Before the Universe Was...

 Many of us as children heard the famous lullaby, “Twinkle, twinkle, Little Star” written by Jane Taylor, an English poet, in 1806. The poem’s first stanza is: “Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are. Up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky.” The wonder of the cosmos is instilled at an early age.

The age of the universe is said to be around 13.8 billion years. While not totally incomprehensible, this fact is nevertheless hard to relate to because our average life span is less than one millionth of a percent of that figure.

Various theories and models are proposed by cosmologists to explain the origin of our universe and what preceded it as well, including Eternal Inflation, pocket universes, cyclical universe, trillion year cycles, chaotic inflation, the big bounce and the big crunch.

I actually know a little bit about what preceded the universe. Oh, not from the perspective of the physicist, but from a trustworthy source who was actually present. The Eternal God tells Job that He laid the foundations of the earth (Job 38:4). Concerning the universe, He challenges Job: “Where is the way to the dwelling of light? And darkness, where is its place, that you may take it to its territory, that you may know the paths to its home? Do you know it, because you were born then, or because the number of your days is great?” (vv. 19–21). “Can you bind the cluster of the Pleiades, or loose the belt of Orion? Can you bring out Mazzaroth (Constellations) in its season? Or can you guide the Great Bear with its cubs? Do you know the ordinances of the heavens?” (vv. 31–33).

Jesus Christ, in His prayer before the events of His crucifixion, said: “And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was” (John 17:5). He existed before anything was made. “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made” (John 1:3).

God created the universe (Ephesians 3:9) and “For by him all things (the universe) were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him” (Colossians 1:16–17). “You are worthy, O Lord,
 to receive glory and honor and power;
 for You created all things,
 and by Your will they exist and were created” (Revelation 4:11).

In Proverbs 8 there is a poetic statement by a personified Wisdom: “The Lord possessed me at the beginning of His way, before His works of old. I have been established from everlasting, from the beginning, before there was ever an earth. When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills, I was brought forth; while as yet He had not made the earth or the fields, or the primal dust of the world. When He prepared the heavens, I was there, when He drew a circle on the face of the deep, when He established the clouds above, when He strengthened the fountains of the deep, when He assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters would not transgress His command, when He marked out the foundations of the earth, then I was beside Him as a master craftsman; and I was daily His delight…” (vv. 22–30).

Before the universe was…God was. And He has a tremendous purpose. To learn more, order our free booklet, Your Ultimate Destiny.