Preface

Before these words are read, let understanding be established concerning the names by which God is spoken of.

El Ein Sof (אֵל אֵין־סוֹף) is not a name among names, nor is it a being apart from God. It is a title given to the Infinite, the One whose fullness cannot be measured, whose existence cannot be contained, and whose beginning cannot be found.

El Ein Sof is not a name that limits God, nor a boundary placed upon Him. It is a title given to acknowledge that which cannot be contained, the Infinite without measure, the One whose fullness surpasses all thought and whose being cannot be grasped by the mind of creation.

For the finite cannot measure the Infinite, nor can that which was made comprehend the One who made all things. To seek to understand El Ein Sof is first to understand that He cannot be fully understood. The moment creation believes it has contained Him, it has made an image smaller than the One who truly is.

Therefore, the name El Ein Sof is spoken as a title of the Infinite One: the God without limit, the God beyond all containment, the source from whom all existence proceeds.

Introduction

These are the words concerning the mystery that was before the beginning, before the heavens were stretched forth, before the earth was established, and before the first day was numbered.

For every book has a beginning, and every beginning has a source. Yet before all beginnings there was the One who has no beginning, the Eternal One who was before time and shall remain when all ages have passed away.

This scroll is written concerning the Name by which the Infinite One made Himself known.

Before the foundations of the heavens were laid, before the earth had a place among the works of creation, and before the first measure of time was appointed, there was the Infinite One, the God without limit, the One who cannot be contained by all that He has made.

For the fullness of God cannot be contained by creation, nor can the mind of any creature search out the depths of His being. He is before all things, and all things exist by His will. The heavens declare His glory, yet the heavens cannot contain Him. The ages reveal His works, yet the ages cannot measure Him.

Therefore this mystery was revealed: that the One who is beyond all things would make Himself known through His Name.

And the Name revealed is יהוה (YHWH).

Therefore this book speaks of the revelation of the Name: יהוה (YHWH).

Not as a separate being, nor as a lesser expression of God, but as the Name by which the Infinite makes Himself known. The image of the Invisible, the Word by which His will is carried forth, and the revelation through which creation may behold the One who cannot be contained.

This scroll does not speak of another beside God, nor of a power separated from the Eternal One. For the Source and the Revelation are one, the Hidden and the Revealed belong to the same Eternal Being, and all that exists proceeds from Him.

These words speak of the first revelation of the Infinite, the ordering of eternity, and the purpose by which creation was brought forth. They speak of the Name before the foundations of the world, the Word before the first utterance, and the Light before the first dawn.

Let those who read understand: this is not the account of the creation of God, for God was before all things. This is the account of the revelation of God, that which was made known before the beginning of creation.

For before there was a beginning, there was the Eternal.

And before there was a world to behold His glory, there was the Name by which His glory would be revealed.

Chapter 1 – The Origin of the Beginning

Before the beginning of beginnings, before time had stretched forth its measure, or the deep had conceived its depths, there was only El Ein Sof (אֵל אֵין־סוֹף), the Infinite One.

He alone was without measure, without boundary, and without end. In Him dwelt all that could be, and all that could never be; for there was no possibility that existed apart from His being, nor any mystery hidden beyond His understanding.

The Infinite beheld the fullness of all things within Himself. He saw every path that might be walked, every word that might be spoken, every heaven that might be stretched forth, and every earth that might be founded. And He desired to bring forth creation, that His glory might be revealed, and that the unseen might become manifest.

But before the heavens were spread abroad, before the stars were appointed their courses, before the deep was gathered into its place, El Ein Sof brought forth from His own essence an image of Himself, and He called His name יהוה, YHWH.

Not another beside Him, nor one divided from Him, but the perfect expression of His own being; begotten from the Infinite, that the Unsearchable might be made known, and that the One whom no creation could contain might walk among His works.

For the Infinite cannot be measured, nor can the boundless be grasped by that which is bounded; therefore El Ein Sof revealed Himself in YHWH, that angels might behold Him, and that in the fullness of time mankind might know the One who had fashioned them. 

And El Ein Sof looked upon YHWH, and the Infinite was pleased in His own revelation.

Then El Ein Sof spoke unto YHWH, saying,

“You are the revelation of My name.

You are the God through whom I will make Myself known.

Your throne shall endure forever, and your kingdom shall have no end.

I have called you YHWH, for you are My breath, and wherever I breathe, you shall be there.

You are My Word, and whatever I speak shall be spoken through you.

