in the physical dimensions as well as in the time dimension.
In summary, the oneness of God in the physical dimensions, as detailed in the
previous section, is extended to the oneness of God in the time dimension.

How would one explain the bizarre exception that only the first two verses in
the Bible (the two opening sentences in the book of Genesis, which describe the
creation of the world) are yet in their correct time tense (past)? This is perhaps
because at the time described in these two verses, time was not yet. The descrip-
tion, in the second verse, of the just-born universe as tohu va-vohu (without form
and void) may corroborate that explanation and is consistent with it (refer to a
thorough analysis of these words in chapter 14, and to some explanation about
the precision of biblical discourse in section 1.3). Similar explanation may be
extended to the verse depicting the creation of humankind.

7.5 The Unity of Time and Space

Time and space are differently referenced in most languages. Thus, in the English
language, when one wishes to obtain information about physical dimensions,