1. THE FACT THAT CHRIST APPEARED IN THE OLD TESTAMENT.

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

John 14:7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

John 14:8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us.

John 14:9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?

John 14:10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

John 14:11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.

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.

The Jehovah of the 0. T. is the Jesus of the N. T. "Jehovah" is the "I AM"

Exo 3:13 And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?

Exo 3:14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

Christ declared Himself to be of the "I AM" (Jehovah)

John 8:57 Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?

John 8:58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was,

I am.

 

2. THE PERSONS TO WHOM CHRIST APPEARED IN THE 0. T.

(a) ADAM & EVE: Gen. 3:8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.

CAIN: Gen 4:6 And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?

Gen 4:9 And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?

Gen 4:13 And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear.

Gen 4:15 And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.

Gen 4:16 And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.

(b) PATRIARCHS:

Abraham: Gen 17:1 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.

Gen 17:2 And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.

Gen 17:3 And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,

Isaac: Gen. 26:2 And the LORD appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of:

Jacob: Gen 35:9 And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of Padanaram, and blessed him.

Gen 35:13 And God went up from him in the place where he talked with him.

Moses: Exo 33:17 And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.

Exo 33:18 And he said, I beseech thee, show me thy glory.

Exo 33:19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.

Exo 33:20 And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.

Exo 33:21 And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:

Exo 33:22 And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:

Exo 33:23 And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.

(c) PRIESTS & ELDERS: Exo 24:9 Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel:

Exo 24:10 And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness.

Exo 24:11 And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink.

(d) JUDGES:

Gideon: Judges 6:12 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.

Judges 6:16 And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.

Samuel: 1 Sam 3:10 And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.

1 Sam 3:21 And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD.

(e) KINGS:

David: 2 Chr 3:1 Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem in mount Moriah, where the Lord appeared unto David his father, in the place that David had prepared in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.

Solomon: 2 Chr 1:7 In that night did God appear unto Solomon, and said unto him, Ask what I shall give thee.

(f) PROPHETS:

Isaiah: 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.

Isa 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

Jeremiah: Jer 1:9 Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.

Daniel: Dan 3:23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

Dan 3:24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.

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.

From this we see that the revelation of God through Christ is not for any limited class, but is for all.

 

3. THE MANNER IN WHICH CHRIST APPEARED IN THE 0. T.

(a) AS A MAN. Gen. 18:1-3, 17, 33. Gen. 32:24-30. Joshua 5:13-15 and 6:2. Judges 13:10 and 22.

(b) AS AN ANGEL. ("The angel of the Lord) ( is Christ). Judg. 6:12, 15, 16. Ex. 3:2, 6. Num. 22:22, 28, 35, 38.

(c) IN A CLOUD. Ex. 19: 9, 16-24. Ex. 20:1, 18. Ex. 24:9-18. Exodus 34:5, 6. Leviticus 16:2.

(d) IN DREAMS AND VISIONS. I Kings 3:5. Ezek, 1:1, 3:22-23.

(e) IN A STILL SMALL VOICE. I Kings 19:11-15.

 

4. THE PURPOSES FOR WHICH CHRIST APPEARED IN THE 0. T.

(a) TO JUDGE. Adam: Gen. 3:8-19. Cain: Gen. 4:8-12, 16.

(b) TO REVEAL. Abraham: Gen. 17:1-3, 7, 8. Moses: Ex. 34:1-5.

(c) TO DIRECT. Isaac: Gen. 26:1, 2. Gideon: Judg. 6:13-16.

Jere­miah 1:7, 8. Samuel: I Sam. 3:10-14.

(d) TO BLESS. Jacob: Gen. 35:9. Solomon: II Chr. 1:7-12.

 

5. THE CONTRAST WITH THE NEW TESTAMENT APPEARANCES.

(a) In the 0. T. times: Temporary and occasional.

Gen 17:22 And he left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.

Gen 18:33 And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.

Judg 6:22 And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the LORD, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord GOD! for because I have seen an angel of the LORD face to face.

(b) During His life on earth: subject to the limitations of mankind.

Mat 1:21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

Mat 1:23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

John 9:4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.

John 9:5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

John 13:33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you.

(c) At His second coming: glorious, universal, eternal.

(aa) For the Church (unseen by world)

1 Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

1 Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

(bb) With the Church (seen by all).

Rev 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

Mat 24:27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

Mat 24:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

Col 3:4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

by David E. Hubbard

Created by SuzyB