What was God doing before He created the universe?

One of the most popular questions on our interactive Bible site, eBible.com, is, “What was God doing before He created the universe?” We don’t have a lot of information about anything “before” creation, but God has shown us enough of His character, who He is, and how He loves for us to draw some conclusions. However, keep in mind, these are mostly educated guesses. Unless it’s written in God’s Word, everything is merely speculative.

It’s still a fun and interesting mind exercise to imagine though, isn’t it? Here are a few of our top answers to this question:

1. The Trinity

Our finite minds find it hard to comprehend that before the universe was created, God existed alone. We know from John 1:1 that Jesus also existed: “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The preincarnate Christ was intimately united with the Father, so as to partake of His glory and to be appropriately called God. He has Himself explained it in John 17:5: “And now Father, glorify Me with Yourself with the glory which I had with You before the world was.”

We also know that the Holy Spirit was present before we were created. Genesis 1:2 describes the Spirit “hovering over the face” of the dark and formless earth. So, before time even existed, God existed in three Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Trinity existed in perfect harmony and flawlessness, having all they needed in one another. David said in Psalms 16:11 that “joy and pleasures forever more” are in the presence of God. That means to be in the presence of God carries with it an overwhelming sense of joy, fulfillment, and pleasure. Before creation, God felt complete joy and fulfillment as He perfectly beheld and communed with Himself. God has and always will experience complete joy because He has complete and perfect knowledge of Himself.

So before He created the universe, God experienced absolute satisfaction in Himself. God dwelt joyfully alone in eternity as the Trinity. These three were together in fellowship with one another from all eternity. They loved each other. We know at some point they discussed the redemption of mankind (Ephesians 1:4-5; 2 Timothy 1:9; John 17:24), but everything else lies in mystery.

2. Some Things Will Have to Wait…

It would be exceedingly presumptuous to speak for God, on things we have not been instructed in or taught, and it has been intentionally withheld. He is Creator, Almighty, Omniscient, Omnipotent, Holy, Magnificent, and All-wise. We are not told. That is the answer.

Certainly, He did not sit around twiddling thumbs, as we are told it is contrary to His nature… He dislikes laziness, slothfulness, mediocrity, etc. He is a builder, a Master of everything, and anything. If He thought we needed to know, as it pertained to salvation, or was in any way relevant, He would have provided that for us in His word. There are just some things we will have to wait to find out about. However, while you are waiting, work. Preach, teach, make disciples, baptize believers, love one another and serve Him.

3. Relishing in the Stars and Galexies

God–our triune God–would never have bobbed around in nothingness. Nothingness! It is almost as absurd to think that God existed in a vacuum as it is to think that life started from primordial ooze without a Creator. Sometimes it takes the notions of scientists to help us think about our glorious God.

Astronomers estimate there are about 100 thousand million stars in the Milky Way alone. Outside that, there are millions upon millions of other galaxies also. Do you think God created those humanly numberless heavenly bodies merely as a tableau for Adam and Even to gaze at during the evening hours? Quite absurd!

He created numberless angels and uncountable stars. How about our own galaxy? It stands to reason that He created the Milky Way during Creation week. Other galaxies were undoubtedly created as need be.

Was God alone for an infinite number of years? Not at all. Is there a limit to the number of stars and planetary systems in the universe? Very likely there is not. Are there other worlds with beings created in God’s image? It stands to reason.

What does all of this mean? It means that God is infinitely more than mankind can possibly comprehend. It means that any individual is hopelessly mistaken who would turn their back on a God with no limits, who has offered eternal life for the mere acceptance!

See the original question here!