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| * ] (1835) identified an example in ] 3:25, when the fourth man in the furnace is described as "like a son of the gods."<ref>The works of Jonathan Edwards 1835 p564 "And the prophet Daniel, in the historical part of his book, gives an account of a very remarkable appearance of Christ in Nebuchadnezzar's furnace, with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego."</ref> | * ] (1835) identified an example in ] 3:25, when the fourth man in the furnace is described as "like a son of the gods."<ref>The works of Jonathan Edwards 1835 p564 "And the prophet Daniel, in the historical part of his book, gives an account of a very remarkable appearance of Christ in Nebuchadnezzar's furnace, with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego."</ref> | ||
| <--! This was tagged as Original research date=October 2010 so blanked March 2011 waiting on actual sources | <!--! This was tagged as Original research date=October 2010 so blanked March 2011 waiting on actual sources | ||
| PLEASE DO NOT ADD NEW MATERIAL WITHOUT CITATIONS, THANK YOU. | PLEASE DO NOT ADD NEW MATERIAL WITHOUT CITATIONS, THANK YOU. | ||
| *Some Christians believe Jesus came to Earth at various times before the New Testament, including once as ] himself (Gen. 14:18-20, ] 110:4). However, Hebrews 7:3 provides the comparison "like the Son of God" which argues against such an interpretation. | *Some Christians believe Jesus came to Earth at various times before the New Testament, including once as ] himself (Gen. 14:18-20, ] 110:4). However, Hebrews 7:3 provides the comparison "like the Son of God" which argues against such an interpretation. | ||
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| *One example is the "Man" who appears to ], and identifies Himself as "the commander of the army of the LORD." (] 5:13-15). The standard argument that this was in fact Christ is that He accepted Joshua's prostrate worship, whereas angels refuse such worship ; see ] 19:9-10. Additionally, He declared the ground to be ]; elsewhere in the Bible, only things or places set aside for God or claimed by Him are called holy; see Exodus 3:5. Note that Jewish commentators reading the same text do not accept that this figure was Christ (or even ]). | *One example is the "Man" who appears to ], and identifies Himself as "the commander of the army of the LORD." (] 5:13-15). The standard argument that this was in fact Christ is that He accepted Joshua's prostrate worship, whereas angels refuse such worship ; see ] 19:9-10. Additionally, He declared the ground to be ]; elsewhere in the Bible, only things or places set aside for God or claimed by Him are called holy; see Exodus 3:5. Note that Jewish commentators reading the same text do not accept that this figure was Christ (or even ]). | ||
| *When Manoah inquired of the angel of the LORD, "What is your name, so that we may honor you when your word comes true?" He replied, "Why do you ask my name? It is beyond understanding" (Judges 13:17).!--> | *When Manoah inquired of the angel of the LORD, "What is your name, so that we may honor you when your word comes true?" He replied, "Why do you ask my name? It is beyond understanding" (Judges 13:17).!--!> | ||
| ==Visions of Christ after the New Testament== | ==Visions of Christ after the New Testament== | ||
Revision as of 03:27, 19 March 2011
A Christophany is an appearance, or non-physical manifestation, of Christ.
Traditionally the term refers to visions of Christ after his ascension such as the bright light of the Damascus Christophany.
Also, following the example of Justin Martyr some appearances of angels in the Hebrew Bible are also identified as Christophanies, preincarnate appearances of Christ, rather than Theophanies, by some Evangelical Christians.
Use of the term
The etymology is from the Greek noun Christos- "Christ, Annointed", and the Greek ending "phany" from the verb phanero, to be revealed or to manifest.
- Academics generally use the term solely in relation to the documented New Testament visions of Christ.
- George Balderston Kidd (1852) popularised the term in relation to the identification of angels in the Old Testament as Christ.
- The term was used by Albert Joseph Edmunds (1857–1941) in relation to the revealing of Christ in Christianity and Buddhism.
New Testament
- A New Testament Christophany is Paul's vision of Christ on the road to Damascus, and the subsequent one of Ananias.
- Another New Testament example is the vision of St. John the Divine, recounted in Revelation 1:12-18.
Claimed examples of Christophanies in the Hebrew Bible
Some Christian commentators have seen appearances by the pre-existent Christ in the Hebrew Bible:
- Jonathan Edwards (theologian) (1835) identified an example in Daniel 3:25, when the fourth man in the furnace is described as "like a son of the gods."
- Carey C. Newman Paul's glory-christology: tradition and rhetoric p164 1992 "The thesis defended below can be simply stated: the Damascus Christophany is the interpretive "origin" of Paul's ... That is, the vision of the resurrected and exalted Jesus, the Christophany, was the catalyst for the apostle's ...
- in The new Schaff-Herzog encyclopedia of religious knowledge: vol 11,1912 "the practise of the Greek Fathers from Justin Martyr, who identified the "angel of the Lord " with the Logos, furnish excuse for conceiving also the theophanies of the Old Testament as christophanies. "
- Ron Rhodes What Does the Bible Say About...?, 2007, p.125 "I believe that theophanies in the Old Testament were actually preincarnate appearances of Christ. The principal theophany of the Old Testament is the Angel of the Lord (or, more literally, Angel of Yahweh)"
- Christophany - The doctrine of the manifestations of the Son of God under the economy of the Old Testament 1852
- Albert Joseph Edmunds, Masaharieed Anesaki Buddhist and Christian Gospels 1900? 2009 reprint Page 101 "CHRISTOPHANY: HE WHO SEES THE TRUTH SEES THE LORD. John XIV. 6; 9; 18-21."
- The works of Jonathan Edwards 1835 p564 "And the prophet Daniel, in the historical part of his book, gives an account of a very remarkable appearance of Christ in Nebuchadnezzar's furnace, with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego."