Between the Old and New Testaments, Jewish literature further develops the concept of the abyss. It becomes associated not only with the primordial waters but also as a place of imprisonment for evil spirits, fallen angels, and the dead.
For example, in Isaiah 5:20, the prophet declares, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil.” Here, “woe” serves as a divine warning that wrongdoing will not go unpunished.
According to Arius, only God the Father is truly eternal and unbegotten. The Son was created by the Father out of nothing before the creation of the world and therefore had a beginning. Arius famously summarized this view with the phrase, “There was a time when the Son was not.”
In 1 Samuel 16:7, when the prophet Samuel is sent to anoint a new king, God reminds him, “The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
Suffering is often a precursor to transformation. Just as labor pains bring forth new life, the hardships we endure can lead to spiritual growth and new beginnings.