By Douglas Hamp
God made Adam in his image and likeness but what is that image? God is an infinite being and has many communicable and non-communicable characteristics such as creativity, vision, passion, ability to love, mercy. Could the Image of God actually include what He looks like? The verses interpreted literally will surprise you!
THE IMAGE OF GOD
Douglas Hamp
Ezekiel’s Vision of GodAnd above the firmament over their heads was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like a sapphire stone; on the likeness of the throne was a likeness [k'mareh כְּמַרְאֵ֥ה] with the appearance of a man [adam אָדָ֛ם] high above it.
- Also from the appearance of His waist and upward I saw, as it were, the color of amber [electricity] with the appearance of fire all around within it; and from the appearance of His waist and downward I saw, as it were, the appearance of fire with brightness all around …This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. (Ezekiel 1:26-28).
God Radiating Fire and Electricity
- I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple, (Isaiah 6:1).
- I watched till thrones were put in place, and the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, its wheels a burning fire, (Daniel 7:9).
One like the Son of Man
- One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. His head and hair were white like wool [like Daniel 7:9], as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a
sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. (Revelation 1:12-18).
- So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable… It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body, (I Corinthians 15:42-44).
- As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven, (I Corinthians 15:45-49).
- Who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself, (Philippians 3:21).
- As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness [t’munah]. (Psalms 17:15)
- I speak with him face to face, Even plainly, and not in dark sayings; And he sees the form [t’munah] of the LORD…”
(Numbers12:8)
- I speak with him face to face, Even plainly, and not in dark sayings; And he sees the form [t’munah] of the LORD…”
Partakers of the divine nature
- by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. (2 Peter 1:4 ESV)
- “when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is,” (1 John 3:2).
- “He [Jesus] is the image [eicon εικον (icon)] of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation,” (Colossians 1:15 NET).
- “and have been clothed with the new man that is being renewed in knowledge according to the image [eicon εικον] of the one who created it,” (Colossians 3:10 NET).
- “and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light [phos φως].” (Matt 17:2)
- Then the righteous will shine forth [eklampo ἐκλάμπω] as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear! (Matthew 13:43)
- Those who are wise shall shine [LXX: eklampo ἐκλάμπω] Like the brightness of the firmament, And those who turn many to righteousness Like the stars forever and ever. (Daniel 12:3)
- “it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright [λαμπρον] and pure – for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.” (Revelation 19:8 ESV)
- Thus let all Your enemies perish, O LORD! But let those who love Him be like the sun when it comes out in full strength (Judges 5:31).
- But the path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day (Proverbs 4:18).
- The light of the righteous rejoices, But the lamp of the wicked will be put out. (Proverbs 13:9)
- Whoever curses his father or his mother, His lamp will be put out in deep darkness. (Proverbs 20:20)
- For there will be no prospect for the evil man; The lamp of the wicked will be put out. (Proverbs 24:20)
Supported by Ancient Jewish Interpretation
- The Midrash Rabbah (Rabbinic literature from the first or second century AD) of Genesis 3:21 reads, “AND THE LORD GOD MADE FOR ADAM AND HIS WIFE GARMENTS OF SKIN [‘or עֹור], AND CLOTHED THEM (III, 21). In R. Meir’s Torah it was found written, ‘Garments of light (or)’ this refers to Adam’s garments, which were like a torch, broad at the bottom and narrow at the top.”
- DNA Emits light
confirmed independently of the previous finding by Italian nuclear physicists L. Colli, [et al] in 1955 who “by chance discovered a ‘bioluminescence’ of seedlings,”.[1]
School of Medicine at Kanazawa University, in Kanazawa, Japan:
“All organic life absorbs, emits, and processes light. Biophoton emission or spontaneous ultraweak light emission has been observed from almost all living organisms” intensities ranging from 10-19 to 10-16 W/cm2[2]
Moses’ Shining Face
Now it was so, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai […] that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone [פָּנָ֖יו עֹ֥ור קָרַ֛ן] while he talked with Him. So when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him… (Exodus 34:29-30, 33).
Destroyed From the Lord’s Presence
- the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from [by virtue of] the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9)
- He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. (Revelation 14:10)
- For Tophet [was] established of old, Yes, for the king [c.f. Isa 14:5, Ezekiel 28:12] it is prepared. He has made [it] deep and large; Its pyre [is] fire with much wood; The breath of the LORD, like a stream of brimstone, Kindles it. (Isaiah 30:33)
- “And they have built the high places of Tophet, which [is] in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire…(Jeremiah 7:31)
- Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, (1 Corinthians 3:12) each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. (1 Corinthians 3:13) If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. (1 Corinthians 3:14) If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. (1 Corinthians 3:15)
[1] Fritz-Albert Popp Institut retrieved Feb 9, 2011 from: http://www.biophotonik.de/biophotonik_geschichte.php.
[2] T. Amano 1, M. Kobayashi 2, B. Devaraj 2, M. Usa 2 and H. Inaba 2, 3 (1) Department of Urology, School of Medicine, Kanazawa University, 920 Kanazawa, Japan. http://nourishedmagazine.com.au/blog/articles/the-secrets-of-light-cancer-and-the-sun.
