‘It Was Just His Time to Go’

[572 words] A person asked me about this recently. They had heard people say such things as “It was just their time to go.” There are many folks, even members of the church, who believe there is a set time for someone to die. In defense of such a view, some look to Hebrews 9:27 where the Bible says, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” However, the original Greek word translated “appointed” in this verse is also translated “laid up” in the three other verses where it is found in the New Testament. The word carries the idea of something reserved or awaiting. See Luke 19:20; Colossians 1:5; 2 Timothy 4:8. We have to recognize that this is a general principle since there will be some that will not have died when the Lord returns, 1 Corinthians 15:51-53. The Bible teaches…