Genesis 1:26 states:
“Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness...’”
On the surface, it looks like a simple story of God creating a human. But when viewed through the lens of consciousness and the Law of Assumption, a deeper truth emerges: “man” represents self-awareness, created according to the inner rulers and judges of I AM — the active, governing aspects of imagination.
In Scripture, every male and female character is a personification of a state of mind. They are not separate beings, but reflections of one imagination — the divine creative principle, here named God, meaning the judges and rulers of I AM.
Books like Isaiah and James are not just moral lessons or history; they are living pictures of consciousness. Every event and statement represents an inner posture of awareness, showing how assumption, identity, and perception shape our experienced reality.
“Man” as Awareness, not Flesh
The Hebrew word translated as “man” is adam, connected to “earth” or “ground,” linking form to spirit. The critical phrase is “in our image, after our likeness.” This image does not point to physical form but to the internal structure of consciousness — the judges and rulers of I AM forming self-awareness through imagination.
“In our image, after our likeness” echoes Genesis 1:11 — the seed contains the nature of its harvest. What is assumed inwardly unfolds outwardly. According to the Law of Assumption, man is formed in accordance with the inner governance of I AM: the judges and rulers shaping the self in awareness.
“He is the image of the unseen God, coming into existence before all living things; for through him all things were made, in heaven and on earth, things seen and things unseen, authorities, lords, rulers, and powers; all things were made by him and for him.” — Colossians 1:15–16
The Divine “Us”: The Inner Governance of Awareness
The phrase “Let us make man” reveals the plural aspect of divine consciousness — the judges, kings, and rulers within I AM collaborating to form self-identity. “God” here is not a single external deity but the assembly of these internal governing aspects that orchestrate imagination and being.
This links directly to Exodus 3:14:
“I AM THAT I AM.”
“I AM” is the foundation of being. The judges and rulers of I AM are the operational structures of imagination, creating reality according to what is assumed. Man, being made in God’s image, is created according to these inner authorities — the ordered aspects of awareness that direct how we perceive, assume, and become.
Neville Goddard taught that every “I AM” statement is a creative act. What follows “I AM” defines reality. Genesis’ “us” represents the inner interplay of pure awareness (I AM) and its governing judges — the imagined authorities that guide how self-awareness unfolds.
Story Bible Examples of Genesis 1:26
"Put away the old man… and be made new in the spirit of your mind, putting on the new man, which God has given life, in righteousness and true holiness."
— Ephesians 4:22–24
The story of Esau and Jacob illustrates this. Jacob adopts Esau’s garments — consciously assuming a new identity. Transformation is governed by the inner judges and rulers of I AM, demonstrating how awareness and identity are formed by assumption.
Man’s Formation in the Mind and Garden
Genesis 1:26 shows man as a continuous act of imagination. Being made “after our likeness” signifies an ongoing formation, directed by the inner authorities of I AM. Awareness actively shapes itself into being.
Genesis 2:8 adds:
"And the Lord God made a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed."
Man (awareness) is placed in the garden — the mind. Eden is the field of consciousness where experiences are cultivated. The judges and rulers of I AM within awareness give man the power to tend, name, and direct his internal states — the assumptions he embodies.
Daniel’s visions and the Song of Solomon demonstrate this: man is the image and likeness of I AM. Daniel’s fiery-eyed figure represents the initial encounter with your ideal state. In Solomon, the Beloved with dove-like eyes shows the fully assumed state. Both are internal states governed by the judges of I AM — illustrating the journey from perceiving a desired state to becoming it through assumption.
Dominion as Mastery Over Self-Perception
Genesis 1:26 also says man is to “have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens...” This dominion represents mastery over subconscious emotions (fish) and fleeting thoughts (birds). Being made in God’s image — governed by the judges and rulers of I AM — grants man the ability to consciously shape perception and transform internal states.
"...Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men." — Luke 5:10
“Image” and “Likeness” as Self-Concept and Identity
- Image: the inner form, shaped by the judges of I AM — how consciousness imagines itself.
- Likeness: the outer expression — life formed from the inner image.
Self-awareness directed by the inner rulers (I AM) produces outward identity. The image you hold within, guided by the judges of I AM, becomes the likeness you experience externally.
Practical Takeaway: Your Awareness Is Your Creation
- You are not passive in the world.
- Your awareness, shaped by the inner judges and rulers of I AM, is the creative force within.
- By consciously forming your self-image in your mind, you co-create reality.
Exodus 3:14 confirms this: “I AM” is your eternal name. What you assume about yourself, guided by the inner governance of I AM, determines what manifests in your life.
Conclusion
Genesis 1:26 is a profound statement about self-awareness. Man is awakened consciousness, shaped by the judges and rulers of I AM, and formed in imagination. Genesis 2:8 shows this awareness placed in the garden (mind) to cultivate and direct its contents. Exodus 3:14 names that principle: I AM — your awareness of being. True dominion comes from consciously forming who you are internally, which then expresses outwardly. This verse reveals the sacred creative partnership between consciousness and self-identity within everyone.
“For ‘in him we live and move and have our being’;
as even some of your own poets have said,
“‘For we are indeed his offspring.’ — Acts 17:28