Definition and Concept:
Nothingness, in a biblical context, refers to the absence of anything, a state of non-existence or void. It is often associated with the concept of creation ex nihilo, meaning "creation out of nothing," which underscores God's omnipotence and sovereignty in bringing the universe into existence.

Biblical References:

1. Creation and the Void:
The Bible begins with the concept of nothingness in Genesis 1:1-2: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters." Here, the "formless and void" state signifies a primordial nothingness that God transforms into the ordered cosmos.

2. God's Sovereignty Over Nothingness:
Isaiah 40:17 states, "All the nations are as nothing before Him; He regards them as nothingness and emptiness." This passage highlights God's supreme authority and the insignificance of nations compared to His eternal power.

3. Human Life and Nothingness:
The transient nature of human life is often contrasted with the concept of nothingness. In Ecclesiastes 1:2, Solomon declares, "Futility of futilities, says the Teacher, futility of futilities! Everything is futile!" This reflects the fleeting and often seemingly meaningless nature of human endeavors apart from God.

4. God's Power to Create from Nothing:
Hebrews 11:3 affirms, "By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible." This verse emphasizes the doctrine of creation ex nihilo, where God, by His word, brings forth existence from nothingness.

5. Theological Implications:
The concept of nothingness underscores the dependency of all creation on God. Romans 4:17 speaks of God "who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist." This illustrates God's unique ability to create and sustain life, highlighting His role as the ultimate source of all that exists.

Philosophical and Theological Considerations:

· Existential Reflections:
The notion of nothingness invites reflection on human existence, purpose, and the nature of reality. It challenges believers to consider the futility of life without God and the hope found in His creative and redemptive power.

· Eschatological Dimensions:
In eschatological terms, nothingness can also relate to the final judgment and the fate of those who reject God. Revelation 20:14-15 describes the "second death," a state of eternal separation from God, which can be seen as a form of spiritual nothingness.

Conclusion:
The biblical concept of nothingness serves as a profound reminder of God's creative power, the transient nature of human life, and the ultimate hope found in Him. Through understanding nothingness, believers are called to recognize their dependence on God and the eternal significance of His presence and purpose in their lives.1. (n.) Nihility; nonexistence.

2. (n.) The state of being of no value; a thing of no value.

1099. belimah -- nothingness
... 1098, 1099. belimah. 1100 . nothingness. Transliteration: belimah Phonetic
Spelling: (bel-ee-mah') Short Definition: nothing. Word ...
/hebrew/1099.htm - 6k

205. aven -- trouble, sorrow, wickedness
... From an unused root perhaps meaning properly, to pant (hence, to exert oneself,
usually in vain; to come to naught); strictly nothingness; also trouble. ...
/hebrew/205.htm - 6k

1097. beli -- a wearing out
... a wearing out NASB Word Usage because* (6), cannot (1), lack (4), no (6), no more
(1), no one (3), nor (1), nothing (1), nothing* (1), nothingness (1), one (2 ...
/hebrew/1097.htm - 6k

If Thou Know Not, O Thou Fairest among Women, Go Thy Way Forth by ...
... to say that she cannot know the divine object of her love, however passionately
she may desire it, except she first know herself; for the nothingness of the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/guyon/song of songs of solomon/7 if thou know not.htm

Letter ix. --Death of Self-Love.
... My dear Sister,. 1st. Such a lively impression of your nothingness in the sight
of God is one of the most salutary operations of the grace of the Holy Spirit. ...
/.../de caussade/abandonment to divine providence/letter ix death of self-love.htm

Letter xxiii. --On Past Sins.
... It is not till we have reached the bottom of the abyss of our nothingness, and are
firmly established there that we can, as Holy Scripture says, "walk before ...
/.../de caussade/abandonment to divine providence/letter xxiii on past sins.htm

Letter viii. --Our Dependence on God.
... There is no comparison between His infinite greatness and our nothingness. It is
above all things, comprehends all things, absorbs all things in its immensity. ...
/.../abandonment to divine providence/letter viii our dependence on god.htm

