Chaos in the Bible: Ancient Background, Eschatological Themes, and the Gospel of Order
1. The Meaning of Chaos in Greek Thought
The Greek word chaos (χάος), related to verbs meaning “to gape” or “to yawn,” literally referred to a chasm or vast gap. Ancient writers pictured it as a primordial space at the beginning of the world. Hesiod’s Theogony placed Chaos at the head of his genealogy of the gods, giving rise to figures like Night and Darkness. In some accounts, Chaos was the void between earth and sky; in others, it was linked with underworld gloom, primal water, or formless matter.
By the time of Ovid in the first century BC, chaos had taken on connotations of formless disorder—a precursor to creation, where elements were mixed without purpose or harmony. This meaning later developed into the modern sense of confusion and disorder.
2. Chaos in Greco-Roman Religion and Myth
Different traditions interpreted Chaos in diverse ways:
Cosmogonic role: Chaos as the first principle of existence, the raw material of the universe.
Primordial elements: Water, air, or matter serving as the foundation of creation.
Underworld association: Chaos as part of Hades or the abyss, a place of shadow and death.
Gnostic interpretations: Chaos was sometimes identified with the flawed material cosmos or with the realm of evil, in opposition to the spiritual God.
These traditions shaped the wider world of late antiquity and influenced how Jewish and early Christian writers responded to the idea of a chaotic abyss.
3. Chaos in the Greek Bible and Jewish Literature
The Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, rarely uses the word chaos. It appears only twice—Micah 1:6 and Zechariah 14:4—both with apocalyptic imagery. In these contexts, chaos translates Hebrew words for “valley” or “abyss,” evoking a dramatic rupture in the created order.
Other Jewish texts use the term more freely:
1 Enoch 10:13 describes fallen angels imprisoned in a place of chaos.
Jubilees 2:2 also uses chaos to describe the abyss beneath creation.
Thus, chaos began to be viewed not only as the primordial void but as a prison for rebellious powers opposed to God.
4. Genesis 1:2 and the Hebrew Background
The Bible does not present chaos as an eternal rival to God. Instead, Genesis 1:2 describes the earth as “formless and void” (tohu wabohu), with darkness over “the deep” (tehom). God does not battle chaos as a separate deity but speaks order into existence.
The contrast between Scripture and pagan myth is profound:
In pagan stories, chaos often has its own will or power.
In Genesis, chaos is subordinate to God’s creative command.
This sets the theological foundation for the entire biblical narrative: God is sovereign, and what appears disordered or threatening is always subject to His word.
5. Prophets and the Language of Chaos
Prophetic texts often draw on the imagery of chaos to describe divine judgment:
Micah 1:6 envisions Samaria’s stones hurled into chaos.
Zechariah 14:4 portrays the Mount of Olives splitting, leaving a vast chasm.
Here, chaos is not the primordial void but the terrifying upheaval of creation under God’s judgment. The language conveys the seriousness of sin and the cosmic scale of God’s justice.
6. Apocalyptic Literature and Eschatological Chaos
Jewish apocalyptic writings expanded the theme of chaos as part of the end-time drama. In 4 Ezra 5:8, chaos erupts in the last days as fiery abysses open in the earth. This reflects the conviction that creation itself will shake as God brings history to its climax.
The New Testament echoes these themes. Revelation describes the abyss (Revelation 9:1–2, 11) as a prison for demonic powers. Second Peter 2:4 speaks of fallen angels consigned to pits of darkness—a parallel to the chaotic abyss of 1 Enoch.
Chaos becomes an eschatological category: not only a description of the beginning but also of the end, when God will overthrow the powers of darkness before ushering in new creation.
7. Christ and the Gospel of Order
Against this backdrop, the Gospel proclaims that Christ is the conqueror of chaos. The New Testament repeatedly connects Jesus to creation and new creation:
“Through Him all things were made” (John 1:3).
“In Him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:17).
Christ calms literal chaos when He rebukes the storm on the Sea of Galilee (Mark 4:39). He also defeats cosmic chaos when He triumphs over sin, death, and the devil through His cross and resurrection.
For believers, this means that the fears, uncertainties, and disorders of life are not ultimate. Christ reigns, and His kingdom brings order, peace, and stability where chaos once threatened.
8. Chaos, Judgment, and the End of the Age
The eschatological promises of Scripture show that God will finally subdue all chaos. Revelation portrays the old heaven and earth passing away, replaced by a renewed creation where “there will be no more sea” (Revelation 21:1)—a symbolic way of saying that the chaotic, untamable forces of evil will be gone.
Chaos in the Bible thus becomes a symbol of what God will abolish in His final victory. Just as Christ brings personal peace to the believer now, He will bring cosmic peace to the entire creation at His return.
9. The Church’s Witness Against Chaos
Throughout history, the church has confessed God’s triumph over chaos through liturgy, preaching, and creeds. When Christians declare belief in God the Creator, they are affirming that chaos does not rule the world.
The church’s mission, then, is to embody the order of the kingdom of God in a chaotic world. This is expressed through lives of holiness, proclamation of the Gospel, and anticipation of the day when Christ returns.
10. Conclusion: From Chasm to New Creation
Chaos began in myth as a chasm, a formless abyss. In the Bible, it became imagery for judgment, rebellion, and eschatological upheaval. Yet the Gospel transforms the story: what the nations feared as uncontrollable void is already subject to Christ.
The believer’s hope is not that chaos will linger forever but that God will bring His creation to completion. In the end, the yawning abyss will give way to the fullness of God’s presence, and the dwelling of God will be with His people in a world remade.
Bible Verses on God’s Triumph Over Chaos
“The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” (Genesis 1:2)
“You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, you still them.” (Psalm 89:9)
“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken.” (Isaiah 54:10)
“I form light and create darkness, I make well-being and create calamity; I am the LORD, who does all these things.” (Isaiah 45:7)
“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalm 46:10)
“And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’ And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.” (Mark 4:39)
“In him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:17)
“God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness.” (2 Peter 2:4)
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth… and the sea was no more.” (Revelation 21:1)
“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore.” (Revelation 21:4)
