A little know fact: Christ appeared as a man before His incarnation

We are generally under the impression that Christ took the form of man only at His incarnation. But the Bible tells us otherwise. The LORD appeared to Abraham as a man when Abraham sat outside his tent in the plains of Mamre. But He also appeared to him as a man when Abraham was in the plain of Moreh (after entering the land of Canaan), then later on when Abraham was 99 years old. He also visited Sarah at the time she gave birth to Isaac, when Abraham was 100 years old.

We know that no man has seen God the Father at any time (John 1:18). Therefore any reference to "the LORD" appearing as a man is a reference to the pre-incarnate Christ (who also appeared many times as "the Angel of the LORD").

IN THE PLAIN OF MOREH WHEN ABRAHAM WAS ABRAM
And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land. And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him. (Gen 12:6,7)

It would seem that the LORD appeared as a man and spoke to Abram face to face. But Abram knew that this was God, therefore he built an altar and worshipped there. This is quite amazing.

WHEN ABRAM WAS NINETY NINE YEARS OLD
And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying... (Gen 17:1-3)

IN THE PLAINS OF MAMRE
And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground (Gen 18:1,2)

WHEN ISAAC WAS BORN
And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken... And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called. (Gen 21:1,12)

In all of this it is evident that Abraham and Sarah were special in God’s sight and in His plans for Christ. But we also see that Christ was appearing to men ever since He appeared to Adam and long before His incarnation.

I also believe in Christophanies (where Christ appeared in His pre-incarnate form in the Old Testament).

I believe that Christ:

Appeared to Joshua as "Commander of the Army of the Lord"

Appeared to Balaam after he had struck his donkey three times (the Lord opened Balaam's eyes)

Wrestled with Jacob (prior to Jacob being renamed "Israel")

Sent fire down from heaven during the contest at Mt. Carmel

Sent fire and brimstone down to destroy Sodom & Gomorrah (He would have spared Sodom if at least 10 righteous people could have been found there).


I'm sure I'm forgetting a few................

Moses saw him while he was placed in the cleft of the rock.When Jesus passed by he placed his hand between him and Moses as a covering.
It would have to be his left hand that he used and it's the same reason why Moses was only to see the back of Jesus as he passed by.
There was no blood.In the Old Testament they were only covered with the water.
But now that the covering has been torn at the death of Jesus on the cross,You can walk into the holies of holies and see his face.
You do that through the Holy Spirit and the word of God.The torn veil is the word of God.And his Two Witnesses.Left side is the Old Covenant and right is the new.
Our physical Bodies have these signs too.Jesus is the head of the church.The covering is the hair.When we part our hair that's covering our eyes to see,it's like the tearing of the veil.

Exodus 23

20 “I am going to send an angel before you to protect you on the way and bring you to the place I have prepared.

21 Be attentive to him and listen to him. Do not defy him, because he will not forgive your acts of rebellion, for my name is in him.

22 But if you will carefully obey him and do everything I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and a foe to your foes.

True. But when Christ appeared to Moses at the burning bush, He appeared as "the Angel of the LORD". But because of the flaming bush He may not even have been visible and Moses may have kept his eyes only on the bush. It was there that Jesus identified Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and as I AM THAT I AM or I AM. Therefore when Jesus of Nazareth said that He was "I AM" all the religious leaders should have bowed down and worshipped Him. Instead they took up stones to stone Him for blasphemy.

I think probably it was Jesus who walked with Adam and Eve in the garden and appeared to Gideon.

Yes indeed.
He personally made man (Adam) in His own image. I guess we shouldn't be too surprised when He met with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day and with Moses on an occasion or more. The times He saw God, it was Christ. When God not show Himself, it was the Father.

This doctrine is why it is sad that Jews today do not believe in the God of the Bible, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. If it weren't for their Rabbis, they would perhaps believe and call upon the name of the Lord as Abraham did.

Very good post.

The visions of YHWH in the Old Testament are also of that same man.

Everything was created through Jesus and for Jesus.

We exist for Jesus and no other reason.

Brought to mind Isaiah 6

Amen he also Appeared after in glory

“And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: and he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.”
‭‭Acts‬ ‭9:3-7‬ ‭

“…..our Lord Jesus Christ: which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of Lords; who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.”
‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭6:14-16‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Yes. The apostle John refers to this vision when speaking of Christ: These things said Esaias, when he saw His glory, and spake of Him. (John 12:41).

So when did Isaiah see Christ's glory? 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. (Isaiah 6:1). Here "the Lord" is not mentioned as YHWH but as אֲדֹנָ֛י (’ă-ḏō-nāy). Therefore "the Lord" is not in small capitals.

Now there is a very mysterious passage in Daniel where God the Father is revealed as "the Ancient of Days" and Jesus is revealed as "one like unto the Son of Man". But in this case God the Father has a human form just like the human form of Christ in Revelation 1.

I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of Days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. (Dan 7:9) And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. (Rev 1:13-15)

But once again in Revelation, God the Father is revealed as having a human form and Christ the Lamb comes and takes a scroll out of His hand: And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald... And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals... And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. (Rev 4:2,3; 5:1,6,7)

There is no doubt that we see here "the Mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ" (Col 2:2).

Yes and the one below.

Daniel 7:13-14
“I kept looking in the night visions,
And behold, with the clouds of heaven
One like a son of man was coming,
And He came up to the Ancient of Days
And was presented before Him.
And to Him was given dominion,
Honor, and a kingdom,
So that all the peoples, nations, and populations of all languages
Might serve Him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
Which will not pass away.