J. C. Thorpe 2012 version 1.0

Transcription

1 J. C. Thorpe 2012 version 1.0

2 Summary It is a matter of experience for everyone that God remains unseen and that we cannot hear God. The only way we can know about God is if God reveals himself to us. The Bible gives many examples of God revealing himself to human beings in many different ways. These are examples of the basic principle that God reveals himself to humans through other beings who are not themselves God. The examples of God revealing himself in this way have some common characteristics. These inform our understanding of the way that God reveals himself, and lead to a better understanding of God s revelation. The principle illuminates the way that angels work, the nature of Jesus Christ and the purpose of mankind. These are important issues and the idea of God s revelation of himself is fundamental to understanding them. Enjoy your reading. J. C. Thorpe 2012 For further information see:-

3 1. Introduction The study of the way that God reveals himself to mankind is of great interest but also has a deep effect on the way that one can understand such important things as the person of God and the purpose of human existence. It is one of the fundamental principles of the Bible and without an appreciation of it it is difficult to understand the basics of the Christian faith. 1.1 The Basic Problem God is in heaven and we are on earth. We cannot enter the presence of God, and if God were to come before us directly it is likely that we would not survive the encounter. There are many verses in the Bible which tell us this; however, the fact is known from our own experience. Jesus said: And the Father who sent Me, he has borne witness of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form. (John 5:37) No-one Can See God No man has seen God at any time(john 1:18) You have never seen his form or heard his voice. (John 5:37) No man has seen the Father [except Jesus] (John 6:46) The invisible God (Colossians 1;15) The king invisible, the only God (1 Timothy 1:17) Whom no man has seen or can see (1 Timothy 6:16) as seeing him who is invisible (Hebrews 11:27) No man has ever seen God (1 John 4:12) Man shall not see me and live. (Exodus 33:20) This passage tells us that not only can we not see God, we can t hear him either. This means that without some kind of intermediary we will have real difficulty in knowing God s way. By looking at creation we can deduce that God exists, that he is extremely powerful and that he is capable of extremely clear thinking - he has made something the size of the universe and has produced extremely subtle and finely balanced laws of nature to operate it. However, we can deduce very little else. This leaves us two ways in which God can reveal himself to mankind without breaking his own rules. One of these is by indirect means, such as through creation, through the working of history and through miracles. The other method is by using an intermediary, who carries the message that God purposes to deliver. 1.2 The Basic Principle of God Manifestation The basic principle of God Manifestation is very simple and can be stated in a small number of words:- God reveals himself to mankind through other beings who are not themselves God. This principle underlies very many of God s interactions with mankind and certainly underlies the important and significant occasions where God changed the history and destiny of humanity. The intermediary involved might be an angel, or even a human being. Jesus Christ acts as an intermediary between God and Mankind. However, the manifestation of God through other beings has certain characteristics which reappear almost whenever an intermediary reveals God to mankind. The easiest way to understand this principle, and the details which surround it, is to take a look at an example. The way that God reveals himself through angels is probably the most straightforward example, so it will be taken first. 1

4 2. God Revealed by Angels The characteristic example of God revealing himself through an angel is in Exodus 3, the account of the angel who appeared to Moses in the burning bush. In this account Moses travels into the Sinai desert with his father-in-law s flock and reaches Mount Horeb. Here he sees a bush which is full of fire but which is not burned away by it. As he approaches the bush an angel calls to him from the fire. Moses hears the angel and is told by the angel to go back to Egypt to bring the Israelites (the text refers to these as the Children of Israel ) out of slavery in Egypt and take them to the Promised Land. Exodus 3 2 And 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. 7 And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have given heed to their cry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings. 8 So I have come down to deliver them from the power of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite. 9 And now, behold, the cry of the sons of Israel has come to Me; furthermore, I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians are oppressing them. 10 Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt. (Ex 3:2,7 10) Acts 7 30 And after forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in the flame of a burning thorn bush. (Acts 7:30) 35 This Moses whom they disowned, saying, Who made you a ruler and a judge? is the one whom God sent to be both a ruler and a deliverer with the help of the angel who appeared to him in the thorn bush. (Acts 7:35) Not only does Exodus 3:2 tell us directly that the being in the bush was an angel, but we also have a commentary on this episode in Acts 7. Here we read that an angel appeared to Moses in the burning bush and that God sent Moses to deliver Israel by the hand of [or by means of] the angel in the burning bush. There is no doubt that it is an angel who is speaking here. However, the narrative in Exodus describes the event as though God was present in person. In verse five Moses is required to act as though God was present; the ground is described as holy. In v6 the angel describes himself as God, the God of Moses father, of Abraham, of Isaac and of Jacob. The passage then goes on to give and to explain the name of God (verses 14,15). The angel is asked about his name, and answers with the name of God. In this passage the angel speaks as though God is speaking. Finally (v16) the angel tells Moses to describe the whole incident to the Children of Israel. In particular he is to tell the Israelites that God had visited him. 2

