![]() ![]() There are many other examples of Christophanies in the Old Testament. Jesus taking on the form of a man is not the same as becoming a man. It can refer to actual angels such as in Genesis 19:1, and men such as in Genesis 32:3.Īlso, Christophanies do not contradict the incarnation of Christ nor the virgin birth. It appears 213 times in the Old Testament. The Hebrew word for angel is malak, which means a messenger. Jesus was, is, and always be God (John 8:58). This doesn’t mean that Jesus was an angel before the incarnation. Furthermore, His visits stop after the birth of Christ. It’s quite clear from these few examples that the angel of the Lord is a Christophany. The angel of the Lord appeared to Moses “ in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush,” and then, “ God called to him out of the bush.” He said, “ I am the God of your Father, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac.” The Angel of God appeared to Jacob in a dream and said, “ I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar and made a vow to me.” The God of Bethel is Yahweh (Genesis 28:13-22). He said, “ now I know that you fear God seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son from me.” The angel spoke as if he was God. But when he was about to kill Isaac, the angel of the Lord appeared and told him to stop. Visit to Abraham and Isaac (Genesis 22:11-18)Ībraham took Isaac to Mount Moriah to sacrifice him as God commanded. Hagar called the angel, “ You are a God of seeing,” and said, “ truly here I have seen him who looks after me.” 5. The angel of the Lord appeared to Hagar in the wilderness and said to her, “ I will surely multiply your offspring so that they cannot be numbered for multitude.” The angel of the Lord spoke with the authority of God and said he would multiply her offspring. Here are a few visits from Jesus as the angel of the Lord. And this angel of the Lord must have been Jesus because He said in John 17:7, “ I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world.” A random angel can’t bear God’s name only God himself can. As the name of God represents His nature, will, and character. In Exodus 23:20-21, God told Moses He would send an angel before him to guide him, and that God’s name was in the angel. Theologians also believe every visit of “ the angel of the Lord,” or “ the angel of God,” was a Christophany. And the commander said, “ take off your sandals from your feet for the place where you are standing is holy.” This man was another Christophany. ![]() Joshua immediately fell to his face and worshipped the man. He identified himself as the commander of the army of the Lord. Appearance to Joshua (Joshua 5:13-15)Ī man with a sword in hand appeared to Joshua before the fall of Jericho. He said to Jacob, “ your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel for you have striven with God, and with men, and have prevailed.” Afterward, Jacob named the place Peniel and said, “ for I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.” 3. Jacob once wrestled with a man all night, and that man was God. We know he was God because the text says, “ and the LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre.” The other two men were angels. ![]() Three men visited Abraham, and one of them was God Himself. And here are some of His pre-incarnate appearances. He is at the Father’s side, and He is the only one who reveals Him (John 1:18). Jesus is the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15). These manifestations of God are called theophanies.īut since the Bible consistently says that no one has ever seen God the Father and lived (Exodus 33:20, John 5:37 6:46, 1 Timothy 6:15-16, 1 John 4:12), many theologians believe that all visible theophanies in the Old Testament were pre-incarnate appearances of Christ. For example, the Father spoke during Jesus’ baptism and transfiguration, and the Holy Spirit came like a dove upon Jesus, and a rushing wind upon the disciples. It’s kind of like Stan Lee’s cameo appearances in Marvel movies.Īll manifestations of God in the Bible aren’t necessarily Christophanies. Therefore, a Christophany is a visible manifestation or appearance of Christ before His human incarnation. You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life and it is they that bear witness about me.Ĭhristophany comes from two Greek words Christos, which means Christ, and phaneroo, which means to be revealed or to manifest. This is the first post in a five-part series titled “ Jesus in the Old Testament,” showing different ways Jesus appears in the Old Testament. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |