Christophany

Definition and Meaning

A Christophany is a visible manifestation of Christ. The Korean term is a rendering of the English word Christophany, and its second element means "manifestation" or "appearing." When God appears in a form that human beings can perceive with their senses, the event is called a theophany. A Christophany is the particular case in which the one who appears is understood to be the Son, that is, Christ before his incarnation. In a broader sense, the term can also include the appearances of the risen Jesus to the disciples and to Paul (1 Corinthians 15:5–8).

The church-year feast of Epiphany also commemorates a "manifestation." However, it celebrates Christ's being revealed to the world, especially to the Gentiles, so its meaning differs from the subject of this article.

Biblical and Historical Background

The Old Testament passages most often cited as Christophanies include the following:

• The "angel of the LORD" who appeared to Hagar and to Moses (Genesis 16:7–13; Exodus 3:2–6)
• The man who wrestled with Jacob at Peniel (Genesis 32:24–30)
• The "captain of the host of the LORD" who stood before Joshua (Joshua 5:13–15)
• The fourth man who appeared in the fiery furnace (Daniel 3:25)

The last passage belongs to the fiery furnace episode involving Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. The Korean Revised Version (New Revised Edition) renders the description of this figure as "like a son of the gods" (the King James Version reads "like the Son of God"). In the passage that follows, Daniel 3:24–28, Nebuchadnezzar calls him an "angel." For this reason, some interpreters identify the figure as Christ, while others regard him as an angel sent by God.

In the early church, Justin Martyr and others are known to have interpreted God's appearances in the Old Testament as manifestations of the Son, the Logos. Augustine, by contrast, was cautious about attributing such appearances to the Son alone. During the Reformation, John Calvin understood the "angel of the LORD" to be Christ, the eternal Word. In contemporary biblical scholarship, some hold that these passages should instead be read as appearances of an angel acting as God's representative.

Practice in the Korean Church

Christophany is not a matter settled by a denominational general assembly resolution or by an official confession of faith, so interpretations vary among preachers and scholars even within the same denomination. In the Korean church, this interpretation is commonly used in sermons on Daniel 3 to emphasize "the Lord who was with them in the fiery furnace." It is also frequently discussed in Bible study programs that read the Old Testament with a focus on Christ.

Some, however, caution that identifying every mysterious figure in the Old Testament as Christ risks missing the original meaning of the text. For this reason, many preachers and study materials present it as one possible interpretation among several.