The Plan of Elohim

Summary: Elohim has a plan to make humanity in His own likeness and image. For this purpose, He placed humans in the Garden of Eden to be processed through two trees: the Tree of Life, which symbolizes the Life of Christ, and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, which symbolizes the kind of “death” life ruled by the devil. Through a long process, humanity will ultimately become like Elohim in His likeness and image.

Call to Action: As believers, let us live the Life of Christ day by day so that we may grow to become like Him in His likeness and image.

Many Christians assume that when God created Adam and Eve and placed them in the Garden of Eden, they were already in His likeness and image. Then, when Adam and Eve fell into sin by disobeying God’s command not to eat from the tree of knowledge, God acted to save humanity by designing the redemption of Jesus on the cross. This view has been widely accepted in the Christian world for centuries.

The reasoning behind this view is that although God created Adam and Eve in His likeness and image, He gave them free will, allowing them to choose between the tree of life and the tree of knowledge. Free will has become the basis for why this perspective is so popular and accepted as truth among Christians.

This concept of free will also forms the basis of the doctrine of the fall of the devil, who is said to have originally been a good angel, Lucifer (the morning star). Because of his free will, he rebelled against God and became the evil devil. There is even a belief that he persuaded a third of the angels in heaven to join him in rebellion against God.

I will not immediately refute this view. Instead, by explaining the plan of Elohim from the beginning to the end, we may begin to see how unusual this perspective actually is.

Let us begin by looking at Genesis 1:26–28: “Then Elohim said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ So Elohim created man in His image; in the image of Elohim He created him; male and female He created them. Then Elohim blessed them, and Elohim said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion…’” (ILT).

There are several points that show that Genesis 1:26–28 is still a plan—namely, the Father’s plan to make humanity in His image and likeness and to give them dominion over all things—and that Adam and Eve were not yet in that full likeness.

First, verse 27 uses the Hebrew word ‘bara’ (create), which is not in the past tense (completed action), but carries a present progressive sense — ‘is creating’, an ongoing process.

Second, Adam and Eve were still in a state of innocence (neither sinful nor holy). They had not eaten from the tree of life, which symbolizes the divine life (the holy character of Elohim), yet they had also not sinned by eating from the tree of knowledge. Thus, they were in a neutral condition—neither holy nor sinful.

Third, Adam and Eve did not yet know good and evil, so they were not yet like Him. Only after eating from the tree of knowledge was it said that they became “like one of Us” (Gen. 3:22).

Fourth, Genesis 1:26–28 is still a plan because the Father intended humanity to multiply and subdue the earth, while Adam and Eve in Eden were still in process.

Therefore, Genesis 1:26–28 represents Elohim’s plan: to create humanity in His image and likeness, to fill the earth, and to exercise dominion over all things.

We now understand that this plan applies to all humanity. Elohim’s intention is that all people become like Him and exercise dominion. Even from Genesis 1:26 alone, when Elohim says, “Let Us make man…,” it implies all humanity—not just a portion. However, let us consider further points.

First, the Bible teaches the concept of ‘headship’. This means that when one man is designated as the head, all his descendants are included in him. If the head is righteous, all are counted as righteous; if the head is sinful, all are counted as sinful. This principle is seen in Romans 5:18–19. Just as Adam, the first man, came from the dust, so all his descendants are from the dust. Scripture says that through one trespass all men were condemned, so through one act of righteousness all men receive justification of life (Romans 5:18). Thus, based on this principle, all will ultimately receive justification. All people will become citizens of heaven, just as Jesus, the head of the second humanity, is from heaven. Therefore, it is reasonable to understand ‘man’ in Genesis 1:26–28 as all humanity.

Second, consider Hebrews 2:6–9. Verses 6–8 describe how Elohim crowned man with glory and honor, placing him over the works of His hands and subjecting all things under his feet. The passage clearly refers to all humanity. Yet we do not yet see all things subjected to humanity. However, verse 9 says: “But we see Jesus… crowned with glory and honor… that He might taste death for everyone” (ILT). The Greek word translated ‘everyone’ is ‘pas’, meaning all, the whole, every kind—referring to all races and nations. These verses affirm that Jesus died for all humanity, so that all will ultimately be crowned with glory and honor. Elohim fulfills His plan through a process: first the firstfruits, then all humanity. Thus, Elohim’s plan is for all humanity to become like Him and to have dominion over all things.

