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M-8. Did God CREATE All Things Out of NOTHING?
Did God CREATE All Things of HIMSELF?
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HOW Did GOD CREATE All Things?
Some Christians believe that Almighty God created all things out of NOTHING.
And Bible scholars refer to that belief as “creatio ex nihilo”, a Latin phrase meaning creation out of nothing.
However, on the other side of this controversy, there are TWO groups of Christians that have trouble accepting that God creates all things out of nothing.
And thus, it does NOT seem rational or logical to both of these groups of Christians that all things are created out of nothing whatsoever.
So, to me, God created all things out of SOMETHING, and that something is His OWN SPIRIT.
And, MANY other Christians, the ones who believe that God created all things out of SOMETHING, they also have concluded that God created all things out from HIMSELF, which is SPIRIT.
And Bible scholars refer to this belief as “creatio ex deo”, a Latin phrase meaning creation out of God.
HOWEVER, this other group of Christians, who also believe as well that God must have created all things out of something that already existed, THEY have reasoned that God created all things out of MATTER that existed WITH God.
And Bible scholars call this belief “creation ex materia” a Latin phrase meaning creation out of matter.
But what does the Bible ITSELF teach us?
Before we delve or dig into the Bible, to search out the answer to which teaching is sound Biblical teaching, please know and understand that my comments are my INTERPRETATION of the Scriptures.
In other words, please understand that this study in God’s word, as with all my studies, is about presenting my readers with all the evidence of which I myself have been made aware.
To say this another way, I cannot share what I myself have never heard.
So then, from that evidence that I myself have found, I draw my own personal conclusion as to why I myself believe what I believe.
And then, I leave it to my readers and seekers of the truth to draw their OWN conclusion.
And hopefully, they will base their understanding upon the evidence in the Scriptures.
I also teach my readers to ASK the Holy Spirit if what you conclude is what God is teaching YOU through His Holy Spirit.
Now, you may agree with my own personal conclusion, or you may disagree with my conclusion.
So, if you have an argument or point that I have NOT covered, and you wish to share that point with me and other Christians, then please write to me and I will add your point to this study.
Again, the MAIN purpose of this study is to help those Christians who are struggling with either side of this controversy.
What I mean by this is that I have heard some Christians say that they cannot comprehend how God creates all things out of nothing.
But they can comprehend how God creates all things out of what already exists and has existed for all eternity without being created.
However their church denomination, or fellowship, or group of Christians to which they associate themselves believe and DOGMATICALLY teach, that God created all things out of nothing.
And in situations like this, where a believer QUESTIONS what they are being taught by the mainstream church TRADITIONS, the leaders sometimes make them feel stupid for simply asking questions.
And at times, they are even mocked by their denominational leaders for even thinking about what that church denomination teaches might not be the truth.
So then, this study is FOR these “struggling” Christians who have QUESTIONS are seeking a different understanding of how God created all things.
Please know and understand that the questions you have are CAUSED by what you are wrongly being taught.
For you see, when what the church teaches does not make sense to YOU, then you QUESTION what the church teaches.
And when the Holy Spirit has shown you something in the Scriptures that seems to contradict what they have been taught, then you definitely QUESTION that something is NOT right.
In other words, to some Christians, the only rational logical thing that they themselves can grasp is that God must have created all things out of SOMETHING that already existed.
And then, some Christians understand that the Bible itself teaches that the ONLY thing that has always existed without being created is Almighty God Himself.
So, for these Christians, they or WE have concluded that God creates all things out from HIMSELF, which is SPIRIT.
Now, while we are at peace with God creating everything out from Himself, there are other Christians who cannot comprehend how God creates all things out of Himself.
And they also cannot comprehend how God can create the entire universe out of NOTHING.
And thus, they have reasoned that matter in it smallest or simplest form like the atoms, electrons, and so forth has always existed WITH God.
And then, God used the building blocks of atoms, electrons, and so forth to make or FORM and shape all creation.
Now, from what I understand through my research, the majority of Christians CANNOT accept and believe that God creates all things out of nothing.
And if they happen to attend a church denomination that does indeed teach that God created all things out of nothing, then they are NOT content with that belief.
Therefore, they SEEK to know what makes the most SENSE to them which AGREES with the Scriptures.
But the Christians who believe and teach that God created matter itself out of NOTHING are not seeking any truth.
For you see, to THEM, they feel that they already have the truth.
Thus, those Christians are NOT STRUGGLING with their faith.
They do not QUESTION what they have come to believe. They are at peace with what they believe.
Therefore, they are not seeking any help to understand HOW God created all things.
Also, there may be some Christians who cannot comprehend how God can create all things out from Himself, or OUT of SPIRIT.
But their church denomination is teaching that God created all things out of Himself.
So, they are now STRUGGLING to understand HOW can this be?
To say this another way, some Christians trust and believe that what they are being taught by whatever group of Christians, with which they associate themselves.
They simply accept whatever their church teaches them to be like-minded believers with their fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord.
And therefore, there is no struggle within them. They are CONTENT to believe what their church teaches.
But on the other side, some Christians are seeing something that they cannot place their finger upon, or pinpoint as exactly as to what that something is.
But they feel that what they are being taught just does not make sense to THEM any longer.
Therefore those Christians are struggling,
They are the ones questioning or doubting what they have been taught.
Thus, they are SEEKING what agrees with the Scriptures AND ALSO makes the most sense to THEM.
And that is what my website is all about. My website here at AMatterOfTruth is to share some of the things with which I myself have struggled with in the past.
And I feel that God has led me to the truth of the WHOLE word of God concerning those things that I have QUESTIONED.
In other words, what God has shown me through His word has brought me peace, because it makes sense to me.
So, all I do is I share to my readers and SEEKERS of the truth the evidence that I myself came across in my search for MY understanding that makes perfect sense to me.
I always check the Scriptures to make sure. I then double-checked the Scriptures to see if I missed something.
And I even TRIPLE-CHECKED the Scriptures to make absolute sure what I have concluded does NOT contradict any other Scriptures
And then, I share why what makes the most sense to me and AGREES with the WHOLE word of Almighty God.
Now, I have to say that on this subject, it was not my OWN questioning that caused me to seek the truth.
