The Glorious Man

He appeared to Moses. He appeared to John.

compiled by Rachel Cory-Kuehl, September 10, 2022

Scripture quoted from the NKJV unless otherwise noted.

JOHN SAW CHRIST

 

Revelation 1:10-18 [John is given a vision] “I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, 11 saying, ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last’ . . . 12 Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. 14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; 15 His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; 16 He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. 17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, ‘Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. 18 I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.’”

 

Christ glorified still has the form of man. He has eyes, a mouth, a voice, feet and hands. He is clothed in a priest’s robe. When He returns to this earth, He will still have a human form. Matthew 25:31 “He sit upon the throne of His glory.” What about the pre-incarnate Son of God?

MOSES SAW CHRIST

 

Exodus 24:9-11 Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of lapis lazuli, as bright blue as the sky. 11 But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw God, and they ate and drank. (NIV)

 

The “God” they saw, could not have been God the Father. Jesus said that no one has seen the Father.

 

NOTE: The climb up Mount Sinai to meet with God, took place before the golden calf rebellion. The elders of Israel would therefore have been the priests - the firstborn of each clan.

IN OUR IMAGE

 

Genesis 1:26 “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness . . .” (NAS).

            It should trouble no one, that God’s Son looked like a man - a glorious man.

EZEKIEL SAW CHRIST

 

Ezekiel 1:1-26 He “saw visions of God” (v1). He saw “four living creatures” supporting a “chariot” with inner workings like wheels within wheels. It moved like a whirlwind. “And above the firmament over their heads was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like a sapphire stone; on the likeness of the throne was a likeness with the appearance of a man high above it.”

NO MAN HAS SEEN THE FATHER

 

John 6:46 [Yeshua speaking] “Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father.”

 

John 1:18 [Yeshua speaking] “No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.”

 

If no human being has ever seen God the Father, then how do we understand those Old Testament passages which say that God “appeared” to patriarchs and prophets?

 

Exodus 6:3 “And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.”

 

If He appeared - if they saw Him, then this must be the Son, because “no one has seen the Father.”

 

As the mediator or representative for His Father, the Son of God would take the NAME of His Father. In our Western culture, we don’t understand this. We think that each person should have a unique name. But the ancients understood this practice very well. They understood that the emissary of the King comes in the name of the King. Yehovah would then be the name used by the pre-incarnate Son of God, when He spoke to Moses, to Joshua, or to later prophets. He spoke AS Yehovah - the LORD. When He later incarnated as a human being, He was called Jesus, but He still spoke “in the name of” His Father. “I have come in My Father's name . . .” (John 5:43).

THE ONE MEDIATOR

 

I Timothy 2:5 “There is one God and one mediator between God and men,

                                                                              the Man Christ Jesus.”

 

His work of mediation was not limited to the years since He was resurrected and glorified. No. No. His work of mediation began on the day that Eve ate the forbidden fruit. Mankind was “cut off” from the Father. The Son of God would work to bring about a reconciliation. Even today, the Father pours out His Spirit through His Son. The Son of God is the agent of His Father, for creation, for communication, for judgment, for healing, and for restoration.

 

THE LORD APPEARED TO ABRAHAM

 

Genesis 17:1-22 “When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD [ADONAI] appeared to Abram and said to him, ‘I am Almighty God [El Shaddai]; walk before Me and be blameless. And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.’” ... “Then He finished talking with him, and God [‘elohiym] went up from Abraham.”

            NOTE: Remember that Messiah is called “Mighty God” in Isaiah 9:6.

 

 

Genesis 18:1-33 “Then the Lord [Yehovah] appeared to him [Abraham] by the terebinth trees of Mamre” . . . “three men were standing by him.” [One of the men said to Abraham] “I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son” (v.10).

[As the “men” are ready to depart] “And the Lord [ADONAI] said, ‘Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing . . .?” (v.17). ‘I will go down now [to Sodom] and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know. . . “‘If I find fifty righteous . . . then I will spare all . . .’

        “Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, but        Abraham     still stood before the Lord [ADONAI] . . .”

“So the Lord went His way as soon as He had finished speaking with Abraham; and Abraham returned to his place.”

 

NOTE: The three “men” who visited with Abraham were actually the pre-incarnate Son of God and two of the heavenly angels under His command. They appeared in the human form. They did not become human. The two angels went on to Sodom, while “the Lord” continued speaking with Abraham.

