What does “man was
created in God’s image” mean?
It means that man is similar to God. Using more precise
words, the potential for this similarity exists in man.
We know man has two dimensions of development: physical
and spiritual dimension. We believe God has no body, but He has an
impressive spiritual dimension, whose power is expressed
in the creation of the universe and its development. Yet
we too have a
spiritual
dimension, a dimension in continual development, by
which we were created in God’s own image. We will
recognize this similarity more and more as we delve into
this website content.
This divine declaration’s logic and truth
If we examine humanity since man’s appearance in nature,
we could point to some typical phenomena:
As of his first appearance, man mentally develops and
creatively advances in an unconscious fashion towards
progress, as though propelled by some cause. Will this
progress ever stop? What will be in a hundred years, in
a thousand years? Barring possible causes such as
natural or man-made disasters and bringing the known
developmental system of man in account, the answer will
be negative.
Moreover: his development will accelerate, as we already
witness today. If we draw a curve representing man’s
development up until now, and continue it, we will
recognize that at some time in the infinite, if we will
exist, we will grow close to God’s ability. Therefore,
this declaration by God that man was created in God’s
own image is logical and probably also
true.
Yes, this is the way God created man, and this is how He expects us to
develop and fulfill man's
divine
role. Therefore man was created to succeed, and there is
no goal he cannot achieve in due time. Almost every past
fantasy has been realized and, to the same degree, it
can be supposed that in the future, today’s fantasies
will also come true.
How big is the divine empire
Up until a thousand years ago, it was customary to think
that the entire universe consists of the Earth and that
the sun, stars and moon are day and night lights which
light up the earth. Today we know the universe contains
hundreds of millions of galaxies and that in each galaxy
are hundred of billions of visible and invisible stars –
and this is probably not the last word. In layman’s
terms it can be said, that the number of stars is
approximately equal to the number of grains of sand on
all Earth’s beaches.
We also know that the sun is a star
and that Earth is one of the planets encircling this
star. We also know that Earth is the solar system's only
planet containing life, and this life’s complexity is a
world in itself.
Is it not a probable supposition, that some of the
planets surrounding one of these stars will be found to
have life, more or less developed? That the being which
rules it, will be more or less similar to man and that
each such planet is also an entire world in itself? I
believe such a supposition has a basis.
Imagine now the scale of this divine empire, run
precisely and automatically from the moment of its
creation, and imagine how powerful the intelligence
which created and developed this infinite universe must
be.
Within this infinite creation, God positioned us
as similar to Him. As his deputies, so to say. Can
anyone imagine the meaning of having an ability similar
to God’s? What values and potentials a human being must
posses to be this way? It is logical to suppose that in
order to posses it, God must have instilled within us
all the necessary means. My claim is that it is indeed
so.
Similarly to Columbus, who in setting out on his voyage
of discovering America had to postulate the existence of
earth to the west.
We have to suppose that the truth
about man exists someplace. On the assumption that his
truth exists in the divine declaration that man was
created in God’s own image and not in the
opinions we have of ourselves, we must agree that our
values are far more exalted than we tend to
believe.
