In The Image of GOD

Few verses have been a foundation for as much misunderstanding of GOD's ways then has GENESIS 1:26; "And God said, Let us make man [mankind] in our image, after our likeness…" Isolating this passage from the rest of the Scriptures, Trinitarians have invented such fables one can hardly imagine. For starters, from the phrase "let us" they have surmised that GOD must be a group of "persons", manufacturing "one God" into three gods. Can they not suppose that "us" might refer to GOD and HIS angels? These new gods they named "God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost". The Holy Mother Mary, the "queen of heaven" and mother of God came later in their evolving doctrine.

But even beyond that, from this verse in Genesis they put forth the foolishness that "in our image, after our likeness" means that these "new gods" looked like humans. One wonders which humans they look like, for we are all of different colors, ages, sizes and shapes? Perhaps these "setters forth of strange gods" imagine that the Most Holy One, the GOD of all creation, just has the generic shape of a man? Of course artist usually picture "God the Father" as an old geezer with a long gray beard seated upon his ivory throne while "God the Son" is a very attractive clean shaven European looking man with long flowing hair and outstretched arms. Interestingly enough, the "person" of the Holy Ghost is rarely pictured. Howbeit, we do have an abundance of portrayals of the "mother of God". Often we see her standing in an upright bathtub in somebody's backyard surrounded by an array of carefully placed flowers.

Man is forever wanting an image to worship. Perhaps this is why GOD forbids the making of images. Still, in the modern Church we have a host of them. Let us take a few moments to more clearly examine the passages wherein this falsehood of man looking like GOD is suppose to have its foundation.

GENESIS 1:27 So God created man [mankind] in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

A casual reading of this verse would seem to indicate that both Adam and Eve were created to look like GOD. But if so, which parts of man and which parts of woman does GOD look like? And do not most of mankind’s features have a specific purpose and function, which a Deity would not need? GOD doesn’t need eyelids to moisten and protect HIS eyes. GOD doesn’t need shaped ears to funnel in sounds so HE can hear. HE doesn’t need legs to move HIM about. Does GOD have a naval, finger nails that need clipped, or sex organs? Just what kind of an image of GOD are we?

In endeavoring to understand Scripture, one is wise to look for themes that flow through its pages and not just accept some theology from what a verse or two might appear to indicate. Follow the theme and therein one can understand the Book. Let us therefore search through the holy pages to see how this concept of man being made in GOD's image is used elsewhere. Perhaps then we will be able to arrive at a more precise understanding of what GOD means when HE says that mankind was made in HIS image.

In the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Believers at Rome, he likens those who "changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man" as "vain" and "foolish" (ROMANS 1:21-23). This scripture admonishes as vain and foolish those who think that GOD resembles man. Paul's revelation reinforces our suspicion that something is not fully understood about being made in the image of GOD.

In Paul’s letter to the Colossians, he writes that He "who has delivered us from the power of darkness", Yeshua (Jesus), "is the image of the invisible God" (COLOSSIANS 1:13,15). If GOD is invisible, how can HE look like a human? Along with the writings of the Apostle Paul, the fourth Gospel records Yeshua as saying that GOD is a spirit (JOHN 4:24). A spirit does not have a form to image (LUKE 24:39). Being made in the image of GOD must obviously be something different than simply physical appearance.

The words of GOD must harmonize. HE cannot reveal HIMself as one thing to one of HIS servants and something contrary to another. If HE is an invisible spirit, then HIS image must be something other than a physical likeness. To re-examine just what is meant by the phrase "God created man in his own image", let us return again to GENESIS and take a broader look at the context of mankind being created in this image.

GENESIS 1:26-28 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

Notice what follows each of the two occurrences where it is written that mankind was made or created in GOD’s image. "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion…" Then, "So God created man in his own image…and said unto them…have dominion over…every living thing that moveth upon the earth". Is this repeated association between being made in "the image of God" and having "dominion" a coincidence? Are we not being told something about the image of GOD and HIS angels? Does not GOD exercise dominion over all creation and do not HIS angels exercise dominion over that which they have been assigned dominion over? "Let us make man in our image!"

Let us consider another usage in Scripture of this word "image". Like in GENESIS 1, this occurrence comes after the earth had been destroyed with a flood (GENESIS 1:2), and GOD was once again sending forth HIS people to populate it (GENESIS 1:28).

GENESIS 9:1-3, 6 And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered. Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things…Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.

See how man’s dominion is again repeated in these passages? "The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth." "Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you." "Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed." Then comes the reason, "for in the image of God made he man". Some people miss-read verse 6 telling us that man should not be killed because he is the image of GOD. However, the very next phrase states, "by man shall his blood be shed". It is saying that because man is in the image of GOD, only he has the authority to kill, to recompense due punishment to the evil doer.

