Let s Talk About Jesus: The Theophanies of Jesus

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1 Let s Talk About Jesus: The Theophanies of Jesus Theophany - a visible manifestation to humankind of God; When speaking of the God of the Bible any time there is a manifestation of God in human form it is the Second Person of the Godhead, the Logos, which is manifest. The Father is on the Throne, The Spirit cannot be seen; and The Son (Jesus) goes and does He is the manifestation of the Father. I. Adam and Eve Genesis 1:27 31 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 God blessed them; and God said to them, Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth. 29 Then God said, Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you; 30 and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to every thing that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food ; and it was so. 31 God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. Genesis 3:8-10 "They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, "Where are you?" He said, "I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself." " Prior to Adam disobeying God he was without sin and full of the glory of God. There is no reason why all the conversations He had with God were not face to face. Even after Adam and Eve sinned they heard the Lord coming walking in the garden and they had conversation. II. Hagar Ishmael s mother Genesis 16:7 13 Now the angel of the LORD found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur. 8 He said, Hagar, Sarai s maid, where have you come from and where are you going? And she said, I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai. 9 Then the angel of the LORD said to her, Return to your mistress, and submit yourself to her authority. 10 Moreover, the angel of the LORD said to her, I will greatly multiply your descendants so that they will be too many to count. 11 The angel of the LORD said to her further, Behold, you are with child, And you will bear a son; And you shall call his name Ishmael, Because the LORD has given heed to your affliction. 12 He will be a wild donkey of a man, His hand will be against everyone, And everyone s hand will be against him; And he will live to the east of all his brothers. 13 Then she called the name of the LORD (Jehovah/Yahweh) who spoke to her, You are a God who sees ; for she said, Have I even remained alive here after seeing Him? III. Abraham Genesis 14:17 20 Then after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the valley of Shaveh (that is, the King s Valley). 18 And Melchizedek 1

2 king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High (El Elyon). 19 He blessed him and said, Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; 20 And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand. He gave him a tenth of all. Jesus always spoke of The Father as the greatest of all. John 10:24 29 The Jews then gathered around Him, and were saying to Him, How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly. 25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and you do not believe;. 26 But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep. 27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and no one will snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father s hand. Hebrews 7:1 3 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem (peace), priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, 2 to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all the spoils, was first of all, by the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace. 3 Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he remains a priest perpetually. Genesis 18:1 3 Then the LORD (Jehovah/Yahweh) appeared to him by the terebinth trees of Mamre, as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day. So he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing by him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the ground, and said, My Lord (Adonai), if I have now found favor in Your sight, do not pass on by Your servant. Abraham: A simple reading of this two chapter text (Gen 18-19) proves that the three men who appeared to Abraham, were actually God (Jesus) plus two angels. "Now the Lord appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, while he was sitting at the tent door in the heat of the day. When Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, behold, three men were standing opposite him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth" (Genesis 18:1-2). The conclusion of this text shows that there are two Yahweh's: One on earth and One in heaven: "Then Yahweh [on earth in human form, Jesus] rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from Yahweh [in spirit form in heaven] out of heaven. (Genesis 19:24) Other passages concerning Abraham being visited by God: 1. Abraham: "The Lord appeared to Abram and said, "To your descendants I will give this land." So he built an altar there to the Lord who had appeared to him. " Genesis 12:7 2. Abraham: "And he said, "Hear me, brethren and fathers! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, " Acts 7:2 3. Abraham: "Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord (Jehovah/Yahweh) appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless. " Genesis 17:1 4. Abraham: "and I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name, Lord (Jehovah/Yahweh), I did not make Myself known to them. " Exodus 6:3 IV. Isaac V. Jacob Genesis 26:2,24 "The Lord (Yahweh) appeared to him and said, "Do not go down to Egypt; stay in the land of which I shall tell you."... "The Lord appeared to him the same night and said, "I am the God of your father Abraham; Do not fear, for I am with you. I will bless you, and multiply your descendants, For the sake of My servant Abraham." Genesis 32:24-25, Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of 2

