Did God Set A Specific Time For Everyone To Die?

[victoryword]

Some people think that God has appointed a specific time for each human being in the world to die. When "your number's up" then ya' gotta go. Here are some of the passages used to support this theological concept:

Hebrews 9:27-28 KJV
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: [28] So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

Eccles. 7:16-17 KJV
Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself? [17] Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?

​

Of course, I do NOT agree with how these passages are used (or "misused") to support the belief that God has a set time for each person in the whole wide world to die. Hebrews says NOTHING of the kind. Yet, Excclesiastes comes close.

What do you guys believe. Does God have a specific date and time with your death in mind?

 

[Trish1947]

I think David prayed to know the number of his days. I don't know if he received an answer or not.


Psa 39:4 LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am.

The Lord added 15 years, a measure of time. So he must have known the date of departure.

Isa 38:5 Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years.

 

[KleinerApfel]

I don't know that it is so much "appointed" that we die at a particular time, more that God knows when it will be.

I don't think The Lord will greet us in Heaven with; "oh wow, you're early, I wasn't expecting you for another week/year/decade, what a surprise!"

Neither is He likely to be tapping His watch and pacing the floor wondering why we aren't checking in yet...

Then again, I am just discovering that some Christians believe He doesn't know everything, and I really can't get my head around that one.

Ah well, that's CF - raising at least as many questions as answers - and I love it!

God bless, love Sue

 

[victoryword]

Then again, I am just discovering that some Christians believe He doesn't know everything, and I really can't get my head around that one.

I will get back to you guys on the other stuff. Just a quick note about this statement. I am unaware of any Christians who believe the way that you state, though I myself have raised a controversial position about God and the future.

I believe that God knows all things because Scripture says so:

For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. (1 John 3:20)
​

The dispute is not over whether or not God knows all things, but rather what are the "all things" that God knows. Can God know a red and pink dilliwigger? Of course he can't because none exists. Therefore God does not know that which is not in existence.

Nuff' said on that for right now.

 

[victoryword]

What about aborted babies? Does God have an appointed death for them in mind?

 

[CrazyforYeshua]

I don't think so, that seems kinda cruel to me, as one who has experienced miscarraige. I don't think God said " I'm gonna take this one, she can't have it".

Then again, when we read scripture, it is kinda confusing:

Ecclesiastes 3:1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:Ecclesiastes 3:2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;Ecclesiastes 3:3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;Ecclesiastes 3:4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;Ecclesiastes 3:5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;Ecclesiastes 3:6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

Take that to the Message, and it says this:
Ecc 3:1 There's an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth:

Ecc 3:2 A right time for birth and another for death, A right time to plant and another to reap,

Ecc 3:3 A right time to kill and another to heal, A right time to destroy and another to construct,

Ecc 3:4 A right time to cry and another to laugh, A right time to lament and another to cheer,

Ecc 3:5 A right time to make love and another to abstain, A right time to embrace and another to part,

Ecc 3:6 A right time to search and another to count your losses, A right time to hold on and another to let go,

The question is, is the right time Gods' time?

 

[KleinerApfel]

Ah, Victoryword, I remember well watching the multidudes of red and pink dilliwiggers, their wings shimmering as they flocked along the windswept shores...

 

[JimB]

The question, IMO, is stated incorrectly. I would say that God fore-knew from eternity past when we would die, just as He for-knew everything else.

~Jim

 

[victoryword]

Ah, Victoryword, I remember well watching the multidudes of red and pink dilliwiggers, their wings shimmering as they flocked along the windswept shores...

Well, okay, but I bet ya' never seen a green and purple Goobly Slogger

 

[Trish1947]

Isa 38:5 Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years.

I was thinking of this scripture as an interruption of things that no doubt was going to come to pass. The man was going to die due to his illness. What was it that changed the coarse of events? Wasnt it his faith that God could intervene and extend his life? It was the sickness that was going to end his life...not God.

We do have the promise to satisfy us with long life..If we believe the word. And not believe that it is God that's the one responsible for a life ending. The Bible says we perish for lack of knowledge...about Him. I guess the question still would be, even though you believing the promises of long life, has he given a day when you are old and full of years, the day of you death? I believe He has.

 

[PastorJoey]

Some people think that God has appointed a specific time for each human being in the world to die. When "your number's up" then ya' gotta go. Here are some of the passages used to support this theological concept:

Hebrews 9:27-28 KJV

And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: [28] So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

Eccles. 7:16-17 KJV
Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself? [17] Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?


​

Of course, I do NOT agree with how these passages are used (or "misused") to support the belief that God has a set time for each person in the whole wide world to die. Hebrews says NOTHING of the kind. Yet, Excclesiastes comes close.


What do you guys believe. Does God have a specific date and time with your death in mind?

I agree victory. Keith Moore has an excellent teaching on this.
PJ

 

[Andrew]

Some people think that God has appointed a specific time for each human being in the world to die. When "your number's up" then ya' gotta go. Here are some of the passages used to support this theological concept:

Hebrews 9:27-28 KJV
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: [28] So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

Eccles. 7:16-17 KJV
Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself? [17] Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?

​

Of course, I do NOT agree with how these passages are used (or "misused") to support the belief that God has a set time for each person in the whole wide world to die. Hebrews says NOTHING of the kind. Yet, Excclesiastes comes close.

What do you guys believe. Does God have a specific date and time with your death in mind?

No I do not believe in the "when it's your time to go, it's your time to go" idea or teaching. How would you feel if you were flying first class one day with your family and 'it's the pilot's time' to go?


In the new covenant, God says "With long life I will satisfy YOU..."

