ADAM 23

In his second epistle to the same Church, the apostle resumes the theme, and we give below the two references to

`the image' in this second letter:

`But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from

glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord' (2 Cor. 3:18).

`In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious

gospel of Christ, Who is the image of God, should shine unto them' (2 Cor. 4:4).

How many know and preach this gospel? How many realize that the announcement that `Christ is the image of

God' is the `gospel of the glory of Christ', and the subject of Satan's attacks from the beginning? Before the world

was, the Lord Jesus Christ had this `glory' (John 17:5), and it was the subject of Satanic opposition, as we learn

from Ezekiel 28. It was `shadowed forth' in the creation of man, and attacked by the Serpent in the garden of Eden

(Gen. 3). It was `veiled' by the god of this age, as explained in 2 Corinthians 3 and 4, and is the goal towards which

the purpose of the ages is directed. The central section of Romans (5:12 to 8:39) opens with Adam, a failing figure

of Him that was to come, and closes with the goal of God's great purpose: `for whom He did foreknow, He also did

predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son' (Rom. 8:29).

The climax of revelation in connection with `the Image' is found in Colossians:

`His dear Son ... Who is the Image of the Invisible God' (Col. 1:13-15).

`When Christ, Who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory ... and have put on the

new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the Image of Him that created him' (Col. 3:4,10).

Here, both in Colossians 1 and 3, the `image' is connected with creation. Moreover, Colossians 1:16 makes it

clear that the Son was the Creator in Genesis 1:26, and that Adam foreshadowed in some way yet to be considered,

`Him that was to come', `the last Adam'.

Returning to Genesis 1:26, we must now consider the added clause `after our likeness' (demuth). The LXX

Version translates this by kath homoiosin, which we may compare with the apostle's use of the word when speaking

to the Athenians in Acts 17:

`Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like (homoios) unto

gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device' (29).

Isaiah also challenges us with the question:

`To whom then will ye liken (damah, see demuth above) God?' (Isa. 40:18).

And Ethan says:

`Who in the heaven can be compared unto the LORD? who among the sons of the mighty can be likened (damah)

unto the LORD?' (Psa. 89:6).

Nevertheless it is true that man was made after the likeness of God, and in James 3, we read, concerning the

`Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude

(homoiosis) of God' (9).

The prophet Hosea uses the word damah when speaking of the way in which God had condescended to use

figures of speech:

`I have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the ministry of the prophets' (Hos. 12:10).

During His public ministry, the Lord Himself used many similitudes, for example:

`The kingdom of heaven is like (homoios) unto treasure' (Matt. 13:44).

`Unto what is the kingdom of God like?' (Luke 13:18).

`Whereunto shall I liken this generation?' (Matt. 11:16).