The subject of the Bible is the revelation of God to mankind. It is, therefore, the most accurate historical record written, containing the account of mankind from creation. It contains God’s revelation of Himself as Redeemer and Saviour. In this precise account of history the plan of God, which was purposed before time began is carried out in time. That purpose has yet to reach its great climax.

ETERNITY

There are features which were before creation and which are worthy of note.

*No universe. No time. No angels.

ONLY GOD

*No loneliness. No sadness. No sorrow.

ONLY GOD

*No despair. No regrets. No disappointments. ONLY GOD

*No today. No yesterday. No tomorrow.

ONLY GOD

*No hatred. No antagonism. No rivalry No disputing.

ONLY GOD

*No created beings.

ONLY GOD

PRE-EXISTENCE OF GOD

God is eternal, without beginning and without end. He lives above and beyond time. The concept of eternity which can be understood by the human mind, and which is far short of reality, is of duration prolonged without ending, both backwards and forwards, as if it is duration throughout endless ages. Eternity, however, is greater than that. It transcends time, is outside of time, and is not subject to any of the limitations, changes and effects of time. In eternity time does not exist. "Time strictly has relation to the world of objects existing in succession. God fills time; is in every part of it, but His eternity is still not really this being in time. It is rather that to which time forms a contrast".¹

God is uncreated. He always has been, always is, and always will be. With Him there is no beginning and with Him there will be no end. It is impossible for finite minds, created for and limited by time, to comprehend the fact of the eternity of God, but the Scriptures declare this truth eloquently. God was in the beginning (Gen 1.1; Jn 1.2) and is the Creator of all things. Thus nothing was created that He did not create, therefore He is uncreated, therefore He is eternal, therefore He is God.

But as He is uncreated He is also timeless. He is not subject to time and with Him there is no yesterday, today, or tomorrow; there is no past, present, or future.

God is:

THE NATURE OF GOD

God is self-existent

There is no cause for the existence of God. All other beings have a cause for their existence, but not so the God who caused the creation of all things created.

God is also, as self existent:

God is holy

In His holiness, He cannot sin. "For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy…" (Is 57.15). He is high in what He is Himself, and He is the lofty One in what He is in relation to others.

God is immutable

God is changeless, but this does not mean that He never changes in His dealings with us. He repents, He reveals Himself, He hides Himself, but His person, His plan, and His purpose are changeless.

God is infinite

He is without limitations of any kind. With Him there are no restrictions and no one and no thing can place restriction on Him

God is Spirit

He is therefore not subject to the limitations of the body. Thus the Lord Jesus emphasised that they who worship God must do so "in spirit and in truth" (Jn 4.24). Worship must be in accord with His character.

God is omniscient

God has all knowledge. There is nothing that is beyond His understanding, there is nothing that yet has to be found out, and there is nothing which He does not know. He required no education, and knowledge did not come to Him gradually. He is the creator of knowledge and all true knowledge is only comprehended by others when He is placed first.

God is omnipotent

God is all-powerful. There is nothing that He cannot do. "Is any thing too hard for the Lord?" is the rhetorical question asked in Genesis 18.14. "Is there any thing too hard for me?" is how it is placed before Jeremiah (Jer 32.27).

God is omnipresent

God is not limited to one location. He is everywhere. This is how the Psalmist expresses it.

Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost part of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee (Ps 139.7-12).

The Trinity

He is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit: three in one. There are three persons but only one God. In Genesis 1 the word "God" indicates, in Hebrew, more than two. Notice also Genesis 1.26: "Let us make man in our image".

Early in the fourteenth century Raymond Lull, who was to die a martyr, expressed the Trinity in the form of a triangle. The early believers of the church age had used the triangle for this purpose, as it is the first of all forms. With one point there is no form, with two points there is a straight line, but no form, but with three points there is form. So the triangle was regarded as "Form One".

WHAT WAS BEFORE CREATION

There was glory

And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was (Jn 17.5).

Before the world came into being there was glory within the Godhead. In John 17.4 the Son states that He had glorified the Father and now in return He asks the Father to glorify Him. There are different aspects of glory. His prayer here is for a return to that glory which He had with the Father before creation.

There was love

Thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world (Jn 17.24).

For love to exist there must be one who loves and one to be loved. In the Godhead there are three persons and therefore there was what was necessary for love to be. God is love and therefore it was impossible for love to be absent in the Godhead. The saints will see His glory which is His on account of the love of the Father for the Son.

There was purpose

According as he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world (Eph 1.4).

The sovereign choice of God was exercised before the foundation of the world. Not only the knowledge of God, but also the sovereign control of God is seen in this action which was determined before any man was created.

There was the cross

Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you (1 Pet 1.20).

Before the foundation of the world was laid there was determined that the Son was the Lamb without blemish and without spot. Sin was no surprise to God and the answer to it was ready.

There was wisdom

I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was (Prov 8.23).

Wisdom here is personified. Where God is, clearly there is wisdom. In this chapter, however, wisdom is often seen as portraying the Lord Jesus.

¹ Dr Orr
² See Erich Sauer - From Eternity to Eternity, part 1 chapter 1