3 Jacob s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him.... And He said, Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed. Then Jacob asked, saying, Tell me Your name, I pray. And He said, Why is it that you ask about My name? And He blessed him there. So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel (face of God): For I have seen God (Elohiym) face to face, and my life is preserved. Jacob: more encounters with God (Jesus) 1. Jacob: (The Ladder at Bethel) "And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, "I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie, I will give it to you and to your descendants. " Genesis 28:13 2. Jacob: (guidance) "Then the Lord said to Jacob, "Return to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you." " Genesis 31:3 3. Jacob: (leave Laban for Canaan) "Then the angel of God said to me in the dream, 'Jacob,' and I said, 'Here I am.' "He said, 'Lift up now your eyes and see that all the male goats which are mating are striped, speckled, and mottled; for I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you. 'I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar, where you made a vow to Me; now arise, leave this land, and return to the land of your birth.'" Genesis 31: Jacob: (En route to Canaan at Mahanaim) "Now as Jacob went on his way, the angels of God met him. Jacob said when he saw them, "This is God's camp." So he named that place Mahanaim. " Genesis 32: Jacob: (wrestled with God at Peniel, the night before he meets Esau) "Then Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. " Genesis 32:24. "He said, "Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed." Then Jacob asked him and said, "Please tell me your name." But he said, "Why is it that you ask my name?" And he blessed him there."" Genesis 32: "Yes, he wrestled with the angel and prevailed; He wept and sought His favor. He found Him at Bethel And there He spoke with us, Even the Lord, the God of hosts, The Lord is His name. Therefore, return to your God, Observe kindness and justice, And wait for your God continually." Hosea 12: Jacob: (guidance) "Then God said to Jacob, "Arise, go up to Bethel and live there, and make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau." Genesis 35:1 7. Jacob: (guidance)"then God appeared to Jacob again when he came from Paddan-aram, and He blessed him." Genesis 35:9 8. Jacob: (move to Egypt) "God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, "Jacob, Jacob." And he said, "Here I am." He said, "I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you a great nation there. "I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again; and Joseph will close your eyes." " Genesis 46: Jacob: "Then Jacob said to Joseph, "God Almighty appeared to me at Luz (Bethel) in the land of Canaan and blessed me," Genesis 48:3 VI. Moses on Mount Sinai ~ Exodus 34:5-28 Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with Moses and proclaimed His name, the Lord. And He passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God..." 1. Moses: "The angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed. " Exodus 3:2 2. Moses: "Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, shall make Myself known to him in a vision. I shall speak with him in a dream. "Not so, with My servant Moses, He is faithful in all My household; With him I speak mouth to mouth, Even openly, and not in dark sayings, And he beholds the form of the Lord." Numbers 12:6-8 3

4 3. Moses: "Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, 'The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, "I am indeed concerned about you and what has been done to you in Egypt. " Exodus 3:16 4. Moses: ""that they may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you." " Exodus 4:5 5. Moses: "Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses returned to the camp, his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent." Exodus 33:11 6. "Then Moses said, "I pray You, show me Your glory!" And He said, "I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the Lord before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion." But He said, "You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me (My glory) and live!" Then the Lord said, "Behold, there is a place by Me, and you shall stand there on the rock; and it will come about, while My glory is passing by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by. "Then I will take My hand away and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen."" Exodus 33: Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, 70 elders: "Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel; and under His feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself. Yet He did not stretch out His hand against the nobles of the sons of Israel; and they saw God, and they ate and drank. " Exodus 24: Moses, Joshua: "The Lord appeared in the tent in a pillar of cloud, and the pillar of cloud stood at the doorway of the tent." Deuteronomy 31:15 VII. Aaron: 1. Leviticus 9:4 "and an ox and a ram for peace offerings, to sacrifice before the Lord, and a grain offering mixed with oil; for today the Lord (Jehovah) will appear to you (seen with your eyes)." 2. Leviticus 16:2 "The Lord said to Moses: "Tell your brother Aaron that he shall not enter at any time into the holy place inside the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark, or he will die; for I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat. " VIII. Joshua Joshua 5:13 15 Now it came about when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing opposite him with his sword drawn in his hand, and Joshua went to him and said to him, Are you for us or for our adversaries? 14 He said, No; rather I indeed come now as captain of the host of the LORD. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and bowed down, and said to him, What has my lord to say to his servant? 15 The captain of the LORD S host said to Joshua, Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy. And Joshua did so. IX. Samuel X. Gideon 1 Samuel 3:21 "And the Lord appeared again at Shiloh, because the Lord revealed (showed) Himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the Lord." Judges 6:11-27 The Angel of the Lord receives Gideon s worship and sacrifice. Gideon is told not to worry he will not die because he saw Him face to face. 4

