Like; Liken; Likeness; Liking
Created in the Likeness of God
The most theologically significant use of "likeness" in the Bible appears at creation: "Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness'" (Genesis 1:26). The Hebrew word for likeness (demuth) conveys resemblance or similarity. Humans were created to resemble God — not physically, since God is spirit (John 4:24), but in capacities such as rationality, moral awareness, relational nature, creativity, and the ability to exercise dominion. Genesis 5:1 reaffirms this, stating that "when God created man, he made him in the likeness of God." This divine likeness gives every human being inherent dignity and worth, regardless of any other distinction.
The Prohibition Against Making Likenesses
The second commandment specifically forbids making any "likeness" of God: "You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth" (Exodus 20:4; Deuteronomy 5:8). This prohibition reflects the conviction that God cannot be adequately represented by any created form. While humans bear God's likeness in a living, dynamic way, any static representation inevitably distorts and diminishes the divine nature. Isaiah emphasized this: "To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness compare with him?" (Isaiah 40:18). The incomparability of God is a central theme of biblical theology.
Jesus' Parables and the Language of Comparison
Jesus frequently used the language of likeness and comparison in His teaching. His parables often begin with formulas such as "The kingdom of heaven is like..." (Matthew 13:31, 33, 44, 45, 47). By comparing the kingdom to a mustard seed, leaven, hidden treasure, a merchant seeking pearls, and a net cast into the sea, Jesus made the invisible realities of God's reign accessible through familiar, earthly images. This method of teaching through comparison was deeply rooted in the wisdom tradition of the Old Testament, where proverbs and parables had long been used to illuminate spiritual truth through analogy.
Christ as the Image and Likeness of God
The New Testament makes the remarkable claim that Jesus Christ is the perfect likeness of God. Paul declares that Christ "is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation" (Colossians 1:15). The writer of Hebrews says the Son is "the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature" (Hebrews 1:3). Where the second commandment forbids making likenesses of God because they inevitably fail, Christ is the likeness that does not fail — He is the full and faithful representation of the Father. Jesus Himself said, "Whoever has seen me has seen the Father" (John 14:9).
Believers Conformed to Christ's Likeness
The New Testament teaches that God's purpose for believers is to transform them into the likeness of Christ. Paul writes that God "predestined [believers] to be conformed to the image of his Son" (Romans 8:29). Second Corinthians 3:18 describes the process: "We all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another." First John 3:2 looks forward to the completion of this transformation: "When he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is." The goal of the Christian life is nothing less than restoration to the likeness of God that was marred by the fall.
The Language of Likeness in Prophetic Vision
The prophets, especially Ezekiel, used the language of likeness extensively when describing visions of God. Ezekiel's inaugural vision carefully employs comparative language: the living creatures had "the likeness of a man" (Ezekiel 1:5), and above the firmament was "the likeness of a throne" with "a likeness with a human appearance" upon it (Ezekiel 1:26). The repeated use of "likeness" and "appearance" signals that the prophet is describing something that exceeds human categories. God's glory is real but can only be approximated in human language. Daniel similarly describes the Ancient of Days and the Son of Man using comparative terms (Daniel 7:9, 13), acknowledging the limits of human language before divine reality.
Biblical Context
The concept of likeness appears from the opening chapters of Genesis through Revelation. Genesis 1:26 and 5:1 establish humanity's creation in God's likeness. The second commandment (Exodus 20:4) prohibits graven likenesses. Isaiah questions what likeness can be compared to God (40:18). Jesus' parables use comparison extensively. Paul and the other New Testament writers develop the theme of Christ as God's image and believers' transformation into His likeness (Colossians 1:15; Romans 8:29; 2 Corinthians 3:18). Ezekiel and Daniel employ likeness language in their prophetic visions.
Theological Significance
The biblical concept of likeness addresses the deepest questions of human identity and divine revelation. Humans are unique in bearing God's likeness, which grounds human dignity, ethical responsibility, and the possibility of relationship with God. The prohibition against making likenesses protects God's transcendence and uniqueness. Christ as the perfect image of God resolves the tension between God's invisibility and humanity's need to know Him. The transformation of believers into Christ's likeness reveals that salvation is not merely forgiveness but restoration to humanity's original purpose.
Historical Background
Ancient Near Eastern cultures commonly made images of their gods, believing that the deity inhabited or was represented by the statue. Israel's prohibition against images was distinctive and countercultural. Egyptian, Mesopotamian, and Canaanite temples housed elaborate divine images that were treated as living presences. The concept of humans as the 'image' or 'likeness' of deity has parallels in ancient royal ideology, where the king was considered the image of the god on earth. The biblical text democratizes this concept — not just kings but all humans bear God's image.