The image of GOD that man was given was not the physical appearance of an invisible spiritual deity. Rather, mankind was imaging GOD and the angels in his hierarchal position. Mankind was given dominion over his small world as GOD had dominion over HIS larger world. Like in the United States, the State government is in the image of the Federal government. Both have Senates, both have a House of Representatives, both have Supreme Courts. The States dominion images the Federal, just on a smaller scale. This was the very way man was created in GOD's image!

Notice also that GENESIS 1:26 states "let us make [fashion] man in our image". It appears that man had already been created at this point! By verse 26, he is already something; now GOD is going to make him into something beyond what he was when first created. Otherwise, this verse would say something like, "let us make a creature in our image and call it man". No, man was already there in verse 26, probably being created in verse 24.

GENESIS 1:24-25 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature [nephesh, living being, that which breathes] after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.  And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

Man was made from the dust of the ground. So were cattle. So was everything that breathes, every nephesh. Man breathed and became a living soul. So did everything else that "creepeth upon the earth". But then, after that, GOD selected mankind to assume a role beyond that which the rest of the animal kingdom knew. Man would be made into the image of his Creator and HIS angels.

The word "image" is most often used in the Bible in the relation of making an idol to be worshipped as a god. Worshipping the image, one was declaring his subservience to its authority. The image of stone or wood wasn't necessarily the exact physical likeness of the god, but rather it served as a symbol of some higher power. Offering themselves as servants to the image, they hoped to receive certain blessings from the deity, like rain for their crops or victory in battle. So also, man being in the image of GOD, meant that GOD had delegated to man certain authority over some portion of HIS creation. Loosely speaking, man was made as an "idol", an "image" of the invisible Creator.

The first usage of "image" in the New Testament is in MATTHEW 22:20. Yeshua had asked to see some money, a coin, on which was the image of Caesar. "And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription?" The image on the coin wasn’t an exact likeness of Caesar, as the image only resembled him. It was not even a figurine but a small roundish flat coin. However, the coin was backed up by the "power and dominion" of Caesar. When Caesar gave his image to the coin, it was as if he was transferring the authority of his throne to the redeemable value of the coin. Seeing Caesar's image on the coin, gave its possessor a sense of authority when laying it down for some purchase. As such, when GOD made mankind in HIS image, HE transferred certain power of authority to man.

PSALM 8:4-6 What is man [mankind], that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:

GOD made man to have dominion "a little lower than the angels". Thus, in the beginning, Adam and Eve were both made in their image, GOD and HIS angels. But Paul later wrote to the Corinthians that only man was the image of God, while the woman was the glory of man. During most of the Biblical age, man exercised dominion over the woman (1 CORINTHIANS 11:7   EPHESIANS 5:24). They no longer shared the joint dominion they had in the Garden of Eden, but they were driven out of the Garden and afterward there was no doubt who had the dominion.

GENESIS 3:16  Unto the woman he [GOD] said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

Before Eve succumbed to the temptations of the Serpent, she must have had joint ruler-ship with Adam, for they were both, male and female, created in the image of GOD. But afterward, when they were escorted out of the Garden of Eden, she lost her equal position of authority with Adam. GOD didn't change her physical appearance but rather her position of authority. After they ate of the fruit from the forbidden tree, GOD left off speaking of the woman as being in HIS image. Not because she now looked differently than she did in the Garden, but because she had lost that dominion she once had shared with Adam. Never again in Scripture is the female spoken of as being in the image of GOD.

sanctity of life

Not understanding what being in the image of GOD entails, many have assumed that if mankind had the physical likeness of GOD, that would make him akin to GOD. They supposed, that if mankind is made in the physical likeness of GOD, then we must all be GOD's children, made in HIS image. This misconception has issued forth a caldron of erroneous teachings. Thinking that we are all GOD's children, created in HIS image, many are led to believe that there is something innately good or holy in all men. They imagine that somehow, the life of each human should be deemed precious and protected at all cost. They call it "the sanctity of life". They teach that war, poverty, disease, abortion and even the death penalty are affronts upon GOD HIMself, thinking mankind is made in HIS image.

Some go as far as to say that being made in GOD's image means that there is a part of GOD in each of us, that in a certain respect we are all little gods. Of course, they don't bother to read a thousand pages of Scripture that follow these verses, where GOD demonstrates how little HE esteems the worth of some men. Lets briefly cite what Isaiah wrote.

ISAIAH 40:17-18 All nations before him [GOD] are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity. To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?

We are reminded of Lot with his wife and two daughters being the only ones spared when GOD destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. We remember how only Noah and his small family of eight were saved by GOD from the great flood even as the rest of the entire human race were drowned. We think of how GOD instructed Joshua to kill every man, woman and child who dwelt in the land that had been promised to Israel (JOSHUA 6-9). And let us not forget that Yeshua Himself said of Judas Iscariot, that "good were it for that man if he had never been born" (MARK 14:21). One has to step around and ignore some pretty plain and oft repeated statements in Scripture to maintain this assumption that all life is somehow sacred and should be preserved at any cost.

