What Was Before the Creation?

Posted by Navah on Oct 24, 2022

What was it before the Creation, before even Gen 1:1 has begun? Before the creation, there was nothing; nothing existed but the Everlasting One, YHVH. Before the process of creation has even begun, YHVH (His Name means “He who exists continually”) was Yachid, the only One, no one else; after the creation He became Echad, He and His creation are together, one or unity. Yachid is exclusive; Echad is inclusive.

We will rewind the time and try to explain what it was before the Creation. The reader has therefore to expect that the subject mentioned in this introduction is a matter of private interpretation to the best knowledge of the present author. We are not concerned with cryptic matters beyond the realm of comprehension, and the secrets that transcends human intellect, but it is incumbent upon us to know matters that are revealed to us.

It all began with “In the beginning”, to which we now turn.

The waters above and the waters below on the second day of Creation.

From nothing, nothing arises 

“From nothing, nothing arises. But from the One, everything and everyone arose.” Navah

Since no one and nothing existed to the exclusion of YHVH, He created the Beginning, that is to say, the concept of time and space. Nothingness was so absolute that even the concept of infinity of time and space was a created concept. Hence, the Creator is absolute and everything else He created afterwards was and is conditional upon His will and needs.

2Enoch, Chapter 24:1-5: Of the great secrets of God, which God revealed and told Enoch, and spoke with him face to face. … “Enoch, beloved, all that you see, all things that are standing finished I tell to you even before the very beginning, all that I created from non-being, and visible things from invisible… For before all things were visible, I alone used to go about in the invisible things, like the sun from east to west, and from west to east. … I conceived the thought of placing foundations, and of creating visible creation”.

But before that YHVH needed to conceive the thought of creating the visible creation. That thought was the “blueprint”, so to speak, the primordial state of the universe, and from the moment on He exists as the Elohim, the Absolute Creative Power: YHVH became Elohim.

And since nothing arises from nothing, all that came to be (the pre-existing elements) had to be created by Him and from Him who exists forever. Then He utilized those pre-existing elements to create the world: earth, water, air, and fire, as the primordial building blocks of the universe. These primordial building blocks came from the concepts of their primary states—eretz, solid for earth, mayim, liquid for water, ruach, gas for air (or wind), and eish, plasma* for fire—the primordial state of the universe, according to His will and need.

*a fourth state of matter distinct from solid, liquid or gas and present in stars and fusion reactors; a gas becomes a plasma when it is heated until the atoms lose all their electrons, leaving a highly electrified collection of nuclei and free electrons.

His Will, however, was not among the concepts He created. His Will being an essence of Him was and is equal to Him. And His Will was to create the Beginning of the universe.

In the beginning Elohim created the heaven and the earth. The earth was unformed and void, and darkness over the surface of the deep. And a wind of Elohim was sweeping over the face of the waters. (Gen 1:1-2)

Note: The first word of the Torah בראשית bereishit, “In the beginning”, which, when the letters are re-arranged, reads ברית אש berit eish, “Covenant of fire“. The word “Bereishit” is also an acronym of “The first son you shall redeem after 30 days”. The Hebrew words tohu vavohu (תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ), are used for an undifferentiated (undistinguished, uniform) mass.

As Elohim began to bring together all these seemingly purposeless elements, He first brought them up “from nothing” merely by pronouncement the element אוֹר, “light”. Then Elohim contrasted it with one of the primordial elements: “darkness”. With that act of the beginning of Creation, “light” became “day”, while “darkness” became‎ “night”. Thus, it will be clear to the reader that the perception of time is expressed by the creation of light.

From these two new entities something entirely new came to be: יוֹם אֶחָד Yom Echad, that is, “unified day” as a measure for time as well as for its sequential alternation of nighttime and daytime until the consummation of time. Thus, YHVH Elohim, the Ever-existing Absolute Power became the Creator.

Consequently, the Creator created, reordered, and gave new shapes to the primordial elements from nothing.

“Time and Space are One”—16th century Jewish saying.

Reality, or the world as we know it, is made up of the three aspects of the dimension of space x, y, z, along with the single dimension of time, t, which defines where the matter is (x, y, z) and when it is (t). But Herman Minkowski (a contemporary of Albert Einstein), in a scientific address given on 21 September 1908, stated, “Space by itself and time by itself, are doomed to fade into mere shadows.”