5 Exodus 3 5 Then He said, Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground. 6 He said also, I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. 13 Then Moses said to God, Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I shall say to them, The God of your fathers has sent me to you. Now they may say to me, What is His name? What shall I say to them? 14 And God said to Moses, I AM WHO I AM ; and He said, Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, I AM has sent me to you. 15 And God, furthermore, said to Moses, Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name to all generations. 16 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 3:5 6,13 16) Moses is required to act as though he was in the presence of God. The angel describes himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The explanation of God's memorial name. This is in the mouth of the Angel. When Moses explains what has happened to the Israelites he is to tell tem that God has appeared to him. This incident reveals several characteristics of God Manifestation which are frequently repeated when an angel is acting as a manifestation of God, and which are also found where the manifestation is through other beings. In these characteristic points we find that the being:- Speaks God s Words: The angel in the burning bush spoke for God and delivered God s message. The message that Moses was to go to the Children of Israel and lead them out of Egypt is delivered to Moses. Speaks as though God is Speaking: The being doesn t simply say God says.... The being speaks as though God is there in person. Thus the angel in the burning bush says I have seen (v7) and I will send you (v10). May use God s name and titles: The angel in the burning bush describes himself as The God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob (v6) In this passage, which is arguably one of the most profound expositions of God s name in the Bible, it is an angel who uses the name I am who I am. Acts on God s behalf: The angel may carry out acts of various kinds for God. Here the angel sends Moses to the children of Israel, but on other occasions angels accept sacrifice, forgive sins, and perform miracles. Here the angel promises to bring signs for Pharaoh (v20). May be described as God: The narrative may read as though God is present in person. In Exodus 3 the passage begins with a clear statement that the being in the bush 3

6 is an angel, but by v4 he is being referred to as God. Towards the end of the chapter the angel is using the memorial name of God. The picture given of God manifestation in an angel is that the angel doesn t merely convey the words and actions of God, but actually seems to convey the presence of God, as though God is present in the angel. 1.3 Other Incidents involving Angels In addition to the angel in the burning bush there are many incidents where an angel conveys the presence of God. These incidents share the characteristics of the angel in the burning bush. Giving the Law Acts 7 describes two other places besides the burning bush where an angel manifests God. One of these is the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai. 38 This [Moses] is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness together with the angel who was speaking to him on Mount Sinai, and who was with our fathers; and he received living oracles to pass on to you. (Acts 7:38) The living oracles were the law of God, beginning with the ten commandments, which were delivered to Moses on Mt. Sinai and enlarged on in the wilderness journey of the Children of Israel from Sinai to the Promised Land. The ten commandments were given while Moses was alone on the mountain with the angel who revealed God. The first words that are given by the angel are these:- 1 Then God spoke all these words, saying, 2 I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 3 You shall have no other gods before Me. (Exodus 20:1 3) The commandment which identifies the LORD as the God of Israel and which forbids them to have any other God is actually spoken by an angel, who at the time is manifesting God. If we did not have the speech of Stephen it would have taken a very deep study to realise that this was an angel speaking God s words and not God himself speaking. The Elders of Israel Acts 7 also speaks of a time when the angel was with our fathers ; in other words many more Israelites were present. This matches a brief reference in Exodus 24:- 9 Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, 10 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. 11 Yet he did not stretch out His hand against the nobles of the sons of Israel; and they beheld God, and they ate and drank. (Exodus 24:9 11) Again, this reads as though God is present in person. In fact we know that no-one has ever seen God and that no human can see God. The only viable explanation is that of Stephen in Acts, that an Angel was manifesting God and conveying his presence. 4

