Hi Dwight and Arcturus,
This is certainly an interesting topic, I have wondered about this a lot.
These scripture in John 17 give some perspective on this subject.
John 17:22 The glory that You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one even as We are one,
v. 23 I in them and You in Me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that You sent Me and loved them even as You loved Me.
v. 24 Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, may be with Me where I am, to see My glory that You have given Me because You loved me before the foundation of the world.
v. 25 O righteous Father, even though the world does not know You, I know You, and these know that You have sent Me.
v. 26 I made known to them Your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which You have loved Me may be in them, and I in them."
This is saying that Christ is 'one' with Father, the very same in mind and spirit. So this oneness is beginning in us now, but will be completed/perfected at the resurrection. This will evenually be given to all human being, and when all have received salvation, it is then that God will be all in all.
Eph 1:22 And He has put all things under His feet and gave Him to be Head
over all things to the church, v. 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
1Co 15:28 But when all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subject to Him who has subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all things in all.
In the end, the whole universe and all the earth will be God; He will be all and all.
By the whole universe, you mean all being (human and angelic), right?
It is my thinking that God is creating a kind of family out of humanity, to bring them into oneness with/as God (Father and Son).
Col 1:14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
v. 15
He is the image of the invisible God, the Firstborn of all creation.
v. 16 For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things were created through Him and for Him.
v. 17 And He is before all things, and
in Him all things hold together.
v. 18 And He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the Firstborn from the dead, that in everything He might be preeminent.
v. 19 For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,
v. 20 and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of His cross.
What this scripture say of the Father is, He's invisible (Col. 1:15), but He is Love (John 15:10)... it is from Christ that we have to get most everything we understand about the Father.
John 14:6 Jesus said to Him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
v. 7 If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also. From now on you do know Him and have seen Him."
I believe that the Father is the supreme being (John 14:27), but He is not a man and I think He is a being that the human mind, in it's limitations, just can not comprehind.
I believe that is why we were given Jesus Christ from Himself, the perfect representative we need, so we could have a being, like us, that we can relate to.
Heb 1:2 in these last days He spoke to us in the Son, whom He appointed heir of all; through whom He indeed made the ages;
v. 3 who being the shining splendor of His glory, and the express image of His essence, and upholding all things by the Word of His power, having made purification of our sins through Himself, He sat down on the right of the Majesty on high. (LITV)
This is how I am coming to see this, at this time anyway.
mercy, peace, and love
Kat