Through you the heavens shall be stretched out, the earth shall be established, and My presence made known unto all that I shall create.

None shall come to know the Infinite except through the One whom I have brought forth from Myself.”

And YHWH received the word of El Ein Sof, and the delight of the Infinite rested upon Him before the foundations of all things.

Then God spoke, saying,

“Let us establish the beginning, that all things may proceed according to Our wisdom, and let time be set in its appointed order, that every purpose shall come to its fulfillment according to Our will.”

And God ordered the steps of eternity.

He stretched forth the measure of time, appointing the beginning and the end, the first and the last, the ages were set in their courses, and the unfolding of all things was written before they had come to pass.

Thus through YHWH the Beginning was established.

For there was no beginning before Him, nor shall there be an end beyond Him. He is the first and the last, the source from which all things proceed and the fullness in which all things remain. Before time was counted, He was; and when all ages have reached their completion, He shall remain.

For before the Beginning there was only the Infinite, wherein neither first nor last could be spoken. Yet when YHWH came forth from the Eternal, the Beginning became known, and through Him all things received their appointed place.

Therefore YHWH is the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last, the measure by which all creation is ordered. Nothing that was made came into being apart from Him. Every dominion, every power, every throne, every living spirit, and every world yet unseen found their beginning through Him. Whatever has been, whatever now is, and whatever shall yet come to pass was ordered through YHWH, for all things were contained within Him according to the will of El Ein Sof.

And the Beginning stood before the Infinite, and the Infinite delighted in His Son; and all that would ever be rested yet unseen within them both.

Chapter 2 – The Meditation of God

Now God desired to bring forth beings after His own likeness, that they might know Him, delight in Him, and share in His goodness.

Yet God said within Himself,

“If they are but an extension of My will, neither departing from it nor choosing it, they shall not know Me, but only reflect Me. Their obedience shall bear no witness, and their love shall not be their own.”

For none is perfect but God alone, and there is none beside Him who possesses goodness as His own nature. Therefore the creations He would fashion could not be as the Creator, lest there be no distinction between the One who formed and the thing that was formed.

Neither did God delight in servants who obeyed only because they could do nothing else, nor did He desire worship born of necessity. For what honor is there in praise that cannot be withheld, or what joy is found in devotion that has no choice? Such service bears no witness of love, but only of power.

Therefore, in the perfection of His wisdom, God desired children rather than captives, and companions rather than those who served Him by constraint. For love that is commanded alone is not perfected, but love that is freely given reflects the goodness of Him from whom all goodness flows.

Thus God established the freedom of choice within every living spirit. He withheld it not, though He knew what would come to pass; for without choice there is no faithfulness, and without the power to depart there is no true loyalty.

Then God beheld the end from the beginning.

He foresaw the pride of angels, the rebellion of kingdoms, the corruption of mankind, the shedding of innocent blood, the sorrow of creation, and the groaning of every living thing. And the knowledge of these things grieved Him before the first star had been set in its place. 

Yet the counsel of God did not fail.

For He ordained that even rebellion should not escape His wisdom, but that He should turn the works of darkness to the revealing of His own glory.

For how shall justice be known where no wrong has been committed?

Or mercy be understood where no judgment is deserved?

How shall forgiveness be treasured where no transgression has been committed?

Or steadfast love be revealed where none have wandered?

Even as light is perceived by its triumph over darkness, so also the goodness of God is made manifest over all that opposes Him.

Thus He appointed that justice should answer rebellion, that mercy should answer repentance, and that truth should overcome every lie.

For had there been neither rebellion nor redemption, His holiness would have been declared, yet the fullness of His righteousness would not have been witnessed. His power would have been known, yet His longsuffering would have remained unseen. His sovereignty would have been confessed, yet His mercy would have remained untested by those who received it.

He determined that judgment should establish righteousness, that mercy should triumph over despair, and that every act of wickedness would, in its appointed time, bear witness to the greatness of His goodness.

For He did not ordain wickedness, neither was evil found in Him; yet He permitted the possibility thereof, that His creation might know Him in the fullness of His nature.

And God said,

“I shall not prevent this thing, but I shall bring good forth from it. That which is meant for rebellion shall become the witness of My righteousness, and that which is purposed for destruction shall declare My glory.”

These things God foreknew before the foundations of the heavens were laid.