7 Hagar and the Angel Hagar was sent away into the desert by Sarah and there she encountered an angel. 7 Now the angel of the LORD found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur. 11 The angel of the LORD said to her further, (Genesis 16:7,11) It is clear that the being who met Hagar was an angel. In spite of this we find the angel described as God in v13: 13 Then she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, Thou art a God who sees ; for she said, Have I even remained alive here after seeing Him? (Genesis 16:13) Again, the angel speaks as God and is described as God in the narrative. The LORD and Abraham 1 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. 2 And when he 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) In this incident three angels appear to Abraham. They are described here as men, but two f them continue their journey to Sodom, where they are described as angels (Genesis 19:1). The narrative, however, describes the angels (or more probably one of the angels) as God, using God s memorial name (written here as LORD in capital letters). The angel remains with Abraham for some time, giving promises and informing Abraham of the coming destruction of Sodom. Jacob and the Angel 24 Then Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. (Genesis 32:24) Here is another passage where an angel is described as a man. However, the being with whom Jacob wrestled is described as God later on in the passage:- 28 And he said, Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed. 30 So Jacob named the place Peniel, for he said, I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been preserved. (Genesis 32:28,30) The passage is relatively clear, but the commentary on it in Hosea is even clearer:- 3 And in his maturity he contended with God. 4 Yes, he wrestled with the angel and prevailed; (Hosea 12:3 4) Summary These are all occasions where someone encounters an angel who acts on God s behalf, speaks for God and as God, uses God s name and is described as God in the narrative. 5

8 1.4 Specific Actions on God s Behalf When an angel manifests God it will carry out God s works. There would be nothing exceptional about this if the works were restricted to the ordinary actions such as acting out parables, or even supernatural actions such as performing miracles. One might expect this from a messenger of God, although one might marvel at the power, righteousness and compassion of God as they were carried out. At the destruction of Sodom, for example, the angels use great power on God s behalf but their actions are very much the actions of a messenger. They are not unexpected and lead to no particular theological point. In other incidents, however, angels carry out actions which one would normally think of as being the prerogative of God alone. Here are three examples:- Accepting Sacrifice In the book of Judges an angel appears to Manoah and his wife. The angel takes a sacrifice from Manoah and accepts it on behalf of God. Normally one would think of accepting sacrifice as something which belongs to God alone. Here it is performed by an angel, who does so as a representative of God. 21 Now the angel of the LORD appeared no more to Manoah or his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was the angel of the LORD. 22 So Manoah said to his wife, We shall surely die, for we have seen God. 23 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. (Judges 13:21 23) 3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and standing before the angel. 4 And he spoke and said to those who were standing before him saying, Remove the filthy garments from him. Again he said to him, See, I have taken your iniquity away from you and will clothe you with festal robes. (Zechariah 3:3 4) Forgiving Sins In Zechariah we read of an angel removing the sin from Joshua the high priest. This, of course, is the process of forgiving sin. A second example appears in Exodus 23:20,21. In this passage the angel acts as a manifestation of God; he says of the angel My name is in him. The passage also states that the angel will not forgive the sins of the Israelites. This implies that on other occasions the angel might do so, and that the Israelites were aware of this. Accepting Worship The Angel in the burning bush required Moses to take off his shoes because he was standing on ground made holy by the presence of the angel. This implies a sanctity of the angel which was not present at other times, when angels allowed ordinary men to approach them quite closely without any such requirement. Indeed, as a general point one is forbidden to worship angels (eg. Colossians 2:18). However, when the angel acts as a manifestation of God matters change. In the early stages of Joshua s campaigns in the 13 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 And 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 And 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. (Joshua 5:13 15) 6

9 Promised Land Joshua encounters and angel and is required to worship that angel. Joshua accepts this requirement as a normal part of the transaction between himself and God; the angel is acting as a manifestation of God and accepting worship on his behalf. 1.5 The Image of God There is clearly something special about an angel who is acting as a manifestation of God. This is shown in the Bible by descriptions of the angel who is manifesting God as having God s name, or as being an image of God. In Numbers 12:8 Moses is described as speaking with God mouth to mouth ; the AV translates 7 Not so, with My servant Moses, He is faithful in all My household; 8 With him I speak mouth to mouth, this as face to face. Initially this sounds as Even openly, and not in dark sayings, though God was present with Moses, but in fact And he beholds the form of the LORD. this refers to the manner of the conversation. Why then were you not afraid Usually one communicates with God through prayer and God replies through revelation, but in this case it seems that an ordinary conversation To speak against My servant, against Moses? (Numbers 12:7 8) was held. This, of course is the point of the passage. 4 The LORD spoke to you face to face at the mountain from the midst of the fire, (Deuteronomy 5:4) 12 Then the LORD spoke to you from the midst of the fire; you heard the sound of words, but you saw no form only a voice. (Deuteronomy 4:12) At the mount Sinai, God is described as having spoken to Israel face to face. In fact Deuteronomy chapter 4 tells us that Israel had never seen God. Again, this is a case where God spoke through an intermediary, an angel who was manifesting God to Moses and the Children of Israel. In fact the Angel is described as the Image of God. Numbers describes the angel as the form of the LORD or the Image of the LORD (Numbers 12:8). This passage uses a word to describe the angel which is the ordinary word for image. An image, of course, is a representation of something else. In the New Testament Jesus asked the Pharisees for a coin and then to tell him whose image and inscription were on the coin (Matthew 2:20). The answer was Caesar s (v21). Caesar s image was on the coin. This was a representation of Caesar; by looking at the image on the coin one could tell what Caesar looked like. However, there should be no confusion between the image and the substance. The coin could not be mistaken for Caesar the man. Similarly, the image of God is not the same as God. The Voice of God There are several places in scripture where a change of pronoun in the text indicates that the word of God is speaking through the mouth of an angel. Here is one of these:- 20 Behold, I am going to send an angel before you to guard you along the way, and to bring you into the place which I have prepared. 21 Be on your guard before him and obey his voice; do not be rebellious toward him, for he will not pardon your transgression, since My name is in him. 22 But if you will truly obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries. (Exodus 23:20 22) The sound comes from the angel; it is the angel s voice one hears. The words, however, are God s, and come from God. 7

