Was the pre-incarnate Christ begotten at some point in time? Or is He God’s only begotten Son from all eternity? Are God and time co-eval or did God create time through His Son? What does inspiration say? Let’s do a study together.

“…FROM THE WOMB OF THE MORNING, You have the dew of Your youth (Psalm 110:3 NKJV)

Note: This Scripture is clearly about Christ. Note that He is from the womb of the morning. This is Hebrew poetry that suggests birth. Notice also that He is not a son “of the morning” like how Lucifer is (see Isa 14:12) but Christ is actually from the womb of the morning. That suggests priority of order with respect to the cherub. It means that Christ hails from the realm or mode of Divine existence before the morning itself. The Seputgiant (the Greek translation of the Old Testament Hebrew) renders the salient portion here as “ἐκ γαστρὸς πρὸ ἑωσφόρου ἐξεγέννησά σε” which is literally “out of the womb before the dawn bearer I begot you.” Brenton’s translation of Septugiant renders this as “I have begotten thee from the womb before the morning.”

This can be understood as Christ begotten prior to the universe itself, before the dawn of creation. In other words Christ cannot be reckoned by time. Notice also that it is from the womb of the morning that Christ has the dew of youth. This is a reference to Him possessing the power of immortal life. It is similar to what John 5:26 tells us. The fact that Christ has this type of life is why He is qualified to be a Melchizedek type priest.

Let’s look at another Scripture:

“Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, EVEN FROM EVERLASTING TO EVERLASTING, You are God (Psalm 90:2)

“There are light and glory in the truth that Christ was one with the Father before the foundation of the world was laid. This is the light shining in a dark place, making it resplendent with divine, original glory. THIS TRUTH, INFINITELY MYSTERIOUS IN ITSELF, explains other mysterious and otherwise unexplainable truths, WHILE IT IS ENSHRINED IN LIGHT, UNAPPROACHABLE AND INCOMPREHENSIBLE {RH April 5, 1906, par. 8}

“Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, EVEN FROM EVERLASTING TO EVERLASTING, thou art God.” “The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.” HERE THE PRE-EXISTENCE OF CHRIST and the purpose of his manifestation to our world ARE PRESENTED AS LIVING BEAMS OF LIGHT from the eternal throne. {RH April 5, 1906, par. 9}

Note: Sister White makes it clear that the oneness that Christ had with the Father (thus implying that He was God’s Son) before this world was is an “infinitely mysterious truth.” She says it is enshrined in light “unapproachable and incomprehensible.” That means that you and I will never be able to fully understand it. Thus when people give explanations that make it comprehensible they are wrong. As finite beings, created under time, we are dealing with something that is beyond our comprehension. Notice also that she applies Psalm 90:2 to Christ Himself. She says that the pre-existence of Christ is presented as living beams of light from the eternal throne.

Let’s keep moving forward with inspired evidence

“YHWH BEGOT ME, beginning [chief] of His way, BEFORE HIS WORKS FROM THEN. I WAS ESTABLISHED FROM EVERLASTING, from the first, from before an earth. When there were no depths, I WAS BIRTHED, when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills, I WAS BIRTHED…and I was beside Him, a master workman, and I was delighting day by day, rejoicing before Him always (Prov 8:22-25, 30 Author’s Translation)

Note: Here again we stand before an infinitely mysterious truth. There is clear birth language used for the pre-incarnate Christ but it is not framed within time. Everything that is placed in time is actually “from then” – meaning from the only begotten Son. There is literally no before Him.

Let’s keep reading the Bible:

“THY THRONE is ESTABLISHED OF OLD; THOU ART FROM EVERLASTING. (Psalm 93:2)

Note: There is also parallel language to Proverbs 8 here too. The part that the KJV renders as “of old” is “מֵאָ֑ז” which is the very same as what I translated as “from then” in Prov 8:22. And then of course “from everlasting” is “מֵ֭עוֹלָם” which is found in Prov 8:23. And remember Prov 8 is about the Son being established (or set up) from everlasting. Now let’s connect this with Hebrews 1.