In other words, it never even entered my mind to WONDER HOW God created everything that exists.
The question, “WHAT did God create all things out of”, was never a question or CONCERN of my own.
What I mean by this is that I was taught by the church denominations I attended that God created all things out of nothing.
And I believe that nothing is impossible with God. So then, I simply accepted what I was taught as being the truth.
I was content with the teaching that God created all things out of nothing.
I had no idea that other Christians had DIFFERENT beliefs on HOW God created everything.
And even after I saw from God’s word a verse that could be INTERPRETED in MORE than just ONE way, I still accepted what my church denomination taught.
But I really never put all the pieces together at that time in my life.
It was when I was studying another subject on who Jesus is, that I came across a literal interlinear word for word translation of the Bible.
It was then that I saw for the first time what the original Hebrew and Greek texts were literally saying.
But after I saw the truth from the Bible itself it was not a struggle for me to CHANGE what I was taught to believe.
For you see, by this time in my life I had ceased believing many other man-made doctrines of the mainstream church denominations.
I came away from church TRADITION and I placed my faith in the Bible and the leading of the Holy Spirit alone.
In other words, I simply began to believe what the Bible ITSELF was teaching me through the leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit OVER what church denominations teach.
I have found through the years that the MAJORITY is not always teaching sound Biblical teaching.
With that being said so that you will know my heart is NOT to dogmatically demand that my readers MUST believe everything I teach, let us now DELVE into the SCRIPTURES.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE ITSELF TEACH?
I would have to say that there is only ONE common passage of Scripture that both sides of this controversy use to base their belief upon.
And those verses or passages of Scripture are found in Hebrews 11:1-3, but these verses are “interpreted” differently by different Christians.
We have already covered THREE of those possible interpretations.
#1. God created the entire universe out of NOTHING.
#2. God created the entire universe out of MATTER.
#3. God created the entire universe out of HIMSELF.
But there is a FOURTH interpretation which the Holy Spirit revealed to me as I was editing an older version of this study.
And that interpretation is that the CONTEXT of Hebrews 11:1-3 has nothing whatsoever to do with the creation of the universe in the eternity past.
And thus, it is an ERROR to take Hebrews 11:1-3 OUT of CONTEXT to try to support your belief on HOW God created the entire universe in the eternity past.
But before I explain interpretation number four, let us read Hebrews 11:1-3 from several different translations to show that ALL FOUR interpretations can be seen or understood.
And, to me, the two that make the most SENSE are #3, God created everything out of Himself.
And #4, the three verses in Hebrews 11:1-3 have NOTHING whatsoever to do with the creation of the entire universe in the eternity past.
Hebrews 11:1-3.
“Now FAITH is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things NOT seen.
Hebrews 11:2. For by it (Or because of FAITH) the elders obtained a good report. (Meaning that the Old Testament saints held fast to what they believed.
And because of their CONFIDENT FAITH, they did not cast away what they believed.
And because of their FAITH enduring unto the END, they obtained a good report.
Now, in most schools, they give report cards as a way of keeping a record.
And God keeps a record called the Lamb’s book of life and another book of life.
So, because these Saints have kept the faith unto the end, they have been given a good report card, so to speak.
And RIGHTEOUSNESS was credited to them because they BELIEVED unto the end)
Hebrews 11:3. Through FAITH, we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God so that things which are seen were NOT made OF (Or the things made out from) things which do APPEAR.”
Now please understand that this verse does not specifically state, as a FACT, that God created all things out of nothing.
And therefore, no Christian should ever dogmatically demand that this verse means, without fail, and it cannot be interpreted in any other way, that God created everything out of NOTHING.
I say this because some Christians read the Bible from other translations of the Bible.
And a few other “translations” specifically state in such a WAY as being FACT, that God created the things that are seen out of nothing.
Please read Hebrews 11:3 from the Basic English Bible, so that you can see what I mean.
Hebrews 11:3 from the Basic English Bible
“By faith, it is clear to us that the order of events was FIXED by the word of God so that what is seen has not been made from things which only SEEM to be.”
This translation makes it perfectly clear that creation was NOT made from anything that SEEMS to be.
Or this last phrase has a COMPLETELY different meaning which I will explain further on in this study.
What I mean by this is, that the “wording” chosen by the translator leaves no other way for the FIRST half of this verse to be interpreted any other way other than God FIXED the order of EVENTS by His word.
However, the last phrase has a number of different ways that it can be interpreted.
And the reason I say this is because I myself do not believe that any Christian should ever say that God Himself only SEEMS to be.
Thus, this translation, concerning the FIRST HALF of this “particular” verse of Scripture, is INTERPRETING the Bible FOR you.
And if you only read that translation, you have no other option for interpreting this verse any other way.
But you can always ask the QUESTION, “Is this translator’s INTERPRETATION the correct interpretation?”
Now, when I asked God that question, I saw in an instant that God is indeed FIXING the order of EVENTS that started in a previous AGE of the earth and can still be SEEN in this PRESENT age of the earth.
Again, I will expound on WHY I say this in a moment.
But first, let us cover the first three interpretations.
#1. God created the universe out of NOTHING.
#2. God created the universe out of MATTER.
#3. God created the universe out of HIMSELF.
Let us read one more Bible translation that has interpreted Hebrews 11:3 FOR you.
And then, we will look at some other Bible translations to see if there are OTHER possible interpretations of this verse.
Hebrews 11:3 from the Complete Jerusalem Bible.
“By trusting, we understand that the universe was created through a spoken word of God so that what is SEEN did NOT come into being out of EXISTING phenomena.”
Again, all Christians agree that God Himself has always EXISTED.
So, to me, this particular translation as well as the one above in Basic English would lead me to believe that the translators are saying that God did NOT create all things out of Himself.
For you see, as far as I know, ALL Christians believe and teach that God Himself has always existed.
Unless, of course, one considers God to be a phenomenon.
And to some, that might seem entirely possible to them when one considers all of the meanings of the word “phenomenon,” such as something remarkable, a person, a thing, or something observed that causes QUESTIONS.
But again, are these translations of the Bible correct in their translation of the original text?