10 1.6 The Angel of God s Presence In Exodus 23:22 (see previous page) we read God s words about a particular angel: My name is in him. The same angel (or an angel with a similar title) is mentioned in Isaiah: 9 In all their affliction he [God] was afflicted, And the angel of his presence saved them; In his love and in his mercy he redeemed them; And he lifted them and carried them all the days of old. (NASB 77 Is 63:9) This passage refers to the angel that led the Children of Israel through the wilderness after the Exodus. Here this angel is described as The angel of [God s] presence. The point is that the angel is not simply acting as a messenger from God, but actually acts as though God was present with the angel. An Angel who is manifesting God may:- Speak God s words Speak as though God is speaking Use God s name or titles Act on God s behalf Be described as God in the narrative Appear to convey the presence of God. God Manifestation 1.7 Summary We have considered the way that God reveals himself through angels in some detail for a reason. We have no stake in the nature of Angels, and we can therefore consider the way that God reveals himself through them without too much emotional involvement. We have much more of a vested interest in the way that God is manifested in Jesus, or in ordinary human beings. However, Jesus and human beings do manifest God in essentially the same manner, although to different degrees. 2. God Manifest in Jesus Christ When we consider how Jesus reveals God we find a very similar picture to the way that Angels reveal God. All the same characteristics are present, although typically to a much greater degree in Jesus than in the Angels. Angels apparently only reveal God for short periods of time on special occasions. Jesus was, and still is, a permanent revelation of God. The characteristics that appear when God is manifested by Angels also appear when God is manifested by Jesus Christ. We now consider these problem. Speaking God s Words When they were manifesting God, Angels spoke the words of God. Jesus did exactly the same thing. He is described as speaking the word of God in many passages; in particular he explains that all his teaching comes directly from God. For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me commandment, what to say, and what to speak. And I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me. (John 12:49 50) 8 For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God (John 3:34) Jesus said, My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me. (John 7:16) Jesus therefore said I do nothing on my own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught me. (John 8:28) Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own initiative, but the Father abiding in me does his works. (John 14:10) and the word which you hear is not mine, but the Father s who sent me. (John 14:24)

11 Given God s Name There are a number of passages where one can read that Jesus is given the name of God. The main thrust of these passages is that Jesus will be known by the name of God in the age to come, but the name is given him, at least in part, by inheritance. This means that it was always in God s purpose that Jesus should be given the name of God. Indeed the idea that Jesus is to be given the name of God is prophesied in Isaiah 9:6 and Jeremiah 23:5,6. 9 Therefore also God highly exalted him, and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, (Philippians 2:9 10) 4 having become as much better than the angels, as he has inherited a more excellent name than they. (Hebrews 1:4) Acting on God s Behalf Jesus not only speaks God s word, but also performs acts on God s behalf. As with angels, some of these works are ordinary, and others involve miraculous acts which are given by God. However, in addition to these there are acts that are thought of as belonging to God alone, such as forgiving sins:- 2 And behold, they were bringing to Him a paralytic, lying on a bed; and Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, Take courage, My son, your sins are forgiven. 8 But when the multitudes saw this, they were filled with awe, and glorified God, who had given such authority to men. (Matthew 9:2,8) 19 Jesus therefore answered and was saying to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of himself, unless it is something he sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. 30 I do not seek my own will, but the will of him who sent me. (John 5:19,30) 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. (John 6:38) 28 Jesus therefore said, When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me. (John 8:28) Angels were also given the task of forgiving sins on the behalf of God. Here we have an example of Jesus manifesting God in the same kind of way as an angel, but more so. The Image of God In the Old Testament, angels are sometimes described as the image of God. Jesus also is described as God s image. This means that Jesus reflected the glory of God and represented him in a way which was greater than could normally be the case. This is explained in full in the early verses of the Letter to the Hebrews:- 4 in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. (2 Corinthians 4:4) 15 And he is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation. (Colossians 1:15) 3 And [Jesus] is the radiance of his glory and the exact representation of his nature, and upholds all things by the word of his power... (Hebrews 1:3) This verse describes Jesus as the exact image of God. The Greek word translated here as exact image is the word waqajtâq (character) which would refer to the image produced by using a stamping mechanism in making a coin. This was the most exact image that could be made in the ancient world; the passage is telling us that Jesus is the most exact possible representation of God. In fact Jesus could say He who has seen me has seen the Father. (John 14:9) 9

12 2.1 Comparison: Jesus and Angels It is instructive to compare the way that Jesus acts as a revelation of God with the way that angels represent God in the Bible. The New Testament makes it perfectly clear that Jesus is far greater than any angel and is a more complete image of God. However, a comparison of the way that the manifestation of God is seen in Jesus with the way that God is manifested through angels shows some differences. The most significant of the differences is probably that angels are sometimes described in the narrative as though God were present in person. This does not happen with Jesus. The most that Jesus says is this:- Comparison of Jesus and Angels Speaks God s words: Both Jesus and angels are described as speaking God s word. Speaks as though God is speaking: The angel may be described as God speaking, but Jesus never is. Uses God s name or titles: Angels use the name and titles of God as a routine. Jesus is awarded the name of God, but does not use it in his ministry. Acts on God s behalf: Both Jesus and angels act for God and do things normally thought of as belonging to God only. Is described as God in the narrative: Angels are sometimes described as though God was present. Jesus never is. Conveys the presence of God: Both convey God s presence. 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own initiative, but the Father abiding in me does his works. (John 14:10) Jesus never uses any of God s names, nor does he use God s titles (even though they have been awarded to him). He never speaks as though God is speaking. There are two possible reasons for this. One is that Jesus was not properly awarded God s name until after the resurrection and the other is that the New Testament is very concerned to emphasise the difference between Jesus and God so that there shall be no confusion between them. 2.2 General Pictures of God Revealed in Jesus The ideas of how God reveals himself are summarised in two passages in the New Testament. One of these is the opening verses of the Letter to the Hebrews and the other is the opening of John s Gospel. The picture in John 1 is better known, but is to some extent controversial because of textual issues in John 1:18, of which more later. The picture in Hebrews is, however, very clear. The Hebrews Account This account appears in the opening verses of Hebrews. It gives an overview of the way that God has revealed himself, with a particular emphasis on the work of Jesus Christ, whom it shows to be the greatest revelation of God ever. The account begins in v1 with the statement that God has revealed himself in many different ways and at many different times before the New Testament era (to the fathers). God s revelation of himself is not a once-for-all revelation but a long process. Hebrews 1 1 God, who spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many times and in many ways, 2 has in these last days spoken to us in his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the ages. 3 And he is the radiance of his glory and the exact representation of his nature, and upholds all things by the word of his power. When he had made purification of sins, he sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high; 4 having become so much better than the angels, as he has inherited a more excellent name than they. (Hebrews 1:1 4) 10

