Who is the Light in Genesis 1:3?
You ask a very important ontological question, for which, the Bible provides the answer.
As every reader of the book discovers, Genesis 1:3 marks the very first command uttered by God in the biblical record. But what exactly was the nature of this "light"? It is a mistake to assume it refers merely to physical illumination, especially since the sun, moon, and stars were not created until Day Four (Genesis 1:14–19). Instead, this light represents something far deeper—something ontological, spiritual, and divine. It is the light of life, the essence of consciousness, and the revelation of the glory of God in the person of Christ.
1. The Light Is Not Physical
The absence of sun and moon on Day One immediately raises the question: what was the light that appeared at God’s command? The answer cannot be solar radiation. The light spoken into being is foundational—it defines the boundary between darkness and order, chaos and coherence. It is the moment when meaning enters the void, not through energy particles, but through the Word of God.
This light is best understood as the life-giving knowledge and presence of God, issuing forth from His will. It is the first movement of creation: not of matter, but of divine order, self-awareness, and relational purpose—in short, consciousness itself.
2. The Word Is the Light
John begins his Gospel with an intentional echo of Genesis 1:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:1, 4–5, ESV)
This is not poetic coincidence. John directly identifies the Word (Logos) as the source of all creation. The Logos is not a created being but eternal, divine, and personal. The life in the Logos is called “the light of men”—the source of moral, spiritual, and intellectual illumination.
What is this light? It is not sunlight. It is the manifestation of divine truth and self-revealing glory—a light that not only brings visibility, but awakens comprehension, bestows life, and transforms being.
3. The Light as Consciousness and Glory
Paul confirms this understanding in 2 Corinthians:
“In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God… For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:4, 6, ESV)
Here, Paul explicitly references Genesis 1:3 and applies it not to a physical event, but to spiritual revelation. The light that once illuminated the cosmos now illuminates hearts through the gospel. This confirms that the “light” is the knowledge of God revealed in Jesus Christ—the very glory of the Creator, made visible and personal.
4. The Light Is Eternal Wisdom
The pre-incarnate Christ is also seen in Proverbs 8, where Wisdom speaks:
“The LORD possessed me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of old… When he established the heavens, I was there… then I was beside him, like a master workman, and I was daily his delight.” (Proverbs 8:22, 27, 30, ESV)
Although some interpret this passage as poetic personification, the early Church often read it Christologically. This is preexistent Wisdom, co-creating with the Father, a figure consistent with John’s Logos. Christ is the rational, harmonious intelligence behind the cosmos—the one who calculates harmony, instills purpose, and rejoices in the inhabited world.
This Wisdom is not impersonal reason—it is relational consciousness, the life-giving joy of God expressed through His Son.
5. The Light Is the Image of the Invisible God
Paul gives one of the clearest Christological statements in Colossians:
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created… He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:15–17, ESV)
“For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily.” (Colossians 2:9, ESV)
The One who created all things is also the One in whom all things are sustained. He is the visible expression of the invisible. This speaks not only to Jesus’ role in creation, but His eternal identity as God. The light of Genesis 1:3 is not merely an event; it is a Person—Christ—in whom all life, logic, and coherence dwell.
6. The Radiance of the Father’s Glory
“In these last days he has spoken to us by his Son… through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature.” (Hebrews 1:2–3, ESV)
This powerful statement reinforces that Christ is not a created being, but the radiance—the shining forth—of God's very essence. He is the manifest Light of the Father’s glory. Genesis 1:3 then becomes a prefiguring of this eternal relationship—the Father speaking, the Son shining, the Spirit hovering (Genesis 1:2).
7. The Light Is Life and Fellowship
The Apostle John later writes:
“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard… concerning the word of life… God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” (1 John 1:1, 5, ESV)
This passage completes the circle. The light is not just truth; it is life, relationship, and fellowship with God. To walk in the light is to walk in truth, holiness, and unity with Christ. The light is personal, redemptive, and eternally relational.
Conclusion: Let There Be Light—In You
Genesis 1:3 is not merely the moment the universe became visible—it is the first declaration of divine revelation. It introduces the Word who would later take on flesh, dwell among us, and say, “I am the Light of the world” (John 8:12—ESV).
This Light:
- Preceded the sun, because it is not created;
- Illuminates the heart, not just the earth;
- Reveals the face of God, not just the shape of creation;
- Is Christ Himself—the radiance of God’s glory and the source of all consciousness, knowledge, and life.
The same God who said, “Let there be light,” now shines in our hearts to reveal the knowledge of His glory in the face of Jesus Christ.
Thy Word Is A Lamp To My Path And In Right Living I Will Shine