5 XI. Manoah and his Wife (Samson s parents): Judges 13:2 14 There was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren and had borne no children. 3 Then the angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her, Behold now, you are barren and have borne no children, but you shall conceive and give birth to a son. 4 Now therefore, be careful not to drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing. 5 For behold, you shall conceive and give birth to a son, and no razor shall come upon his head, for the boy shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel from the hands of the Philistines. 6 Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, A man of God came to me and his appearance was like the appearance of the angel of God, very awesome. And I did not ask him where he came from, nor did he tell me his name. 7 But he said to me, Behold, you shall conceive and give birth to a son, and now you shall not drink wine or strong drink nor eat any unclean thing, for the boy shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death. 8 Then Manoah entreated the LORD and said, O Lord, please let the man of God whom You have sent come to us again that he may teach us what to do for the boy who is to be born. 9 God listened to the voice of Manoah; and the angel of God came again to the woman as she was sitting in the field, but Manoah her husband was not with her. 10 So the woman ran quickly and told her husband, Behold, the man who came the other day has appeared to me. 11 Then Manoah arose and followed his wife, and when he came to the man he said to him, Are you the man who spoke to the woman? And he said, I am. 12 Manoah said, Now when your words come to pass, what shall be the boy s mode of life and his vocation? 13 So the angel of the LORD said to Manoah, Let the woman pay attention to all that I said. 14 She should not eat anything that comes from the vine nor drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing; let her observe all that I commanded. Judges 13:15-23 "Then Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, "Please let us detain you so that we may prepare a young goat for you." The angel of the Lord said to Manoah, "Though you detain me, I will not eat your food, but if you prepare a burnt offering, then offer it to the Lord." For Manoah did not know that he was the angel of the Lord. Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, "What is your name, so that when your words come to pass, we may honor you?" But the angel of the Lord said to him, "Why do you ask my name, seeing it is wonderful?" So Manoah took the young goat with the grain offering and offered it on the rock to the Lord, and He performed wonders while Manoah and his wife looked on. For it came about when the flame went up from the altar toward heaven, that the angel of the Lord ascended in the flame of the altar. When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell on their faces to the ground. Now the angel of the Lord did not appear to Manoah or his wife again. Then Manoah knew that he was the angel of the Lord. So Manoah said to his wife, "We will surely die, for we have seen God." But his wife said to him, "If the Lord had desired to kill us, He would not have accepted a burnt offering and a grain offering from our hands, nor would He have shown us all these things, nor would He have let us hear things like this at this time." " XII. Solomon: 1 Kings 3:5 "In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream at night; and God said, "Ask what you wish me to give you."" 1 Kings 9:2 "that the Lord appeared to Solomon a second time, as He had appeared to him at Gibeon. " 1 Kings 11:9 "Now the Lord was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, " 2 Chronicles 7:12 "Then the Lord appeared to Solomon at night and said to him, "I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. " 5

6 XIII. David: 2 Chronicles 3:1 "Then Solomon began to build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord had appeared to his father David, at the place that David had prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. " Other Theophanies: Pillar of fire; Column of smoke; Rock from which water flowed XIV. Theophanies versus the Word became flesh. John 1:1 4 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. As we have seen throughout the Old Testament God (The Logos) the Word took on human form and appeared to and gave instruction to humans on the Earth. John 1:14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. Luke 1:26 31 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin s name was Mary. 28 And coming in, he said to her, Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you. 29 But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. 30 The angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. Luke 1:34 35 Mary said to the angel, How can this be, since I am a virgin? 35 The angel answered and said to her, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. It was at this point The Logos became human. Not just temporarily taking the form of a human but human forever. He went on to live in perfect unity with the Father and gave His sinless life for the payment of sin to all humankind that would receive Him. XV. After the Lord s resurrection: Jesus in His glorified Body appeared to His disciples Saul on the road to Damascus ~ Acts 9:3-7 suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" And many other sightings even to this present day.. 6