Eternity cannot be defined by a beginning, nor can it be limited to what is observable by human eyes. This conundrum is evident to physical humanity, which does not resemble God’s image, since God’s essence has no defined beginning or end. Thus, the term “beginning” is colloquial; without God’s revelation, finite humanity cannot fully understand it. When searching for truth, it is essential to explore the two different concepts of beginnings presented in the biblical narrative while remaining focused on their respective contexts.
The Holy Bible mentions two beginnings, which can confuse ordinary readers. First, the Bible portrays God as having neither a beginning nor an end. However, John 1:1 states that “in the beginning was the Word,” who is also God. This discussion aims to help readers clarify the common misunderstanding about this verse, as well as the idea that there is another beginning in Genesis. We will start with the account in the Book of Genesis before delving into the deeper meaning of the beginning found in John’s Gospel.
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters” (Genesis 1:1–2 NIV).
This passage refers to the material universe, characterized by its ability to begin, change, and end. Everything with material substance possesses the attributes of a beginning, the potential for alteration, and the possibility of ceasing to exist. This concept represents one of the most profound mysteries in the Bible, whose truth is undeniable. Anything that exists within the material universe, no matter how fascinating, has a starting point and can undergo changes before ultimately coming to an end. As a result, the expression “nothing is permanent except change” is often used.
In other words, everything in material form is created to exist for a limited period. It is an undeniable fact that anything which begins must ultimately end in the material universe. While the behavior of animals looks similar to that of their ancestors, they are generally regarded as different from those that existed in the past.
The essence of these living, organically revolving creatures is life, which is essential for their continued rotational existence. The material earth, as we know it today, is the source of everything that exists within its biologically designed structure.
Grass and trees, for instance, wear out over time, eventually giving way to new growth in a continuous cycle. They undergo decomposition and are absorbed back into the soil from which they came, only to sprout again later. The same fate awaits every material object, including physical humans.
To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return” (Genesis 3:17–19 NIV).
In the above passage, Adam is described as part of the composition of the earth. However, God was communicating with a life design intended to follow an earthly pattern that would accommodate Adam. Although Adam was originally a Spirit being, he existed in a physical form, destined to return to the same earth from which his physical body originated, like all Earthly creatures. Despite this, Adam possessed a unique attribute that identified him as the child of God. For now, what is important is to note that anything as material as the earthly realm eventually comes to an end.
Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away” (Matthew 24:35). This suggests that His words possess the attribute of eternity, in contrast to the material universe. Therefore, this confirms that what was created at the beginning (Genesis 1:1) is destined to end and is fundamentally different from the words of Jesus, which suggests that they are eternal. The description of everything created in Genesis 1:1 indicates that they have an attribute of ending at some point.
The components of earthly objects are subject to the passage of time. Scientifically, time is static. The movements of objects, such as a stone thrown from one place to another, involve duration before they land at a different location. This evolving distance relates to timing, which is determined by the object’s velocity as it travels, whether swiftly or slowly.
The speed at which a stone moves depends on the time it takes to reach its destination. This is how time is measured and evaluated, based on the movement of material objects. My age reflects the duration of my existence since the day I was born. All my achievements and failures are encompassed within the duration of my life, measured during my earthly existence.
The same timing principle applies to other individuals, as well as to animals and all physical objects. Some objects are more durable than others, but eventually, they all come to an end. The existence of the earth, as the origin of everything that physically exists, may outlast all else. This represents merely a glimpse of the physical universe described in Genesis 1:1.
Genesis 1:2 depicts a chaotic condition on earth, suggesting a deterioration from an original state of order. What is observable to humanity is the summation of physical creation during the purported six-day week of creation. However, this interpretation is not entirely accurate. The misunderstanding will become clearer on another occasion, but for now, it suffices to say that the six-day week represents a rearrangement of what was created at the beginning in Genesis 1:1, which had since become chaotic.
The confusion evident in the current state of earth reflects its susceptibility to manipulation. The biblical narrative mentions a powerful angelic cherub who fell from grace and was cast down to earth. The Apostle Paul refers to him as the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33). This connection links the current state of confusion to the description in Genesis 1:2.
“You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you. Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned.
“So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. Your heart became proud because of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings” (Ezekiel 28:14–17 NIV).
God, in His spiritual essence, cannot be limited by time and space, which are characteristics of humanity. Today, we will focus on the idea that the material creation is encompassed in Genesis 1:1. There is no need to confuse the term “beginning” in Genesis with the “beginning” mentioned in the Gospel of John. Furthermore, John was not conceptualizing quantifiable objects as having a starting point in relation to God.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:1–5 NIV).
The common misunderstanding pertains to the term “beginning” in John’s Gospel. Some Christians may not realize that God does not have a beginning or an end. In this passage, the term “Word” refers to God’s communication with humanity. John’s reference relates to the timing of sharing information directly from God through Jesus. This communication, which had not been available before, became accessible to humanity, initiating the sharing of knowledge about life.
After the incident in the Garden of Eden, humanity faced death. More accurately, according to Scripture, humanity was considered spiritually dead. Our ancestor Adam ate the forbidden fruit that God commanded him not to eat. As a result, humanity was cut off from the source of life, much like a tree is declared dead when uprooted from the soil. The consequence of eating the forbidden fruit was death, a point emphasized by Jesus when advising a potential follower.
Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead” (Matthew 8:21–22 NIV).
Jesus was referring to death as the consequence pronounced against Adam after the incident in the Garden of Eden. In essence, humanity was declared dead but left in need of life, which can be found in God’s Word. Poetically speaking, death can be described as darkness, while life is symbolized by light. This understanding is distinct from the account of creation found in the Book of Genesis. John’s mission in his writings reveals God’s communication, highlighting information about the restoration of life.
According to John, vital information for survival comes through the Word, represented by Jesus, but ultimately originates from God. “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14 NIV). The difference between Jesus and us is that, although He was also human, everything He said came from the divine source.
Earlier, we discussed that Adam was formed from the dust of the earth, as described in Genesis 2:7. This passage shows that Adam, being of earthly origin, was destined to return to the dust from which he was formed. A common misunderstanding among some people is to conflate Adam’s earthly configuration with the broader concept of Man’s creation as outlined in Genesis 1.
Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them (Genesis 1:26–27).
Therefore, we understand that there is a special creation, distinct from what existed at the beginning described in Genesis 1:1. This special creation seems to have a beginning but without an end. It is crucial to recognize that it is impossible to assign timing factors to this special creation. If God has no beginning and no end, then the special creation, being identified with its source, also cannot have a beginning or end. Otherwise, it cannot truly be viewed as unique.
The integration of humanity into God’s Kingdom makes it impossible to separate this unique creation from God. Just as we know that lions today are not fundamentally different from their ancestors, they are still governed by earthly principles, like their ancestors. Otherwise, God would not be sincere in describing humanity as reflecting His image. It is essential to remember that, unlike animal species, the concept of time does not apply to God and cannot apply to humanity created in His image.
As a result, those who have attained the status of being God’s children, like Jesus, exist outside the constraints of time. We need not worry about speculating the significance of being made in God’s image, as Jesus—the way, the truth, and the life—is available to us. Jesus was as human as we are, yet without corruption, providing us with a true model of representing God’s image. While the physical body that Jesus inhabited was subject to corruption and lasted only about thirty-three years, His true identity as the Son of God was incorruptible.
Jesus came to offer us a way to overcome the corruption that has affected humanity, as long as we recognize that He exemplifies what is right, or correct. Similarly, any human being can be seen as potentially corrupt, just like any other, without Jesus. However, the spiritual aspect of every person is not corrupt, provided they use Jesus as their model. This distinction becomes possible when we understand the difference between physical and spiritual identities. As described in Genesis 1:26–27, the portrayed image is made available through Jesus, whose character perfectly represents God’s image.
“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word” (Hebrews 1:3 NIV).
This depicts what exactly resembles God’s image in Genesis 1:26–27. Jesus did not participate in the calamitous confusion initiated at the Eden incident. But this does not take away the fact that Jesus is part of humanity. The lack of awareness of this profound information is a result of death, pronounced in the Garden of Eden. Unknown to some people is that humanity without Jesus is currently projecting the counterfeit of God’s image.
And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever” (Genesis 3:22 NIV).
To truly renounce being a counterfeit of God, it is important to set aside the consideration of one’s own worth and embrace the teachings of Jesus. This means adopting humility throughout one’s life, submitting to Jesus’ authority. The idea of being a counterfeit of God is commonly rooted in pride, which we tend to hold dear when we reject the teachings of Jesus.
The Bible is encoded with spiritual information, indicating that humanity is not part of this world. When Jesus emphasized that He was not of this world, He revealed that humanity shares this distinction. Believing in Jesus means aligning oneself with Him rather than with anything else in this world. This concept is highlighted in John 1:1–5.
God’s Word, accessible to humanity, existed even before Jesus was born. The entirety of the Old Testament is, for the most part, truthful, aside from potential typographical errors or misinterpretations. What emerges from the biblical narrative is that divine information must be approached on a gradient. The writings of Moses in Genesis are shrouded in mystery, deliberately remaining unclear to those not yet ready to seek God.
However, those who acknowledge God’s existence and are willing to change can easily connect with Jesus’ message. Figures like Abraham, Joseph, David, and various prophets had no difficulty communicating with God, even without the physical presence of Jesus. The generation that lived alongside Jesus had the unique opportunity to identify Jesus personally as the Son of God. Similarly, people today access Him through the biblical testimonies recorded in Scripture, with Jesus continuing to manifest through His followers.
Jesus often spoke in parables, but His followers were granted insight into the mysteries of God’s Kingdom. His sacrifice offers humanity the chance to regain the life lost in the Garden of Eden. He uses various individuals, whose degraded appearances may cause others to stumble, to bridge the divide between life and death. Jesus’ death on the cross enabled humanity to access what had previously been out of reach since Adam.
Living in this world presents humanity with various challenges throughout physical existence, leading inevitably to decay and death. Surviving in this state is ultimately futile without Jesus, illustrating the confusion that humanity has been experiencing since Adam. John refers to Jesus as the light that dispels darkness for those seeking clarity in life. To overcome death, one must embrace physical death in Jesus, who then grants the desired life.
While several aspects of the Bible may be perplexing to an average person, those who are willing to explore and remain prayerfully open to understanding can discover much more. No one possesses a monopoly on comprehension in this world, other than Jesus. All individuals, regardless of their backgrounds, now have an equal opportunity to access divine information through Him. The key is the willingness to learn and to unlearn misconceptions.
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