13 Not only that, but God has revealed himself in many different ways. Jesus is the pinnacle of a series of revelations of God. The passage then goes on to describe Jesus as another of the revelations of God. he has spoken to us in his Son (v2). This picture of Jesus as the greatest in a line of revelations of God is then taken up by v3 where it describes Jesus as the radiance of [God s] glory and as the exact representation of his nature. The word translated as radiance is the word ÐpaÌcasla (apagasma) which means the reflected brightness. Jesus reflects the glory of God; it doesn t originate with Jesus. As explained above, the word translated as exact image is another word which speaks of an extreme. It tells us that Jesus is the most perfect possible image of God that is possible. Verse 4 describes Jesus as being much better than the angels. He is greater than the angels, but in the context of the passage he is seen as being like them, in that he is representation of God. Verse 4 also speaks of the name of Jesus. Jesus, as Son of God, has inherited a greater name than the angels. The matter of names is very important in the ideas of God Manifestation, although it is such a broad theme that another study is required examine at it with the degree of thoroughness it deserves. John 1:1-18 The other passage in the New Testament which gives a strong insight into the way that God reveals himself is the first 18 verses of John s Gospel. This passage speaks of the Word of God and the way that this is revealed to mankind. The passage begins with the well known words: In the beginning was the Word. And the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1). This is actually a difficult passage to translate fully, and many variant translations exist in different English versions. The phrase with God contains the Greek word pqär (pros) which means towards. The last phrase and the Word was God is also put slightly unusually in Greek; the New English Bible (and its successor the Revised English Bible) translate it as What God was, the Word was. The Word of God The Word of God appears in the Old Testament with reference to many different ways in which God has revealed himself. In creation: By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and all their host by the breath of his mouth (Psalm 33:6) The command of God (Psalm 147:15) The Scriptures: Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path ; Your word is true from the beginning (Psalm 119:105,160) An Angel: The word of the LORD came to Zechariah the prophet and the angel who was speaking to me said (Zechariah 1:7,9) The same idea continues through the New Testament: By the word of God the heavens were long ago (2 Peter 3:5) God Manifestation In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1) The important question to understand this passage is: what is the Word?. Here those of a Trinitarian persuasion assert, without proof, that the Word is simply Jesus Christ. This interpretation goes back to the late second century AD; Justin Martyr made the identification on the basis of Platonic philosophy. However, it is not supported by Scripture. In the Bible the Word of God appears many times in the Old Testament, where it is used to indicate God s revelation of himself in various ways. The Bible picture of the Word of God is that it is whatever way God chooses to reveal himself. 11

14 The Word of God was present at creation (God spoke, and it was done - Ps 33:9) and was revealed through the prophets (eg: The word of the LORD came to me saying, Jeremiah 1:4 and over a hundred other passages). Now the word is to be revealed in Jesus Christ. The verse which states explicitly that the Word was expressed in flesh is verse 14:- 14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14) The point is that in this passage the Word of God can be expressed in different ways. Jesus is the Word made flesh; other manifestations of God are the word expressed in other ways. The picture of Jesus as one who reveals God without being God is summarised in verse 18. Sadly there is a slight problem here as most modern versions take a minority text as the proper reading. 18 No man has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is at the Father s side, he has declared him. (John 1:18) This reading is supported by the majority of Greek manuscripts and all ancient versions. A very small number of manuscripts, all from Egypt, make a one letter substitution which would change the word Son to God. This seems an unlikely variant for a number of technical reasons, but especially because if the word is God the passage doesn t make much sense. The point of the passage in the most likely form is that God cannot be seen, but has revealed himself through Jesus. This, of course, is a well-known part of the message of the Gospel. 3. God Revealed by Human Beings While God has revealed himself to mankind through angels and in Christ Jesus he has also chosen to reveal himself through ordinary human beings. There is an example of this in the book of Exodus 4 (see box) Here God tells Moses how he is to reveal the will of God to the Children of Israel. Moses is to stand in the place of God and show God s will to the people and Aaron is to speak as Moses spokesman. What is interesting here is that God uses the word god to refer to Moses in this passage. The same thing happens again in Exodus 7:2. The point here is that the same features which appear when God speaks through an angel appear again in human beings. Moses is to speak for God, and because of this role the word God is applied to him. Exodus 4 14 Then the anger of the LORD burned against Moses, and He said, Is there not your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that he speaks fluently. And moreover, behold, he is coming out to meet you; when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. 15 And you are to speak to him and put the words in his mouth; and I, even I, will be with your mouth and his mouth, and I will teach you what you are to do. 16 Moreover, he shall speak for you to the people; and it shall come about that he shall be as a mouth for you, and you shall be as God to him. (Exodus 4:14 16) 1 Then the LORD said to Moses, See, I make you a god to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet. 2 You shall speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron shall speak to Pharaoh that he let the sons of Israel go out of his land. (Exodus 7:1 2) 12

