5. Eternity Past God's Purpose for Man

5.  Eternity Past
The World Before Time

We live in a land and a period of time - from the beginning of Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 20:15.  In other words, we are enveloped between Eternity Past and Eternity Future. 

The Bible is very limited as to what went on in Eternity Past.  We must remember, before time, anything that happened had nothing to do with mankind, so God had no need to give us that kind of information.  Since God always was, we cannot put a timeframe as to the length of time of Eternity Past.  We could say millions or even billions of year, but it becomes irrelavent, because any length of time is not eternity.  It is simply a period of time.  That same goes for one day.  What we need to be concerned about is the length of time between Genesis 1 to the present, which we know of to be around 6000 years and finishing in Revelation 20:15. 

We do know that Christ and the Holy Spirit (the Triune God) were in on creation,.  Since God is a Triune God, it appears that God, Jesus, and His Holy Spirit have always been - being eternal.  

John 1:1-3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made..

John 1:14  And the Word became flesh, and we beheld His glory - glory as of the only Son of God.

Gen 1:2  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.

 The following scriptural passages leads us to believe that in Eternity Past, God, in His omnipresence and omniscience, were the very foundations for the world and mankind established.  God set down His laws and did a complete plan for the redemption of mankind. 

Prov 8:22-31 “The LORD brought me forth as the first of his works, before his deeds of old; I was formed long ages ago, at the very beginning, when the world came to be. When there were no watery depths, I was given birth, when there were no springs overflowing with water; before the mountains were settled in place, before the hills, I was given birth, before he made the world or its fields or any of the dust of the earth.  I was there when he set the heavens in place, when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep, when he established the clouds above and fixed securely the fountains of the deep, when he gave the sea its boundary so the waters would not overstep his command, and when he marked out the foundations of the earth. Then I was constantly at his side. I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence, rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in mankind.

Eph 1:4-6  In the Messiah he chose us in love before the creation of the world to be holy and without defect in his presence.  He determined in advance that through Yeshua the Messiah we would be his sons - in keeping with his pleasure and purpose so that we would bring him praise commensurate with the glory of the grace he gave us through the Beloved One. (CJB)

All of this may or may not have occurred before God created the angelic hosts.  The Bible tells us that the angelic hosts of God were created to be ministering angels to work on behalf of mankind (Heb 1:14; Psalm 91:11-12) as well as worshippers to the Most High God (Rev 4:9-11).  They then fit in with the plan of God for mankind.  Lucifer, a top archangel, however, convinced 1/3 of God's angelic hosts to follow after him against God, thus creating a war in heaven.  Jesus tells us in Luke 10:18 that He saw Lucifer (renamed Satan) fall like lightning out of heaven.  Those angels who followed after him also were thrown out of heaven.  These beings now roam throughout the heavenlies causing harm and evil to mankind while God's angels work on man's behalf for God.

Eph 6:10-12  Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.  Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in heavenly places.

This provides some insight as to why the Lord began his creative work, knowing that sin would also be brought about in mankind.  This, however, illustrates the love that God has for His creation of mankind, allowing them the freedom of choice even before they were ever created, yet, providing a way of enemy escape through dependence upon God.  For then, we've been given the power to overcome Satan and his wicked hosts as we develop a loving, dependent relationship with God. 

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