“But UNTO THE SON He saith, THY THRONE, O GOD, IS FOREVER AND EVER: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. 9 Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. 10 And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: 11 They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; 12 And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail (Heb 1:8-12)

Note: Do you understand what is happening here? When did God establish the throne of His Son? When is He from? The answer is from everlasting! Everything is “from then” with respect to Christ.

“…yet out of thee [Bethelehem] shall He come forth unto Me that is to be ruler in Israel; “Whose GOINGS FORTH are from of old, FROM EVERLASTING (Micah 5:2)

Lit: The Hebrew of Micah 5:2 translates literally as “HIS ORIGINS ARE FROM BEFORE, FROM DAYS OF ETERNITY.”

Note: Here again we stand before a great mystery. The pre-incarnate Christ has origins yet it is not at a point of time but rather from “days [plural] of eternity.” What this means is that He too is rightfully called the Ancient of days. The servant of the Lord tells us:

“When Joseph and Mary brought Jesus to the temple, he was only an infant of a few weeks. BUT HE WAS ALSO THE ANCIENT OF DAYS, WHOSE GOINGS FORTH HAVE BEEN FROM OF OLD, EVEN FROM EVERLASTING. {15LtMs, Ms 104, 1900, par. 10}

Note: Did you catch it? He (Christ) was also the Ancient of days. This is because He is the One by whom God created days! You can no more measure the Son by days than you can the Father. There are parallels here to Prov 8 as well. The part that the KJV renders as “from of old” is “מִקֶּ֖דֶם” which is literally “from before.” In Prov 8:22 we read of Christ begotten “before” God’s works “from then.” The word translated as “before” is “קֶ֖דֶם” and then Micah 5:2 says “from everlasting” which is “עוֹלָם מִימֵי ” and that translates literally as “from days (plural) of eternity.” This is not a day (singular) but “days” (plural!). This is also connected to Proverbs 8 which speaks of Christ as set up from everlasting which is “מֵ֭עוֹלָם”

Let’s continue with more Bible evidence:

“And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you (Exodus 3:14)

“Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I AM. (John 8:58)

“I AM MEANS AN ETERNAL PRESENCE; the past, present, and future are alike with God… {PrT May 30, 1895, par. 1}

“…JESUS SAID UNTO THEM, Verily, verily, I say unto you, BEFORE ABRAHAM WAS, I AM. Then took they up stones to cast at Him; because of that saying.” {PrT May 30, 1895, par. 2}

“CHRIST WAS USING THE GREAT NAME OF GOD THAT WAS GIVEN TO MOSES TO EXPRESS THE IDEA OF THE ETERNAL PRESENCE. Isaiah also saw Christ, and his words are full of significance. He says, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” {PrT May 30, 1895, par. 3}

“Silence fell upon the vast assembly. THE NAME OF GOD, GIVEN TO MOSES TO EXPRESS THE IDEA OF THE ETERNAL PRESENCE, HAD BEEN CLAIMED AS HIS OWN BY THIS GALILEAN RABBI. He had announced Himself to be the self-existent One, He who had been promised to Israel, “whose GOINGS FORTH have been from of old, FROM THE DAYS OF ETERNITY” Micah 5:2, margin. {DA 469.5}

Let’s continue with inspired evidence:

“in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised BEFORE THE AGES BEGAN (Titus 1:2 ESV)

The Greek which is rendered as “before the ages began” by the ESV is “πρὸ χρόνων αἰωνίων.” It is also present in 2 Timothy 1:9.

