The Universe must have had a beginning because the Universe is subject to the law of cause and effect. However, the foregoing law is meaningless in the absence of time, since in the absence of time cause and effect would be interchangeable. In other words, in the absence of time it would be impossible to say that every effect must be preceded by a cause because the very concept of precedence would be meaningless. God is timeless. Therefore, he is not subject to the law of cause and effect. Hence, God, unlike the Universe, can have no beginning and no end.