A Set Time to Die
Because of the belief of many that every event that takes place has been predetermined by God there is a widespread belief that the time of each person’s death has been set, even its time, and that nothing can happen to postpone or hasten the day of death for that person. Many have said that someone’s time to die had or had not come, depending on the outcome of an accident or an illness. If such were really true, then it would be impossible to explain how the life of Hezekiah was extended by God in 2 Kings 20, would it not? After all, if his original time of death were set, then postponed, would we not have proof that it was not really set if subject to change. If it was the latter time of death (the actual one) that God had set, then why was he told by the Lord that he was going to die at the earlier time? It should be obvious that there was no predetermined time for his death.
This writer is also aware that Ecclesiastes 3 says there is a time to be born, to die, etc.; but it does not say that the time for each event there specified has been predetermined by God. One must assume God’s predetermination of these events before he can ever press this passage into service to use it thus is to twist or distort it. This passage might well mean that life consists of these events — this and nothing more.
The closest that anyone can come to finding a basis for this idea in the Bible is in various statements about Jesus, especially in those speaking of his time (hour) not yet coming or his time (hour) coming (John 2:4; 7:30; 8:20; 12:23; 13:1; 17:1). It is not necessary to inject this idea of a God-appointed time for death in order to understand these verses. It is always unwise to interpret unclear passages like these concerning Jesus’ time of death on the basis of such presupposition. The safe approach to understanding unclear passages is to interpret them in light of the clear ones; in this way no unjustified meaning is brought into one’s understanding. When Ecclesiastes 3 and these verses about Jesus are thus interpreted, all that they mean is that there is death for each individual at the end of his life (Eccl. 3) and that Jesus’ life ended when his work was accomplished (verses in John). This is even the preferable meaning in view of some clear passages in the New Testament teaching that God’s purpose for the life of Jesus involved the progressive development of his work leading to redemption. Words like “fulfilled” or “completed” definitely give this idea. Passages like Luke 9:51 give the idea that the time for certain events in the life of the Lord was measured more by the fulfilling of God’s purpose/plan than by the passing of a certain number of days. Notice the literal rendering of the verse: “When the days were being fulfilled that he should be received up, he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem.” With this alternative explanation that is supported by the language of the verses involved, it is certainly clear that the Bible is not necessarily saying that there was a set time for Jesus to die. Even if there was such a time, the different nature of that life, because of the direct involvement of God in it, would indicate no necessity for such being true in the lives of all people.
Of course, this whole idea of a set time for death rests upon the shaky foundation of divine foreordination. The Bible does not teach that every happening has been predestined by God. While the plan of God for salvation, the death of Jesus and associated events, the bliss of the righteous and doom of the wicked, and numerous other biblical principles have been set (predestined), according to biblical teaching man has been permitted to exercise his free will in obeying or disobeying God’s will. Such matters as the time of death and the time of the Lord’s return depend upon a variety of factors. Peter taught that the coming of the Lord might seem to be delayed from man’s viewpoint, but the longsuffering of God is given as the explanation for its not having occurred (2 Pet. 3:1-9,14).
It is appointed to man to die once, but this writer knows of no passage teaching a definite time of death for each individual. In the absence of such teaching, any such teaching by men would be speculative.
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Truth
Magazine Vol. XLV: 10 p15
May 17,
2001