“But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed BEFORE THE AGES [Gr:πρὸ τῶν αἰώνων] for our glory. (1 Cor 2:7 ESV)

“Now to Him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret FOR LONG AGES [χρόνοις αἰωνίοις] (Rom 16:25 ESV)

“and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden FOR AGES, [Gr: ἀπὸ τῶν αἰώνων] in God, who created all things (Eph 3:9 ESV)

“the mystery hidden FOR AGES AND GENERATIONS [Gr: ἀπὸ τῶν αἰώνων καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν γενεῶν] but now revealed to his saints (Col 1:26)

The Greek in Romans 16 says the secret was kept “in times of the ages.” The Greek preposition “apo” which is used in Eph 3:9 and Col 1:26 typically means “from” or “away from” thus the plan was a hidden mystery from the ages and generations [suggesting living beings]

A very unfortunate reality is that almost all SDA pro-trinitarians and SDA anti-trintiarians that I deal with fail to address the Greek of the New Testament. They seem closed minded to a literal translation and the full range of implications. Yet we wish to not be so closed minded.

SO WHERE DID THE AGES COME FROM?

The Bible gives us an answer:

“In these last days did speak to us in A SON, whom He appointed heir of all things, THROUGH WHOM ALSO HE DID MAKE THE AGES (Heb 1:2 YLT)

The BIBLE AND THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS lets us know that there were ages in heaven above before the entrance of sin.

“Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee IN THE DAY THAT THOU WAST CREATED 14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.

15 Thou wast perfect in thy ways FROM THE DAY THAT THOU WAST CREATED, till iniquity was found in thee (Ezek 28:13-15 KJV)

Remember Lucifer was a “son of the morning” (Isa 14:12). He was created on a certain day (singular) way back in the past but Christ was “from the womb of the morning” (Psalm 110:3). His origins transcend time and He encompasses all days (plural). In other words, Lucifer was the first being created under time but Christ was brought forth prior to the commencement of time and God made the ages through His Son (Heb 1:2)

“Sin originated with him, who, next to Christ, stood highest in the favor of God, and highest in power and glory among the inhabitants of Heaven. Before his fall, Lucifer was the covering cherub, holy and undefiled. The prophet of God declares, “Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.” [Ezekiel 28:15.] Peace and joy, in perfect submission to the will of Heaven, existed throughout the angelic host. Love to God was supreme, love for one another impartial. Such was the condition THAT EXISTED FOR AGES BEFORE THE ENTRANCE OF SIN {4SP 316.3}

“THERE WAS A TIME WHEN Satan was in harmony with God, and it was his joy to execute the divine commands. His heart was filled with love and joy in serving his Creator, until he began to think that his wisdom was not derived from God, but was inherent in himself, and that he was as worthy as was God to receive honor and power. {ST September 18, 1893, par. 1}

Note: There were ages (or time) before sin arose. And do we think that this time of ages was not created by God through Christ? Personally, I believe that God created the heavenly ages through His Son just as verily as He created the earthly ages through Him. I find this conception (of God creating time through His only begotten Son, and that Lucifer was created under time but Christ Himself was begotten prior to the commencement of time) very helpful in properly understand these quotes:

“In speaking of HIS PRE-EXISTENCE, CHRIST CARRIES THE MIND BACK THROUGH DATELESS AGES. He assures us that THERE NEVER WAS A TIME WHEN HE WAS NOT IN CLOSE FELLOWSHIP WITH THE ETERNAL GOD. He to whose voice the Jews were then listening had been with God as one brought up with Him. {ST August 29, 1900, par. 15}

“Here Christ shows them that, altho they might reckon His life to be less than fifty years, yet HIS DIVINE LIFE COULD NOT BE RECKONED BY HUMAN COMPUTATION. THE EXISTENCE OF CHRIST BEFORE HIS INCARNATION IS NOT MEASURED BY FIGURES. {ST May 3, 1899, par. 4}

It also helps us to understand the superlative that inspiration uses when speaking of the pre-incarnate Christ, namely, that He is “from all eternity.”