We have seen that Genesis 1:26–28 is a plan and that it applies to all humanity. Next, we must understand that Elohim is a God of process. God does not work instantly. His plans are fulfilled through a process, as stated in Isaiah 55:11: ‘His word will accomplish what He desires’.

So what process did God use with Adam and Eve? He placed them in the Garden of Eden to undergo that process. God Himself placed the two trees in the garden and commanded them not to eat from the tree of knowledge. He also placed the serpent there as an instrument to test humanity.

When Adam and Eve disobeyed, was this outside God’s plan? According to Romans 8:20, creation was subjected to futility not by its own will, but by the will of Him who subjected it. This shows that Adam’s fall was not outside God’s plan. God designed it so that creation would experience futility. He had already prepared the sacrifice of the cross before the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8).

Nothing took God by surprise. He did not react suddenly to Adam’s fall. Everything happens according to His will—even a sparrow does not fall apart from the Father (Matthew 10:29). “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things…” (Romans 11:36).

Many Christians struggle to accept that Adam’s fall is part of God’s process. Why? Because of the belief in free will. They believe humans—and even the devil—have independent free will. I conclude this section by stating: if any creature truly has absolute free will, then God’s sovereignty would be limited. God cannot create a being whose will is beyond His control, for that would mean He ceases to be fully sovereign.

Previously we saw that Adam’s fall is part of God’s process. Now, let us examine the serpent in Eden. Genesis 3:1 states: “Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field…” The serpent spoke and tempted Eve. After being cursed, it was said to eat dust all its life. Clearly, this is not an ordinary physical snake.

This serpent is the same as the “dragon” in Revelation 12:9 and 20:2. The book of Revelation uses symbolic language. The dragon is called the “ancient serpent” (archaios), meaning original or from the beginning. Thus, this dragon is the same serpent in Genesis—and this serpent or dragon is the devil, or Satan.

Then, Genesis 3:1 affirms that the serpent was MADE BY GOD, meaning that God Himself created the devil. Therefore, the serpent or the devil was not a being who was originally good and then, by his own free will, made himself evil. Both John 8:44 and 1 John 3:8 affirm that the devil has been sinning, a liar, and a murderer from the beginning—not that he was once good and later became evil by his own free will.

Theologians often quote Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 to prove that the devil was originally a good angel named Lucifer, who then became proud, fell, and turned into the devil. This interpretation is a serious violation of the principle of context, because the context of Isaiah 14 is the king of Babylon, while the context of Ezekiel 28 is the king of Tyre. On what authority do these theologians take verses out of context and apply them to the devil? If we arbitrarily pick verses out of context, perhaps I too could create a story about the devil that is even more dramatic than those of these great theologians…

However, I understand that the motive behind these “theologians’ tales” is an attempt to absolve God of responsibility for the existence of evil, sin, disease, calamity, and disasters in this world. They believe that God, who is love, could not possibly create suffering and catastrophe in the universe. We need not concern ourselves with what these theologians say—whoever they are—because Amos 3:6 says, “…Does disaster come to a city unless the LORD has done it?” Likewise, Isaiah 45:6–7 says, “…I am the LORD, and there is no other; I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create calamity; I, the LORD, do all these things.”

Have we seen this important principle—that all things are from Him, through Him, and to Him? If we grasp this principle, then we can easily understand the process God uses to make humans in His image and likeness.

Before continuing, let us briefly review what we have discussed. First, Genesis 1:26–28 is still the Father’s plan to make humanity in His image and likeness and to give them dominion over all things. Second, this plan includes all humanity. Third, the Father began this process by placing humans in the Garden of Eden, providing two trees, and also the serpent to test them. In the previous writing, we discussed that the serpent is the devil created by God as His instrument in the process of shaping humans into His likeness. Now, we will discuss a bit more about the serpent or the devil, because many Christians wonder how a loving Father could create such a cruel and wicked being.

I will attempt to explain this by looking at nature, because Jesus often used nature to explain His teachings. For example, He said, “consider the birds of the air,” and “consider the lilies.” Paul also said that nature itself teaches that it is disgraceful for a man to have long hair. Thus, the physical universe was not created carelessly or randomly. It was designed in such a way that it can illustrate spiritual realities.

