Theophany

Definition and Meaning

Theophany means "appearance of God." The Korean term sinhyeon (神顯) renders the English word theophany, which derives from the Greek theos ("god") and phainō ("to show" or "to make appear"). It refers to the invisible God revealing himself at a particular time and place in a form or phenomenon recognizable to the human senses. In Korean it is also called hyeonhyeon (顯現), "manifestation." When such an appearance is understood as an appearance of the preincarnate Christ, it is sometimes specifically called a christophany.

Theophany is distinguished from the Incarnation. A theophany is a temporary appearance, whereas the Incarnation is understood as the Son of God actually becoming man.

Biblical and Historical Background

The Old Testament records theophanies in several forms.

• Human form: the three men who visited Abraham (Genesis 18) and the one who wrestled with Jacob (Genesis 32)
• Natural phenomena: the burning bush (Exodus 3); the thunder, lightning, and thick cloud at Mount Sinai (Exodus 19); and the cloud and glory that covered the tabernacle (Exodus 40:34–35)
• Visions: the throne visions seen by Isaiah and Ezekiel (Isaiah 6; Ezekiel 1)
• The Angel of the LORD: a being who appeared to Hagar, Gideon, and others and spoke as God (Genesis 16; Judges 6)

At the same time, Scripture also states that no one has seen God (Exodus 33:20; John 1:18). Theologians have explained this to mean that God condescends to reveal himself only in ways that human beings can bear.

Interpretations differ concerning the "fourth" figure whom Nebuchadnezzar saw in the fire during the fiery furnace episode (Daniel 3:25). Some interpret this figure as the preincarnate Christ. Others identify it as an angel, citing the passage in which Nebuchadnezzar himself says that God "hath sent his angel" to deliver his servants (Daniel 3:24–28).

Views also differed in the early church. Justin Martyr, writing in the second century, is known to have regarded the Old Testament appearances as appearances of the Son. Augustine, in On the Trinity, is known to have held that there was no clear basis for attributing them to the Son alone and that they may have been appearances mediated through angels.

In the New Testament, the scene at the baptism of Jesus, when the Spirit descended like a dove and a voice was heard from heaven (Matthew 3:16–17), is regarded as a principal example of theophany. The Eastern Orthodox Church calls the feast commemorating this event "Theophany" and celebrates it as the day on which the Trinity was revealed. Western churches observe the same feast as Epiphany, though they have a strong tradition of centering the commemoration on the visit of the Magi.

Usage in Korean Churches

The term sinhyeon is used mainly in seminary lectures, commentaries, and theological works. In preaching, expressions such as "God's appearing" or "God's presence" are more common. No denominational general assembly is known to have adopted a specific resolution on theophany, and differences among denominations appear mainly in their approaches to biblical interpretation.

• Sermons that read the Old Testament christocentrically often identify "the Angel of the LORD" or the "fourth" figure in the fiery furnace as Christ. Such interpretations appear widely in the preaching of various denominations, including Presbyterian, Methodist, and Holiness churches.
• Methodist, Anglican, and some Presbyterian churches that follow the church calendar relatively closely read the accounts of the baptism of Jesus during the Epiphany season, emphasizing it as an event in which God revealed himself.
• In Pentecostal and charismatic churches, believers sometimes testify to God's appearing through visions received in prayer or through dreams. Some in other denominations hold that such experiences cannot be given the same weight as the theophanies recorded in Scripture. This issue is connected to the debate over cessationism and continuationism.