Time is very real. But it is a separate dimension, depending on how you define your reference. It may be that from "hyper-space" a mere physical rotation will present time to us as a physical dimension---as easy to cross, in either direction, as it is
to cross the street.
I also believe God exists outside of time. I suspect that time itself did not exist before creation (nor did any of the other spatial dimensions). In other words, time is only an aspect of the local universe.
We can affect physical dimensions, and we can affect time. Time is subject to gravitational influence (in the form Gmø/c²r), and is also subject to velocity (following the [1-v²/c²][sup]½[/sup] operand). To really "make-your-hair-hurt", consider a photon, a single "particle-of-LIGHT", relative to us. Time dilation from velocity is: T' = Tº [1-v²/c²][sup]½[/sup]; so that, LIM (T') as v => c, is ZERO. Now, consider the photon, which is moving AT the speed of light (relative to us), so its time, by definition,
IS zero. Can you define time for the photon? Its time is zero (if you could teleport yourself onto the surface of the photon, all of eternity in the Universe would pass in a single instant),
yet it exists from moment to moment. Does the definition have any meaning?
(No no, I'm askin' YOU, I have
no idea!!! 
)
There are two strips that are my favorite. Calvin pointing at the road: "Life is like this road, Hobbes. I say, 'GO FOR THE GUSTO, get all you can get---'cause you never know when you'll step out into the road and get RUN OVER BY A SEMI!' What do YOU say, Hobbes?"
"Look DOWN THE ROAD!"
And then, Hobbes chin-on-hands on the back of the chair, Calvin is watching TV. "Why can't my life be like this sitcom, Hobbes? Why can't I have intelligent people dropping by spontaneously and peppering my day with clever witticisms?"
Hobbes: "Why don't you
know any gorgeous babes?"
Calvin: "I've GOT to get my life some WRITERS!"
THAT one hung on the wall outside of my office cube for a while...
