How Did God Appear To the Forefathers In the Old Testament?

Summary

The script delves into the concept of divine theophany, highlighting that God appeared to prophets in forms suited to their understanding, never revealing His essence. It emphasizes the condescension of God, adapting His manifestations to human weakness and limitations, and the trinitarian nature of these appearances. The Incarnation of Jesus Christ is presented as the ultimate revelation, contrasting with the Old Testament's preparatory law. The discussion underscores the importance of distinguishing between God's essence and His communicable energies, critiquing philosophical perspectives that fail to do so and the tragic reduction of Christianity to moralism or legalism.

Takeaways

• 😇 The concept of theophany in the script indicates that God revealed Himself to humanity in various forms, not in His true essence, which is formless and beyond human comprehension.
• 🙏 God's appearance to the prophets was a form of condescension, adapting to their level of understanding and spiritual maturity to communicate effectively.
• 📜 The Old Testament theophanies were types and images of the Son and Logos of God, who would later become incarnate, allowing for true worship and communication with God through these manifestations.
• 🔥 The theophanies were trinitarian in nature, showing that the Trinity was present and active even in the Old Testament, despite not being fully understood by the people of that time.
• 👶 The spiritual immaturity of the Israelites required God to veil His true nature, appearing in forms like a cloud to protect them from the delusion of polytheism.
• 🌟 The Incarnation of Jesus Christ is the ultimate revelation of God, where grace and truth became accessible through a direct encounter with the divine.
• 📖 The script emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between God's essence and His energies, a key concept in Orthodox theology that is often misunderstood in Western thought.
• 🛡 The law given through Moses served as a barrier and a preparation for the coming of Christ, highlighting the transition from moralistic adherence to the law to the grace and truth found in Christ.
• 🕊 The Incarnation aimed to bring humanity into a total communion with God through His uncreated energy, contrasting with the idea of salvation as the undoing of the Incarnation.
• 📝 The script suggests that the understanding of types, symbols, and prefigurements in the Old Testament is crucial for grasping the trinitarian nature of God's manifestations.
• 🚫 The reduction of Christianity to moralism or legalism is seen as tragic, as it negates the grace and truth brought by Christ and the process of salvation.

Q & A

What does the term 'theophany' refer to in the context of the script?

In the context of the script, 'theophany' refers to the manifestation of God or a divine being to humanity in a visible and sensible form, which is not the essence of God but rather a form that can be perceived by human senses.

How did God condescend to human weaknesses according to the script?

God condescended to human weaknesses by appearing in various forms that were analogous to the disposition and virtue of the prophets and people of the Old Testament, adapting his manifestations to their level of understanding and spiritual maturity.

What is the significance of God appearing in different forms to different prophets?

The significance of God appearing in different forms to different prophets is that it demonstrates the condescension of God to the varying levels of spiritual understanding and the specific circumstances of the individuals, rather than revealing the unchanging essence of God.

What is the difference between the essence and the energies of God as discussed in the script?

The essence of God is the divine nature that is invisible, simple, and beyond human comprehension, while the energies of God are the divine activities or manifestations that can be experienced and participated in by humans, such as theophanies.

Why is it important to distinguish between the essence and the energies of God?

It is important to distinguish between the essence and the energies of God to avoid confusing the uncreated divine nature with the created manifestations that God uses to communicate with humanity, and to understand that salvation involves communion with God's uncreated energies, not the essence.

What is the term 'Orana' referred to in the script, and what does it signify?

The term 'Orana' in the script is a Greek term that signifies 'organs' or 'instruments' in English, referring to the prophets and elect individuals who were used by God as instruments to impart His message and communicate with humanity.

How were the theophanies of the Old Testament related to the Trinity?

The theophanies of the Old Testament were trinal or trinitarian manifestations, as they involved the pre-incarnate logos, who bore the energies common to the Trinity, revealing the divine nature of the triune God.

What is the significance of the Incarnation in the context of the script?

The Incarnation is significant as it represents the ultimate revelation and condescension of God, where the logos became true man and appeared on Earth, allowing for a total and utter communion with God in His uncreated energy.