15 This picture is extremely similar to the way that God reveals himself through angels. Moses stands in for God while Aaron stands for the way in which God reveals himself; the angel takes this role where God manifests himself through an angel. God Manifestation The Progression of Exodus 4:14-16 Represents God Represents the prophet Represents the people God Moses Aaron The Egyptians Moses is referred to as "god". The standard progression of God Manifestation There are three distinct manners in which God reveals himself through a human being in the Bible. These are:- the prophet, the priest and the judge. In later times the king took over the position of chief judge, the highest point in the judicial system that governed the people. The role of the prophet is to receive a revelation from God and to pass it on to other people. This is possibly the role which is most similar to the role of the role of the angel as seen in the previous sections. The priest had a role of standing between God and the people of Israel. This involved him Prophet, Priest and Judge The Prophet: Receives revelation from God and passes it on to the people. The Priest: Represents the people to God and symbolises the glory of God to the people The Judge: interprets the law given by God and represents God s justice to the people. in representing the people before God and offering sacrifice on their behalf. He also acted as a sign of the glory of God to the people, as part of the temple system and wore special robes of great symbolic meaning to do this. The judge had the law of God before him and was required to interpret this before the people and to thus represent the will of God to them. 3.1 The Prophet A prophet can be defined as a human being who receives the word from God and proclaims it before other people. This may include predictions of future events (the prophet was required to produce a sign - Deuteronomy 18:21-22), but this is not the main purpose of a prophet. Much of the message of a prophet would be contemporary with the prophet, and some might be a comment on events in the past. We are used to the idea of a prophet; there are many prophets in the Bible. The way that a prophet would reveal the word of God is also described for us. One passage which gives a considerable insight into this process is in 1 Peter 1. The best translation of this comes in the RSV and ESV:- 20 knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone s own interpretation. 21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:21 ESV) 13

16 The main points here are:- The prophecy did not come from a human being s own understanding but that it was provided by God. It did not come because the prophet interpreted the evidence, but because God gave his revelation. The prophet did not have any choice in the matter. The prophet was carried along by the Holy Spirit. The AV (KJV) uses the word moved here, but the underlying Greek is much more powerful and implies that the prophet was forcibly carried along by it. The passage really tells us that no scripture came by itself, but that it was sent by God through the prophet who had no choice in the process or in the message carried. This picture is confirmed by passages in the Old Testament where the prophets describe their own experience:- Jeremiah: The prophet did not wish to deliver the message that God gave him because it was extremely unpopular and made him a target for the people who wished to oppose God s commands (and there were many of these in the time of Jeremiah). However, Jeremiah found that while he could delay for a time he could not refuse to deliver God s word for long. Balaam: The prophet was hired by Balak, King of Moab, to curse Israel. He went to a mountain from which he could see the camp of Israel, and there he received the word from God. Unfortunately for Balak God did not choose to curse Israel, but to bless the people and predict their success. Balaam was forced to give God s message and not the message he himself would have preferred to give. Amos: Amos describes the experience he had in receiving God s word as being like the experience he would have if some very frightening experience occurred. The person who encounters a roaring lion does not have to sit and decide whether to feel fear; this happens regardless of the thoughts of that person. Similarly, when the word of God came to a prophet the prophet did not have the choice as to whether to pass it on or not. The automatic reaction was to give witness to God s word. Amos A lion has roared! Who will not fear? The Lord GOD has spoken! Who can but prophesy? (Amos 3:8) Amos likens the experience of revealing God s word to fear - it is an automatic response which the prophet cannot change but to which he must respond. 14 God Manifestation Jeremiah 8 For each time I speak, I cry aloud; I proclaim violence and destruction, Because for me the word of the LORD has resulted in reproach and derision all day long. 9 But if I say, I will not remember Him or speak anymore in His name, then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire Shut up in my bones; and I am weary of holding it in, and I cannot endure it. (Jeremiah 20:8 9) Here the prophet Jeremiah describes the experience of acting as a prophet. He found that his message was unpopular and tried to remain silent to avoid the abuse that he received when he spoke God s word. However, he was unable to do so for long. He could delay in proclaiming the word, but in the end he was constrained to deliver the message. Balaam So Balaam said to Balak, Behold, I have come now to you! Am I able to speak anything at all? The word that God puts in my mouth, that I shall speak. (Numbers 22:38) The words of Balaam indicate that he was unable to say as a revelation anything other than what God had given him. Thus the process of inspiration is driven by God, not by the prophet, and is arranged in such a way as to ensure that the final revelation is exactly what God requires. The human element of the prophet is only what God has chosen to include as a part of his message.