We will get to the meanings of the Greek word translated as “which only SEEM to be” and “EXISTING phenomena,” after we read a few other Bible translations.
Here is Hebrews 11:3 from the Holman Christian Bible.
“By faith (Or by trusting God's word and believing what his word says) we understand that the universe was created by the word of God so that what is seen has been made FROM things that are NOT VISIBLE”
Here is Hebrew 11:3 from the Common English Bible.
“By faith, we understand that the universe has been created by a word from God so that the visible came into existence FROM the INVISIBLE.”
Now, the above translation in Common English OMITS translate the Greek word that means NOT.
And thus, to be honest with the original Greek text, this translation should read as follows.
Here is the CORRECTED Hebrew 11:3 from the Common English Bible.
“By faith, we understand that the universe has been created by a word from God so that the visible came NOT into existence FROM the INVISIBLE.”
Now, I realize reading this verse having the creation of the universe in MIND, and KEEPING the word “NOT”, which is indeed in the original text, causes some confusion.
But that is because the FIRST half of this verse is INCORRECTLY translated.
You will see what I mean after I explain the “FOURTH” interpretation of Hebrews 11:1-3 in a moment.
I chose this next translation to show that the phrase “by the word of God” can ALSO mean by God’s COMMAND!
But again, the New Century translation OMITS the word NOT when it is indeed found in the original Greek text.
Therefore, I will put the word “NOT” in parenthesis where it SHOULD be found, but the translators chose to not translate the Greek word “mē”.
This Greek word “mē” expresses absolute denial, as in, no way, no how, I did NOT do it. I am NOT to be blamed for what is SEEN.
Hebrews 11:3 from the New Century Bible.
“It is by faith we understand that the whole world was made (Or more correctly translated, the Apostles UNDERSTOOD that the AGES are FIXED, as in, BEING FIXED) by God’s command so what we see was (NOT) made by something that CANNOT be SEEN.”
Hebrews 11:3 from the New International Readers Bible.
“We have faith, (Or we have faith in what the word of God teaches us) so we understand that everything was made (Or we UNDERSTAND that everything is being FIXED) when God commanded it. That’s WHY we believe that what we SEE was NOT made out of what could be SEEN.”
Now from these Bible translations, we can understand that there is MORE than just ONE way for this verse to be translated.
In other words, some Christians INTERPRET this verse to mean that what is INVISIBLE being spoken of here, which can NOT be SEEN, is speaking of NOTHING,
And therefore, these Christians conclude that what the writer of Hebrews is actually saying is that what is UNSEEN could not possibly be speaking of Almighty God Himself, who is INVISIBLE or UNSEEN.
But is that a correct assumption? I mean how can we know what the writer of Hebrews INTENDED his words to actually mean?
Did the writer of Hebrews intend his words to mean that God created all things out of nothing?
The writer does seem to be saying that it is by our FAITH that we UNDERSTAND how God created all things.
So, to me, the writer of Hebrews COULD be saying that it is by our FAITH in the word of truth, the Holy Bible, as opposed to our faith in science falsely so-called, or our faith in the traditions of men.
What we can safely conclude thus far are the following things.
#1. God is the Creator.
#2. God creates by SPEAKING WORDS.
#3. God has FAITH to BELIEVE what He SPOKE will come to pass.
#4. God is UNSEEN.
#5. Hebrews 11:1-3 has NOTHING whatsoever to do with the original creation of the entire universe in the eternity past.
#6. Hebrews 11:1-3 is ACTUALLY talking about God FIXING the EVIL we SEE in the world, and the EVIL was NOT CAUSED to be in existence by LIGHT, the INVISIBLE God.
#7. And whatever we CONCLUDE, it must AGREE with the WHOLE word of Almighty God.
The Bible Does NOT CONTRADICT ITSELF!
Most all Christians agree that the Bible ITSELF is without any contradictions in its original text.
So, when there SEEMS to be a contradiction, then it can be resolved by correctly INTERPRETING Scripture by comparing Scripture with other Scripture.
Remember that the context says we have FAITH with CONFIDENCE in what we HOPE FOR is TRUE.
And it is because of our FAITH in what the word of God teaches us, is WHY we believe that all things were created, formed, made, and FIXED from what or WHO is INVISIBLE by the word of God and NOT by what is SEEN.
In a nutshell, so to speak, that is what Hebrews 11:1-3 is saying.
Ask yourself the question, “WHAT is SEEN that we QUESTION God about?”
Have you heard Christians QUESTION the ORIGIN of EVIL?
Is God FIXING the EVIL that is SEEN?
Is God the ORIGIN of the EVIL we SEE?
Simply ask yourself WHAT were the Old Testament saints HOPING FOR?
Were they HOPING that God CREATED the entire universe out of NOTHING?
What does the CONTEXT of Hebrews 11:3 teach us?
For you see, it is simply the matter of correctly interpreting what the writer of Hebrews intended his words “ FRAMED, SEEN, INVISIBLE, UNSEEN, NOT MADE, do NOT APPEAR, and cannot be seen” are referring to.
Does the Bible ITSELF specifically teach us anywhere else in the Bible that the word “unseen” means NOTHING?
In other words, ask the question, “Is the ONLY way that “what is INVISIBLE” must MEAN is that the word “invisible” always refer to the meaning NOTHING?
God is INVISIBLE! So is God NOTHING? God is UNSEEN! Does UNSEEN mean God is NOTHING?
Do you see what I am trying to get you to understand? When a preacher, Bible Scholar, or any Christians dogmatically DEMANDS that what THEY say or CLAIM a verse means is the ONLY thing that it can possibly mean, then you KNOW to QUESTION their interpretation!
Let us begin this section of this study in God’s word by reading 1 Timothy 6:12-16 where we see that Almighty God is INVISIBLE and CANNOT be SEEN, at least by mortal eyes.
God is LIGHT, and if we LOOK at the sun without PROTECTION for our EYES, then our eye can be damaged.
Remember when God passed by Moses so that he could see God’s back-parts, God covered his eyes.
To me, that was God PROTECTING the eyes of Moses from being damaged.
And according to Deuteronomy 34:7 the eyes of Moses did NOT grow dim in his old age of 120 years old when he died.