What is the term 'fragos' mentioned in the script, and what does it represent?

The term 'fragos' is a Greek term that can be translated as 'barrier', 'wall', or 'fortification'. In the script, it represents the law given by Moses, which served as a barrier to prevent the delusion of polytheism and as a preparation for the Incarnation of Jesus Christ.

How does the script describe the spiritual state of the Israelite people during the Old Testament times?

The script describes the Israelite people as spiritually illiterate and infantile, prone to idolatry, and thus in need of God's condescension and the protective veil of mystery in the theophanies.

What is the warning against reducing Christianity to moralism or legalism as mentioned in the script?

The warning is against reverting to a pre-incarnate understanding of the logos, which reduces Christianity to moralism or legalism, and empties it of grace and truth, reversing the process of salvation and the purpose of the Incarnation.

Outlines

00:00

🙏 The Essence and Manifestations of God

This paragraph discusses the concept of theophany, or the appearance of God to humans, emphasizing that God's essence is invisible and ungraspable. The script explains that in both the Old and New Testaments, God has condescended to appear in forms that are comprehensible to humans, reflecting their disposition and virtue. It highlights the importance of distinguishing between God's essence and His energies, which are communicable and perceptible. The paragraph also touches on the Orthodox perspective on salvation as communion with God's uncreated energies, contrasting it with Western philosophical ideas that struggle with this concept.

05:01

🌟 The Logos and Theophanies in the Old Testament

The second paragraph delves into the nature of God's appearances, or theophanies, in the Old Testament. It clarifies that these manifestations were not of God's essence but forms taken to communicate with humanity. The paragraph underscores that the Logos, the pre-incarnate Christ, appeared in various forms to different prophets, always in a way that was appropriate for the time and the audience. It also discusses the trinitarian aspect of these theophanies, indicating that they were expressions of the Holy Trinity through the fleshless Logos. The paragraph concludes by noting the necessity of these theophanies being veiled to protect the spiritual understanding of the people, pointing to the fuller revelation of God's nature through the Incarnation of Jesus Christ.

10:03

📜 The Law as a Barrier and Grace Through Christ

The final paragraph addresses the role of the law given through Moses as a preparatory step for the Incarnation of Christ. It describes the law as a 'barrier' that prevented direct communion with God, serving as a necessary step in the spiritual development of the people. The paragraph contrasts this with the grace and truth that came through Jesus Christ, highlighting the transformative impact of Christ's Incarnation on humanity's relationship with God. It warns against reducing Christianity to moralism or legalism, which would be a regression from the fullness of grace and truth offered through Christ.

Keywords

💡Theophanies

Theophanies refer to the appearances of God or divine beings to humans in various forms. In the context of the video, theophanies are seen as manifestations of God through condescension, adapting to the understanding and virtues of the prophets who witnessed them. The video discusses how each prophet saw God in a different form, not revealing the divine essence but rather a representation that they could comprehend.

💡Condescension

Condescension, in this script, is the act of God lowering or adapting Himself to the level of human understanding and capability. It is used to describe how God appeared to the prophets in forms they could perceive, not as He truly is in His essence. This concept is central to understanding the nature of theophanies and the Incarnation, where God became man to communicate with humanity.

💡Essence

The term 'essence' in the video refers to the intrinsic nature or being of God, which is formless, simple, and beyond human comprehension. It is contrasted with the 'energies' or manifestations of God that can be experienced or perceived by humans. The script emphasizes that no one has seen the essence of God, and that all theophanies are forms of condescension, not revelations of the divine essence.

💡Incarnation

Incarnation is the Christian doctrine that describes the divine becoming human in the person of Jesus Christ. The video script highlights the Incarnation as the ultimate revelation and condescension of God, where God the Logos became flesh to communicate with humanity in a way that was not possible through theophanies in the Old Testament.

💡Logos

Logos, in the context of the video, is a term from Greek philosophy and Christian theology, referring to the divine word or reason, identified with Jesus Christ in the Gospel of John. The script discusses the pre-incarnate Logos, who appeared in various forms in the Old Testament, and the Incarnate Logos, Jesus Christ, who is the clear revelation of God's nature.