Space and time by themselves are indeed to fade without the “fifth dimension” which is a moral one. This fifth dimension denotes the status of matter in space and time. Or expressed in other words, the moral dimension defines how the matter is related to space and time in accordance with the Will and the Laws of the Creator.

Ruach Elohim

Notice that in verse 2 above we translated ruach Elohim as “a wind of Elohim” after the explanation Rabbeinu Bahya in his commentaries on Genesis 1:2. He argues that when the Torah speaks of ruach Elohim a “wind of Elohim”, we would have actually expected to find ruach haElohim “wind of the Elohim”. But this is not what read in the Torah. Rabbeinu Bahya further argues that the reason the Torah chose to omit the definite article ha, “the”, which identifies “wind” as something supernal, was because of all matters in the physical universe wind is the closest to the invisible abstract force called Elohim, which in Hebrew literally means “Powers”.

In addition to this explanation, Ibn Ezra explains the first verses in Genesis (see Genesis 1:2 with Ibn Ezra) that a ruach (wind) is in the construct with Elohim, because it was the medium employed by the Creator to dry the land.

Aside from the grammar, the following explanation gives a scientific approach to the beginning of the Creation. Rabbi Ovadiah ben Ya’akov Sforno states,

The energy propelling the planet is called ruach, as we know from Psa 104:4, “He energizes His messengers”. They activated the atmosphere above the waters which at that time surrounded the earth. This is the reason why the part which was closer to the spherical planet became incandescent through its motion [or friction]. This phenomenon is what we know as the original fire. (Genesis 1:2 with Sforno)

The Torah also says that the wind of Elohim was sweeping or hovering on the face of the waters. Siftei Chakhamim says that this “hovering” refers to “Hashem’s word and His breath which supported ruach Elohim, i.e., the Throne of Glory”.

On a mystical level, however, ruach Elohim brings the Creation story to a new and higher dimension. The 14th-century short introductions to the Bible states this,

“And the spirit of Elohim was hovering” has a numerical equivalent (in gematria) of ‘this is the spirit of messiah.’ (Genesis 1:2 with Baal HaTurim)

Note: In Hebrew language there were no numbers; neither were there in Greek, nor in Latin. If a number was to be expressed, a Hebrew letter was used instead. For example, number 1 would be the first Hebrew letter: alef; number 2 would be the second letter bet, and so forth. Gematria takes the form of a cryptograph in searching of hidden meanings of a word, name, or a whole phrase, whose letters have numerical values. Thus, gematria became a method of explaining the Hebrew Scriptures by means of the cryptographic significance of the words. If two words or phrase have the same numerical equivalent, they are considered to have a conceptual, and not necessarily an actual connection.

But it will be incomplete to say that the work of Ruach Elohim is limited only to the creation of the universe, and not to creation of life, as we read,

All the while my breath (neshemah) is in me and the wind (ruach) of Elohim is in my nose. (Job 27:3)

The Ruach of El has made me, and the Breath (neshemah) of the Almighty gives me life. (Job 33:4)

Ruach HaKodesh is the power of the Most High, as the messenger of YHVH stated in his promise to Miryam (Luk 1:35). That Ruach HaKodesh is nothing else but the power of YHVH is best seen by means of parallelism, as we read thus,

Ruach HaKodesh shall come upon you,

parallels to

the power of the Most High shall overshadow you.

The parallelism here between Ruach and the Power helps determine the meaning of Ruach HaKodesh. For more insight into the matter, refer to the series of articles The Oneness of the Creator.

We will pause here for a moment to return to this peculiar statement later.

The Will of the Creator YHVH

If one speaks, his words are not separate from him, but they are his expression of who he is and his will or desire. Thus said,

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with Elohim, and the Word was Elohim. He was in the beginning with Elohim. All came to be through Him, and without Him not even one came to be that came to be. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (Joh 1:1-5)

“From the condensation of the lights, were the vessels brought into being.”—Ancient Jewish mystical saying.