Others falsely assume that being in GOD’s image would make us immortal like GOD. That when one dies he doesn't really die but instead goes directly into heaven to finish out eternity with GOD. They err, thinking we must all be godlike. But this is not the case. Mankind was only "in God’s image" in the nature of his dominion which he exercised over GOD’s creation. Otherwise, he is no different than the rest of GOD's creation, no more special, no less special except where GOD designates it to be so.

GOD could have given HIS image, HIS "glory and honor" to any other creature if he had wished to, and then they would have had the dominion over us. Instead HE chose man for this role, just as HE chose every other animal to play their own particular role. As is attested to by GOD in the book of JOB, HE gave each animal its level of ability as HE alone determined.

PSALM 32:9 Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.

GOD chose to deprive animals of wisdom and did not impart unto them understanding. HE made choice what each animal would be and what would be its characteristics. Some animal was going to be a docile cow. Some other animal was going to be a fearless lion. Another would be a cold blooded snake and slither on its belly while others would walk upright and be called humans. Mankind didn’t crawl out of some evolutionary swamp because he was superior to "mud puppies". Man, like all the other animals is driven by instincts. Only as GOD imparts to him some special understanding, does man then rise above the "animal kingdom". Remember, even Balaam’s ass could speak intelligently when GOD gave it the ability (NUMBERS 22:28).

We must conclude that there is nothing innately good about man. As a species, he is not a god, he is not immortal, he is no different then the beast of the field, except that GOD gave him dominion over them. If one will carefully place this one truth in its proper context, most of the value systems that modern society is built upon will come crashing down around him. Even as the wise preacher wrote, the genus of mankind is no more godlike then the beast of the field!

ECCLESIASTES 3:18-20 I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts. For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence [superiority] above a beast: for all is vanity. All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.

This is quite an astounding revelation, which many people flat handedly reject. We humans like to think of ourselves as somehow superior to the other animals of GOD’s creation. But according to ECCLESIASTES, we "have all the same breath", we have "no preeminence above a beast", we all go to one place, we all turn to dust again.

This is a very difficult concept for many to accept. They just can’t fathom that when they die, just like for all the other animals, that’s the end. The idea that one corrupts no differently than a dead dog along the side of the road is far from their comprehension.

Every culture has done something to hedge their bet so that they might live again. The Pharaohs built colossal Pyramids because their religious leaders promised them that this is how they would escape death and be carried into the "afterlife". Today, we deck our caskets with flowers and fill the lifeless bodies with red dye to hide the color of death, trying to paint a more pleasant picture of corruption. The minister holds up the Bible and declares that this poor soul lying before us is not really dead but is floating somewhere up there with Jesus. Think for just a moment. Where in all the Scriptures is there even one occasion where someone went to heaven while their body remained here on earth? If Yeshua couldn't ascend into heaven without His body (JOHN 20:17), I guarantee you that grandpa Jones isn't going to either. But all this graveside chatter is just that, for without the resurrection, man is not immortal, rather "he is like the beast that perish".

PSALM 49:7-20 None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him…That he should still live for ever, and not see corruption. For he seeth that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to others. Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names. Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not: he is like the beasts that perish…Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling. But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah. Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased; For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him…He shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see light. Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.

All men, when they die, simply corrupt. Whether rich or poor, famous or unknown, we shall all amount to the same thing someday, a small pile of dust. We are all "like the beasts that perish". Unless! Unless perchance we are redeemed; if we are called forth "from the power of the grave"; only then can we live again. If GOD chooses to rescue us from this corruption, only then can we see light again. Not because we were made in the image of GOD. Nor because a Priest performed one's last rites, nor because we were faithful Church goers, occasionally dropping a coin in the plate. Not even because we prayed and read the Bible. Only if we are redeemed, only if we are chosen, only if we are sealed. At the appointed time, in our predestined order, those who are chosen and called forth will be awakened from the grave.

There were many dead souls in Lazarus' day, but Yeshua called only one name to "come forth" from the tomb. So it will be in that day, only those whom He calls when He descends from heaven with the angels shout, will come forth (1 THESSALONIANS 4:16).

ISAIAH 26:19 Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.

"Awake and sing!" This is our hope. It is not the hope of animals, nor is it the hope of unbelievers. It is our hope. Those who are called. Those who have answered that call. Those who after believing what they heard, were sealed.

EPHESIANS 1:13-14 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

Howbeit, only if GOD redeems us from the power of the grave can we live again. As Job queried, "If a man die, shall he live again?" (JOB 14:14). Only if he is awakened (DANIEL 12:2  JOHN 5:28  ACTS 24:15). The world's way is the false way to resurrection. It proclaims that we are all immortal because we are all GOD's children, yet Paul affirmed that not all are GOD's children (ROMANS 9:8). Scripture exposes the world's broad way which leads unto destruction but it also reveals GOD's narrow way which leads unto life, unto HIS kingdom, unto our transformation.