Theophany

A Biblical Theology of God’s Appearing

Vern S. Poythress

wheaton, illinois

Theophany: A Biblical Theology of God’s Appearing

Copyright © 2018 by Vern S. Poythress

Published by Crossway

1300 Crescent Street

Wheaton, Illinois 60187

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided for by USA copyright law. Crossway® is a registered trademark in the United States of America.

Cover design: Crystal Courtney

Cover image: Lightstock / Brenton Clarke

First printing 2018

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NASB are from The New American Standard Bible®. Copyright © The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible.

The Scripture reference marked ASV is from the American Standard Version of the Bible.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added by the author.

Trade paperback ISBN: 978-1-4335-5437-7

ePub ISBN: 978-1-4335-5440-7

PDF ISBN: 978-1-4335-5438-4

Mobipocket ISBN: 978-1-4335-5439-1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Poythress, Vern S., author.

Title: Theophany : a biblical theology of God’s appearing / Vern S. Poythress.

Description: Wheaton : Crossway, 2018. | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2017025804 (print) | LCCN 2017033112 (ebook) | ISBN 9781433554384 (pdf) | ISBN 9781433554391 (mobi) | ISBN 9781433554407 (epub) | ISBN 9781433554377 (tp)

Subjects: LCSH: Theophanies in the Bible.

Classification: LCC BS680.T45 (ebook) | LCC BS680.T45 P69 2018 (print) | DDC 231.7/4—dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017025804

Crossway is a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

To my wife, Diane

Contents

Tables and Illustrations

PART I: THE BIBLICAL THEME OF GOD APPEARING

1 God Coming

2 God Appearing with a Thunderstorm

3 Appearing in Fire

4 Appearing in a Cloud

5 Appearing in Glory

6 Appearances of God’s Court

7 Appearances of a Man

8 Appearing as a Warrior

9 Appearing with a Chariot

10 Other Appearances

11 Appearing in the Created World

PART II: THE MYSTERY OF GOD APPEARING

12 Knowing God

13 Relation of Kinds of Appearances

14 Reflecting God

15 Reflecting God in Human Appearance

16 Reflections and the Spirit

17 Reflections and the Trinity

18 Reflections of God in the Book of Revelation

19 Reflections of God in Structures in Revelation

20 Patterns of Multiple Reflections

21 Reflections of God in Creation

22 A Pattern of Reflections in Clothing

23 The Dynamics in Reflections of God

24 Responding to God’s Presence...