The Beginnings of Scripture.
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There are four great, overarching beginnings given in the Scripture. All these four beginnings point to the excellency of the Person of Christ, His eternal Deity, His Sonship, and Mediatorship etc.

First, there is this beginning given in John 1:1-2 and Proverbs 8 &c. where Christ was seen in past eternity --

"In the beginning was the Word," (John 1)

"The same was in the beginning with God." (John 1)

"The LORD possessed Me in the beginning of His way, before His works of old."

"I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was." (Proverbs 8:22-33.) See Psalm 90:2 &c.

This beginning alludes to the preexistence of Christ before all time. This beginning has no real beginning. It is a beginning-less beginning. It goes before the beginning given in Genesis 1, that is, before the creation of the heavens and the earth, before all creation, and time. This is eternity past.

In Is. 9:6, Christ is called "The Everlasting Father" or literally, "Father of Eternity" (JND Translation).

Is. 57:15 -- "For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, and Whose Name is Holy:" etc. (JND Translation)

Here, God alone existed, but as three distinct Persons -- the Father, the Son and the Spirit, in eternal relationship and communion with one another.

Genesis 1:1 gives us the second beginning in connection with the Creation of the heavens and the earth.

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Gen.1:1 (New Translation)

In Hebrews 1:10, notice the expression "in the beginning” which alludes to the beginning of the Creation (Genesis 1).

This beginning alludes to the beginning of the Creation, laying of the foundation of the earth; etc. In connection with this Beginning, Christ is also called "the FIRSTBORN of all CREATION" in Col. 1:15.

Thus, He has rightful precedence, primacy, and priority over all creation --over both angels and men, because He is the CREATOR. "For by Him were all things made...and for Him. He is before all things,"-- He has created all things for His own glory (John 1; Col. 1). The first man Adam was but a figure, but it is the Second Man, the Lord Jesus in whom all the counsels of God (Psalm 8, Heb 2, Col. 1; Eph. 1 &c.) will be fulfilled, in virtue of His glorious redemption, to the glory of God.

I John 1:1 gives us the third beginning in connection with the Incarnation of Christ:

"That which was from the beginning,"

The expression "from the beginning” given here in I John 1:1 alludes to the first Advent of Christ – His Incarnation “the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us," (John 1:14).

In contrast the expression "In the beginning" of John 1:1 points to the preexistence and eternality of Christ before all time.

Furthermore, I John 1:1 gives us Christianity as far back as it can be traced to as seen in the Person of Christ, When He became flesh and dwelt among us. (John 1). See Mark 1:1.

The fourth and final beginning is given in connection with the glorious Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ:

"Who is the Beginning," (see Col. 1:18)

"The Beginning of the Creation of God;" (Rev. 3:14)

In the death and resurrection, Christ has terminated the old order belonging to Adam and his posterity (in judgment on the Cross), and in its place has inaugurated a new beginning -- the blessed foundation of all things new, even the New Creation (II Cor. 5:17; Gal. 6:15) and hence our faith now rests upon this glorious fact:

"But now is Christ risen" (I Cor. 15:20), for "if Christ be not risen, then....your faith is also vain" (I Cor. 15:14)

Upon the blessed and glorious fact of the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, all will be established and founded to the glory of God.

Hence also Christ is called "the Beginning" and "the Firstborn from among the dead" (Darby Bible) in connection with the Resurrection and the New Creation. He transcends all. He presides over the destinies of all men, nations, and all creation.

Finally, in Revelation, He reasserts Himself at the end or consummation of all things, as He calls Himself by those eternal epithets:

"I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last” (See Rev. 1; 21; 22.)

Jonathan Edwards on Revelation 1:8. "I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the Ending," says, "Of all the things that are written in this book, I am the very first and the very last letter, as Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. This emphatically and livelily signifies that God is the beginning, and end, and the sum total, of all the things that are written of in this book, even from the very first to the very last event, and also of all the whole series of events, and revolutions, and dispensations that are written of in the whole Bible, from the first beginning of the creation to the end of the world and consummation of all things. Therefore these words are repeated again when John had seen the end of the world (Revelation 21:6 and Revelation 22:13), in each of which places the writings of this book are spoken of (See Revelation 21:5 and Revelation 22:9–10.), as they are, Revelation 1:11 of this chapter."

Of course, the Seer sees not only the passing away of the old creation, but the introduction of a new heaven and a new earth etc. (Rev. 21:1.)

Now, observe in these declarations of Christ, the Name "I AM" -- Christ had revealed Himself as "I AM" to Abraham and the patriarchs, and also to Moses (Exodus 3:14-15) So, He declared to the Jews, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I AM." (John 8:58.)

And also in Colossians, the apostle most remarkably states that "He is before all things" -- Observe here, it is not "He was before all things" but --"He is before all things" -- as also the Name "I AM THAT I AM" (Ex. 3:14), by which He had revealed Himself to His people as the great Object of faith in all ages, under both economies old and the new, unequivocally declares the deity, eternality, and immutability of Christ. Jesus Christ, the King of glory, the eternal Word transcends all things, epochs, dispensations, and ages. He is the great center and circumference, the subject and object of all history, prophecy, and dispensations, and covenants, nay, all Scripture itself, of creation, providence and the redemption; the great object of faith to the remnant from Abel to the end of the world, and the object of worship and adoration of angels, and of the redeemed out of every kindred, tongue, people and nation, not only in this world, but that which is to come and, throughout all eternity.

Behold, then, this great and glorious Personage -- Jesus the Christ, the Son of God. As “the Beginning” (Col. 1), He transcends all beginnings, epochs, ages, and dispensations, and time and eternity. He is the Everlasting Father –literally, “Father of Eternity." He inhabits eternity itself (Is. 57:15.) Before He had formed the earth and the world, even from eternity to eternity, He is God (Psalm 90:2) He "is over all, God blessed for ever." (Romans 9:5.) "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever." (Heb. 13:8.) He is the Great "I AM." (Exodus 3:14; John 8:58.)


[April 22, 2018]

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