Gen 1:14 (NKJV)
“Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; “
Calendars are permanently installed on our phones to help us gather events, appointments, and birthday reminders. They track time and divide our years, months, and days. But long before any man-made calendar, God created time itself.
When He divided the day from the night, He essentially established the 24-hour rhythm we still follow today. The sun and moon began their dance, and humanity has been tracking seasons, festivals, harvests, solstices, and equinoxes ever since.
Ancient Monuments Inspired by God’s Creation
We marked time through art using stones and pyramids. Stonehenge is a perfect example — an accurate solar calendar built by the Chalcolithic people of Southern England. Its stones are aligned in a circle to track the sun’s movement through the shadows.
How to Tell Time Using Stonehenge — LONG NOW IDEAS
The Pyramids of Giza also align with the cardinal directions and specific star positions. These monumental works still stand today and function as their original purpose — clear evidence of how God’s creation of the moon and stars inspired humanity.
Michelangelo Captures the Moment God Created Time
In Michelangelo’s fresco The Creation of the Sun, Moon and Plants on the Sistine Chapel ceiling, God extends His hand to create a brilliant sun on one side and a pale moon on the other. The artist masterfully uses size and light to show the “greater light” ruling the day and the “lesser light” ruling the night—exactly as described in Genesis 1:16 (NKJV).
Medieval Stained Glass: Time and Light in Chartres Cathedral
The Chartres Cathedral in France, with its famous rose windows and over 170 stained glass pieces, beautifully shows this. In the Royal Portal, you can see sun and moon symbols placed beside scenes from Christ’s early life. Even in 1225, time and light were central to how artists illustrated sacred moments. Take a tour of the Cathedral and its stained glass here.
Modern Clocks and Monuments Still Echo This Truth
The 10,000 Year Clock project by Danny Hillis (funded by Jeff Bezos) is a massive mechanical clock being built inside a mountain in Texas. It calibrates itself using the sun at the summer solstice. The goal is to encourage us to think on a much grander scale — 10,000 years into the future — and consider unborn generations in our decisions today. Although this is a secular piece, it further represents how time transcends religion and is a human instinct instilled in us to respect and honor.
Chronicles of Georgia – A Modern Stonehenge of Faith and History
A powerful contemporary example is sculptor Zurab Tsereteli’s Chronicles of Georgia in Tbilisi. This monumental set of 16 bronze pillars (some over 30 meters tall) gives strong Stonehenge energy. The pillars tell the story of Georgia’s history, including how Christianity came to the nation through St. Nino, a woman who preached the Gospel in Georgia in 337 AD.
Photos from the About Sights – History of Georgia Monument
Even though some panels are still unfinished, the monument stands as an awe-inspiring time capsule overlooking the Tbilisi Sea — recording kings, queens, and pivotal Christian moments in Georgian history. Here’s a short travel guide by Miriam that provides more photos of The Chronicles of Georgia.
Time as a Divine Gift: My Personal Reflection
From Genesis 1:14-19 (NKJV), we see that time was not an afterthought. Time was intentionally created on the fourth day. The sun and moon continue their faithful dance, reminding us that time is limited, precious, and shared by all humanity. Whether through ancient stone circles, Renaissance frescoes, Gothic cathedrals, or futuristic clocks, God’s design of time continues to inspire human creativity across centuries. We still measure our lives, goals, and purpose by the lights He placed in the firmament. Time began with God. And every sunrise still declares it.
Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.