Some 1400 years Before Christ, a very fascinating day occurred in which one man, Joshua, commanded the sun to stand still and the moon to stay where it was.

"Then spake Joshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon. And the sun stood still and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. [Is] not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day. And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the Lord hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the Lord fought for Israel." Joshua 10:12-15

As we all know very well, it is the rotation of the earth cycling toward the sun and the moon that give us each new morning and each closing sunset. The day begins and ends with the sun and moon in the sky. Thus, to have control over them and cause them to stop means that the day itself is extended. In one sense, the earth also must stand still and stop its motion if the sun stops.

The importance of this day and our comprehension of it are not as significant as the moment we take now to consider what power God has over time. On the day when Christ prepared to depart into the clouds, the disciples asked about what would happen next. In response, the Lord offered profound insight into supernatural authority.

"It is not for you to know the times or seasons which the Father has fixed by His own authority." Acts 1:7

Time is a physical condition of this world determined by one who is not limited under its properties. It is God who sets the times. It is God who sets the seasons. Seeking to attend his mind to these eternal truths, David once wrote:

"So teach [us] to number our days, that we may apply [our] hearts to wisdom." Psalm 90:12

Earlier in the same chapter, David noted that man spends his days as "a tale that is told." Human life is a historic and temporary gift that, once gone, will only live on in the words of those who knew us. Such a temporary condition is the primary reason that empires, kingdoms, and dynasties do not last very long in the grand scheme of things. Man and the nations he builds will only rule with authority for a season.

The only Potentate has authority over all time and through all time. When he chooses to allow the sun to stand still for Joshua, it stands still. And time itself stops for a few extra hours. He can extend time or diminish it at His choosing.

"Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, [be] honor and glory forever and ever. Amen." I Timothy 1:17

Our word "eternal" is quite simply, "an unbroken age." In the Greek, aion (eternal) is where we find a commonly used term called an eon. What we're seeing is reference to a King who is eternal. Thus, He can set times, seasons, ages and dispensations for mankind, but He Himself is the King outside of those ages.

This point is crucial because it answers the dilemma posed by the Ultimate Dynasty. How can the only Potentate with authority and strength continue to remain in power? He does so because He is eternal. He does so because He is immortal.

Immortality, however, is not quite the same as being eternal. Indeed we can be assured that God is one, He is the only, He has all authority, He has all strength, He has all power, and He resides outside of time in eternity above all ages… but immortality… this introduces a completely new detail of the Almighty Creator. When a man or woman is referred to by their mortality, they are being identified by natural corruption. Bodies get sick. People get old. Skin gets worn. All of it adds up to a degenerating series of created beings that do not have the option of staying in peak health for an entire lifetime.

The word "immortal" simply means, "uncorrupted by decay." If we think of decay, it's easy to drop our minds into the dentist's office remembering our most recent cavity or issue with plaque. Although we can continue to brush and floss and fill our mouths with all methods of protection, teeth will eventually still find their last day on earth. Decay is an inevitable part of the aging process. If something ages within itself, then it will diminish both in value and quality. Our vehicles are no different when we drive them off the seller's lot.

"Which in his times he shall show, [who is] the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom [be] honor and power everlasting. Amen." I Timothy 6:15-16

While all other authorities come and go throughout the course of time, the King eternal is the only immortal authority. That is, God's authority, strength, and power do not decay or endure corruption. He is the only immortal Potentate. As also mentioned in the passage above, He dwells in "the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see." This enhances our primary study verse:

"Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, [be] honor and glory forever and ever. Amen." I Timothy 1:17

The invisibility factor is by His own choosing. For in the person of Jesus Christ, we find a face beyond the veil:

"Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated [us] into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, [even] the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:" Colossians 1:13-15

At any time that God appears in the form of "light," man is at risk of understandable blindness unless there is a veil, or curtain, between he and the brightness before him. Christ, on the other hand, became the visible image of an invisible God. Hence we find that although God is unseen by man, He ultimately chooses when and how men will see Him or know Him. This capacity to conceal all or part of Himself now leads us to contemplate His handling of knowledge, mystery, and wisdom.