THE ANGEL OF THE LORD - SPEAKS AS GOD

    

Genesis 22:1-18 “But the Angel of the LORD [Yehovah] called to him from heaven and said, ‘Abraham, Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ And He said, ‘Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son your only son, from Me.’”

 

NOTE: The Angel of the LORD speaks as Yehovah, saying, “You have not withheld your son . . . from Me.” The word “angel” means “messenger” or “one sent.” Christ clearly stated that He had been “sent” by - and from, His Father. He was “the Word” from God, even before He became flesh (John 1:14).

THE ANGEL - WHO WRESTLED WITH JACOB - SPOKE AS GOD

 

Genesis 32:24-30 Jacob wrestled with “a Man” who blessed him and changed his name to Israel. Jacob said “I have seen God [‘elohiym] face to face and my life has been preserved.”

    Hosea 12:3 Writing of Jacob and the Angel, Hosea says of Jacob, “He struggled with God.”

 

Hosea 12:4 “He [Jacob] had power over the Angel and prevailed.”

 

Genesis 31:10-13 Jacob said, “The Angel of God spoke to me in a dream saying, ‘I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar and where you made a vow to Me.’”

Genesis 48:16 Jacob speaking: “the Angel which redeemed me from all evil bless the lads:”

 

The word “angel” simply means “messenger.” The Messenger of the LORD during the period of the Old Testament, was the Son of God - the “One Mediator” between God and man.

The Greek “arch” means first or chief. (Example: The Greek archiereus, #749 - meaning “high priest” or “chief priest.”) Archangel therefore means “chief messenger” or “high messenger.” The Son of God is definitely the Chief Messenger, for God His Father.

 

THE ANGEL - IN THE BURNING BUSH - SPEAKS AS GOD                      

 

Exodus 3:2-6 “And the Angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of the burning bush:”(v.4). “God [‘elohiym] called to him out of the midst of the bush,”(v.5). “Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground”(v.6). “I am the God of your father--the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.”

 

Exodus 3:16 [Yehovah - speaking with Moses at the burning bush] “Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, The LORD God [Yehovah ‘elohiym] of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt:” (Exodus 4:5 same wording.)

 

Exodus 3:13-14 [From the burning bush] “And God [‘elohiym] said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM,’ [Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh]. And He said, ‘Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, I AM has sent me to you.’”

 

    John 8:58-59 “Jesus said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you before Abraham was I AM.’ Then they took up stones to throw at him . . .”

 

Exodus 6:3 [To Moses at the burning bush] “I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, [El Shaddai] but by My name LORD [Yehovah] I was not known to them.

 

NOTE: In Exodus 6:3, the Being who appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob by the name “God Almighty,” now takes the name Yehovah. We recognize this as the name of the Father in Psalm 110:1 - “The LORD said to my Lord.”

            When Christ came to earth as a man, He said, “I have come in my Father's name” (Jn 5:43).

He acted as the agent of His Father.

 

During the period covered by the Old Testament Scriptures, He acted as “the Messenger of the LORD.” When He spoke for His Father, he took His Father’s name Yehovah (LORD).

THE ANGEL - WHO LEAD ISRAEL IN THE WILDERNESS

 

Exodus 14:19 “And the Angel of God [‘elohiym], which went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them and the pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them.”

 

The presence of “the Angel of God” was manifest as the cloudy/fire pillar.

 

Exodus 23:20-21 “And God [‘elohiym] spoke all these words, saying . . .” (Exo 20:1). “Behold, I send an Angel before you to keep you in the way and to bring you into the place I have prepared. Beware of Him and obey His voice: do not provoke Him for He will not pardon your transgressions; for My name is in Him.”

 

He speaks in My name. My name is IN Him. I believe this “Angel” (messenger), was the pre-incarnate Christ - the “one Mediator between God and man.” When the pillar descended to the Tabernacle, “the LORD spoke to Moses face to face.”

 

Exodus 33:9-11 .” . . the pillar of cloud descended and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the LORD talked with Moses.” “So the LORD [Yehovah] spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.”

 

Judges 2:1-2 [The Lord spoke to Israel through Phinehas, the High Priest] “And the Angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I swore unto Your fathers, and I said, I will never break My covenant with you.” .” . . but you have not obeyed My voice”(v.2).

Isaiah 63:9 “In all their affliction He was afflicted,

                                                    and the Angel of His presence saved them.”

 

Christ is The Messenger of the LORD’s presence, the mediator between God and men

(1Cor. 10:1-4).