💡Trinitarian

Trinitarian refers to the Christian belief in the Trinity, the three-in-one nature of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The video emphasizes that the theophanies of the Logos in the Old Testament were trinitarian manifestations, revealing the unity and distinct persons of the Godhead.

💡Types and Symbols

Types and symbols in the script refer to the figures, events, or objects in the Old Testament that prefigure or symbolize aspects of the New Testament, particularly the life and work of Jesus Christ. The video mentions that these types and symbols are part of the trinitarian and Christ-centered theophanies in the Old Testament.

💡Uncreated Energies

Uncreated energies are the divine powers or actions of God that are distinct from His essence and can be experienced by believers. The video script contrasts these with the essence of God, which is unknowable and invisible, and discusses the Orthodox understanding of salvation as communion with God through His uncreated energies.

💡Methexis

Methexis is a Greek term used in Orthodox theology to describe the participation or communion of believers with the divine. The script mentions that there is no methexis or participation in the essence of God, but there is communion through the uncreated energies, which is the goal of the Incarnation.

💡Idolatry

Idolatry is the worship of idols or false gods, which the video script associates with the spiritual condition of the Israelites in the Old Testament. The theophanies of God were often veiled or enshrouded to protect the people from falling into idolatry and misunderstanding the nature of God.

💡Grace and Truth

Grace and truth are central Christian concepts, with the video script stating that they came through Jesus Christ. This is contrasted with the law given through Moses, which is described as a barrier or preparation for the full revelation of God's grace and truth in the person of Christ.

Highlights

Theophanies are manifestations of God by condescension, not revealing His essence.

God's essence is without form and cannot be seen by anyone.

Prophets saw God in various forms, each according to their disposition and virtue.

God's manifestations are called by many names but are not limited to any one form.

The Old Testament theophanies are types and forms pointing to the ultimate Revelation of Jesus Christ.

God's communication with His elect is through 'organa' or instruments, adapting to their capacity.

The nature of God is simple, formless, and indescribable, not bound by physical attributes.

The Incarnation is the ultimate revelation and communion with God's uncreated energy.

Philosophical and Western ideas often struggle with the distinction between essence and energies.

Salvation in Orthodox perspective involves real communion with God, unlike some Western ideas.

The pre-incarnate logos appeared in various forms to accommodate the spiritual capacity of the people.

The theophanies of the logos were trinal or trinitarian manifestations of the Trinity.

The Old Testament theophanies are Christ-centered and simultaneously Trinity-centered.

The law given by Moses served as a barrier and preparation for the Incarnation.

Christianity reduced to moralism or legalism is a tragic reversal of the economy of Salvation.

Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ, in contrast to the law given through Moses.

