While Western thought tends to view time as a straight line — past, present, future, with a clear beginning and end — the biblical Jewish mindset sees time as a series of cycles, rhythms, and recurring patterns that move history forward like a spiral, not a line.

This can be seen in the weekly rhythm of Shabbat, the annual cycle of feasts and festivals, and in prophetic literature where past events echo into the future. Events repeat — not identically, but thematically — with each cycle deepening in meaning and pointing toward ultimate fulfillment.

Redemption, exile, return, judgment, and renewal are themes that happen again and again throughout Scripture. The story of Israel is not a onetime plotline, but a repeated pattern woven into human history — and ultimately, the story of the Messiah follows that same pattern: death, burial, resurrection — not just once, but mirrored in creation, in nations, in individuals.

This cyclical understanding is crucial when reading apocalyptic or prophetic texts, such as studying the Book of Revelation or the doctrine of hell, because these are rarely about linear timelines but rather symbolic portrayals of repeated patterns — cycles of human failure, divine intervention, and ultimate restoration.