“FROM ALL ETERNITY CHRIST WAS UNITED WITH THE FATHER, and when He took upon Himself human nature, He was still one with God. He is the link that unites God with humanity… {ST August 2, 1905, par. 9}

“As soon as this ceremony was completed, the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples in rich currents, and CHRIST WAS INDEED GLORIFIED, EVEN WITH THE GLORY WHICH HE HAD WITH THE FATHER FROM ALL ETERNITY.{AA 38.3}

“Christ was God essentially, and in the highest sense. HE WAS WITH GOD FROM ALL ETERNITY, God over all, blessed forevermore {RH April 5, 1906, par. 6}

“The terms of this oneness between God and man in the great covenant of redemption were ARRANGED WITH CHRIST FROM ALL ETERNITY. {ST August 24, 1891, par. 10}

“Christ is declared in the Scriptures to be the Son of God. FROM ALL ETERNITY HE HAS SUSTAINED THIS RELATION TO JEHOVAH. Before the foundations of the world were laid, He, THE ONLY BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD, pledged Himself to become the Redeemer of the human race should men sin… {20LtMs, Ms 22, 1905, par.4}

I believe that everything is “from then” – that is from God’s only begotten Son. There is literally no moment of time before Him. There is no such thing as the ages before Him. Yet this does not make Christ unbegotten, no more so than it makes the plan of salvation undevised.

“All our thoughts and imaginations will not alter in the least any part of the plan of redemption DEVISED FROM ALL ETERNITY. {ST February 5, 1894, par. 6}

“The plan of salvation, that expresses the love, the benevolence of Jesus Christ toward man was DEVISED PRIOR TO THE COMMENCEMENT OF TIME. {7LtMs, Lt 27, 1892, par. 20}

What I believe we must accept is that there is an infinitely mysterious truth when it comes to Christ. It is something that we cannot fully comprehend. And what is more incomprehensible that the paradox of Christ as a Son begotten of God yet He is also from all eternity? No finite being, no created intelligence, can ever explain it. The only begotten Son from all eternity is a truth that belongs to the realm of infinity and that realm belongs to God and Christ alone.

“God will not accept the inventions of men who in their work enter THE INNER CIRCLE OF GOD, WHERE ONLY THE HOLY ONE, WHOSE FORM IS THAT OF THE SON OF GOD, HAS A RIGHT TO TREAD. {13LtMs, Ms 4a, 1898, par. 19}

“The King of the universe summoned the heavenly hosts before Him, that in their presence He might set forth the true position of His Son and show the relation He sustained to all created beings. The Son of God shared the Father’s throne, AND THE GLORY OF THE ETERNAL, SELF-EXISTENT ONE ENCIRCLED BOTH. {PP 36.2}

“BUT WHO THAT IS NOT INFINITE CAN UNDERSTAND THE INFINITE? Christ declares, “NO MAN KNOWETH THE FATHER BUT THE SON, and he to whomsoever the Son shall reveal him.” It is recorded of Epictetus that when his hearers said to him, “You have uttered many excellent things of God; but we cannot as yet understand what he is,” he truly and nobly replied, “Were I able fully to set forth God, I should either be a god myself, or God himself would cease to be what he is.” THE GREATNESS OF GOD CANNOT BE MEASURED OR COMPREHENDED. AND THAT DOCTRINE THAT DENIES THE ABSOLUTE GODHEAD OF JESUS CHRIST, DENIES ALSO THE GODHEAD OF THE FATHER; for no man knoweth the Son but the Father. {ST June 27, 1895, par. 3}

In my thinking, to place the begetting of the Son of God within time, in light of all that God has given us, especially through His servant Ellen White, is to remove the absolute Godhead of Jesus Christ. It is to take away the infinitely mysterious truth and place Him within the finite, created realm, instead of acknowledging Him for who and what He truly is – the only begotten Son from all eternity. I know that many are zealous to maintain His begotten nature (and this is right) but we should not do this by placing His begetting within time because this is making Him finite. In reality Christ is infinite as the only begotten Son of the infinite God. The ages were made by God through Him and thus the Son actually transcends all ages – whether heavenly or earthly – for time itself would not exist except that God created it through His Son.