THEOPHANY &

CHRISTOPHANY

DEEPER LIFE By: Ptr. Paul John Morales Azores

TEXT

READGENESIS 16:1-16

INTRODUCTION•KNOWING GOD AND BE CHRIST-LIKE IS ONE OF OUR

MAJOR GOAL AS BELIEVERS.•WITHOUT THIS:• WE ARE POWERLESS• WE ARE USELESS• WE HAVE NO GOAL• WE HAVE NO VISION• WE CANNOT PERFORM THE GREAT COMMISSION

• GOD IS THE SOURCE OF ALL POWERS• ALL POWER IS IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST (MATTHEW 28:18)

MANISFESTATIONS AND DEALINGS OF GOD

•THEOPHANY- is a manifestation of God in the Bible that is tangible to the human senses. In its most restrictive sense, it is a visible appearance of God in the Old Testament period, often, but not always, in human form.•CHRISTOPHANY- the visible and bodily manifestation of God the Son before His incarnation.

GOD IS A SPIRIT

•John 4:24•God [is] a Spirit: and they

that worship him must worship [him] in spirit and in

truth.(KJV)

NO MAN HAVE SEEN GOD

•John 1:18•No man hath seen God at any

time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the

Father, he hath declared [him].(KJV)

CHRIST AND THE FATHER ARE ONE

(JOHN 10:30)•John 14:10-11

•Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I

speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I [am] in the

Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.(KJV)

GOD MANIFEST AS THEOPHANY AND CHRISTOPHANY

1. Genesis 12:7-9 – The Lord appeared to Abraham on his arrival in the land God had promised to him and his descendants.2. Genesis 18:1-33 – One day, Abraham had some visitors: two angels and God Himself. He invited them to come to his home, and he and Sarah entertained them. Many commentators believe this could also be a Christophany, a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ.3. Genesis 32:22-30 – Jacob wrestled with what appeared to be a man, but was actually God (vv. 28-30). This may also have been a Christophany.

GOD MANIFEST AS THEOPHANY AND CHRISTOPHANY

4. Exodus 3:2 - 4:17 – God appeared to Moses in the form of a burning bush, telling him exactly what He wanted him to do.5. Exodus 24:9-11 – God appeared to Moses with Aaron and his sons and the seventy elders.6. Deuteronomy 31:14-15 – God appeared to Moses and Joshua in the transfer of leadership to Joshua.7. Job 38–42 – God answered Job out of the tempest and spoke at great length in answer to Job’s questions.

Frequently, the term “glory of the Lord” reflects a theophany

• Exodus 24:16-18•And the glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day

he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud. And the sight of the glory of the LORD [was] like

devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel. And Moses went into the midst

of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount: and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights.

(KJV)

Frequently, the term “glory of the Lord” reflects a theophany• the “pillar of cloud” has a similar function in

•Exodus 33:9•And it came to pass, as Moses entered

into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood [at] the door of the tabernacle, and [the LORD] talked

with Moses.(KJV)

A frequent introduction for theophanies may be seen in the words “the Lord came down,”

•Genesis 11:5•And the LORD came down to see the city and the

tower, which the children of men builded.(KJV)•Exodus 34:5

•And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the

LORD.(KJV)

A frequent introduction for theophanies may be seen in the words “the Lord came down,”

•Numbers 11:25•And the LORD came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and

took of the spirit that [was] upon him, and gave [it] unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, [that], when the spirit

rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease.(KJV)•Numbers 12:5

•And the LORD came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood [in] the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam:

and they both came forth.(KJV)

ANGEL OF THE LORD AS CHRISTOPHANY

•In the Old Testament, an angel appeared to individuals identified as:

-angel of the Lord- Genesis 16:7-angel of God- Genesis 21:17-angel of his presence- Isaiah 63:9-messenger of covenant- Malachi 3:1

ANGEL OF THE LORD

•Genesis 16:7•And the angel of the LORD

found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the

fountain in the way to Shur.(KJV)

ANGEL OF GOD

•Genesis 21:17•And God heard the voice of the lad; and

the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth

thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he [is].

(KJV)

ANGEL OF HIS PRESENCE

•Isaiah 63:9•In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in

his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried

them all the days of old.(KJV)

MESSENGER OF COVENANT

•Malachi 3:1•Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the

Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the

covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.(KJV)

•If we will study the context of the angel’s appearances, it reveals that He is more than another angel: He is God. •The expression usually signifies a preincarnate appearance of Christ, and is sometimes called a “Christophany,” meaning the visible and bodily manifestation of God the Son before His incarnation.

CHRISTOPHANY WAS RECOGNIZED BY:

HAGAR•Genesis 16:13

•And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God

seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth

me?(KJV)

CHRISTOPHANY WAS RECOGNIZED BY:

ABRAHAM•Genesis 22:14

•And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said

[to] this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.(KJV)

CHRISTOPHANY WAS RECOGNIZED BY:

MOSES•Exodus 3:14

•And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.(KJV)

CHRISTOPHANY WAS RECOGNIZED BY:

GIDEON•Judges 6:22

•And when Gideon perceived that he [was] an angel of the LORD, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord GOD! for because

I have seen an angel of the LORD face to face.(KJV)

CHRISTOPHANY WAS RECOGNIZED BY:

MANOAH•Judges 13:18

•And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it [is]

secret?(KJV)•Judges 13:22

•And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God.(KJV)

ORDINARY ANGEL CANNOT BE WORSHIPPED, BUT

CHRISTOPHANY CAN•Revelation 22:8-9

•And I John saw these things, and heard [them]. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to

worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. Then saith he unto me, See [thou do it] not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship

God.(KJV)

CONCLUSION• THE “LORD’S MESSENGER” WAS ALSO USED.

•Haggai 1:13•Then spake Haggai the LORD'S

messenger in the LORD'S message unto the people, saying, I [am] with

you, saith the LORD.(KJV)

CONCLUSION• THE DEFINITION OF THE WORD “ANGEL” IS “MESSENGER”

•GOD MANIFEST TO BRING MESSAGE•CHRIST “CHRISTOPHANY” MANIFEST AS “ANGEL” TO GIVE MESSAGE.•TODAY, WE ARE GOD’S MESSENGER!•WE ARE COMMISSIONED, ORDAINED, CHOSEN AND SENT MESSENGER! SO PREACH THE WORD!

•YOU CAN INTRODUCE GOD IF YOU KNOW GOD!•YOU CAN BE CHRIST-LIKE IF YOU WALK AND COMMUNE WITH CHRIST!•WE CAN HAVE POWER, IF WE ARE CONNECTED TO THE ALL POWERFUL GOD!

•TO GOD BE THE GLORY!