Let us consider the experiment conducted by Isaac Newton (1642–1727). Using a prism, Newton demonstrated that sunlight can be broken down into a spectrum of colors, from red to violet. If we apply this natural phenomenon to the idea of a loving Father who created the devil, the analogy would be something like this: the Father, who is love, is like sunlight. Yet this light of love is refracted into forgiveness, provision, goodness, and so on. But it does not stop there—there is also discipline, correction, even wrath, and so on. The devil was created as an instrument to carry out this wrath. Throughout the Bible, there are examples of how God uses the devil to execute discipline or judgment upon individuals. Saul, David, and Job are good examples, though we will not explore them further here.

Thus, the serpent or the devil was created as God’s instrument in the process of shaping humanity into His image and likeness. I must again address the concept of free will, which many believe to be true, even though the Bible does not support it. This concept greatly disturbs people’s understanding and even their knowledge of God Himself. Let us look at Acts 17:28: “For in Him we live and move and have our being, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’” Paul said this to unbelievers in Athens while preaching the gospel. Yet he clearly stated that ‘we live, move, and exist’ IN HIM. He is the One who causes us to live, move, and exist. Once again, ‘we’ here refers not only to believers, but to ALL HUMANITY. And Paul says that every human being is God’s offspring (Greek: ‘genos’, meaning generation or origin). Not only humans come from Him—even the devil comes from Him and was created with a purpose.

Therefore, there is no free will. People live, move, and make decisions entirely under God’s control. Nothing exists outside His control—even the devil can only act if God permits it. This should be clear, and in the next writing we will discuss the two trees placed in the Garden of Eden as part of God’s process.

There is still one more matter to address before discussing the two trees: creation itself. If someone believes in the doctrine of ‘creatio ex nihilo’, it will be difficult to understand this theme. Unfortunately, this doctrine has been widely accepted and taught in theological schools and is believed by almost all Christians as truth. According to L. Berkhof (author of Systematic Theology, widely used in seminaries, especially among Evangelicals), Augustine (354–430), recognized as a Church Father, strongly supported this doctrine.

This doctrine asserts that creation comes from nothing into something. Let us examine Romans 4:17: “…calls into existence the things that do not exist.” The Greek word translated ‘calls’ is ‘kaleo’, which appears 148 times in the New Testament and is never translated as ‘create’. It means to call, name, invite, or summon. Therefore, Romans 4:17 does not support ‘creatio ex nihilo’. In fact, it speaks about Abraham’s faith in a living God who can call or move things—even mountains—from one place to another.

However, Hebrews 11:3 does speak about creation: “By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was made from what is not visible.” The word ‘formed’ comes from the Greek ‘katartizo’, meaning to create, prepare, or arrange. Thus, creation is making something visible from something invisible. What is visible is the universe; what is invisible is God. Therefore, creation is the visible coming from the invisible God. Romans 11:36 affirms: “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things…”.

Creation does not come from ‘nothing’, but from the invisible God. It is as if God Himself is the “substance,” and everything originates from Him. This is not pantheism, which fails to distinguish between Creator and creation. Rather, creation EXISTS IN HIM. God does not dwell in the universe; the universe dwells in Him. Everything exists in Him. That is why the Bible says not a single bird falls outside the Father’s will. Everything is within His will and under His control. Therefore, THERE IS NO FREE WILL. The concept of free will comes from philosophers who nearly deny God as Creator.

What, then, is the connection between God’s plan and creation? Because everything exists in Him, moves because of Him, and lives because of Him, His plan must succeed. It is impossible for God to cast away His creation into eternal hell. The doctrine of eternal hell also comes from Augustine…

If I make a chair, that chair exists OUTSIDE of me. If I no longer like it, I can throw it away. But God’s creation is not like that. The heavenly Father loves His creation deeply because it exists within Him. It is impossible that God would create humans and then, because of their rebellion through so-called free will, cast them into eternal hell. That is a foolish tale of theologians—yet sadly believed by most Christians.

Let us stop here for now… may we discard the concept of ‘creatio ex nihilo’ so that we can more easily receive the truth of God’s plan.

Now we turn to the two trees in the Garden of Eden as God’s method of shaping humanity. The Bible often likens humans to trees, especially in the Psalms. For example, Psalm 1:1–3 describes a person who delights in the law of the Lord as a tree planted by streams of water. Likewise, Psalm 148:9 calls fruit trees and cedars to praise the Lord—clearly referring to people.

