Photo credit: Unsplash/Priscilla Du Preez Here are a few of the more vivid theophanies in the Bible. This is why we see the theophanies we do through the Old Testament. In Exodus 33:20 God says, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.” It is clear, then, that if God desires to appear to humanity it will need to be a mediated presence. Where Do We See Theophanies in the Bible? This is why some have pointed to Jesus as the angel of the Lord in the Old Testament. Poythress is saying what Hebrews 1:2 says, “but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son…” Jesus is the fulfillment of every theophany. Thus, the Old Testament theophanies have a forward-looking and symbolic dimension.” The Old Testament looks forward to the New, not only by direct predictions but also by symbols that depict beforehand aspects of who Christ is and what he will do to accomplish redemption. God saw to it that the Old Testament appearances of God had built into them an indication of their preliminary nature. In addition, Christ’s incarnation is permanent, while the theophanies in the Old Testament were temporary. The coming of Christ is their fulfillment, their climax ( Matt. They foreshadow and prefigure the coming of Christ in the flesh. The Old Testament theophanies are preliminary. “But we should note that the incarnation of Christ is different from the Old Testament instances of theophany. It is true that Jesus is a visible representation of God. What about Jesus? Is the incarnation of Christ a theophany? If a theophany is God appearing to humanity to communicate His presence, is Jesus not the ultimate theophany? Yes and no. As the Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible states it, “The use of the term theophany is restricted here to manifestations of God in temporary forms perceptible to the external senses, and thereby excludes divine manifestations in dreams or visions…” Yet, some believe a theophany requires perception of external senses (meaning you have to see it with your physical eyes). It is a clear communication of the presence of God to humanity. What about dreams and visions? Some theologians consider these as a kind of theophany. Many categorize theophanies into three categories: non-human form, appearance as a man, appearance as an angel. As you can see, there are many different types of theophany. In the scriptures, God appears to humanity in thunderstorms, in clouds, in smoke, in pillars of fire, in chariots, as a man, as a warrior, as an angel, and among others in court scenes. Different Types of TheophanyĪs Hebrews 1:1 says, “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways…” God also communicated his presence to people through theophanies in many ways. The key is that God manifests His presence clearly, regardless of the way in which he manifests that presence. Yes, the LORD had to reveal himself to Moses as “the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac…” But notice from the text that Moses immediately understood the import and “hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God” ( Exodus 3:10). In the Old Testament when God appeared to humans, it was obvious. If you question whether something is God, then it does not fall under the category of a theophany. These definitions help us with our cheese toast questions. The best definition, in my opinion, comes from Vern Poythress: “A theophany is an appearance of God, an intense manifestation of the presence of God that is accompanied by an extraordinary visual display.” The words of Adrian Ivakhiv are also important in explaining a theophany as “an unambiguous manifestation of God to man.” To answer these questions, we need a slightly more technical definition of a theophany. What exactly classifies a theophany? If you see a picture of Jesus in your cheese toast does this qualify as a theophany? What about God appearing to Moses in a burning bush, is that one? When an angel appears to someone, do we use another term or is this too a theophany? When Jesus walked upon the earth was this a 24-7 theophany? The term itself does not appear in Scripture, but the concept appears throughout. When God appears, He does so for a purpose. A theophany is typically for the purpose of revealing something about the character of God. But your previous guess was not entirely off the wall. A theophany, then, is an appearance of God to human beings. Theos (God, god) and phainein (to appear). A theophany is the combination of two Greek compounds.
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