Each of these accompanying natural phenomena would appeal to a broader range of physical senses as God sometimes chose to speak in these things. Sometimes, these theophanies would be accompanied by some type of material phenomenon such as fire, wind, or earthquake as in the cases of Moses in Exodus 3, the nation of Israel in Exodus 13 and Elijah in 1Kings 19.
Another is Genesis 12 where God spoke to Abraham. God speaking to Noah in Genesis 6 is just such an example. In some theophonic experiences, God will accommodate only man’s sense of hearing. In so doing, God is demonstrating compassion for the limitations of the human mind to understand things that are beyond his ability to comprehend. They provide man with a point of reference that man can comprehend. Theophonic experiences in scripture assume many forms, yet all seem to have a singular function. A theophany then is a hearing of the voice of God. The word ‘theophany’ is derived from two Greek words, “Θεὸς” meaning God and “φωνή” meaning sound or voice. There are some eight accounts of this type of theophany found in the Old Testament. Still, there are other times when he visited man in human form. Other times, he appears as objects such as the cloud or the pillar of fire that went before Israel in the wilderness. Sometimes he visited himself upon man in the form of dreams or visions as to the prophet Isaiah in Isaiah chapter six.
He spoke to Adam, to Cain, to Noah, to the Hebrew patriarchs, to Moses, to the prophets, and to others. At times, God availed himself only to man’s auditory senses. We know from the many examples of theophonic manifestations in the Old Testament that God has repeatedly presented himself to man in a number of ways. If John is arguing from the first definition, this needs to be understood in the light of pragmatic Old Testament examples. Thirdly, it means to become acquainted with through pragmatic experience (The 1981 New Thayer’s Greek English Lexicon, p 451). Secondly, it means to see with the mind, to know, to perceive. The word “ἑώρακεν” that is translated here as ‘seen’ in most of the English translations is third person singular of “ὁράω” which, according to Thayer, has three basic definitions. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.” But I deliberately put a small letter for only when the men depart (and become two men when they reach Lot in Sodom) only then does Abraham converse with the Lord.Īnd the God of glory appeared unto Abraham. Though one time three men draw near and Abraham says 'my lord'. Over and over.īut from other scriptures we know that this was not a physical appearance. And afterwards, it was God's initiative, all the way. Progressed no further.īut that initial appearance remained with Abraham and urged him onwards to Canaan. It was clearly something to do with nature - his father seems to have got involved and seems to have organised the family. Right at the beginning, before he had built any altars, before he knew a thing and before he had been obedient in any way. The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran, Acts 7:2 KJV
Stephen enlarges on this just before they stoned him : No man hath seen God at any time John 1:18 KJV If Abraham saw (anything) with his eyes, where was the faith ? And why would he be evaluated unto righteousness if he had seen ? God appeared in Spirit to Abraham, not by sight, but to faith.Īnd Abraham believed God - and it was evaluated to him unto righteousness Genesis 15:6 Really, you have answered your own question. How can we make sense of John 1:18, given that God has appeared to multiple people, who are even said to have "seen" God, the same word used in John 1:18? All of these occasions would have been known to the readers of John, so what should we conclude that John intended to be understood by what he wrote? Job 42:5: My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. While Exodus 33:18-23 describes God appearing to Moses:ġ8 And he saith, "Shew me, I pray Thee, Thine honour " 19 and He saith, "I cause all My goodness to pass before thy face, and have called concerning the Name of Jehovah before thee, and favoured him whom I favour, and loved him whom I love." 20 He saith also, "Thou art unable to see My face, for man doth not see Me, and live " 21 Jehovah also saith, "Lo, a place by Me, and thou hast stood on the rock, 22 and it hath come to pass, in the passing by of Mine honour, that I have set thee in a cleft of the rock, and spread out My hands over thee, until My passing by, 23 and I have turned aside My hands, and thou hast seen My back parts, and My face is not seen." The Lord appeared to Abram and said, "I am God Almighty." "No man has seen God at any time the only begotten Son, who is in theīosom of the Father, He has declared Him."
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