Tag: In the beginning

In the Beginning Part 2

~ iolaHC ~ Leave a comment

Hebrews 1:10-12 And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning had laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: They shall perish; but thou remained; and they all shall wax old as do a garment; And as a vesture shall thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou are the same, and thy years shall not fail.

‘Foundation of the earth’ – Katabole therefore, means the disruption, overthrow, or ruin of the social system before Adam. In Genesis 1:1 we have the themelioo, founding of the earth (1:10), and in Genesis 1:2 we have the katabole, overthrow of the social system on the earth by a flood. Note in the first scriptures above that “from” is used seven times and “before” is used three times in connection with the overthrow of the social world. Thus, the New Testament is very clear that the earth became desolate and empty before it was re-created in the six days of Genesis 1:3-31.

‘Works of thine hands’ With His hands God actually formed the earth (Ps. 8:3, 6; 90:2; 95:5); the heavens (Ps. 8:3; 19:1; 102:25); the moon and the stars (Ps. 8:3; Isa. 40:26; 45:12; 48:13; Heb. 1:10); the living creatures (Gen. 1:10-27; 2:7-25; Job 26:13; Rom. 9:20; 1Tim. 2:13); and all things (Pro. 26:10).

‘Perish’ [Greek: apollumi] mar or ruin, never annihilation. The earth is eternal (Eccl. 1:4; Ps. 104:5), so perish here means to “wax old” as a garment (8:13; Luke 12:33). It also means elsewhere in Scripture to kill (Matt. 2:13; 12:14); torment (Matt. 8:29; Mark 1:24); mar (Mark 2:22); lose (Matt. 10:6, 10:39, 42); be lost (John 17:12; 2Cor. 4:3); perish or die (Matt. 8:25); and to ruin (Matt. 9:17), but never to annihilate.

‘Changed’ [Greek: allasso] to make other than it is; to alter; change, as stated above.

In the Beginning Part 1

~ iolaHC ~ Leave a comment

Hebrews 1:10-12 And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning had laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: They shall perish; but thou remained; and they all shall wax old as do a garment; And as a vesture shall thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou are the same, and thy years shall not fail. 

‘Thou, Lord, in the beginning had laid …’ This is the 5th Old Testament prophecy in Hebrews (1:10-12; Ps. 102:25-27) and is unfulfilled. This will be fulfilled at the end of the Millennium when the heavens and earth will be renovated and made renewed (1:10-12; 12:25-28; Rom. 8:21-25; 2Pet. 3:10-13).

‘Foundation of the earth’ [Greek: katabole] to cast or throw down (note the verb kataballo, translated as “cast down” in 2Cor. 4:9; Rev. 12:10). Katabole should have been translated as “overthrow” or “casting down of the world” in Matthew 13:35; 25:34; Luke 11:50; John 17:24; Ephesians 1:4; Hebrews 4:3; 9:26; 11:10; 1Peter 1:20 and Revelation 13:8; 17:8. Except for Hebrews 11:10, katabole is used with kosmos, social world, and refers to the overthrow of the pre-Adamite world by the flood of Genesis 1:2; 2Peter 3:5-7; Psalms 104:5-9; Jeremiah 4:23-26 and the defeat of Lucifer and his earthly kingdom before Adam (Isa. 14:12-14; Ezek. 28:11-17; Luke 10:18).

Katabole is not the ordinary word for founding or foundation. A reference to the founding of the world would require the use of themelios, as in Luke 6:48-49; 14:29; Acts 16:26; Romans 15:20; 1Corinthians 3:11-12; Ephesians 2:20; 1Timothy 6:19; 2Timothy 2:19; Hebrews 6:1; 11:10 and Revelation 21:14, 19. This word is never used with kosmos, social systems, or used of ge, the earth. The verb, themelioo, occurs in Matthew 7:25; Luke 6:48; Ephesians 3:17; Colossians 1:23; Hebrews 1:10 and 1Peter 5:10. This verb is used only once for the founding of the earth (1:10).

To be continued…

The Word

~ iolaHC ~ Leave a comment

John 1:1-5 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shine in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. 

‘In the beginning’ refers to the dateless past (Pro. 8:23) and the Word refers to Christ (John 1:14; Rev. 19:13) and proves His pre-existence (Mic. 5:1-2; Rev. 1:8, 11; 2:8). He is an eternal Being as are also the Father and the Holy Spirit (Ps. 90:1-2; Heb. 9:14). They are the Divine Trinity as described in 1John 5:7. Not only was the Word with God, but He was God and always will be as much divine as the other two members of the Trinity (Isa. 9:6-7; Heb. 1:8-12; Rev. 22:13-16). God created all things by Jesus Christ (Eph. 3:9; Col. 1:15-18; Heb. 1:1-2). Not only were all things created by Him, but redemption of creation is by Him (John 17:2; Col. 1:20). As all creation came by the Son, through the Holy Spirit, so all redemption comes the same way. It was what Christ did on the cross that made it possible for God to redeem through the power of the Holy Spirit (John 3:3-5; Tit. 3:5). When we walk in Christ (1Pet. 2:21-23) who is life and the light of men, we can begin to shine as the light of the world, as a city that is set on a hill that cannot be hid. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matt. 5:14-16).

The Greek word for comprehended is katalambano which means to seize upon; to keep down or under; stop; to catch up within the sense of to discover or detect. It means that the satanic powers of darkness (Eph. 6:12) did not overcome the Word, but that the Word spoiled (conquered) them on the cross (Col. 2:14-17). In John 8:12 Jesus states “I am the light of the world: he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”