Already Arrived, Yet Still Traveling: How the Physics of Light Confirms our Seat in Heaven
Abstract
The concept of "time" has long been a subject of debate between determinists and proponents of free will. However, the integration of Einsteinian Special Relativity with Biblical Theology offers a third way: the Block Universe (Eternalism). This paper explores the physical reality of the "Eternal Now" through the lens of the Andromeda Paradox and Light Cone geometry, arguing that the Scriptural assertion of the believer being "already seated in heavenly places" (Ephesians 2:6) is not merely metaphorical but consistent with the physics of a 4-dimensional spacetime manifold. We posit that the believer exists at two simultaneous coordinates: the "Process Coordinate" (traversing the light cone) and the "Position Coordinate" (anchored in eternity), resolving the tension between human struggle and divine security.
I. The Illusion of the Unique "Now": The Andromeda Paradox
Our intuitive experience of time suggests a universal "Now"—a moving slice of reality where the past is gone and the future is yet to be. Special Relativity, however, dismantles this intuition through the Relativity of Simultaneity.
Consider the Andromeda Paradox (Rietdijk-Putnam argument). The Andromeda Galaxy is approximately 2.5 million light-years from Earth.
Observer A: An individual on Earth, stationary relative to the galaxy, might define "Now" in Andromeda as a moment of cosmic silence.
Observer B: An individual walking towards Andromeda at a mere 4 km/h tilts their "plane of simultaneity" into Andromeda’s future. Over such a vast distance, this minuscule tilt translates to a shift of days or weeks.
The Implication: For the walking observer, an event (e.g., a stellar flare) has already occurred, while for the stationary observer, it is in the future.
If two observers at the same location can disagree on whether an event has happened, the event must have a definite existence independent of their observation. This necessitates the Block Universe model: the past, present, and future exist simultaneously as a static, 4-dimensional block. The "future" is simply a region of spacetime we have not yet visited.
II. The "Deep Future" as Another’s Past: The Betelgeuse Perspective
Just as looking at the stars is looking into the deep past, the structure of the Block Universe implies that there are reference frames for which our future is their past.
Consider the star Betelgeuse (approx 640 million light-years away or 3.7 to 4.2 quadrillion miles).
If we posit a hypothetical observer in the Betelgeuse system in the year 2800 AD, their "past light cone" would intersect Earth in the year 2160 AD.
To us (in 2026), the year 2160 is a realm of uncertainty, hope, and prophecy.
To the observer in 2800, the year 2160 is fixed history. They could theoretically possess data on the "Global Events of 2160" just as we possess data on the Roman Empire.
This confirms that the "future" is not a void waiting to be filled; it is a territory waiting to be illuminated. The Light Cone defines the limits of our causal influence, not the limits of existence.
III. The Theology of the Block: Seated in the "Finished" Coordinate
This physical framework provides a rigorous ontology for the "Finished Work" of Christ. The Apostle Paul writes:
"And [God] hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2:6)
The use of the aorist tense (past/completed action) is striking. How can a believer physically traversing the year 2026 be "seated" in an eternal dimension?
In the Block Universe, the believer is a World-Line—a continuous thread stretching through spacetime.
Coordinate A (The Process): The lower segment of the world-line is passing through the "2026 Slice." Here, the believer experiences entropy, time dilation, and linear progression ("running the race").
Coordinate B (The Position): The terminus of the world-line is anchored in the "Glory Slice" (Heaven).
Because the entire block exists simultaneously, Coordinate B is just as real as Coordinate A. The "You" that is struggling on Earth is quantumly entangled with the "You" that is already crowned in Heaven. The "identity frequency" (as discussed in the e-Consciousness model) resonates between these two points, allowing the believer to draw strength from a future that is physically secure.
IV. Why Travel the Light Cone? The Necessity of Qualia
If the destination is fixed, why must consciousness traverse the timeline? Why not simply "be" at the end?
The answer lies in the distinction between Existence and Experience (Qualia).
The Block represents God’s Omniscience (He knows the end from the beginning).
The Trajectory represents God’s Love (He desires the relationship of the journey).
We traverse the Light Cone of 2026 not to "achieve" the destination—that is secured by the geometry of Grace—but to accumulate the weight of glory (2 Cor 4:17). The specific trials of this time-slice generate a unique frequency of character (Qualia) that cannot be forged in eternity. The "struggle" is the mechanism by which the soul internalizes the victory that is already objectively true in the Block.
V. Conclusion: The Certainty of the Signal
The convergence of Special Relativity and Biblical Eschatology invites us to view our lives not as uncertain gambles, but as unfolding certainties.
We are "Already Arrived" because our world-line is anchored in the finished Block of God's eternal purpose. We are "Still Traveling" because our consciousness must illuminate each slice to transform the fact of salvation into the experience of sonship.
When we look to the future, we are not looking into the dark. We are looking toward a coordinate that is already inhabited by our glorified selves, bathed in the light of the Lamb, sending a signal back along the timeline: "Hold fast. The end is good. The race is won."
References
I. Physics & Cosmology (The Scientific Framework)
Ruggiero, M. L. (2017). "Astronomical distances and velocities and special relativity." Foundations of Physics, 47, 1073-1080. (Mathematical derivation of the Andromeda Paradox).
Putnam, H. (1967). "Time and Physical Geometry." The Journal of Philosophy, 64(8), 240-247. (The seminal paper establishing the philosophical necessity of the Block Universe based on Special Relativity).
Rietdijk, C. W. (1966). "A Rigorous Proof of Determinism Derived from the Special Theory of Relativity." Philosophy of Science, 33(4), 341-344. (The original formulation of the relativity of simultaneity argument).
Penrose, R. (1989). The Emperor's New Mind: Concerning Computers, Minds, and The Laws of Physics. Oxford University Press. (Detailed discussion of the Andromeda Paradox and the "fixed" nature of spacetime).
Einstein, A. (1920). Relativity: The Special and General Theory. H. Holt and Company.
Minkowski, H. (1908). "Space and Time." In The Principle of Relativity, Dover Publications. (The foundational text proposing the 4-dimensional spacetime manifold).
II. Theology & Philosophy (The Spiritual Framework)
Boethius. (524 AD). The Consolation of Philosophy, Book V. (The classical definition of eternity as tota simul—the simultaneous possession of boundless life).
Torrance, T. F. (1976). Space, Time and Resurrection. Eerdmans Publishing. (A critical theological work linking the physical reality of the Resurrection to the nature of time).
Pannenberg, W. (1970). Theology and the Kingdom of God. Westminster Press. (Discusses the ontological priority of the future in Christian eschatology).
Polkinghorne, J. (2002). The God of Hope and the End of the World. Yale University Press. (A physicist-theologian’s perspective on eschatology and the block universe).
Craig, W. L. (2001). Time and Eternity: Exploring God's Relationship to Time. Crossway.
III. Biblical References
Ephesians 2:6 – "And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus." (The theological anchor for the "Position Coordinate").
Isaiah 46:10 – "Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done." (Divine foreknowledge as "seeing" the block).
Hebrews 12:1 – "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses..." (The "future observer" perspective).
Revelation 13:8 – "...the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." (The cross as a fixed event in the eternal block).
2 Corinthians 4:17 – "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." (The necessity of the "process coordinate").
IV. Suggested Further Reading (For the e-Consciousness Model)
Madurasinghe, L. (2026). "The Tetra-Cameral Heart and the Frequency of Identity: An e-Consciousness Approach to Eschatology." .
Madurasinghe, L. (2026). "Consciousness as the Dark Energy of the Soul: Navigating the Eternal Block."
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