Instruction iii
... his Example, the peculiar Attributes and Names assigned to God, and to His Divine
Being; and how, on the other hand, he must bear his own nothingness, and then ...
//christianbookshelf.org/tauler/the inner way/instruction iii.htm

Interior Direction.
... contains all other virtues, is to resign ourselves entirely to God by a total
self-renunciation, and to lose self in the abyss of our own nothingness to find ...
/.../de caussade/abandonment to divine providence/iii interior direction.htm

On the Feast of St Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist
... Humility sinks at once and for ever into an abyss, and loses its name and rests
in absolute nothingness, and knows nothing but humility. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/tauler/the inner way/sermon xxiii on the feast.htm

Fear Not
... God? Let me tell you, then, how you can promote in yourself a sense of
your own nothingness. The text addresses us as worms. Now ...
//christianbookshelf.org/spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 3 1857/fear not.htm

On the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
... mayest encounter in thy inmost heart, either in seeing or tasting, let it alone,
do not meddle with it, ask not what it is, but fall back upon thy nothingness. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/tauler/the inner way/sermon xxi on the exaltation.htm

How Much the Contemplation of God is to be Preferred to all Other ...
... being is a limited power and existence, and being as they are created out of nothing,
they are circumscribed by the effects of their nothingness, while their ...
//christianbookshelf.org/albert/on cleaving to god/chapter 9 how much the.htm

Nothingness (2 Occurrences)
... 1. (n.) Nihility; nonexistence. 2. (n.) The state of being of no value; a thing
of no value. Multi-Version Concordance Nothingness (2 Occurrences). ...
/n/nothingness.htm - 7k

Nothing (769 Occurrences)
... opposed to anything and something. 2. (n.) Nonexistence; nonentity; absence
of being; nihility; nothingness. 3. (n.) A thing of ...
/n/nothing.htm - 40k

Vainglory (2 Occurrences)
... great; vanity is applicable only to small objects; pride is therefore good or bad;
vanity is always bad; it is always emptiness or nothingness" (Crabb, English ...
/v/vainglory.htm - 8k

Nothings (1 Occurrence)

/n/nothings.htm - 6k

Intelligent (47 Occurrences)
... 1 Corinthians 1:19 For so it stands written, "I will exhibit the nothingness of
the wisdom of the wise, and the intelligence of the intelligent I will bring to ...
/i/intelligent.htm - 20k

Intelligence (45 Occurrences)
... 1 Corinthians 1:19 For so it stands written, "I will exhibit the nothingness of
the wisdom of the wise, and the intelligence of the intelligent I will bring to ...
/i/intelligence.htm - 19k

Idol (56 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary. (1.) Hebrews aven, "nothingness;" "vanity" (Isaiah
66:3; 41:29; Deuteronomy 32:21; 1 Kings 16:13; Psalm 31:6; Jeremiah 8:19, etc.). ...
/i/idol.htm - 29k

Exhibit (7 Occurrences)
... 1 Corinthians 1:19 For so it stands written, "I will exhibit the nothingness of
the wisdom of the wise, and the intelligence of the intelligent I will bring to ...
/e/exhibit.htm - 9k

Darkness (177 Occurrences)
... 15:12); (d) of punishment (Lamentations 3:2 Ezekiel 32:8 Zephaniah 1:15); (e) of
death (1 Samuel 2:9 Job 10:21 Ecclesiastes 11:8); (f) of nothingness (Job 3:4-6 ...
/d/darkness.htm - 41k

Beth-aven (6 Occurrences)
... House of nothingness; ie, "of idols", a place in the mountains of Benjamin, east
of Bethel (Joshua 7:2; 18:12; 1 Samuel 13:5). In Hosea 4:15; 5:8; 10:5 it ...
/b/beth-aven.htm - 9k

What is nihilism? | GotQuestions.org

How can the light of stars billions of light years away from the earth have reached us if the earth is only thousands of years old? | GotQuestions.org

What is the outer darkness in Matthew 22:13? | GotQuestions.org

Nothingness: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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