COMMANDER OF THE ARMY OF THE LORD

 

Joshua 5:13-15 “And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, ‘Are You for us or for our adversaries?’

 

[The man then answers.] So He said, ‘No, but as Commander of the army of the LORD [Yehovah] I have now come.’

 

[Joshua’s response] And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, ‘What does my Lord say to His servant?’

Then the Commander of the LORD'S [ADONAI's] army said to Joshua, ‘Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy.’ And Joshua did so."

 

Only the divine presence could render the ground “holy.” We are reminded of the command to Moses at the burning bush. This “man” claims to be the commander of the LORD’s army. In Revelation 12:7, “Michael and His angels fought against the Devil and his angels.” It certainly appears that the name of God’s Son, prior to His incarnation, was Michael. The name means “Like unto God.” Honestly, what created angel would dare to take that name.

 

Someone is going to say, “Rachel, that’s what Jehovah’s Witnesses believe.” So what! I teach ‘em, as I see ‘em. I do not choose my beliefs based on denomination. I DO BELIEVE that Christ should be worshiped. He was and is divine. God the Father has commanded that we worship His Son. We see examples of men as well as angels offering worship to God’s Son.

      See our studies: “Worthy of Worship,” and “Two Divine Beings.”

THE ANGEL OF THE LORD - WHOSE NAME IS WONDERFUL

      The Angel of the LORD announces the birth of Sampson, to Manoah and his wife.

 

Judges 13:1-25 (v.18) “And the Angel of the LORD [Yehovah] said to him, ‘Why do you ask My name, seeing it is wonderful’” (v.20) “the Angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the altar.” (v.22) “We will surely die, because we have seen [‘elohiym] God!”

            NOTE: “And His name shall be called, Wonderful . . .” (Isaiah 9:6).

A MESSENGER - IN THE FORM OF GOD

 

Philippians 2:5 Prior to His incarnation, the Son of God existed “in the form of God” but did not “consider it robbery [something to be grasped] to be equal with God.”

 

NOTE: Satan did grasp at the throne of God. He wanted to make himself equal with God.

 

Hebrews 1:3 Prior to His incarnation, the Son of God was “the brightness” of His Father’s glory” and “the express image of His person.” He upheld “all things by the word of His power.”

 

Hebrews 1:2 Prior to His incarnation, the Son of God was the agent “through whom” the Father “made the worlds.” (See also I Cor 8:6, Jn 1:3, Eph 3:9, Col 1:19.)

        PRIOR TO HIS INCARNATION,

THE SON OF GOD WAS

THE ANGEL OF THE LORD, THE ANGEL OF HIS PRESENCE,

THE ANGEL OF THE COVENANT,

THE MEDIATOR BETWEEN GOD AND MAN.

CHIEF MESSENGER

            The word “angel” means “messenger” or “one sent.”

      Arch-angel would mean “chief messenger.”

 

            Who is the Father's “chief messenger” to His creation?

      Answer: His Son!

John 1:14 Christ was the “Word”of God before He “became flesh.”

continued next page

MICHAEL - THE ARCHANGEL

            Michael is the only being in Scripture, who is called “archangel.”

      Gabriel, although certainly a high created being, is never designated “archangel.”

Jude 9 “Michael, the archangel” disputed with the Devil contending for the body of Moses.

            Christ wanted to resurrect Moses, but Satan pointed to Moses’ sin as a reason to refuse it.

Because Satan does not obey the Son of God, Christ referred him to God the Father for rebuke. Romans 5:14 says, “death reigned from Adam to Moses,” so we know that Moses was the first person ever to be set free from death.

 

1 Thessalonians 4:16 “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the Archangel's call, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first;” RSV

            John 5:25 [Jesus said] “The dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God.”

 

Connect these two verses. The “voice” is that of God’s Son. He IS the Archangel - the Chief Messenger. Certainly no one thinks that a created angel will raise the dead.

MICHAEL - YOUR PRINCE

 

Daniel 10:21 Michael was called “Your Prince,” by the angel Gabriel, speaking to Daniel.

 

Daniel 10:13, 20-21 The angel told Daniel, “no one upholds me against these (evil angels), except Michael, your prince.”

 

NOTE: The “prince of the kingdom of Persia,” and “the prince of Greece” were evil angels who fought against God’s angels for control of those earthly kings. The only One who could help this angel in the fight against these demons, was Michael - the Son of God.

 

Daniel 10:13 “But the prince of the kingdom of Persia (an evil angel) withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one (first) of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia.

