God is a Family: The Mystery
Revealed in Christ, the Church, and Creation
1. Every family takes its
name from the Father
The apostle Paul writes in Ephesians
3:14-15:
“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ,
from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named.”
Here it is
revealed that every family, both in heaven and on earth, derives its
existence from the Father. The Greek word for "family" is patria,
which comes from pater (father), showing that the family is not a
human invention, but a direct reflection of God's nature. This
statement is key to understanding that God is not a solitary being,
but the origin of a divine family model: God is a family.
2. The mystery of marriage:
Christ and the Church
In Ephesians 5:31-32,
Paul quotes Genesis 2:24 and explains its true meaning:
“For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and cleave to
his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.
This is a great mystery; but I speak concerning Christ and the church.”
From the
beginning, the design of human marriage was not merely social or biological,
but prophetically symbolic. It was created as a figure
of the eternal bond between Christ and the Church, the future
spiritual bride of the Son of God. Just as marriage begins with two
beings becoming one, so the Family of God began with the
Father and the Son, and will multiply when many become one with them
in spirit.
3. The purpose of human
creation: a divine family
When God created man, he said:
“Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness…” (Genesis
1:26)
And then:
“Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth” (Genesis 1:28).
This
command is not just for physical reproduction, but reveals God's desire
to form a spiritual family. As Hebrews 2:10 explains:
“For it was fitting for him, for whom are all things... to bring many
sons to glory.”
And in Romans 8:29 :
“So that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”
God wants a
family composed of many glorified, Christlike children. That's
why we exist.
4. The Word, the Only
Begotten and the Firstborn
Before
being born as a human, Jesus Christ was the Word (Logos), the Spokesperson
for the Father, existing with God from eternity (John 1:1-3). The
Father was the Ancient of Days (Daniel 7:9-14), and the Word
was the eternal Son, though not yet physically born.
When the
Word was conceived by the Holy Spirit, he became the
only begotten of the Father (John 1:14). This act involved supreme
humiliation: the divine Word was reduced to the size of a sperm, placed
in Mary's womb, voluntarily abandoning his glory and immortality
(Philippians 2:6-8).
But after
his death and resurrection, Jesus was declared the Firstborn from the
dead (Colossians 1:18), no longer the only one, but the first
of many brothers who will be born into the Family of God.
5. The Shema and the Name:
Two beings in unity
The truth
that God is a family composed of two divine beings is also
found in Hebrew and gematria (numerical value of the Hebrew letters).
The Hebrew
phrase “Ani YHWH Elohim” ( אני יהוה אלהים ) —“I am YHWH God”— has
a value of 173 , which reduces to 11 , and
then to 2 . This represents two beings contained
in this expression: the one who says “I am” and YHWH Elohim himself, that is,
the Father and the Word.
Similarly, the Shema (Deuteronomy
6:4):
“Hear, O Israel: YHWH our God, YHWH is one.”
It has a
numerical value of 1118, which also reduces to 11 → 2.
This symbolically reinforces that two beings are literally named in the
Shema:
·
YHWH
Eloheinu (YHWH our God)
·
YHWH
Echad (YHWH one)
This unity
(echad), as in Genesis 2:24 (“the two shall become one flesh”), does
not indicate absolute singularity, but rather composite unity:
two divine beings who share nature, purpose, and glory.
6. The new birth: entering
the divine family
Jesus said:
“Very truly I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he
cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:5).
This new
spiritual birth is necessary to enter God's Family.
It is not just about salvation, but about adoption as sons and
daughters:
“And I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters”
(2 Corinthians 6:18)
“The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God”
(Romans 8:16)
Those who
are led by the Spirit are called children of God (Romans 8:14)
and heirs with Christ of the eternal inheritance.
7. The Church: the wife of
the Lamb
The
relationship between Christ and the Church will culminate in an eternal
spiritual marriage, as Revelation 19:7 says:
“Let us rejoice and be glad... for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
and his wife has made herself ready.”
The union
of Christ with his Church will bring about the fulfillment of God's plan: a
glorified family composed of the Father, the Son, and many children born of the
Spirit.
8. The Hebrew meaning of
“family”: two becoming one and extending
The Hebrew
word translated family is מִשְׁפָּחָה (
mishpacha , H4940) , which is derived from the root שָׁפַח ( shafach ) and is also related to שִׁפְחָה ( shifcha , H8198) —a feminine form from an unused root literally
meaning " to spread out " or "to pour
out."
This detail reveals something
powerful:
A family, in its original Hebrew sense, is a
unit that is born from two beings, becomes one, and then extends or spills out.
This clearly reflects the divine
model:
·
The Father
and the Son are two eternal beings who are united
in purpose and nature.
·
From this unity a
spiritual family is born that multiplies through
the Spirit.
·
The creation of
Adam and Eve, and the command to "be fruitful and multiply,
" was not merely biological, but a prophetic
expression of God's purpose: that His Family should expand
through unity in love and the Spirit.
Thus, the
Hebrew model of the word "family" confirms that God is an
expanding family, and that it all began with two beings who
are one in essence, and whose love produces life.
Final summary
·
God is a
Family, not a single
person. He is composed of the Father and the Son, and his
eternal plan is to add many glorified children.
·
The human
family is a physical reflection of God's spiritual purpose.
·
Marriage is a
prophetic figure of the union between Christ and the Church.
·
Jesus was
the eternal Word, he
became the only begotten Son when he became incarnate, and now
he is the firstborn of many brothers.
·
The divine
name and the Shema in Hebrew contain, both grammatically and
symbolically, two divine beings in perfect unity.
·
Every believer is
called to be born of the Spirit and be part of the Family of God.
“He who overcomes will inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he will be My son.” (Revelation 21:7)
Appendix: The Numerical
Mystery of Genesis 1:1
בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ
(Bereshit bara Elohim et hashamayim ve'et haaretz)
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth”
·
Total
numerical value: 2701
·
Hebrew
words: 7
·
Hebrew
letters: 28
This
opening sentence of the Bible is not only the introduction to creation, but a coded
statement of God's eternal plan: the expansion of His spiritual
Family.
2701 = 37 × 73
·
Both are mirror
prime numbers, which suggests a perfect, mirrored relationship.
·
They represent two
eternal beings: the Father and the Son, in perfect
unity of purpose and essence.
✨ Symbolism of 2701 → 2 – 7 –
1
·
2 beings: The Father and the Son
·
7 Spirits: The seven manifestations of the Spirit of God
(Isaiah 11:2; Revelation 1:4 and 5:6)
·
1 divine
unity: Echad – a
composite unity that forms one true God
You can also see it like this:
Two become one and multiply → The divine pattern for the human and
spiritual family.
2 + 7 = 9 → Human birth
·
The number 9
represents complete gestation (9 months).
·
This points to
the human being as a creature who can be born into the Family of God through
the new spiritual birth (John 3:5).
·
It is also a
figure of how two people (man and woman) become one flesh and
form a family.
The design of creation and family
“The heavens and the earth” created in Genesis 1:1 reflect
the beginning of an orderly expansion from divine unity.
That pattern is the same for the human
family:
·
Two
people →
·
They
become one flesh →
·
They
spread and multiply →
·
Image of the
divine model:
God is an extended family.
Conclusion of the Appendix
The
mathematical, spiritual, and symbolic structure of Genesis 1:1 is
a divine imprint. It shows us that the purpose of all creation is to
form an eternal family:
·
United in love
·
Born of the
Spirit
·
Perfect
reflection of the Father and the Son
“And I will be his God, and he shall be my son.” (Revelation 21:7)
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