For He prepared from the beginning a work that would turn rebellion into testimony, judgment into righteousness, and sorrow into glory. That which was meant to exalt itself against Him He ordained to become a witness unto His justice, and through the same He would reveal the depths of His mercy unto all creation.

Thus His justice would judge all unrighteousness without partiality.

His mercy would restore the repentant without measure.

His patience would endure the stubborn.

His faithfulness would remain though many should forsake Him.

And His love would overcome every work of darkness.

Thus before the first angel spread forth his wings, before the first heavens were stretched abroad, and before the first word of creation was spoken, the purpose of redemption was already established within the heart of God.

For nothing can arise that escapes His knowledge, nor can any purpose stand against His will.

And all things, from the beginning unto the end, were ordered according to His wisdom.

Thus the purpose of the Lord was established before creation itself had begun. 

 

Chapter 3 – The Manifestation of the Angel

Before the foundations of the earth were laid, before the heavens were stretched forth in their glory, and before the first spirit was called into being, the counsel of God stood complete.

God beheld all His works that were yet to come, and God saw that among all He would create there must be One unlike any other; One who could walk within creation, yet never cease to be one with the Infinite. For the Infinite cannot be contained, nor can the fullness of His glory be beheld by that which is finite. Yet, neither would He remain forever unseen by those whom He had purposed to fashion.

Then God said,

“My creation shall know Me, yet no created thing can contain My fullness. Therefore I shall reveal Myself according to My pleasure, that the Infinite may be known without ceasing to be Infinite.”

Therefore God purposed within Himself to reveal His presence through One who would perfectly bear His image and His Name.

And from His own eternal essence He brought forth the manifestation of His presence; not another God beside Himself, nor a being fashioned from that which had been made, but the perfect revelation of the Invisible, begotten of the Infinite before all creation; The eternal manifestation of His own will, proceeding from the Infinite without departing from the Infinite.

Then God spoke unto Him, saying,

“You are My beloved Son, the manifestation of My will, and the radiance of My glory.

I have called You YHWH, for My Name shall dwell in You forever.

I have begotten You from My own fullness. I have crowned You with My Name, and My glory shall rest upon You.

All authority proceeds through You, and I appoint You to the highest office among My creations.

I appoint You as Seraphiel, for this shall be the office which You shall bear before all My hosts. You shall be the Prince of the Seraphim, and the burning ones shall be called after your office. Yet this title shall not be Your name, for My Name alone shall rest upon You.

All who behold You shall behold Me, and all who hear Your voice shall hear My voice. My word shall proceed through Your mouth, My judgment through Your hand, and My presence shall dwell wherever You appear.

I establish You as King over all My works. No angel shall stand above You, no throne shall exceed Yours, and every authority that shall ever be established shall receive its measure from You.

For You bear My Name, and wherever My Name is revealed, there shall You be.”

Thus the One whom God had begotten before the ages stood revealed before all things.

Not as one created apart from God, but as the everlasting revelation of the Infinite, that the unsearchable God might be known by His creation. 

Then God bestowed freedom upon His Son.

For God withheld not even from Him the power to choose, that all righteousness might be fulfilled, and that willing obedience should be established forever.

And God looked upon all ages before they were, and He saw that His Son would never depart from His will, neither would He forsake His love.

He saw every trial, every temptation, every sorrow, every burden that His Son would bear. He saw the kingdoms that would rise and fall, the rebellion of angels, the corruption of men, the suffering of the righteous, and the cost of redemption yet to come.

Yet in all these things His Son did not turn aside.

Never did He depart from the will of His Father. Never did pride enter His heart, nor rebellion find a place within Him. From eternity unto eternity He remained steadfast, delighting only in the pleasure of the One who begot Him.

And God delighted in His Son.

Thus was the will of God established forever.

For when the Son, who is the Word, the Wisdom, and the Will of God made manifest, was given every freedom to choose, He remained steadfast throughout eternity, proving that perfect obedience is not born of compulsion, but of perfect love. 

Throughout all time, His heart remained perfect before the Father, and His obedience became the proof that perfect freedom and perfect righteousness are not contrary one to another.

Therefore the Son became the perfect witness of love freely given and obedience freely chosen.

This is the mystery of the Angel of the LORD

That the Infinite could make Himself known through that which could be seen.

Thus God performed the first great wonder before the worlds were made: that the Infinite should reveal Himself within the finite without diminishing His glory, and that He who cannot be contained should nevertheless walk among His own creation.

