As Christians, we believe that God is eternal—He has no beginning and no end. Before the universe was formed, before time itself began, God already was. This truth is foundational to our faith, showing us that God is not bound by time or space. His eternal nature reveals His sovereignty, power, and unchanging presence. Below are reflections with supporting Bible verses from the New Living Translation that speak of God’s existence before time began.
Also Read: Bible Verses About Preparing to Meet God
God’s Eternal Nature
One of the clearest declarations of God’s preexistence is His eternal nature. The Bible repeatedly emphasizes that God has always been and always will be. He exists outside of the constraints of time, and His eternal presence is a comfort to all who trust in Him. These verses underscore the truth that God has no beginning or end—He is everlasting.
Psalm 90:2
“Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the earth and the world, from beginning to end, you are God.”
Isaiah 40:28
“Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding.”
1 Timothy 1:17
“All honor and glory to God forever and ever! He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; he alone is God. Amen.”
Romans 1:20
“For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.”
Revelation 1:8
“I am the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end,” says the Lord God. “I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come—the Almighty One.”
God as the Creator Before Time
God existed before creation, and by His will, everything came into being. The Bible affirms that all things were made through Him, and nothing existed before Him. His role as the Creator reflects His power and preexistence, showing that He brought time, space, and matter into existence by His command.
Genesis 1:1
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
John 1:1-3
“In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him.”
Hebrews 11:3
“By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.”
Nehemiah 9:6
“You alone are the Lord. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all the stars. You made the earth and the seas and everything in them. You preserve them all, and the angels of heaven worship you.”
Colossians 1:16
“For through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see—such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him.”
Jesus’ Preexistence with the Father
Jesus, the Son of God, existed with the Father before time began. The New Testament testifies to Jesus’ divine nature and eternal existence. He was not a created being but was with God in the beginning, participating in creation and glorified before the foundation of the world.
John 17:5
“Now, Father, bring me into the glory we shared before the world began.”
John 8:58
“Jesus answered, ‘I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I Am!'”
Colossians 1:17
“He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together.”
Hebrews 1:2
“And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe.”
Philippians 2:6
“Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.”
God’s Timeless Wisdom
God’s wisdom is not limited by time or circumstance. His plans were in place before time began. The Scriptures reveal that God’s wisdom, purpose, and grace were established long before creation, showing His supreme knowledge and forethought over all things past, present, and future.
1 Corinthians 2:7
“No, the wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God—his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began.”
Ephesians 1:4
“Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.”
2 Timothy 1:9
“For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus.”
Titus 1:2
“This truth gives them confidence that they have eternal life, which God—who does not lie—promised them before the world began.”
Romans 16:25
“Now all glory to God, who is able to make you strong, just as my Good News says. This message about Jesus Christ has revealed his plan for you Gentiles, a plan kept secret from the beginning of time.”
God’s Sovereignty Over Time
God is not confined by time—He rules over it. All of human history is within His control, and He moves according to His perfect will. These verses highlight God’s dominion over time and affirm that He uses it according to His purposes, never limited by it.
Ecclesiastes 3:11
“Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.”
Isaiah 46:10
“Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish.”
Daniel 2:21
“He controls the course of world events; he removes kings and sets up other kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the scholars.”
2 Peter 3:8
“But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day.”
Revelation 22:13
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”
Also Read: Bible Verses About Being Real With God
God’s Unchanging Nature Through Time
Unlike everything in the created world, God does not change. His eternal nature means He remains the same throughout all time. This constancy is a source of assurance for believers, as we can trust in His promises and character eternally. His immutability is foundational to His faithfulness.
Malachi 3:6
“I am the Lord, and I do not change. That is why you descendants of Jacob are not already destroyed.”
James 1:17
“Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.”
Hebrews 13:8
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
Numbers 23:19
“God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?”
Psalm 102:27
“But you are always the same; you will live forever.”
God’s Eternal Promise of Life
God’s promise of eternal life was established before time began. In His infinite wisdom and love, He planned salvation through Jesus Christ from the very beginning. These verses show that God’s plan for redemption and eternal fellowship with Him is not an afterthought—it was always His purpose.
John 3:16
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”
1 John 2:25
“And in this fellowship we enjoy the eternal life he promised us.”
2 Thessalonians 2:13
“As for us, we can’t help but thank God for you, dear brothers and sisters loved by the Lord. We are always thankful that God chose you to be among the first to experience salvation—a salvation that came through the Spirit who makes you holy and through your belief in the truth.”
1 Peter 1:20
“God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but now in these last days he has been revealed for your sake.”
John 17:3
“And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.”
God’s Glory Before Creation
Even before the foundations of the world, God possessed glory, majesty, and holiness. The Bible reveals that the glory of God is eternal, not dependent on creation but part of His divine essence. Jesus spoke of the glory He shared with the Father before the world existed, emphasizing God’s preexistence and majesty. These verses highlight the splendor and holiness of God that existed from everlasting to everlasting.
John 17:24
“Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began.”
Psalm 104:1-2
“Let all that I am praise the Lord. O Lord my God, how great you are! You are robed with honor and majesty. You are dressed in a robe of light. You stretch out the starry curtain of the heavens.”
Isaiah 6:3
“They were calling out to each other, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!'”
Exodus 33:18-19
“Moses responded, ‘Then show me your glorious presence.’ The Lord replied, ‘I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will call out my name, Yahweh, before you. For I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose.'”
Revelation 4:11
“You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased.”