| Revision as of 11:26, 26 April 2012 editStAnselm (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Extended confirmed users, File movers, New page reviewers, Pending changes reviewers160,595 edits →Claimed examples of Christophanies in the Hebrew Bible: removed link← Previous edit | Revision as of 11:32, 26 April 2012 edit undoStAnselm (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Extended confirmed users, File movers, New page reviewers, Pending changes reviewers160,595 edits →Claimed examples of Christophanies in the Hebrew Bible: added another oneNext edit → | ||
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| Some Christian commentators have seen other appearances by the pre-existent Christ in the Hebrew Bible: | Some Christian commentators have seen other appearances by the pre-existent Christ in the Hebrew Bible: | ||
| ⚫ | * A popular understanding of the relationship between Melchizedek and Jesus is that Melchizedek is an Old Testament Christophany.<ref>{{cite book|last=Longman|first=Tremper|author-link=Tremper Longman|title=How To Read Genesis|year=2005|page=172|url=http://books.google.com.au/books?id=SKEJ3kT7S2kC&pg=PA172}}</ref> | ||
| * ] interpreted the figure with whom ] spoke in ] as being Christ himself.<ref>{{cite book|last=Bunge|first=Gabriel|title=The Rublev Trinity|year=2007|publisher=]|page=48|url=http://books.google.com.au/books?id=uAC0E0TswtgC&pg=PA48}}</ref> | * ] interpreted the figure with whom ] spoke in ] as being Christ himself.<ref>{{cite book|last=Bunge|first=Gabriel|title=The Rublev Trinity|year=2007|publisher=]|page=48|url=http://books.google.com.au/books?id=uAC0E0TswtgC&pg=PA48}}</ref> | ||
| * ] suggests that ] is a "pre-incarnation appearance of Christ in the form of a man."<ref>{{cite book|last=MacMillan|first=J. Douglas|author-link=J. Douglas MacMillan|title=Wrestling with God: Lessons from the life of Jacob|year=1991|publisher=Evangelical Press of Wales|page=56}}</ref> | |||
| * ] 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> | * ] 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> | ||
| ⚫ | * A popular understanding of the relationship between Melchizedek and Jesus is that Melchizedek is an Old Testament Christophany.<ref>{{cite book|last=Longman|first=Tremper|author-link=Tremper Longman|title=How To Read Genesis|year=2005|page=172|url=http://books.google.com.au/books?id=SKEJ3kT7S2kC&pg=PA172}}</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 | ||
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| *The vision of Isaiah (Is 6) may be regarded as a Christophany. It appears to have been seen as such by John the evangelist, who, following a quote from this chapter, adds 'Isaiah said this because he saw His glory and spoke of Him' (John 12:41). | *The vision of Isaiah (Is 6) may be regarded as a Christophany. It appears to have been seen as such by John the evangelist, who, following a quote from this chapter, adds 'Isaiah said this because he saw His glory and spoke of Him' (John 12:41). | ||
| *A Christophany also is believed to have occurred when ] wrestled with a man in Gen. 32:30. Jacob says he has "seen God face to face," but ] 12:4 mentions an angel. This can be reconciled, if it was the ], as Christ said He "and the Father are one" (John 10:30), or if Christ was actually there. | |||
| *Another possible Christophany is in the ], where God walks with ]. He also sacrifices animals and covers their nakedness with the skins in Genesis 3:21, indicating a physical presence. Some ] commentators believe that Adam and Eve were shown the plan of salvation, then instructed in blood sacrifice as a proleptic memorial. | |||
| *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 ]). | ||
Revision as of 11:32, 26 April 2012
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 who identified the Angel of the Lord with the Logos some appearances of angels in the Hebrew Bible are also identified by some Evangelicals as preincarnate appearances of Christ, using the term "Christophanies" - by comparison with Theophanies - appearances of God.
Use of the term
The etymology is from the Greek noun Christos- "Christ, Anointed", and the Greek ending "phany" from the verb phaneroō, to be revealed or to manifest. This noun is derived by direct comparison with the term theophany (theo-phaneia).
- 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.
- Since the work of James Borland (1978) usage of the term in conservative Christian publications related to Old Testament appearances of Christ has multiplied exponentially.
- 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 John's vision of the Son of Man, recounted in Revelation 1:12-18.
Claimed examples of Christophanies in the Hebrew Bible
Apart from his role in the Creation (John 1:1–5), the appearance of God "walking in the garden" in the story of Adam and Eve in the Book of Genesis (Genesis 3:8) was regarded by most Church Fathers and medieval commentators as an appearance by the Logos, or pre-existent Christ, and in art God was always given the features of Jesus until about 1400.
Some Christian commentators have seen other appearances by the pre-existent Christ in the Hebrew Bible:
- A popular understanding of the relationship between Melchizedek and Jesus is that Melchizedek is an Old Testament Christophany.
- Romanos the Melodist interpreted the figure with whom Abraham spoke in Genesis 18 as being Christ himself.
- J. Douglas MacMillan suggests that angel with whom Jacob wrestles is a "pre-incarnation appearance of Christ in the form of a man."
- Jonathan Edwards identified an example in Daniel 3:25, when the fourth man in the furnace is described as "like a son of the gods."
Visions of Christ after the New Testament
Main article: Visions of Jesus and MaryA vision is not usually described as a Christophany.
- Saint Jerome is believed to have had a precise vision of the Blessed Trinity, as is illustrated by Andrea del Castagno.
- Magdalena de Pazzi was a deep mystic who claimed several christophanies about the Trinity.
- Lúcia dos Santos of Fatima claimed to have seen Jesus in the Trinity in Tuy in 1926.
- Mary Faustina Kowalska claimed to have had recorded her visions of Jesus.
- According to the Book of Mormon, Jesus Christ appeared to a group of people living in the Americas.
References
- 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. Note, though, that the title was added postumously, and the only use of the word in the book itself is a citation of another scholar.
- James A. Borland, Christ in the Old Testament: Old Testament Appearances of Christ in Human Form, Chicago: Moody, 1978; 2nd ed. Fearn: Mentor, 1999; fresh reprint 2010. Borland's original doctoral work carried the main title Christophanies (ThD diss.; Grace Theological Seminary, 1976).
- 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."
- James Hall, A History of Ideas and Images in Italian Art, p. 86, 1983, John Murray, London, ISBN 0719539714
- Longman, Tremper (2005). How To Read Genesis. p. 172.
- Bunge, Gabriel (2007). The Rublev Trinity. St Vladimir's Seminary Press. p. 48.
- MacMillan, J. Douglas (1991). Wrestling with God: Lessons from the life of Jacob. Evangelical Press of Wales. p. 56.
- 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."