That means it's up to us -- Are you satisfied at 65? Or do you want to go on? Are you satisfied at 85 and you want to go home becos you've fought the good fight of faith and finished the course? Then by all means, commit our spirit into God's hands.

Paul displayed dominion over his life when he said:
"Hmmm... I'm in a dilemma. To depart and be with Christ is far better for me. But you guys need my ministry. So I guess I'll hang around for a while more. It's better for you guys."

Paul had power of death! He picked the time to go home. It's only when he had fought the good fight of faith and finished his course that he allowed himself to be martyed.

Rem Paul was stoned twice. Once picked up dead. But it wasn't his time. So he got up again and preached on.

I'm not saying that we have immortal bodies. I'm saying the power of life and death is in our tongue, not in some 'who dies today timetable' in heaven.

 

[victoryword]

Thanks PastorJ. I'll look into what Keith Moore has to say on the subject. I am pretty sure he and I are in 100% agreement.

Excellent post Andrew. I agree with you fully.

 

[PastorJoey]

Thanks PastorJ. I'll look into what Keith Moore has to say on the subject. I am pretty sure he and I are in 100% agreement.

Excellent post Andrew. I agree with you fully.

Hi VW. I corrected the year of winter bible:
I believe that his message was called biblical longevity. It was taught a winter bible like in 98' or something like that. Anyway he'll have it as a series on his website most likely. I may still have my notes on it, if I find I'll send.
PJ

 

[victoryword]

Part of my reason for rejecting the common belief that God has appointed each person a set time to die is based on the fact that it was never God's intention for anyone to die in the first place. He forwarned Adam not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil or this would bring death (Gen. 2:17). The Bible puts the blame for death coming into this world squarely on adam's shoulders (Rom. 5:12)

God calls death an ENEMY (1 Cor. 15:26). If all of this is true then how can God have an appointed time in which He "pulls the plug?" If God has established an appointed time for someone's death, then this would mean that He planned it all along. This means that He planned the fall of Adam, planned for death to come into the world (and with its subsequent partners such as tragedy, accidents, and sickness). It appears to me that this "set time to die" doctrine is simply the result of false deterministic teaching based, not on clear biblical revelation, but on eisogesis.

 

[PastorJoey]

Part of my reason for rejecting the common belief that God has appointed each person a set time to die is based on the fact that it was never God's intention for anyone to die in the first place. He forwarned Adam not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil or this would bring death (Gen. 2:17). The Bible puts the blame for death coming into this world squarely on adam's shoulders (Rom. 5:12)

God calls death an ENEMY (1 Cor. 15:26). If all of this is true then how can God have an appointed time in which He "pulls the plug?" If God has established an appointed time for someone's death, then this would mean that He planned it all along. This means that He planned the fall of Adam, planned for death to come into the world (and with its subsequent partners such as tragedy, accidents, and sickness). It appears to me that this "set time to die" doctrine is simply the result of false deterministic teaching based, not on clear biblical revelation, but on eisogesis.

I've never thought of it like that. Great point.
PJ

 

[lismore]

Psalm 139:16 NIV
All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

 

[PastorJoey]

Psalm 139:16 NIV
All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

Psalms 139:16 KJV

(16) Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all [my members] were written, [which] in continuance were fashioned, when [as yet there was] none of them.

Lismore I think this is a great scripture proving that God knows the details of the future, but I dont understand how you tie in God ordaining how long we will live. Could you explain?
PJ

 

[victoryword]

Psalm 139:16 NIV
All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

I will respond to this by copying and pasting a post I wrote to Jim M. on another OP concerning this exact same verse:

Of course you know that any theology can be supported by a different understanding of Scripture depending on the bias of the translators. For example, most of the KJV translaters were Calvinists, and a lot of the translation was derived from the Geneva Bible (The Bible of the Reformation, which was also influenced by the Latin Vulgate).

If I were a Calvinist then I would stick to the KJV and possibly the NIV. As a side note, I find it ironic that a number of anti-calvinists are KJV only and a number of people refuting the KJV only like James White are Calvinists. So many Bible translations are subject to the bias of the translater.

Now having said all of that, check this out: A lot of what is written in Psalm 139:16 is not even in the original Hebrew (KJV):

Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all [my members] were written, [which] in continuance were fashioned, when [as yet there was] none of them.


​

The words in brackets were added by the translators for clarification. However, the "clarification" is too often subject to bias. The funny thing is that other English translations uses "days" rather than members (like in the translation you are using). Once again, bias is shown. However, I would prefer the bias of the KJV over the one you have quoted. Nonetheless, here are a couple of LITERAL translations:

Your eyes saw my embryo; and in Your book all my members were written the days they were formed, and not one was yet among them. (Literal Translation of the Bible)


Mine unformed substance Thine eyes saw, And on Thy book all of them are written, The days they were formed--And not one among them. (Young's Literal Translation)

​

These literal translations remove both the fatalism of the text and the belief that God had written all of the days of David's life before he ever lived them. I could provide some other English translations that make this even clearer, but then I would be guilty of BIAS, now wouldn't I?

 

[Trish1947]

I think being satisfied with long life is restricted within the limits that God has placed on man because He did shorten mans life span. But apparently faith, and physical strength can extend the three score and ten.

Psa 90:10 The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet [is] their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.

Psa 90:11 Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, [so is] thy wrath.

Psa 90:12 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

Death is an enemy. And we overcome it when our flesh dies.
But all are appointed within that time frame given, for their flesh to die. As far as a certain day, maybe not, if there are other variables than can change it.