“By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible” (Hebrews 11:3 ESV)

The assumption that the origin of the universe can be extrapolated from its present visible condition is here denied. The Bible teaches that God spoke the universe into existence, “ex nihilo” (“out of nothing”). Humanity was not present when this happened, but God has revealed this through His Word. According to Hebrews, those listed in chapter eleven’s “faith hall of fame” had a faith that included this foundational truth: God created the universe and we are His creation.