Nor did Moses die of any sickness or disease. That was for free, just a side note that I find interesting.
Let us get back to the Scriptures that clearly teach us that God is INVISIBLE and cannot be seen by MAN, as in, by mortal man.
1 Timothy 6:12-16.
“Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto you are also called, and have professed a good profession (Of faith) before many witnesses.
1 Timothy 6:13. I give you charge in the sight of God, who quickens (Or makes alive, or gives life to or who creates) all things, AND (I give you charge also) before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession; (And what is that charge? Keep reading the following verses)
1 Timothy 6:14. THAT you KEEP this commandment (Or I give you charge that you hold fast to this teaching) without spot, not being rebuked, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ:
1 Timothy 6:15. Which in his times (Speaking of the first and the second comings of Jesus) he (Jesus) shall show, who is the blessed and ONLY Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;
1 Timothy 6:16. Who ONLY has immortality, dwelling in the LIGHT which no man can approach unto; whom no man has SEEN, nor can SEE: to whom be honor and power everlasting. Amen.”
The word translated as “Potentate” means Sovereign over all.
So then, the ONLY Potentate is speaking of the ALMIGHTY who alone is the Father.
For you see, the Father is the God of His Son, Jesus,
Therefore, Jesus is NOT the Almighty God Himself.
And verse 16 goes on to describe WHO the ALMIGHTY God is that Jesus came to SHOW us.
And one of those descriptions of the WHO is that the ONLY person or being who has always existed having immortality in Himself.
And Jesus was GIVEN the Divine nature of immortality after the cross and resurrection, according to John 5:26.27.
Another description of who Jesus came to SHOW us is that He is INVISIBLE.
And many people have SEEN Jesus.
And another description of who Jesus came to SHOW us is that no man has ever SEEN Him and nor can He be SEEN.
And again, even after Jesus was GLORIFIED, the Apostles SAW Jesus for forty days before he ascended into heaven to be SEATED at the right hand of his God and Father.
So then, another INTERPRETATION of Hebrews 11:3, which is INCORRECTLY TRANSLATED as all things are created out from what is UNSEEN, can mean they are being FIXED by what is INVISIBLE.
And what is INVISIBLE can be speaking of the one true Almighty and INVISIBLE God who made or more correctly, he FIXED the worlds by speaking WORDS that have and will continue to come to pass.
In other words, ask the question, “Is Hebrews 11:1-3 talking about the original creation of the entire universe in the eternity past?”
Or ask the question, “Is Hebrews 11:1-3 talking about FIXING the AGES in order to repair the damage done by Satan and the fallen angels causing the EVIL in all three ages?
Let us take a CLOSER look at these three verses of Scripture while having in our mind that God is FIXING or REPAIRING the damage done by Satan CAUSING the EVIL that is SEEN in the worlds or AGES.
Please understand that I am talking about the WAR in heaven during the PREVIOUS AGE that brought the WRATH of God down like never before, according to Hebrews 12:26-28 and also the words of Jesus in Matthew 24:21.
I am also talking about the damage Satan and the fallen angels are doing in THIS PRESENT AGE by CAUSING EVIL that is SEEN from Adam to the end of this present world.
Satan has in a previous age of the earth and is still deceiving man to destroy the other men and not even on the verge of destroying the earth with weapons of WAR and mass destruction in this present age of the earth.
And I am talking about the damage Satan will do at the END of the AGE to COME, when he DECEIVES the nations to wage the FINAL war that will again bring down the WRATH of God.
With this UNDERSTANDING in mind, let us read Hebrews 11:1-3 AGAIN from the Basic English Bible.
I am doing this so that you can see what I mean by God is in the process of FIXING the AGES by FAITH in what God has PROPHESIED in His word.
And thus, the God INTENDED meaning of Hebrews 11:1-3 is NOT about the creation of the entire universe in the eternity past.
Rather, it is about teaching us that the EVIL that is SEEN is being fixed by God’s COMMAND.
And thus, the EVIL that is SEEN was NOT caused by Almighty God the Creator who is unseen.
In other words, God is NOT the ORIGIN of the EVIL that is SEEN in all three ages.
Hebrews 11:1-3 from the Basic English Bible.
“Now FAITH (Or BELIEVING and trusting the PROMISES in God’s word, the Holy Scriptures, the PROPHECIES) is the SUBSTANCE (Or the ASSURANCE and the CONFIDENCE) of things HOPED for, (Ask yourself WHAT are the things HOPED for? Were the fathers in the Old Testament hoping for God to create the universe?
Or were they hoping for eternal life, the NEW Heaven, and the NEW Earth that is not yet SEEN? It was by their unshakable FAITH that they OBTAINED a GOOD report) and the SIGN that the things NOT seen are TRUE. (Now, the universe and the FALLEN world are SEEN. The EVIL in all three ages is SEEN.
But the things that the saints are HOPING FOR are NOT SEEN, but we have the SIGN that what God promises in His word is TRUE.
And that SIGN is the resurrection and the GLORIFICATION of our brother Jesus.
And that SIGN of Jesus ASSURES us that we will ALSO be made partakers of the Divine nature of immortality at the coming of Jesus, according to 1 Peter 1:4.
So, to me, these verses are NOT teaching about the creation of the universe in the eternity past being created from things not seen. Rather, they are teaching us about the FAITH of the Old Testament saints)
Hebrews 11:2. For by it (Speaking of having FAITH in God’s PROMISES in the PROPHECIES in the Scriptures are TRUE) our fathers had God’s approval. (So then, in the context of these two verses, I do NOT see that verse 3 has ANYTHING to do with the creation of the entire universe in the eternity past.
The FAITH is the faith of the SAINTS HOPING for FUTURE things promised in God’s word)
Hebrews 11:3. By FAITH, it is clear to us that the order of EVENTS was FIXED by the word of God so THAT what is SEEN has NOT been made from things which only SEEM to be.”
In verse 3 in the King James Version, the Greek word “aion” is TRANSLATED as the WORLDS.
And here in the Basic English translation it is translated as the ORDER of the EVENTS.
Here is how the concordance in E-Sword defines the Greek word “aion”. The emphasis is mine.