For the Angel of the LORD is the manifestation of the Son, and the Son is the image of the Invisible and the bearer of the Name above every name. Though He appears as an Angel among angels, His nature is not as theirs. Though He walks within creation, He is not separated from the Infinite. Though His form is beheld, His essence cannot be measured.

Therefore the Son was called Seraphiel, the Seraph of El, not as His eternal name, but according to his nature as the Angel of God.

For “Seraphiel” declares His heavenly ministry, the Burning One of God, the Prince and Chief of the Seraphim, the highest order of angels, yet His Name is YHWH, for the Name belongs not to the office but to the One whose presence He manifests.

The office declared His service.

The Name declared His identity.

Neither were they divided, for the office existed to glorify the Name, and the Name sanctified the office.

Throughout the ages He would appear many times among His creation, often concealing His glory beneath humble form.

Often His coming would not be announced.

Often those who looked upon Him knew not whom they had seen.

He announced not His own title, neither did He seek honor for Himself, but spoke only the words the Father gave Him.

Never did He reveal another name in place of the Name bestowed upon Him by the Father. 

Therefore many knew Him only as the Angel of the LORD, yet when He spoke, it was the voice of YHWH that they heard, for He sought no glory apart from the Father, neither did He proclaim His own office before men.

For this cause He became known among the heavenly host as the Angel of Silence.

Not because He lacked words, but because He never spoke from Himself. Whatever the Father willed, the Son declared; whatever the Father commanded, the Son accomplished. His voice was the Father’s voice, His works the Father’s works, and His glory the glory of the One who sent Him.

His silence was perfect obedience.

And all creation that beheld Him beheld the glory of the Father shining through the Son before the foundation of the world.

And this also became a testimony unto all creation.

For though the Father had crowned Him with all authority beneath Himself, the Son never sought authority for His own sake.

Though He was appointed King over every work of God’s hands, He never proclaimed His own greatness.

Though He bore the Name above every name bestowed upon creation, He never glorified Himself by it.

He sought not His own honor, neither did He gather worship unto Himself apart from the One who had sent Him.

Though the kingdoms of heaven were entrusted unto His hand, He desired no kingdom apart from the Father’s kingdom.

For pride seeks its own glory, but the Son sought only the glory of Him who sent Him.

Pride gathers honor unto itself, yet the Son returned every honor unto the Father.

Pride magnifies its own name, yet the Son spoke no name but YHWH.

Pride establishes its own authority, yet the Son exercised only the authority given unto Him.

Thus the greatest among all creation became the least in His own eyes.

Whatever authority He exercised, He declared to be the Father’s.

Whatever judgment He rendered, He rendered according to the Father’s will.

Whatever glory was shown through Him, He ascribed unto the Father alone.

Therefore His kingship became the highest expression of humility.

And this became a mystery hidden before the ages:

That the highest King was also the greatest servant.

That He who possessed all authority claimed none as His own.

For among the kingdoms of men, rulers ascend that they might be served, and they gather honor unto themselves. They establish their own names, enlarge their own dominion, and delight in the praises of those beneath them.

Yet in the Kingdom of God it is not so.

For the first King sought not to be served, but to serve.

He sought not His own honor, but the Father’s.

He sought not His own name, but the Name that had been given unto Him.

He was content to remain unseen, if only the Father should be revealed.

He was content to be forgotten, if only the Father’s Name should be remembered.

For such is the mystery of perfect love: it seeks not its own exaltation, but rejoices that another should be glorified.

And because He humbled Himself in all things, God delighted in Him before the foundation of the world.

Chapter 4 – The Creation of the Heavenly Host

 

Now God did not desire that His Angel should remain alone with Him, nor that the heavens should remain empty except for the presence of the Father and His Word.

For God desired to share the goodness of existence with others, that there might be beings who could behold His works, rejoice in His glory, receive His love, and return love unto Him according to their own will.

Therefore He purposed to bring forth other living beings who would dwell within the heavenly places: helpers and servants, messengers and warriors, ministers and governors, companions and subjects unto His kingdom.

And these would behold the glory of God and participate in His works according to the measure appointed unto each of them.

Thus the heavens would become a household, and the Angel of the LORD would not stand alone within creation, but would become firstborn among a great host of living spirits.

Yet before the heavenly host was brought forth, God knew the consequence of what He intended to give them.

For God knew that if His creatures possessed true will, then among the paths available unto them must necessarily exist the path of rebellion.

And God understood these possibilities before the first of them opened his eyes. 

Nevertheless, God did not withhold existence from them.