17 God speaks by a Prophet I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. (Deuteronomy 18:18) The Spirit of the LORD spoke by me, And His word was on my tongue. (2 Sam 23:2) But the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ should suffer, He has thus fulfilled....whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time. (Acts 3:18, 21) God Manifestation The Bible recognises this picture of inspiration and the Prophets and Apostles spoke of the words that God had placed in their mouths. The voice may be the voice of the Prophet, but the words are the words of God. The Bible refers to the words from the mouth of the prophet as the Words of God. The prophecy is the words of God in the mouth of the prophet, and the prophet appears to be conscious that he is speaking God s words rather than his own. One can see this through the way that the prophecy is often presented. Very frequently the Prophet will begin his statements with the phrase Thus saith the LORD ; this appears 413 times in the Bible and shows that the prophet considered what follows to be a verbal message from God. An alternative phrase is The word of the LORD, referring to the word of a prophet. In the Bible this phrase is used 238 times to refer to the message of a prophet; again this is a clear statement that the message comes directly from God. Of these occurrences 92 are The Word of the LORD came to me and said. It is difficult to see how the prophet could have written this idea more plainly, or what else it could possibly mean. The Word of the LORD Now the word of the LORD came to me saying, Go and proclaim in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus says the LORD,... (Jeremiah 2:1 2a) This passage is chosen because both of the two phrases The word of the LORD came to me saying and Thus says the LORD appear close together. They show that Jeremiah (in this case) considered his prophecy to come directly from God. The prophet s own understanding did not contribute to the message of his words. Where the prophet saw a vision he was also given the words with which to write that vision. There is a clear example of this in Zechariah 1, where the prophet Zechariah describes a vision of a man riding on a red horse. The description of the image is, however, given to the Prophet. In verse seven the passage explains that the Zechariah 1 7 On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to Zechariah the prophet, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, as follows: 8 I saw at night, and behold, a man was riding on a red horse, and he was standing among the myrtle trees which were in the ravine, with red, sorrel, and white horses behind him. 9 Then I said, My lord, what are these? And the angel who was speaking with me said to me, I will show you what these are. (Zechariah 1:7 9) following words (the words of v8) are the word of the LORD ; they were given to Zechariah rather than simply being Zechariah s own words. Verse eight contains a description of the vision that Zechariah actually saw. There is no doubt that he really did see this vision, but the words with which to describe it were given him. Verse nine shows that the Word of the LORD was delivered to Zechariah by an angel. This is an example of an angel manifesting God. 15

18 In this passage in Zechariah the prophet doesn t understand his own vision, but has to ask an angel what it means. The prophet receives the word of God and writes it down, but he is no closer to understanding it than anyone else. This is clearly not a matter of God showing the prophet an understanding of something and allowing him to express it in his own words. There is another similar example in Daniel 12:8. To summarise, the work of a prophet is to receive the words of God and to pass them on to other people. This fits into the general picture of God Manifestation. God manifests himself through the prophet and his word is understood in the earth. The prophet shows several of the characteristics of a manifestation of God:- The prophet speaks God s words: This, of course, is the whole point of the prophet, that he receives a message from God and proclaims it to others. The prophet s mission could be summarised by the statement: The Word of the LORD came to me and said... The prophet speaks as though God was speaking: This is another major feature of the prophet s task, introduced by phrases such as: Thus says the LORD. The extent to which the prophet speaks as God can be seen by passages such as this: I am the LORD and there is no other; besides me there is no God... That they may know from the rising to the setting of the sun that there is not one besides me. I am the LORD and there is no other. (Isaiah 45:5,6). This passage, of course, is introduced by a Thus says the LORD in v1. The Prophet does God s Works: Not only does the prophet speak for God and even as God, but on occasions he is asked to act out a parable for God. In addition, some prophets were called on to perform miracles, the power of God working through them to heal and to perform wonders. However, there are several areas of God manifestation where the prophet doesn t appear. The prophet doesn t use God s name and isn t described as God, or even as the image of God. 3.2 The Priest The priest has a very different task from that of the prophet. The prophet was given the task of proclaiming God s word, but the priest did not usually have such a message (unless the priest was also a prophet). In spite of this we find in the book of Malachi that the priest stood in a position of revealing God. The priest is a messenger of God; this might be an ambassador for God or a representative of God. In the days of the Tabernacle and the Temple, the priest was the custodian of God s presence on the earth. He wore robes to a pattern given by God and cared for a temple built to God s specification. He could remove uncleanness from his congregation and even perform ceremonial acts which resulted in the forgiveness of sins. The sacrifices and the ceremony of the Day of Atonement were intended for this purpose, and the priest was required for both of these. However, the priest does not seem to fulfil any of the higher points listed in the framework of God Manifestation. There is, however, one passage in John s Gospel which seems to place the High Priest in the same place as a prophet. 16 Malachi 2:7 For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge, and men should seek instruction from his mouth; for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts. (Malachi 2:7)