G165
αἰών
aiōn
ahee-ohn'
From the same as G104; properly an AGE; by extension perpetuity (also past); by implication the world; specifically (Jewish) a Messianic period (present or future): - age, course, eternal, (for) ever (-more), [n-]ever, (beginning of the, while the) world (began, without end). Compare G5550.
Total KJV occurrences: 128.
So then, to me, the more CORRECT translation is the AGES, the PREVIOUS age of the earth, this PRESENT AGE of the earth, and the yet FUTURE AGE of the reign of Jesus during the world to come.
And the Greek word “katartizō”, that is TRANSLATED as FRAMED in the King James Version, ALSO means FIXED, to MEND, REPAIRED, and RESTORED.
And here in the Basic English translation, it is translated as FIXED.
Here is how the concordance in E-Sword defines the Greek word “katartizō”. The emphasis is mine.
G2675
καταρτίζω
katartizō
kat-ar-tid'-zo
From G2596 and a derivative of G739; to complete thoroughly, that is, REPAIR (literally or figuratively) or adjust: - fit, frame, MEND, (make) perfect (-ly join together), prepare, RESTORE.
Total KJV occurrences: 13.
Now, in the LIGHT of the WHOLE word of God being in the process of FIXING the heavens and the earth by DESTROYING all EVIL on the final Day of Judgment.
So then, my conclusion is that God is FIXING the order of the events, speaking of the EVIL SEEN in all three AGES that was, is, and will be caused by Satan and the fallen angels, and NOT caused by the Creator of LIGHTS.
Now, I want to point out in this next translation that the phrase “by the word of God”, literally means by the SPOKEN word of God, and NOT by a Divine being named the Word as some Christians CLAIM.
Hebrews 11:3 from the Complete Jerusalem Bible.
“By trusting, we understand that the universe was created through a SPOKEN word of God so THAT what is SEEN did NOT come into being out of EXISTING phenomena.”
The Greek word “rhema” is translated in virtually all translations as the word of God.
Here is how the concordance in E-Sword defines the Greek word “rhema”. The emphasis is mine.
G4487
ῥῆμα
rhēma
hray'-mah
From G4483; an UTTERANCE (individually, collectively or specifically); by implication a matter or topic (especially of narration, COMMAND or dispute); with a negative naught whatever: - + evil, + nothing, SAYING, word.
Total KJV occurrences: 70.
Now, with all these definitions in mind, let me put together a paraphrased version of Hebrews 11:3.
A “paraphrased” version means that OPINIONS or comments are adding to the original text to add CLARITY.
And thus, this is my OWN personal OPINION of how I have come to understand Hebrews 11:1-3.
Remember to keep in mind that God is RESTORING PEACE in the earth and in the heavens by declaring the END from the beginning.
My own paraphrased version of Hebrews 11:3.
“By FAITH, it is clear to us that the order of EVENTS, CAUSED by the rebellion of Satan and the fallen angels, is BEING FIXED by the word of God.
And God is doing this, so THAT, the EVIL in the AGES that is SEEN has NOT the ORIGIN from that which only SEEMS to be done by Almighty God.”
Now, to me this is the God INTENDED meaning of Hebrews 11:1-3.
Let us read one more translation Hebrews 11:3 so that you can see another possible and more LITERAL word of word meaning for the last phrase of verse 3.
And then, we will look at some more CONTEXT in order to see if these interpretations of God FIXING the AGES, agrees with the REST of the CONTEXT.
Here is Hebrews 11:3 from The Darby Translation.
“By faith we apprehend that the worlds were framed (Or more correctly translated, we understand that the AGES are being RESTORED or FIXED) by [the] word of God, so THAT, that which is SEEN (Speaking of the CORRUPTION of Satan and the fallen angels CAUSING the EVIL that is SEEN in all three AGES) should NOT take its ORIGIN (Speaking of Satan BLAMING the ORIGIN of CORRUPTION) from things which appear.”
Or more correctly translated, God is FIXING the EVIL in the ages by CALLING or declaring the END from the BEGINNING.
And God is doing this, so THAT, that which is SEEN, speaking of the EVIL caused by the corrupted fallen angels, should NOT be PLACED, or the BLAME should NOT be laid the Creator as being the ORIGIN of their corruption to do EVIL, saying it is from the LIGHT.
For you see, God, who is LIGHT, created them PERFECT in the day He created them.
In other words, the fallen angels USED to be LIGHTS, as in GOOD angels. But now they are DARKNESS.
God is the Father os LIGHTS and the angels are the SONS of God.
Are you following what I am saying? ALL of God son were created GOOD, but some of them corrupted themselves. And when God prepare a FIRE to destroy them, they BLAMED God for CREATING them EVIL.
Now, with that UNDERSTANDING, the Greek word translated as appear, existing phenomenon, INVISIBLE, and unseen, also means to LIGHTEN or to GIVE light.
It is the prolongation of the base Greek word translated and God is LIGHT in 1 John 1:5. And also translated as the Father of LIGHTS in James 1:17.
Now, the word “prolongation” means to observe a SITUATION that has HAPPENED and the CAUSE of that situation is in QUESTION.
WOW! When I read that definition, I immediately saw that is EXACTLY what has happened during the PREVIOUS AGE of the earth!
The situation is the EVIL that has happen. And the ORIGIN of the EVIL is in QUESTION.
In other words, both Almighty God and Satan are on TRIAL to determine WHO is the CAUSE of the EVIL that has HAPPENED.
And this trial is to be decided by the WITNESSES on the final Day of Judgment.
In other words, the WITNESS will PROVE WHO is the ORIGIN of EVIL, the Creator, or Satan, the FALLEN angel who God created PERFECT on the day he was created?
Here is how the concordance in E-Sword defines the Greek word “phainō”. The emphasis is mine.
G5316
φαίνω
phainō
fah'ee-no
Prolongation for the base of G5457; to lighten (shine), that is, show (transitive or intransitive, literal or figurative): - appear, seem, be seen, shine, X think.
Total KJV occurrences: 31.
G5457
φῶς
phōs
foce
From an obsoleteφάω phaō (to shine or make manifest, especially by rays; compare G5316 and G5346); luminousness (in the widest application, natural or artificial, abstract or concrete, literal or figurative): - fire, light.
Total KJV occurrences: 70.
The angels or the Elohim, the gods made to BECOME shining ones are called STARS.
Lucifer is called the morning star.
The Creator is dethroning Lucifer and PROMOTING His NEW Day Star, Jesus, also called the morning star in Revelation 22:16.
And, according to the prophecy in Daniel 12:3, WE shall be called STARS, or be LIKE the stars, or as LIGHTS shining as the STARS.
Again, after taking a closer look at the CONTEXT of verse 3, I do NOT see even one thing in the context that leads me to believe that these three verses are referring to the creation of the universe in the eternity past.
For you see, Hebrews 11:4-38 talks about the FAITH of all the people in the Old Testament.
And they would rather be killed, as opposed to denying what they HOPED for by FAITH in what the understood being promised in the Scriptures.
So then, the CONTEXT speaks of FUTURE events that all of the saints are LOOKING for with HOPE, trusting in God’s word that it is TRUE.
Then, in the last two verses in Hebrews chapter 11, we read that all of the saints in the Old Testament have indeed received a good report.
But yet, they have not RECEIVED what God has promised in His word.
And the reason for WHY they have not YET received their new glorified immortal body, is that God’s will, is that we are all made perfect or glorified TOGETHER at the coming of Jesus.
Let us take a look at some of the CONTEXT so you can see what I am saying.
Hebrews 11:7-10.
“By FAITH Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became HEIR of the righteousness which is by faith. (Keep in mind that Noah had never seen RAIN. But by FAITH, Noah obeyed God to build the ark)
Hebrews 11:8. By FAITH Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
Hebrews 11:9. By FAITH he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the HEIRS with him of the same promise: (And, in the same way that Abraham’s sons in the lineage of Isaac and Jacob are JOINT-HEIRS with Abraham, so are we JOINT-HEIRS with Jesus)
Hebrews 11:10. For he LOOKED FOR (Or he HOPED FOR) a CITY which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.”
By FAITH, they HOPED for a FUTURE CITY. And the CITY is Mount Zion or Mount Sion.
Please read Hebrews 12:22-24 so that you can see the LITERAL city that we shall be given the right to enter.
And you will ALSO see that we are the CITY of God in which God will dwell in.
Hebrews 12:22-24.
“But you are come unto Mount Sion, and unto the CITY of the living God, the HEAVENLY Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, (That is the LITERALLY City that will come down out to heaven to the New Earth after the Millennial reign of Jesus.
But we also come to the SPIRITUAL CITY of the Living God)
Hebrews 12:23. (And we come) To the general assembly and church of the FIRSTBORN, which are written in heaven, (In other words, when a person becomes a TRUE born-again Christian, our name is written in heaven.
We become a part of the BODY of Jesus Christ, which is called the Church of the FIRSTBORN) and (We come) to God, the Judge of all, and (We come) to the spirits of just men made perfect,
Hebrews 12:24. And (We come) to Jesus, the mediator of the NEW Covenant, and (We come) to the blood of sprinkling, that speaks BETTER things than that of Abel.”
In other words, the Old Testament saints UNDERSTOOD the PROMISES of God and HOPED for them in their lifetime.
They understood that God promised them a PARADISE if they obeyed His voice.
But they ALL DIED in FAITH before they received the promises of a better country.
Hebrews 11:13-16.
“These all died in FAITH, not having received the promises, but having SEEN them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and CONFESSED that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. (In other words, they saw a FUTURE age of the earth that will be like PARADISE.)
Hebrews 11:14. For they that SAY such things declare plainly that they SEEK a country.
Hebrews 11:15. And TRULY, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
Hebrews 11:16. But now they DESIRE a BETTER country, that is, an heavenly: WHEREFORE, God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he has prepared for them a CITY.”
I want to pause here for a moment to explain what the phrase “WHEREFORE, God is not ashamed to be called their God” is ACTUALLY saying.
Why would Almighty God ever be ASHAMED to be called God by His people?
That makes no logical sense. So ASK yourself, “What is this verse TRULY saying?”
Notice the word “WHEREFORE”. Whenever you see “wherefore” and “therefore”, stop and find out WHY they are THERE FOR!
There is a REASON for WHY the Almighty God is NOT ASHAMED.
The Greek word translated as “ashamed” comes from a Greek word meaning DISGRACED,
And the English word “ashamed” means to be embarrassed or GUILTY for one’s actions.
So, NOT being ashamed means to be NOT GUILTY for one’s actions.
Now, ask the question, “HOW will Almighty God NOT be GUILTY of one’s actions to be called THEIR God?”
You see, it still makes no SENSE!
And that is because that ACTUAL LITERAL meaning of the phrase “WHEREFORE, God is not ashamed to be called their God”, is “WHEREFORE, God will NOT be GUILTY to CALL THEM gods”
Yes, Jesus knew that he would BECOME a god. That is what being a SON of God MEANS.
Please read where Jesus DEFENDS himself when he is FALSELY accused by the Jews for making himself GOD.
John 10:33-36.
“The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone you not; but for blasphemy; and because that you, being a man, make yourself God. (The Jews did NOT say that Jesus was making himself to be THE ALMIGHTY God the Creator.
But rather, they were saying that Jesus was self-exalting himself to be “A” god.
And then, Jesus DEFENDS himself saying that Almighty God is the one who CALLED me His SON when He SANCTIFIED me and sent me into the world to preach His words)
John 10:34. Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, You are gods?
John 10:35. If He called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the Scripture cannot be broken;
John 10:36. Say you of him, whom the Father has SANCTIFIED, and sent into the world, You blaspheme; (You see, the Son of MAN, Jesus, BECAME the ADOPTED Son of God at his baptism by John the Baptist.
The word of God CAME to the Son of MAN, Jesus, out of heaven SAYING, THIS is My SON, in whom I am well pleased.
God ANOINTED His HUMAN Son with His Holy Spirit are POWER to BECOME God’s ETERNAL Son.
And then, God and SENT him into the world to preach the TRUTH of His God and Father.
But these Jews did not want to hear the truth, so they ACCUSED Jesus of blasphemy.
