THEOSISGregory the Great
The times are known to the Almighty, yet those who understand Him are unaware of His days, as stated in Job 24:1. What could be referred to as God's 'days' other than His Eternal Being? Sometimes this Eternity is depicted as a singular 'day,' as expressed in Scripture: "But one day in Thy courts is better than a thousand" (Psalms 84:10). At other times, due to its endless nature, it is represented as a succession of days, illustrated in the line, "Thy years are throughout all generations" (Psalms 102:25). We, being created beings, are enmeshed in the constraints of time; however, God, the Creator of all, transcends all temporal limitations through His Eternity.
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Thus, it is proclaimed that "times are not hidden from the Almighty; they that know Him know not His days." He comprehends all our experiences, yet we cannot fully grasp His essence. While the nature of God appears straightforward, it is profoundly mysterious when it is stated that "they that know Him know not His days." For it is incorrect to suggest that God is separate from His 'days'; rather, God is simultaneously what He possesses. He possesses Eternity, but He is Eternity itself. He has Light, yet He is His own Light. He has Brightness, but He embodies His own Brightness. In God, to be and to have are the same.
What does it imply when it is said that "they that know Him do not know His days," if not that even those who believe in Him lack complete understanding? Even faith does not grant us the full perception of His Eternal Being. Although we believe in the Eternal One, we remain unaware of the true nature of His Eternity. We often resort to analogies derived from our own experiences to describe the Divine nature's power. For us, anything that begins and concludes is restricted by that demarcation, and if it lingers longer than expected, we deem it prolonged. A person might reflect on the past or project thoughts toward the future, but when contemplating God’s Eternity, human understanding tends to imagine it as a lengthy period, divided into what has transpired and what is yet to come.
Yet, in these thoughts about eternity, we fail to grasp its true essence. It is that which has no inception at the beginning and no conclusion at the end; there is no anticipation of future events because it is an undifferentiated, eternal presence. Eternity is that which is eternally present, a Being that exists without end, and both we and the angels have just begun to glimpse it, where our perception is not of sequential moments but of timeless existence. Scripture proclaims, "The Lord shall reign forever and ever" (Exodus 15:18), and the Spirit conveys these truths to humanity in familiar terms, using language of anticipation even where entry cannot occur. Nonetheless, eternity possesses no notion of 'hereafter'; it is perpetually present and remains unchanged, embodying complete Being where desires are fully realized at once and simultaneously, neither slow nor lengthy.
In discussing the days of eternity, we attempt to comprehend what is beyond our vision. Hence, it is rightly asserted that "they that know Him know not His days." Although our faith allows us to know God, we do not fully perceive how His Eternity is simultaneously present without a past or a future, without delay and without anticipation. Blessed Job, embodying the image of the Holy Church, modestly curtails his knowledge to avoid claiming greater wisdom than appropriate; he reveals that the days of God are ultimately incomprehensible. This simultaneously serves as a critique of the prideful heretics who, envious of true understanding, assert their supposed enlightenment while remaining oblivious to the depths of Divine reality.