where the ages are said to be prepared by Him.

There is an obvious parallel between the first verse of Genesis and

that of John but there is also an important distinction to be observed.

In Genesis it is an act done, whereas in John it is a Being existing.

Genesis speaks of the first moment of time, while John goes back to a

period before the ages.  In the seventeenth chapter we have two

references to this period `before the age times'.

`And now, O Father, glorify Thou Me with Thine own self with the

glory which I had with Thee before the world was' (17:5).

We can therefore read `In the beginning (before the world was) was

the Word'. The second passage in the seventeenth chapter reads:

`Thou lovest Me before the foundation (overthrow, katabole) of the

world' (17:24). This refers to a period before Genesis 1:2, and so is

not parallel with the first verse of John. The relation seems therefore

to be:

Primarily, originally, before the ages, before the world was, was

the Word (John).

`In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth' (Gen.).

Subsequent revelation teaches us that He Who is called Elohim or

God in Genesis is called Ho Logos or God in John, and all things

without exception were made by Him.

It is a mistake to regard `Wisdom' in Proverbs 8, and the Logos in

John as though they were identical. In John the Logos is the Creator,

whereas in Proverbs, the Creator is said to have possessed wisdom `in

the beginning of His way'. So long as we remember this important

difference Proverbs 8:22-36 will reveal a great deal as to the character

of the Creator, the Logos, Who by His wisdom made all things.

When one speaks in one's mother-tongue, there are always present

in the back of the mind, certain other meanings besides the one

primarily intended. For example, when we use the words `right' and

`righteousness,' there is at the back of the mind the idea of a `right'

line or `plumb' line, something absolute, incapable of deflection. In

the same way, when we use the word `wrong' we have a dim

consciousness of the idea of `wringing' or `twisting' away from the

`right'. Similarly a Greek, or anyone thoroughly acquainted with the