And Jesus ANSWERED their FALSE accusation saying to THEM, You say that I blaspheme just) because I said, I am the Son of God?”
Let us now read the Scripture, which Jesus referred to as Scripture that cannot be BROKEN!
Psalms 82:1-8.
“A Psalm of Asaph. (One of the meanings of the name “Asaph” is to RESTORE.
In other words, a Psalm of RESTORATION.
And Yahweh God is in the process of RESTORING the heavens and the earth back to the way of PEACE before the order of the events of EVIL that caused the war between the angels) God (Speaking of Yahweh the Creator) stands in the congregation of the mighty; (Or Almighty God the Creator, the HIGHEST Elohim, stands in the congregation of the El, the gods whom He Himself SET to be gods, And) He judges among the gods. (Speaking of the Elohim, both the GOOD angels and the FALLEN angels)
Psalm 82:2. How long will You judge unjustly, (Or more correctly translated, how much longer will you judge the EVIL and the PERVERSENESS) and accept the persons of the wicked? Selah. (Selah means to pause and THINK or ponder on this.
To me, this is the GOOD Elohim, the good angels, asking their Creator how much longer will it be before you judge the fallen rebellious angels and the humans who follow his ways)
Psalm 82:3. Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy.
Psalm 82:4. Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked. (Speaking of Satan and his angels who OPPRESS the people in the world both saved and unsaved)
Psalm 82:5. They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: (Or they CONTINUE to walk in darkness as they did during the PREVIOUS AGE of the earth) all the foundations of the earth are out of course. (Or wickedness has grown worse and worse. And EVIL is to the point that not one more person will seek You.
Plus, You know that Satan and his angels will never repent.
Then Yahweh answers the cry of the good angels, saying to the FALLEN angels)
Psalm 82:6. I have said, You are gods; and ALL of you are CHILDREN of the most High. (Or ALL of you are my SONS. But some of you are no longer DEAR to me. You are fallen gods! Yes, you are my sons)
Psalm 82:7. BUT you shall die LIKE men, and fall like one of the princes. (Now, the way this verse is translated, it does not make sense.
For you see, Yahweh is talking to the already fallen princes who will DIE like the fallen HUMANS.
So then, to me, this verse should read, SURELY you shall die like HUMANS, you PRINCES shall be the FIRST ones to fall or the first ones to be CAST DOWN.
Keep in mind that the prophecy in Revelation 12:9 says that Satan and his angels will be CAST DOWN to the earth or ground, according to Psalm 89:44 and Isaiah 14:12.
And that casting down of princes of the AIR unto the ground will take place FIRST, 1260 days BEFORE the coming of Jesus.
And at the coming of Jesus, he will BIND Satan in the bottomless pit for 1000 years.
The next verse is Yahweh saying to His NEW God, Jesus, it is TIME to execute my WRATH)
Psalm 82:8. Arise, O God, judge the earth: for you shall INHERIT all nations.”
Now, Jesus knew and understood the Scriptures TESTIFIED of him.
Jesus knew that he was God’s NEW Son that is PROPHESIED in the Scriptures.
Please read the PROPHECY of God’s FUTURE Son, Jesus.
1 Chronicles 28:6.
“And He said unto me, Solomon your son, he shall build my house and my courts: for (Or BECAUSE) I have CHOSEN him to be My son, and I WILL be his Father.”
Below, I have suggested some studies that will give you a deeper understanding of the WAR between the angels that BEGAN during the PREVIOUS AGE of the earth.
Now, some Christians CLAIM the the war in heaven is yet future, because they ASSUME every word in the book of Revelation is PROPHECY.
But they simply do NOT understand what they are saying.
For you see, Daniel prayed and fasted for 21 days. And when the angel called for help to FIGHT his way through with the ANSWER to Daniel’s prayer, the angel told Daniel that God SENT the answer the very first day.
But it took 21 days of FIGHTING the fallen angels to get the answer through to Daniel.
So, do NOT be DECEIVED by Christians try telling you that the war in heaven is a FUTURE war and that there is no such thing as a PREVIOUS AGE of the earth.
For you see, they are ignorant to what the Scriptures are actually teaching us.
Thanks for reading, and may God bless you richly as you continue to seek the TRUTH of the WHOLE word of Almighty God.
And to me, the truth concerning who Jesus TRULY is, according to the Bible ITSELF, is the Biblical Unitarian view of Jesus.
Once Christians, Jews, Muslims, and even atheists understand the REASON that Yahweh CREATED the Son of MAN, Jesus, was to have DOMINION over the work of Yahweh’s hands.
And after you understand that the REASON that Yahweh did that is to STILL His ENEMIES, Satan and the fallen angels.
Then you can understand that God made His human Son to become “a” Lord, “a” King, and “a” God, under and subject to his God and Father in order to JUDGE Satan and the fallen angels.
For a deeper understanding of this WAR that Lucifer and one third of the angels waged against the throne of Almighty God, please read the studies under the subject category called ** Q-0 Why Are We Here? Is God at WAR? **.
More studies are coming in this SHORTER Biblical Unitarian view of who Jesus is according to the WHOLE word of God.
If you have a PARTICULAR verse of Scripture that you would like to know the sound Biblical Unitarian meaning, then please email me at MarkatAMatterOfTruth@Gmail.com and let me know.
For further and more in-depth studies on this subject of Jesus being created to STILL the enemies of Yahweh, please read the studies called D-25. A NEW LOOK at JOHN 1:1-In the BEGINNING, and D-28. The PRE-ADAMIC LUCIFERIAN FLOOD!
At the top of my homepage, there are subjects or categories which contain compiled lists of ** ALL Studies ** I have written on that particular subject. So, if a link within a study is broken, then click on ** ALL Studies ** to find the suggested study.
Or you can scroll down to the MORE dropdown menu list to find those studies as well.
Thanks again for reading, and may God bless you richly as you continue to seek the TRUTH of the WHOLE word of Almighty God.
And to me, the truth concerning who Jesus TRULY is, according to the Bible ITSELF, is the Biblical Unitarian view of Jesus.
