FORMED,

neither shall there be after Me' (Isa. 43:10)? This cannot refer exclusively to the making of idols, for

millions of `gods' have been `formed' since Isaiah uttered these words. Israel were chosen to be `Jehovah's

witnesses', were called upon to know and believe and to understand `that I am He'. `I, even I, am the LORD; and

beside Me there is no Saviour' (Isa. 43:10,11). These words refer to the Son of God, Who in fulness of time was

literally and actually `formed'. The word translated `to form', the Hebrew word yatsar is used by Jeremiah of the

forming of a child in the womb (Jer. 1:5), even as in Isaiah 44:24. In the same chapter that contains the words `no

God formed', Israel is said to be `formed' (Isa. 43:1,7,21). These are the words with which the Holy Ghost teacheth

(1 Cor. 2:13). Idolatry is the usurpation of the prerogative of Christ, Who is the Image of the Invisible God (Isa.

44:10). Calvin looks upon the words `Before Me there was no God formed' as a kind of irony, but in the selfsame

chapters that reveal that `The Word' and `The Image of the Invisible God', is the Creator of heaven and earth we read

that, `in the BODY OF HIS FLESH' He wrought out our redemption (Col. 1:22), and in the next chapter we are assured

that `In Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead BODILY' (2:9).

It will, we trust, be evident that Creation is nowhere ascribed to `The Father' but is everywhere ascribed to Him,

Who being God, became Man; Who is declared to be the Only begotten Son; Who was God manifest in the flesh,

Jehovah, He that was, and is, and is to come, the Almighty, the same yesterday, and today, and forever. When the

moment comes, which is depicted in Revelation eleven, `The mystery of God' shall be finished.

With the advent of `The Son' of God, came the great revelation that the incomprehensible God was from now on

to be recognized as `Our Father'. First of all we set out the structure of John 1:1-18 and then turn our attention to the

concluding verse:

a THE WORD. In the beginning.

A 1:1.

b WITH. The Word was with God.

c GOD. The Word was God.

B 2. The same was in the beginning with God.

C 3. All things were made by Him (egeneto dia).

D 4,5. In Him light and life (en).

E 6-8.  JOHN. Witness (marturia).

F 9. True light cometh into the world

(erchomenon).

G 10,11. Received not (paralambano).

G 12,13. Received (lambano).

F 14. The Word made flesh dwelt among us

(eskenosen).

JOHN. Witness (martureo).

D 16. Out of His fulness (ek).

C 17. Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ (egeneto dia).

B 18. No man hath seen God at any time.

c GOD. God only begotten (The Word was God).

b BOSOM. The bosom of the Father (With God).

a DECLARED. He hath declared Him (The Word).

It will be observed that where verse 1 tells us `The Word was with God', verse 18 says He was in `the bosom of

the FATHER, He hath declared HIM' (i.e. the Father). If it could be demonstrated that no title of God used up to the

revelation of `The Father' proved that God was a Personal God, not merely a Creative Urge, or a Mathematical

Necessity, John 1:18 removes all possible doubt. He is, in Christ, to all that believe `The Father', spoken of in John's