In the Garden of Eden there were two trees: the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and the tree of life. Genesis 2:17 says, “but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat… for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” The Hebrew phrase for ‘surely die’ is ‘mut tamut’. This cannot be translated simply as ‘die’. It implies a double sense: ‘dying, you shall die’. This means that the moment Adam ate the fruit, he immediately entered into a state of death—a kind of life that leads to physical death. ‘The wages of sin is death’ (Romans 6:23). Many Christians think this refers only to physical death, but it does not. Death here refers to a kind of life dominated by the devil (Hebrews 2:14), which eventually results in physical death. Thus, Adam’s sin brought a life dominated by death, which ultimately led to physical death—930 years later.

Therefore, the tree of knowledge represents a life of death under the control of the devil. Adam and Eve became like that tree—living according to their knowledge of good and evil.

What, then, does the tree of life represent? Jesus said in John 6:51, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven… whoever eats of this bread will live forever.” The word ‘life’ here is ‘zoe’, the kind of life that God Himself has. Thus, the tree of life represents the life of God—‘zoe’. Whoever partakes of this tree becomes a ‘zoe-human’, living out this divine life daily. And through this ‘zoe’ life, one can truly know God (John 17:3).

If that is the case, did Adam need to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in order to become in His likeness and image? The answer is yes—Adam needed to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge, because by eating it he became like “…one of Us…” (Genesis 3:22). This expression, “one of Us,” indicates that Adam also needed to eat the fruit of the tree of life in order to become in His likeness and image. When Jesus came, He gave ‘zoe’ life to those who believe (John 10:10). Therefore, Adam needed to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge and also the fruit of the tree of life in order to become in His likeness and image.

This is the process the Father carries out in humanity so that they may become in His likeness and image—by eating from both trees in the Garden of Eden. The next writing will explain why humanity must eat from the tree of knowledge and the tree of life.

Now we will discuss why humanity needs to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in order to be processed into the likeness and image of Elohim. First, because this is the will of the Father. Romans 8:20 affirms that “…the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope” (ILT). If so, why did God forbid Adam and Eve to eat from the tree of knowledge, while He Himself designed Adam’s fall? The Father’s purpose in all this is that Adam and all his descendants might experience the kind of life of death symbolized by the tree of knowledge. This kind of life of death stands in contrast to the life that Jesus would give to every believer (John 10:10). This life of death is under the dominion of the devil (Hebrews 2:14). Adam and all his descendants needed to experience the bitterness of living a life of death under the dominion of the devil in order to know the sweetness of the life (zoe) given by Jesus, which is symbolized by the tree of life.

A person cannot know sweetness without first knowing bitterness. One cannot understand happiness without experiencing suffering. In fact, happiness cannot truly be called happiness without its opposite—suffering. That is why God created something as the counterpart to Life (the tree of life), namely the tree of knowledge. Therefore, the Father’s purpose in designing Adam’s fall was so that Adam and all his descendants, through that fall, might come to know Life, and in turn become in His likeness and image.

Second, humanity that is in His likeness and image is humanity that possesses authority and is able to subdue all things, as God commanded (Genesis 1:28). The Hebrew term translated ‘subdue’ is ‘kabash’, meaning ‘to tread down’. This implies that there is an enemy to be trampled. Romans 16:20 states, “…crush Satan under your feet…”. How can humanity subdue and trample the devil if they do not know and experience the life of death in which the devil has authority? Humanity must first live under the life of death ruled by the devil, and then overcome it (trample it) through the authority of the life of Christ. Thus the Word of God is fulfilled: Life swallows up death, and light dispels darkness.

Third, humanity in His likeness and image is humanity that understands and experiences the freedom of the glory of the sons of Elohim (Romans 8:21). Indeed, this is the Father’s plan: to place humanity under futility and under the bondage of the devil. Humanity eats from the tree of knowledge and becomes enslaved to the devil, but then Jesus comes to set humanity free, so that humanity may become in the likeness and image of Elohim.

This is the process humanity must go through by eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge in order to become in the likeness and image of Elohim. We have also emphasized that humanity must eat from both trees in the Garden of Eden. The next writing will explain how humanity can eat the fruit of the tree of life.

We have discussed why humanity needs to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in order to be processed into the likeness and image of Elohim. Now we will explain why humanity must also eat the fruit of the tree of life to be processed into His likeness and image. But first, we will briefly discuss the meaning of being in His likeness and image.

Genesis 1:26 states, “…Let Us make man in Our image (TSELEM) and according to Our likeness (DEMUTH)…”. The Hebrew term TSELEM, translated ‘image’, means ‘representative figure’, that is, ‘to represent’. Humanity as the image of Elohim means that humanity represents God on this earth. Meanwhile, DEMUTH, translated ‘likeness’, refers to the resemblance between two things. When paired with TSELEM, DEMUTH carries an important theological meaning: humanity (male and female), as DEMUTH, shares with Elohim in ruling over creation and in multiplication. Just as Elohim creates, so humanity can also “create” in the sense of multiplying or producing offspring. This is what it means to be in His likeness and image: to represent God on earth and to multiply.

We have understood that the two trees in the Garden of Eden symbolize two kinds of life. The tree of knowledge represents the life of death under the dominion of the devil, while the tree of life represents the life of ‘zoe’. This ‘zoe’ is in His Son; whoever has the Son has life. Jesus clearly said, “I am the Life (zoe)…”. For humanity to become in His likeness and image, they must possess the same kind of life that Elohim has—‘zoe’. In fact, humanity cannot truly know Him unless they live the same kind of life as He does. John 17:3 says, “And this is eternal life (zoe), that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (ILT). Therefore, humanity must eat the fruit of the tree of life in order to know Him and become in His likeness and image.

What we must always remember is that Jesus Himself is the ‘zoe’ (Life), and He is the One symbolized by the tree of life in the Garden of Eden. However, this life could not be given by Jesus unless He died. Jesus said, “…unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much fruit” (John 12:24). The death of Jesus was planned by the Father even before the foundation of the world—“…the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Young’s Literal). Jesus came into the world to give Life (John 10:10).

How can all humanity eat the fruit of the tree of life? This is what we will now discuss. We know that the tree of life in the Garden of Eden symbolizes Jesus Christ, the Son of Elohim, in whom is ‘zoe’. We also know that Jesus had to die, rise again, and sit at the right hand of the Father in order to give His Life. I Corinthians 15:45 says, “…the last Adam became a life-giving Spirit” (ILT). John 10:10 also affirms, “…I have come that they may have life (zoe), and have it abundantly.” “Having it abundantly” does not speak of material abundance at all, but of the growth of ‘zoe’. The life given by Jesus to believers is initially a “seed” that must grow to maturity. That is why Jesus, as the life-giving Spirit, continually imparts His Life so that it may grow within believers and reach its fullness. This is what it means to “have life (zoe) abundantly.”

This life enables believers to know Elohim and to become in His likeness and image. Jesus as the Son of Man is the perfect human in His likeness and image. As a man, Jesus died and tasted death for all humanity (Hebrews 2:9). As the One in His likeness and image, He experienced death and overcame it through His resurrection. But we, as His chosen people, are still undergoing the process of becoming in His likeness and image. We are being shaped so that His Life overcomes “death” within us. We are still in the process of overcoming death. Even our physical bodies will surely die (Romans 8:10). But in due time, we will overcome death, receive a new body like Jesus, and be revealed to all creation. This is the moment when the sons of Elohim are manifested (Romans 8:19).

For what purpose will the sons of Elohim—those who are already in His likeness and image—be revealed to all creation? Romans 8:19–21 answers: “For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of Elohim… because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of Elohim” (ILT). This clearly affirms that the revealed sons of Elohim will liberate all creation from the bondage of corruption. Those who have first become in His likeness and image will bring freedom to all humanity, so that all may become in His likeness and image. Thus the plan of Elohim is fulfilled: “…Let Us make man (all humanity) in Our image and likeness…” (Genesis 1:26).

In the end, all humanity will eat the fruit of the tree of life. Jesus said that whoever eats Him will have Life within (John 6:53–54). He also said in John 12:32, “I will draw all people to Myself.” However, in this present age, Jesus does not draw everyone yet. In this age, He draws only His chosen people who will be revealed to all creation, as written in Romans 8:19–21. But ultimately, all people will come to Jesus and eat the fruit of the tree of life, becoming in His likeness and image. Hallelujah.