Preincarnate Appearances of Christ
Certain Old Testament appearances of God are appearances of the preincarnate Son.
This doctrine distinguishes traditions but is not a boundary of orthodoxy.
What the traditions say
Justin Martyr and Irenaeus taught that the "Angel of the LORD" and other OT theophanies were appearances of the pre-incarnate Logos.
The Orthodox liturgy and iconographic tradition frequently identify OT theophanies with the Logos. The Rublev Trinity icon depicts the three visitors at Mamre as the Trinity.
Common Reformed position following the Fathers. Calvin cautiously affirmed it. Many Reformed theologians identify the Angel of the LORD as the Son.
Augustine argued that OT theophanies were mediated by created angels, not direct appearances of the Son. Catholic teaching is open but not definitive on this point.
Who binds this (creedal)
Every affiliated congregation inherits its denomination's position. Follow a chip to see the confession's language.
Key scriptures
- 1Pet 1:11 — Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.
- Col 1:16 — For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
- Dan 3:25 — He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.
- Exod 3:2 — And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
- Gen 16:7 — And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur.
- Gen 18:1 — And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;
- Gen 32:24 — And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.
- Heb 1:1 — God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
- Heb 1:3 — Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
- Isa 6:1 — In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the LORD sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.
- John 1:18 — No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
- John 8:58 — Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
- Josh 5:13 — And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?
- Josh 5:14 — And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant?
- Judg 13:18 — And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it is secret?
- Mic 5:2 — But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
What the confessions say
Articles of the historic confessions that address this doctrine.
- Reformed Belgic Confession Art18 — The Incarnation
- Reformed Baptist 1689 London Baptist Confession 8.2 — Of Christ the Mediator
- Lutheran Augsburg Confession Article 3 — Of the Son of God
- Roman Catholic Council of Trent (Decrees) On Justification · Chapter II — On the dispensation and mystery of Christ’s advent
- Anglican Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion Article 2 — Of the Word or Son of God, which was made very Man
- Ecumenical Chalcedonian Definition text — Chalcedonian Definition
The Church Fathers
The earliest Fathers who commented on the Scriptures above.
This is the way, dear friends, in which we found our salvation, Jesus Christ, the high priest of our offerings, the protector and helper of our weakness. Through him we fix our gaze on the heights of heaven. In him we see mirrored God's pure and transcendent face. Through him the eyes of our hearts have been opened. Through him our…
"Because," he answered, "God planted the vineyard, that is to say, He created the people, and gave them to His Son; and the Son appointed His angels over them to keep them; and He Himself purged away their sins, having suffered many trials and undergone many labours, for no one is able to dig without labour and toil. He Himself, then,…
If, then, neither Moses, nor Elias, nor Ezekiel, who had all many celestial visions, did see God; but if what they did see were similitudes of the splendour of the Lord, and prophecies of things to come; it is manifest that the Father is indeed invisible, of whom also the Lord said, "No man hath seen God at any time." But His Word, as…
Now all men, having the same judgment, some, following the Word speaking, frame for themselves proofs; while others, giving themselves up to pleasures, wrest Scripture, in accordance with their lusts. And the lover of truth, as I think, needs force of soul. For those who make the greatest attempts must fail in things of the highest…
And therefore, inasmuch as he had said that the Word of God was God, in order that he might give no help to the presumption of the adversary, (which pretended) that he had seen the Father Himself and in order to draw a distinction between the invisible Father and the visible Son, he makes the additional assertion, ex abundanti as it…
If, again, he allege His own word when He said, "I and the Father are one," let him attend to the fact, and understand that He did not say, "I and the Father am one, but are one." For the word are is not said of one person, but it refers to two persons, and one power. He has Himself made this clear, when He spake to His Father…