For God perceived that if He created only those beings who would always choose according to His desire, then there would be no true independence among the heavenly host.

They would be many in appearance, yet little more than reflections of a single will.

And in this they would not truly be distinct from the nature already manifested perfectly within His Angel.

For the Angel of the Lord proceeded from God as the image of His own will, bearing His name and perfectly desiring that which the Father desired.

But the heavenly host would be something different. 

They would be others.

They would possess thoughts that were truly theirs, desires that were truly theirs, and choices whose meaning arose from the fact that another choice could genuinely have been made.

Thus, in order that the angels might truly be distinct from the Son, they could not merely be reflections of His obedience.

They required independent wills.

And independence necessarily contained within itself the possibility of disagreement.

For had God created only those whom He knew would always choose according to His desire, then freedom would exist in word but not in truth.

What meaning would there be in saying, “Choose whom you shall serve,” if only those who would make the desired choice were permitted to exist?

And what meaning would loyalty possess if disloyalty were impossible?

Therefore God determined that no creature should be denied the gift of existence merely because it might use that existence to oppose Him.

He would not condemn a creature before it had acted.

Neither would He deny it life merely because He knew beforehand what it would freely choose.

For what freedom is granted only unto those who use it correctly?

What choice exists where every contrary choice has been removed beforehand?

Therefore God determined that even those who might rebel should not, for that reason alone, be denied the opportunity to exist and to choose.

He would permit His creatures to reveal what they desired to become.

The faithful would not remain faithful because faithlessness was impossible.

They would remain because, having wills of their own, they chose Him.

And their loyalty would therefore possess meaning.

Their worship would not be the inevitable echo of creatures incapable of withholding it.

Their obedience would be offered.

Their love would be chosen.

Thus God did not create rebellion.

Neither did He fashion wickedness within any angel.

Rebellion is not a thing that God placed within creation, but the departure of a created will from the will of its Creator.

And God saw that even rebellion could never overthrow His ultimate purpose.

For His dominion was absolute.

No multitude of angels could threaten His throne.

No rebellion could diminish His power.

For what army can threaten the One from whom its own existence proceeds?

What angel can overthrow the throne by whose power he continues to exist?

What creature can overcome the Creator?

The rebellion of heaven could wound creation, but it could never conquer God.

Therefore the Most High determined that even rebellion would ultimately be made servant to His purposes.

Through it His children would learn the consequence of departing from Him.

Through darkness they would comprehend the goodness of light.

Through deception they would learn the value of truth.

Through pride they would witness the beauty of humility.

Through judgment they would understand justice.

And through forgiveness they would come to understand mercy.

Even the rebellion of the wicked would eventually testify concerning the holiness of the One against whom they rebelled.

And those angels who remained faithful would no longer possess merely an untested innocence.

They would have looked upon rebellion and refused it.

They would have seen the path of pride and chosen humility.

They would have possessed the power to depart and nevertheless remained.

Thus their loyalty would become something freely given rather than something imposed by their nature.

And God saw that such faithfulness was precious.

Therefore He withheld neither freedom from the righteous nor existence from those who would abuse it.

For the same freedom by which one angel might say unto God, “I shall not serve,” was the freedom by which another might bow willingly and declare,

“I am Yours forever.”

And God judged that love freely given was greater than obedience made inevitable.

For He desired children rather than puppets,

servants rather than instruments,

companions rather than reflections,

and a heavenly host capable not merely of performing obedience,

but of choosing faithfulness.

Therefore God resolved within Himself:

“Let them exist.

Let the faithful demonstrate their faithfulness.

Let the proud reveal their pride.

Let the humble reveal their humility.

Let each creature possess the dignity of choosing what manner of being he shall become.

And whatever choice they make, I shall remain God.

Their obedience shall glorify My goodness.

Their rebellion shall testify to My justice.

Their repentance shall reveal My mercy.

And even their opposition shall ultimately be made to serve purposes greater than those who oppose Me can perceive.”

For nothing created shall overthrow the purpose of the Creator.

Having determined these things, God turned His attention toward the vastness before Him.

The heavens stood ready for inhabitants.

Offices waited to be filled.

Messages waited for messengers.

Kingdoms waited for governors.

Holy places waited for ministers.

Armies waited for commanders.

And the Angel of the LORD stood before His Father as the firstborn over the household that was about to arise.

And He said unto His Angel,

“Let Us fill the heavens with life.”

And the creation of the angels began.