And Elohim said, “Light exist!” and light existed. (Gen 1:3)

Looking at verse 3, the command “Light exist!” represents the beginning of the universe. This command was introduced in the universe by the words וַיֹּאמֶר vayomer, “he said” and אֱלֹהִים Elohim. Rabbeinu Bahya on Genesis 1:3 explains what they mean,

The word vayomer in this instance is a description of “will”. We find it used in this sense in 1Sa 20:4 where Yonathan uses it to indicate that whatever David desires of him he would do. Alternately, the meaning of the word is “decreed”, as we find it in Job 22:28, “You will decree, and it will be fulfilled”.

The reason for this interpretation of the word וַיֹּאמֶר vayomer, “he said”, is that there was no one else to whom Elohim would say what He said. Hence, that was His Will (not a simple utterance) to start creating the universe with the command “Light exist!”

The Ever-existing One who created time preceded time, and He who is before time is eternal and supernal. The Word that was uttered in the beginning was the medium by which YHVH Elohim went forth in creation.

And in another place, it is said,

The Amen, the trustworthy and true witness, the beginning of the creation of Elohim. (Rev 3:14)

In the Book of Revelation, we find another verse that provides further evidence regarding the pre-existence of the Messiah, that is, before the foundation of the world was laid, he existed, as we read in Rev 13:8.

The apostle not without revelation from above made the statement: “the Word was with Elohim, and the Word was Elohim”, with which the Gospel of the Messiah begins. We notice that the accounts of Creation and of the gospel start with the same statement “In the beginning” but differ afterwards, as we will explain in the following,

Everyman’s Talmud—The Major Teachings of the Rabbinic Sages, page 347, by Abraham Cohen, explains Genesis 1,

Everyman’s Talmud—The Major Teachings of the Rabbinic Sages, page 347, by Abraham Cohen.

According to Pesikta Rabbati 152b, the sending of the Anointed (Hebrew, Mashiach) was part of the Creator’s plan at the origin of the universe, when King Messiah was born, as he entered the mind of YHVH Elohim before even the beginning was started. And indeed, the Messiah being the living Word of YHVH is the main theme in the Apostolic Writings.

By stating “the Word was with Elohim, and the Word was Elohim”, the apostle sustains what is obvious that the words YHVH speaks are not separate from Him, but they are expression of His will. In his own words, the Anointed from the beginning of the world made the same argument, saying,

Of myself I am unable to do any matter. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is righteous, because I do not seek my own will but the will of the Father who sent me. (Joh 5:30)

And in other place, the Messiah said, “This is the will of the Father who sent me” and “nevertheless not my will, but yours be done”. In other words, the Messiah is saying that the Will of his Father who had brought him forth into this world is absolute, and his (Messiah’s) role is to be the medium between his Father as the Creator and His creation. The Anointed of YHVH did not and could not have had his own agenda to fulfill as he was unable to do any matter but the Will of the One who had sent him in the Creation.

The apostle in a concise language expressed this phenomenon, saying,

… who (the Messiah) is the likeness of the invisible Elohim, the first-born of all creation.  Because in him were created all that are in the heavens and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or rulership or principalities or authorities: all things have been created through him and for him. (Col 1:15-16)

The Word of YHVH

The omnipotent Word דְּבַר Devar, of YHVH is His mighty command to the light to exist, “Light exist!” with which His Will began to materialize. And רוחַ פִּיו “the breath of His mouth”, that is His Ruach, is regarded as the creative power by which the Word is formed and the bearer of the Word, as we argued above. This relation between the Word and Ruach of YHVH is best seen by means of parallelism in Psalm 33, wherein the statement “Word of YHVH” couples with “Ruach of YHVH”,

By the Word of Yehovah the heavens were made, and all their force by the breath of His mouth, (Psa 33:6)

A. By the Word of YHVH

B. the heavens were made,

B. And all their force

A. by the breath (Ruach) of His mouth.

With that explained, we can read both accounts in Genesis 1 and John 1 as one, as they are indeed such,

In the beginning Elohim created the heavens and the earth. And there was the Will, and the Will was with Elohim, and the Will was Elohim. He was in the beginning with Elohim. And the earth became formless and empty, and darkness was on the face of the deep. And all came to be through the Will, and without the Will not even one came to be that came to be. And a wind of Elohim was moving on the face of the waters. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. And Elohim said, “Light exist!”, and light existed. (Gen 1:1-4 & Joh 1:1-5)