And again, for ALL of the studies on the Biblical Unitarian view of Jesus, please click on the subject heading ** D-0 The BIBLICAL UNITARIAN VIEW of Jesus! **
And for the SUBJECT on the true foundation of the church, please click on the subject heading ** C-0 The TRUE FOUNDATION of the Church! **
This way you can just send ONE link to those who you want to share the TRUE sound Biblical FOUNDATIONAL teachings of the church that Jesus and his Apostles taught in the first century church.
Your brother in our Lord Jesus Christ,
Brother Mark.
My heartfelt prayer is that all Christians RETURN to the TRUE FOUNDATION of the church that is taught by the very Apostles of Jesus in the first century.
So let us all come into the UNITY of the faith and return to what Jesus and his Apostles taught us in SIMPLICITY in the New Testament.
To learn more TRUTH, then please return to:
My HOMEPAGE at
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Type in the SEARCH bar
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Go to my NEW Website at
Also, here is the Table of Contents with links to all of the chapters in Book 8 called, Which FAITH is the TRUE Faith?
It is best to read the chapters in the order that they are listed.
But please feel free to skip to chapter 12, if you do not know for sure if you are saved and you feel that you are ready to become a true born-again Christian, to be absolutely SURE you will receive eternal life in the world to come when Jesus returns.
Beware of the DECEPTION of Islam, which is the MARK of the Beast!
Below is my new book 8 showing you WHY you must not be deceived by Muslims claiming that their god Allah is the same God of Christians.
B-8 Ch1 Is Islam the TRUE Faith?
B-8 Ch2 What is the Tree of LIFE Spoken of in the Bible?
B-8 Ch3 What Does Jesus Being the Son of God Truly Mean
B-8 Ch4 Deuteronomy 18:18 Is Islam the TRUE Faith?
B-8 Ch5 Deuteronomy 18:15-19 The Prophet LIKE Moses!
B-8 Ch6 Deuteronomy 18:19-22 False Prophet Muhammad!
B-8 Ch7 Is ALMIGHTY God’s TRUE Name Allah?
B-8 Ch8 Is Allah The ALMIGHTY God in the Bible?
B-8 Ch9 Muslims Say Jesus Will DESTROY the Jews!
B-8 Ch10 Who Exactly is the Mahdi the Muslim Messiah?
B-8 Ch11 HOW Islam Can be the TRUE Faith!
B-8 Ch12 How to be Saved the Bible WAY!
VERSES USED TO TEACH THAT JESUS PREEXISTED!
To me, the best way to know the ONE true God in ONE person is to know who Jesus TRULY is according to the WHOLE word of Almighty God.
So please read ALL of the studies under the heading ** N-0. WHO is JESUS ACCORDING to the BIBLE? ** and you will see that the Bible itself teaches us that Jesus was CREATED by his God and Father.
And if you have any questions related to the correct meaning of certain verses of Scripture on this subject of who Jesus is please read all the studies under the two headings ** U-0. VERSES Used to TRY to PROVE the TRINITY! ** and ** V-0. VERSES Used to TRY to PROVE Jesus PRE-EXISTED! **
These two headings have ALL of the studies that I have on who Jesus truly is according to what the Bible itself teaches us in simplicity.
I compiled these three headings to make it easy for my readers to send just one, two, or three links to those you desire to help understand what the Bible itself teaches concerning who Jesus is in the LIGHT of the WHOLE word of Almighty God. If you have any questions, please feel free to write to me.
My contact email is MarkatAMatterOfTruth@Gmail.com.
Thanks again for reading and may God bless you richly as you continue to seek the truth of the whole word of Almighty God.
Your Brother in our Lord Jesus Christ,
Brother Mark.
RETURN to HOMEPAGE at
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Always be faithful to share, to preach, and to teach the whole gospel of Jesus Christ!
COLOR CODING EXPLANATION of HIGHLIGHTING!
Please notice the studies I write, I have three options, Bible studies on a light blue page background, Bible studies on a white page background, and on my Google Docs page, I have Bible studies on a white page highlighted colors for emphasis, which is great for STUDYING the Bible.
To find my color highlight version of any study, simply click on the RED TITLE.
I basically use FOUR main colors when highlighting in my Bible studies.
Each of the four colors have a coded representation or meaning.
Below is a list of the four colors and what each color represents.
#1. The ORANGE highlighting refers to Yahweh, Almighty God the Father as being the ONE TRUE God in ONE person.
#2. The YELLOW highlighting refers to Jesus, the Son of God, DURING the days of his FLESH.
In other words, the color yellow represents the HUMAN Son of God BEFORE his God and Father highly exalted the Son of MAN, Jesus.
I also use the color yellow just as an emphasis to draw your attention to key words and phrases.
#3. The BLUE highlighting refers to Jesus AFTER God highly exalted His human Son and CROWNED him with glory and honor to be MADE Lord after the cross and resurrection, according to Acts 2:36.
God made or SET His human Son on His throne as His King and Lord to rule in PEACE over the earth for 1000 years in the world to come.
The light blue color also represents TRUTH.
#4. The GREEN highlighting refers to FALSE doctrines of devils.
I use the color green in most cases to draw attention to things that the word of God teaches AGAINST.
In other words, I use the green color to point out things in the Scriptures that do NOT FIT or do NOT AGREE with the man-made church doctrines.
But in SOME cases, the color green is for emphasis only.
In other words, when I want words like AND, ALSO, FOR, and THAT to stand out in a phrase that is highlighted in all yellow, then I will also use the green and or blue color just to emphasize a word.
With my color coding being explained, here is a list of LINKS to each of the in-depth Bible studies on that subject.
For example, here is a link to the SUBJECT heading called ** E-0. WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED? **
The title of the subject HEADING MENU list of Studies with LINKS will always be in RED type and placed the between two stars like so, **E-0. Subject Heading Menu List of Studies**.
Each SUBJECT Heading MENU List of Studies is coded with a LETTER of the alphabet followed by a ZERO.
And then, each study listed under that subject heading will have a number in the ORDER that I suggest them to be read.
For you see, each study builds or adds more understanding to the previous study above it.
Thus, learning God’s word is kind of like learning math or arithmetic, you need to learn the BASICS before you can know HOW to solve the more complicated mathematical problems.
Brother Mark At A Matter Of Truth.
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