Immanuel (God with us): The Multi-Layered Meaning of the Gospel of John [Part 2]

1. ''The Word'' (ho logos) as the risen Christ

In the beginning (the ''first day of the week'', John "the day of the Lord" Revelation 1:10 ),

was the Word (refers to Jesus, the Word of God and the King of Kings in Revelation 19:13). He's the same King of Kings who dwells in unapproachable light in 1 Timothy 6:16, and who ''was manifest in the flesh'' (1 Timothy 3:16)

And the Word was with God The risen Christ had ascended into heaven and had come "into the bosom of the Father" John 1:18. ''pros ton theon'' [(going) to God] is parallel to ''pros ton patera''  ("I am going to the Father" in John 14:28). 

The Word was God (Thomas said to the risen Christ: "My Lord and my God", John 20:28, David said to God: "My God and my Lord", Psalm 35:23).

footnotes:

The prologue parallels the last chapter of the gospel, which had the account of the resurrection, forming an inclusio. The beginning was "the first day of the week" when Christ was resurrected. The light shining in darkess in John 1:4 refers to glory (see John 1:14). δοχα also had the definition of "brightness" (BDAG). The sense is that of "high-light-ing" the good works either of Jesus or of his disciples as well as the resurrection (see the glory in John 17, compare with Philippians 3:20-21). 

2.  ''The Word'' (ho logos) as the pre-incarnate Christ

John 1:1

"In [the] beginning" (ΕΝ ΑΡΧΗ) refers to the beginning when: ''all [things] came into being'' (πάντα... ἐγένετο ). 

"was the Word" refers to the title/name of Jesus before he became flesh (i.e. mortal). 

''with God'' is also accurate translation of ''pros ton theon'' because ''pros'' also refers to ''close proximity'' (i.e. being near to someone). This agrees with John 1:18 wherein Jesus is located in the Father's bosom (recall the beloved apostle reclining on Jesus' bosom in John's gospel in John 13:23).

The Word "was God" with God (i.e. with the only true God, John 17:3). The Word himself is the "only God" (John 1:18 ESV), and is "full of truth" (John 1:14). 

The Greek word related to arche is arches. Internally (i.e. within the gospel of John), arches has occurred 4x and each refers to various ''beginnings''. 

Chiastic Structure (A-A-B-B-C-C) in all occurence of arche(s):

A: John 1:1 arche = Jesus with God

A: John 1:2 arche = Jesus (God) with God

B: John 6:64: arches = Judas ''Iscariot'' (murderer)

B: John 8:44: arches = devil ( = murderer) 

C:John 15:27: arches = discples with Jesus

C: John 16:4: arches = discples with Jesus

footnote:

Judas’ surname is more probably a corruption of the Latin sicarius (“murderer” or “assassin”) than an indication of family origin, suggesting that he would have belonged to the Sicarii, the most radical Jewish group, some of whom were terrorists (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Judas-Iscariot). 

1. John 6:64 when Jesus chose them and knew who will betray him. Jesus knew what is in man (John 1) nd Jesus knows all things. (John ). As God, he knows this from the beginning, for he was God before anything else came into being. As the Logos, nothing is hidden from him (Hebrews ). Jesus already know this before he was betrayed.  The actual betrayal happened many chapters after. 
2. John 8:44 Satan was murderer from the beginning in Genesis, when Adam and Eve surely died. Also, when Abel was killed. The beginning here was in Genesis at least when Adam was already created. But Jesus existed prior to this. Jesus was God in the begginning.
3. John 15:27  witness.....you are with Me from the beginning. The beginning of Jesus' ministry by choosing 1t 12 disciples who testify that he was in the beginningIt alludes John 1:5, witness/testify that i am the Son of God 1:34, they witness about who was in the beginning, John 1:1. 
4. The references in John 15:27 and John 16:4 to arches do not directly but indirectly points to the beginning (en arche) before time began. They tesfify directly about the Son of God (who is himself before time, in the beginning). The 12 disciples (and all other disciples) should testify together with John the Baptist that Jesus ''existed before me''. 
5. John 16:4 I did not say (eipon from lego form which logos also came from) because i was with you. It alludes John 1:1:3. But now he is going back to the Father, with whom he was with in the beginning. the beginning of the ministry was about Jesus as the Son of God and as the Son of God, Jesus was in the beginning of the world. 

A chiastic structure (AA-BB-CC-DD) in the entire gospel of John. All of these speak of Jesus ''pre-existing'' or ''existing before'' something or someone else:

A: John 1:3 Jesus existed before all things came into existence

A: John 1:15 Jesus pre-existed John

B: John 3:13 Son of Man came down from heaven ( compare with John 3:31 Above all because came from heaven)

B:  John 6:51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Jesus was "living' in heaven before he came down from heaven

C: John 8:38 Jesus saw God (see also John 6:46)

GC: John 8:58 Abraham saw Jesus

D: John 12:38 Lord, who believe our report. Lord here refers to God.

D:  John 12:41 Isaiah saw Jesus' glory as Lord God

E: John 17:5 Jesus existed with the Father before the world existed

C: John 17:24 God loved Jesus before the foundation of the world

B:  John 20:22 Jesus is the Lord God who breated into man in Genesis 2:7

A: John 20:28 Jesus is the Lord God whom David calls his Lord and God in Psalm 35:23 

Jesus existed before John - Jesus was in the beginning before all things were made but John the Baptist came into existence (John 1:6 there came into existence John from God).

Jesus exists, Abraham had come into existence. Jesus and Abraham was contrasted as to their existence. Jesus exists (the way God exists in Psalm 90:2) while Abraham had a beginning.

Jesus descended from heaven:

The 4th gospel consistently used καταβαίνω (to come down, to descend) literally (John 1:32, 1:33, 1:51, 3:13, 4:47, 4:49, 4:51, 5:4, 5:7, 6:16, 6:33, 6:38, 6:41, 6:42, 6:50, 6:51, 6:58). 

John 1:33 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

33 I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend (τὸ πνεῦμα καταβαῖνον) and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’

John 1:51 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

51 And he said to him, “Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven (οὐρανὸν ἀνεῳγότα) opened and the angels of God ascending and descending (καταβαίνοντας) upon the Son of Man.”

John 3:13 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

13 No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven (ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καταβάς), the Son of Man.

1. The Holy Spirit descended from heaven physically in the form of a dove as John himself saw (John 1:32).
2. The angels also appeared physically in the form of humans who were seen by humans (John 20:12). The Old Testament had lots of angelic visits that were so visible to humans. 
3. Jesus also descended from heaven in a physical body when he ''became flesh'' (John 1:14, 3:13).
4.  These three (the Holy Spirit, the angels, and Jesus) were all described as descending from heaven inside the Gospel of John. 
5. They were all pre-existent before they descened from heaven to earth. This is a very strong (cogent) evidence that Jesus was alive in heaven before he became flesh. John 1:1 says that Jesus was pre-existent, not as angel (ἄγγελος) but as God (Θεὸς).

Notes

Layers-of-meaning - a literary technique where an author expects his audience to see additional meaning other than what a literal reading of the text conveys. 

Allusion is basically a reference to something else. It’s when a writer mentions some other work, or refers to an earlier part of the current work.