CHRISTOPHANY IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

SERIES: THE MAJESTY OF JESUS CHRIST

TEXT: JOHN 8:56-58

Christophany is the appearance of Jesus Christ. In the Old Testament Jesus used to appear as THE ANGEL OF THE LORD. There are many cases of ordinary angels appearing in the Old Testament but where ordinary angels would appear to men they would not accept worship for only God can be worshipped.

In cases where Jesus appeared to men in the Old Testament, he would accept worship because He is God. When great men of the Old Testament spoke about Christ:-

Abraham saw the day of Jesus and rejoiced-John 8:56-58.
Moses: he told Israel, “The Lord will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, among your own people, you shall listen to him-Deut. 18:15.
King David: he said of Jesus, “I have set the Lord always before me, because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
Job. He says of Jesus, “I know my redeemer lives and that in the end he will stand on the earth”-Job 19:25.

Some cases of Jesus appearing in the Old Testament times:-

JESUS APPEARS TO ABRAHAM AND EATS WITH HIM-Gen. 18:2-10; 16-33.

Abraham welcomed 3 men heading to Sodom and Gomorrah to destroy the cities.
One of the men had power and authority to destroy or not to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah-Gen. 18:16-33.
After leaving Abraham’s home the man with authority to destroy or spare Sodom and Gomorrah did not go there but send the two angels He had to do the job. Only 2 angels entered Sodom and Gomorrah-Gen. 19:1.
The man who had conversation with Abraham was Jesus Christ.

JESUS MEETS ABRAHAM AS MELCHIZEDEK-Gen. 14:17-20.

The man Melchizedek is said to be the king of Salem.
Melchizedek had no father or mother.
Old Testament priests were not kings, one was either a king or a priest but not both.
Only Jesus Christ is a king and also a priest.
Melchizedek was Jesus-Heb. 7:17.

JESUS CHRIST DELIVERED ISRAELITES FROM EGYPT-Jude 1:5.

Jesus is the one that delivered Israel from Egypt.

JESUS WRESTLES WITH JACOB AND BLESSED HIM.

Jacob sent a parade of gifts to Esau to win him over before they meet.
Jacob sets up camp for the night.
A man wrestles with Jacob during the night.
Jacob saw this man who blessed him. No one can see God the father physically and live-Exodus 33:18-20.
The man who wrestled with Jacob was Jesus.

ELDERS OF ISRAEL EAT WITH GOD-Exodus 24:9-11.

God sent for the elders of Israel to go up the Mt. Sinai with Moses.
They ate a meal with God and drank.
This God was Jesus Christ.

JESUS APPEARS TO GIDEON-Judges 6:11-23.

The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak tree at Ophrah.
Gideon son of Joash was hiding in a cave separating wheat from the chaff, fearing the Midianites.
The Lord turned to Gideon and said, “Go with your strength and save Israel from the Midianites-Judges 6:14.
Gideon went home and brought a sacrifice to worship the Lord.
The Lord accepted the worship, he touched the meat and the bread with a stick and fire came and consumed the sacrifice. This man was Jesus Christ.

JESUS MEETS JOSHUA AS ISRAEL BEGINS TO CONQUER.

Joshua 5:13, “now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, are you for us or for our enemies? Neither. He replied, but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come. Then Joshua fell down to the ground in reverence (worship). This man was Jesus Christ.

CONCLUSION