 

Here certainly, it is clear that the “prince of Persia” must be a supernatural being. No human being could withstand an angel of God, for twenty-one days.

 

It is my understanding that the Hebrew word “‘echad,” (Strong's #1520) here translated “one,” can also mean “first.” Michael is “first” of the chief princes. He is head over the angels. He is the archangel, or chief messenger.

 

Daniel 12:1 “Michael” is called “the Great Prince who stands for the children of your people.”

    Acts 5:31 Paul said, “Him hath God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince.”

 

Daniel 8:25 The Messiah is called the “Prince of princes,” and the “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).

THE ANGEL WITH THE GOLDEN CENSER

 

Now that I have (hopefully) convinced you, that God’s Son (prior to His incarnation) existed in a human like form, and was called “the Angel of the LORD,” we can consider Revelation Chapter 8, and the “angel” with the golden censer.

 

Revelation 8:1-5 “When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the alter. And he was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden alter which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the alter, and threw it to the earth.”

 

In the ancient Sanctuary (later the Temple) only the High Priest carried the golden censer, and then only on the Day of Atonement. John is looking into Heaven, into “the true Tabernacle.” He sees an angel with “a golden censer.” This angel must be Christ, our great High Priest, the one Mediator who presents our prayers before God (Heb. 9:1, Heb. 9:23, Heb. 4;14, Heb. 6:20).

 

The censer is filled with fire and thrown to the earth. It is a symbol of judgment and impending destruction. The smoke symbolized prayer ascending to God. After the censer is thrown down, no other prayers for forgiveness or blessing can ascend to God.

THE ANGEL WHO SWORE BY GOD HIMSELF

 

Revelation 10:1-6 “I saw still another mighty angel coming down from heaven, clothed with a cloud. And a rainbow was on his head, his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire. ... The angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised up his hand to heaven and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things that are in it, the earth and the things that are in it, and the sea and the things that are in it, that there should be delay no longer ...”

 

Compare the description of the Son of God in Revelation 1:10-18, with the description of the “Man clothed in linen” in Daniel Chapters 10 and 12.

 

Daniel 12:7 Then I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever.

WE ARE NOT TO WORSHIP CREATED BEINGS.

 

Revelation 19:10 [John speaking] “And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, ‘See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the Testimony of Jesus. Worship God!’”

 

Revelation 22:8,9 [John speaking] “I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things. Then he said to me, ‘See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.’”

 

When John fell down to worship a messenger other than Christ, he was corrected. But Christ is NOT a created being. He is the Son of God - begotten of the Father and worthy of worship (Hebrews 1:6, Revelation 5:12-13). He is called “the Angel of the Lord” and “the Archangel,” because He is “the Word,” the Chief Communicator, and the “one Mediator between God and man.”

SON OF GOD

MEDIATOR BETWEEN GOD AND MANKIND

WORD OF GOD

ARCHANGEL MICHAEL

COMMANDER OF THE LORD’S ARMY

ANGEL OF THE LORD

ANGEL OF HIS PRESENCE

LAMB OF GOD

HIGH PRIEST

COMFORTER WITH US ALWAYS

KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS

 

God the Father could not become a helpless human baby, and then die on a cross, while at the same time He continued to uphold all things by the word of His power. There had to be two of Him. That is why He beget the Son.

 

Before He began His creation, God made provision for our rescue. He beget a Son in His own “express image.” (An “image” is a copy, of an original.) The Son of God then became the agent of His Father for creation, mediation, redemption and judgment.

 

Mankind was also “made” in the “image” of God, but not with divine powers. The Son of God took the form and the nature of man, in order to represent and model the will of God for created beings. He would recover the dominion originally given to mankind, but lost to Satan.

      See our study: “Dominion.”

 

The Son would be the means whereby God could be just, and yet the justifier. Through His Son, He created this world. Through His Son, God will finally save the willing from sin and Satan. From the beginning, until the glorious end, we see the Son of God assuming another, and another, and yet another role - from “Angel of His Presence,” to “Lamb slain from the foundation of the world,” to High Priest before the throne of God, to “King of Kings and Lord of Lords.”

 

All this, to effect the goal of reconciliation and reunion with The Father. We are reconciled to the Father, through the Son. The Father is NOT reconciled to us. He has always loved us. We are reconciled to Him when we come to see how much He loves us.

 

Colossians 1:19-20 “For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself.”

We pray this study will prove a blessing.

Prophecy Viewpoint

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