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Revision as of 02:53, 26 April 2006 by 68.6.90.73 (talk)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)A Christophany is an appearance of the preincarnate Christ in the Old Testament, or after his ascension. (A Christophany is thus a special case of a theophany.) The Bible does not always clearly identify the figure as Christ, for example sometimes using the phrase "the Angel of the LORD". Consequently, identification of a given incident as a Christophany, as opposed to a vision of an angel, is a matter of debate among biblical commentators.
Some Christians believe Jesus came to Earth at various times before the New Testament, including once as Melchizedek himself (Gen. 14:18-20, Psalm 110:4, Heb. 7).
(The term "Angel of the LORD" is first mentioned in Genesis 16:7 - The angel of the LORD found Hagar near a spring in the desert (New International Version).)
A Christophany also is believed to have occurred when Jacob wrestled with a man in Gen. 32. Jacob says he has "seen God face to face," but Hosea 12:4 mentions an angel. This can be reconciled, if it was the angel of the LORD, as Christ said He "and the Father are one" (John 10:30).
One example is the "Man" who appears to Joshua, and identifies Himself as "the commander of the army of the LORD." (Joshua 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 Revelation 19:9-10. Additionally, He declared the ground to be holy; elsewhere in the Bible, only things or places set aside for God or claimed by Him are called holy. Note that Jewish commentators reading the same text do not accept that this figure was Christ (or even Adonai). Another example of a Christophany is in Daniel 3:25, when the fourth man in the furnace is described as "The Son Of God."
A New Testament Christophany is Paul's vision of Christ on the road to Damascus, and the subsequent one Ananias has.
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