Unveiling Precreation: Exploring "Non-Time" Before God's Creation

1. The Story-Line of Christian Precreation RhetorolectLESSON 1: HEBREW BIBLE AS A RESOURCE FOR “NON-TIME” BEFORE GOD’S CREATION OF THE WORLD Precreation discourse concerns “non-time,” the eternity before “time” came into existence. “Time” came into being when God created the world through “beginnings.” In the language of precreation discourse, no one except God is able to see “non-time.” In other words, everything is “invisible” in “non-time.” • Click to continue explanation of precreation discourse.

2. Precreation Discourse cont. (1) Precreation discourse creates “images” of non-time in the mind, with the result that it makes “invisible” things visible in the minds of humans. An important part of this “imaging” is the creation of “sequences of events” that create “time.” In precreation discourse, God brings “visible things” out of “the invisible” through processes that are the “beginnings” of “time.” Click to read questions with which precreation discourse begins.

3. Precreation Discourse cont. (2) Wisdom discourse, which is the topic of a different set of lessons, is based on “visible things,” things that people can see with their eyes in the world. Precreation discourse, in contrast, “thinks” its way into “invisible things,” things that no person can see except by “seeing them in the mind.” Click to read questions with which precreation discourse begins.

4. Precreation Discourse cont. (3) As a result of its focus on invisible things, precreation discourse begins with “questions” rather than answers. Precreation discourse begins with questions about the nature of “wisdom”: What is “knowing” (“wisdom”) that it can “see” things that cannot be seen with the eyes? Where did this “knowing” come from? As precreation discourse continues, it gives “answers” to the questions it raises about wisdom. Click to read questions with which precreation discourse begins.

5. Precreation Discourse cont. (4) Here are some of the questions with which precreation discourse begins: (1) What is wisdom? (2) Where did wisdom come from? (3) How can we know what “truly” is wisdom? (4) Since God is the most early “being,” did wisdom come from God? If so, how? (5) What can we “see through wisdom” about the innermost nature of God, which is “hidden” (“invisible”) from our eyes? Click to read further explanation of precreation discourse.

6. Precreation Discourse cont. (5) The major emotion associated with precreation discourse is “joy.” This emotion brings forth language about “happiness,” “exulting,” “singing,” “shouting for joy,” “rejoicing,” “delighting in” and “being delighted.” In precreation discourse, God’s goal for humans is happiness and joy, and the knowledge humans attain about God causes them to be delighted with God. Click to read about Christian precreation rhetorolect.

7. Christian Precreation Rhetorolect Christian precreation rhetorolect “envisions” Christ as present with God in an “invisible” form before God created the world. Christian precreation rhetorolect uses the following terms to speak about Christ in his invisible form : (1) He is wisdom (can be “thought”); (2) He is image or reflection (can be “seen” in “thought”); (3) He is glory (can be “seen” as bright light); (4) He is light (“lights up” our minds); (5) He is spirit, wind, breath (can be “felt” as “movement” or can be “heard” as wind or breath); (6) He is word (can be “heard” with our ears). Click to read about this particular lesson.

8. Precreation Discourse:Content of Lesson 1 This lesson focuses entirely on precreation discourse in the Hebrew Bible, which functions as a resource for Christian precreation rhetorolect. Lesson 2 will focus on precreation discourse in Sirach and Wisdom of Solomon (writings in the Old Testament Apocrypha). Lesson 3 will focus of God’s creation of visible things out of invisible things in 2 Enoch (a writing in the Old Testament Pseudepigrapha). Lessons 4 and following will focus on Christian precreation rhetorolect. Click to read about precreation discourse in the Hebrew Bible.

9. Hebrew Bible Resource In the Hebrew Bible, the book of Job presents questions by Job, and questions by God to Job, that inquire deeply into the nature and source of wisdom. The questions by Job and by God move the discussion into precreation discourse. • Click to read questions by Job in Job 27 that move the discussion into precreation discourse.

10. Hebrew Bible Resource: JOB ASKS ABOUT THE NATURE OF WISDOM Job 27:1 Job again took up his parable, and said, … 28:20 “Where then does wisdom come from? Where is the place of understanding? 28:21 Seeing it is hidden from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the birds of the sky. 28:22 Destruction and Death say, ‘We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.’ • Click to continue with Job’s statement.

11. Hebrew Bible Resource: JOB ASKS ABOUT THE NATURE OF WISDOM cont. Job 27:23 God understands the way to it, and he knows its place. 27:24 Forhe looks to the ends of the earth, and sees under the whole sky. 27:25 He establishes the force of the wind. Yes, he measures out the waters by measure. 27:26 When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder; 27:27 then he saw it, and declared it. He established it, yes, and searched it out.” … • Click to read questions by God to Job in Job 38.

12. Hebrew Bible Resource: GOD ASKS JOB ABOUT THE NATURE OF WISDOM Job 38:1 Then Adonai answered Job out of the whirlwind, 38:2 “Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge? 38:3 Brace yourself like a man, for I will question you, then you answer me! 38:4 Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if you have understanding. 38:5 Who determined its measures, if you know?Or who stretched the line on it? • Click to continue with God’s questions to Job.

13. Hebrew Bible Resource: GOD ASKS JOB ABOUT THE NATURE OF WISDOM cont. (1) Job 38:6 Whereupon were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone, 38:7 when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy? 38:8 Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it broke forth from the womb, 38:9 when I made clouds its garment, and wrapped it in thick darkness, 38:10 marked out for it my bound, set bars and doors, 38:11 and said, ‘Here you may come, but no further. Here your proud waves shall be stayed?’ … • Click to continue with God’s questions to Job.

14. Hebrew Bible Resource: GOD ASKS JOB ABOUT THE NATURE OF WISDOM cont. (2) Job 38:17Have the gates of death been revealed to you? Or have you seen the gates of the shadow of death? 38:18 Have you comprehended the earth in its breadth? Declare, if you know it all. 38:19 What is the way to the dwelling of light? As for darkness, where is its place, 38:20 that you should take it to its bound, that you should discern the paths to its house? 38:21 Surely you know, for you were born then, and the number of your days is great! … • Click to continue with God’s questions to Job.

15. Hebrew Bible Resource: GOD ASKS JOB ABOUT THE NATURE OF WISDOM cont. (3) Job 38:24 By what way is the lightning distributed, or the east wind scattered on the earth? … 38:33Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you establish its dominion over the earth? … 38:36 Who has put wisdom in the inward parts? Or who has given understanding to the mind? 38:37 Who can number the clouds by wisdom? Or who can pour out the bottles of the sky? … 39:26 Is it by your wisdom that the hawk soars, and stretches her wings toward the south? 27: Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up, and makes his nest on high?” • Click to read about the answer to these questions in Proverbs.

16. Hebrew Bible Resource In the Hebrew Bible, the book of Proverbs presents an answer to the questions that arose in biblical tradition about the nature of wisdom. The answer comes in the form of a “story” about God’s creation of Wisdom and how she served as a helper to God when God created the world. Click to read the story of Wisdom in Proverbs.

17. Hebrew Bible Resource: GOD CREATED WISDOM BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF THE EARTH Proverbs 3:19 By wisdom Adonai founded the earth. By understanding, he established the heavens. 3:20 By his knowledge, the depths were broken up, and the skies drop down the dew. Proverbs 8:1 Doesn’t wisdom cry out? Doesn’t understanding raise her voice? … 8:22 “Adonai possessed me [wisdom] in the beginning of his work, before his deeds of old. 8:23 I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, before the earth existed. • Click to continue the story of Wisdom in Proverbs 8.

18. Hebrew Bible Resource: GOD CREATED WISDOM BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF THE EARTH cont. (1) Proverbs 8:24 When there were no depths, I was brought forth, when there were no springs abounding with water. 8:25 Before the mountains were settled in place, before the hills, I was brought forth; 8:26 while as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the beginning of the dust of the world. 8:27 When he established the heavens, I was there; when he set a circle on the surface of the deep, • Click to continue the story of Wisdom in Proverbs 8.

19. Hebrew Bible Resource: GOD CREATED WISDOM BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF THE EARTH cont. (2) Proverbs 8:28 when he established the clouds above, when the springs of the deep became strong, 8:29 when he gave to the sea its boundary, that the waters should not violate his commandment, when he marked out the foundations of the earth; 8:30 then I was the craftsman by his side. I was a delight day by day, always rejoicing before him, 8:31 Rejoicing in his whole world. My delight was with the sons of men. • Click to continue the story of Wisdom in Proverbs 8.

20. Hebrew Bible Resource: GOD CREATED WISDOM BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF THE EARTH cont. (3) Proverbs 8:32 Now therefore, my sons, listen to me, for blessed are those who keep my ways. 8:33 Hear instruction, and be wise. Don’t refuse it. 8:34 Blessed is the man who hears me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at my door posts. 8:35 For whoever finds me, finds life, and will obtain favor from Adonai. 8:36 But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul. All those who hate me love death.” • Click for a summary.

21. Good Work! In this lesson you have learned that: Precreation discourse talks about “non-time,” when all things were invisible, by creating images of the invisible in the “eye of the mind.” • Precreation discourse begins with questions about the nature of “wisdom,” which is the agency that creates images of the invisible in the mind. • In the Hebrew Bible, the book of Job presents questions by Job, and questions by God to Job, that inquire deeply into the nature and source of wisdom. • The questions by Job and by God move the discussion into precreation discourse. • Click to continue the summary.

22. Summary cont. • In the Hebrew Bible, the book of Proverbs presents an answer to the questions that arose in biblical tradition about the nature of wisdom. • The answer comes in the form of a “story” about God’s creation of Wisdom and how she served as a helper to God when God created the world. • In precreation discourse, God’s goal for humans is happiness and joy, and the knowledge humans attain about God causes them to be delighted with God. • Click to continue.

23. Excellent! We will see in future lessons that Christian precreation rhetorolect “envisions” Christ as present with God in an “invisible” form before God created the world. Christian precreation rhetorolect refers to “invisible” Christ in the following terms: • (1) He is wisdom (can be “thought”); • (2) He is image or reflection (can be “seen” in “thought”); • (3) He is glory (can be “seen” as bright light); • (4) He is light (“lights up” our minds); • (5) He is spirit, wind, breath (can be “felt” as “movement” or can be “heard” as wind or breath); • (6) He is word (can be “heard” with our ears). • Click to continue.

24. Congratulations!!!! THIS WAS THE FIRST LESSON on the Christian Precreation Story-Line. You are now ready for Lesson 2 on Wisdom in Sirach and the Wisdom of Solomon in the Old Testament Apocrypha. Wonderful job!