Thus “He” in John 1 is personification, that is to say, a person who represents the Word which is the Will of the Creator (see Psa 33:6, Col 1:15, Heb 11:3) through whom everything was created (see Joh 1:10, Heb 1:2, Eph 3:9, Col 1:15-20). This personification entered the mind of the Everlasting One before even the world was created, and thus King Messiah was born in the beginning of the creation of the world. Once born, the Messiah (Hebrew, Mashiach, “Anointed”) began to implement the blueprint of the universe in a manner consistent with the purpose and design of the Creator, that is to say, the Anointed began to enforce the Creator’s Will as a fixed and persistent purpose to create the world.

The name of Mashiach

His name exists forever, his name perpetuates as the sun. Bless be all in him; all nations call him happy. (Psa 72:17)

The School of Rabbi Yannai said regarding Psalm 72 above: His name is Yinnon, for it is written, his name shall endure forever: all the time the sun is, his name is Yinnon.

The name Yinnon is one of the names given by the Rabbis to the Messiah, and is derived from Psalm 72:17, where it is derived from the verb יִנֹּון Yinnon (the alternative spelling in WLC is יָנִין) which means “he resprouts”, figuratively, “he perpetuates, continues”, and occurs only here. In the same line of thought, the Talmud renders the verse thus, “Before the sun was, his name was”: a rendering which implies a belief in the pre-existence of at least the name of the Messiah, and perhaps of the Messiah himself.

And in indeed, if we read the verse in parallel the theme that the name of the Messiah perpetuates (Yinnon) is evident, 

His name exists forever,

parallels to

his name perpetuates (Yinnon) as the sun.

(Pesachim 54a:11) further confirms the teaching of the sages that the name of the Messiah already existed before the creation,

The name of Messiah was created before the world was created, as it is written in the chapter discussing the Messiah: “May his name endure forever; his name existed before the sun”. The name of Messiah already existed before the creation of the sun and the rest of the world.

The revealing Bible code in Job 33:4

The Rabbis gave the name Yinnon for the Anointed one of YHVH, but what is the name YHVH gave to His first-born son of the creation? The Bible code comes here to help. We will read in the Hebrew text of Job 33:4,

Note: Bible Codes are hidden messages uncovered by using Equidistant Letter Sequences (ELS) within the text. What is the purpose of the Bible Code? As a genuine banknote can be recognized by the water mark in it embedded by its creator, so the Bible Code serves as a “water mark” of ingenuity of the Creator’s Word. A second purpose is to give a hidden message or wisdom, as Psa 119 says, “Open my eyes, that I may see the hidden wonders in Your Torah” (see also Jer 33:3). Bible codes cannot and should not be used to predict the future, that would be fortunetelling, as they are not meant for this. Rather, the Bible codes reflect the fact that the Creator has embedded providential evidence of future events in the Hebrew text. 

רוּחַ־אֵל עָשָׂתְנִי וְנִשְׁמַת שַׁדַּי תְּחַיֵּנִי׃

The Ruach El has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life. 

Starting from letter yud in the last word in verse 4 תְּחַיֵּנִי “gives me life” and counting from left to right every fifth letter (in red) spells out Yeshua.

And starting from letter mem in the third word in the verse וְנִשְׁמַת “and the breath” and counting every second letter (in green) from right to left spells out Mashiach, “Anointed”.

And if this verse is read by the means of comparison, we find,

The Ruach of El (רֽוּחַ־אֵל) has made me,

parallels to

the breath of the Almighty (שַׁדַּי וְנִשְׁמַת) gives me life.

Ruach Elohim רֽוּחַ־אֵל is the creative power in Gen 1:1-2 and Neshemah Shaddai (of the Almighty) שַׁדַּי וְנִשְׁמַת is the life-giving power in Gen 2:7; united echad in YHVH (Deu 6:4), they are all of Elohim (Powers).

When we reflect on what we have written above, we will conclude with the foretold two comings of the Anointed of YHVH,

And the glory of YHVH was revealed, and the mankind saw it and will see it again, because the mouth of YHVH has spoken it (Isa 40:5). And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. (Joh 1:14)

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May we merit seeing the coming of our Mashiach speedily in our days!

Navah

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