Transcripts

so again how did he appear and how did

they see

him all of theophanies were by

condescension he emptied himself in his

and became a man but also in the Old

Testament he con condescended to their

weaknesses of course for no one saw the

essence of God for God is without form

each of the prophets however saw him in

a different form not in his Essence St

John

Casta they saw him in a visible and

sensible form and they heard his voice

analogous with their disposition and

their

virtue in Holy scripture God has given a

form analogous with the

disposition of those to whom he is

appearing and that is why he is called

by a myriad of names without however

being any one of them so it's very

fascinating I hope that we might want to

read that again it's very important so

we see to re to re let's say State

what's been stated here by the Saints we

see that they saw him in a visible and

sensible form and they heard his voice

depending on their disposition depending

on their virtue and there were many

different different

forms because there are many different

dispositions and levels of

virtue none of that revealed of course

the essence all of that was in the realm

of condescension and therefore we must

not confuse these obviously with the

final and ultimate Revelation clear

revelation of Jesus Christ in the

Incarnation they are types and

forms that

are pointing showing forth communing

communicating with the righteous but not

of course to the degree of the

Incarnation

so God the logos wanting to communicate

with his

elect is elect instruments the

Orana is the Greek term Organa so you

could say organs but I think instruments

is what's usually CH chosen the

instruments of God he was an instrument

in the hand of God the elect and to

impart his message condescended and

appeared in a different way to each

Prophet not exactly as he

was but rather he became like unto that

which those who saw him could see he

condescended to their weaknesses and

limitations at times they saw him

sitting at other times they they saw him

armed for

war opis many is the Greek word so as

close as we can get to opis many could

be armed simply but I think it's a bit

strange as to say armed he you know have

a knife in his hand it's a bit strange

but any case armed for war still other

times to have white hair Ancient of Days

or the form of wind the prophet Elias or

in the form of fire or being carried by

the cherubim and his Visage depicted as

brightly shining adapting his

manifestations according to each

circumstance again St John rastam so he

adapted his

manifestations

accordingly to our weakness

very uh very

good so

far and that which they saw was not the

essence of

God which is invisible and imp particip

there's no way we can participate

there's no methy is the Greek term

there's no methy there's no

participation in the essence of God this

is one of the Great problems in some

philosophical and Western

ideas uh that they cannot distinguish

between Essence and energies here we'll

talk I'm sure a lot about this going

forward and therefore they Envision a

essentially ultimately from the Orthodox

perspective a Salvation which has no

communication there's no communion

there's no real communion in the

uncreated energies because they cannot

Envision uh the uncreated and the that

which is the the essence of God as in in

particular cannot be communed and so

therefore they think of a Salvation

which is essentially the undoing of the

Incarnation the whole point of the

Incarnation is to bring us to a total

and utter communion with God in his

uncreated energy

so yes there is

no uh participation in the essence there

is it is impossible the essence of God

which is

invisible to be that which they saw so

what was it it was the logos of God

still fleshless who took bodily form

appropriate for in each

instance all of the the the

theophanies happened by way of

condescension and were not visions of

the true essence of God for if they had

seen the nature itself they would not

have seen it each time they would have

seen it they would not have seen it each

time in a different way all right so if

they had seen the essence they would

have seen the same thing all the

prophets would have had seen the same

thing but they didn't they saw different

things at different times for the nature

is simple formless and

Indescribable and neither sits it should

not say I it should say he or it neither

sits nor stands nor walks all of these

things belong to bodies all right so

formless Indescribable and and and

simple the nature and therefore these

are this is not the nature itself that

they were seen But

manifestations forms that were taken for

the sake of the communication of God and

man in the Old

Testament St John the damine

now the great teacher of the faith the

Patriarchs and the prophets did not see

the essence of God again but the type

and the image of the Sun and logos of

God we'll talk a lot about types in the

next weeks ahead uh we've got a whole

section probably I'm looking at the

table of contents here we'll probably

get to the types after one two three

four five lessons we'll start talking

about types symbols and prefigurement in

the Old

Testament but the type and the image of

the son and logos of

God who was to become

incarnate he who though invisible became

true man truly and appeared on Earth

before his Incarnation all those who saw

his type and His Image worshiped him so

they had true worship of and

communication with God through the types

through the images they

communicated the the theophanies were

trinal or trinitarian

manifestations the fleshless Lord Loos

was the bearer of the trinal or

trinitarian

energies they're common to the Trinity

and thus the theophanies of the logos

were trinal

manifestations revelations in other

words of the triun god through the

fleshless

logos lest people say that the Trinity

is not apparent in the Old Testament

you'll see how just apparent he is and

even even we can say that the logos

theophanies of the logos the many

theophanies were necessarily trinitarian

or trinal

manifestations because of the common uh

energy listen to what he says here the

Holy Father stress emphatically that in

the Old Testament all of the theophanies

through the fleshless logos or

pre-incarnate logos are Christ centered

and therefore simultaneously Trinity

centered these are things that cannot be

divided

obviously the fleshless son appeared in

various ways within a mystery enshrouded

as in a cloud in order to protect his

people from the delusion of

polytheism for it was impossible for the

trinitarian nature of

persons in one Divinity to be understood

by a people a nomadic people spiritually

illiterate and infantile

as the Israelite people were at that

time all right so here we have a

condescension to appear we now have a

condescension for the sake of this

people who were spiritually illiterate

in infantile which is apparent if one

reads the story of the the books of

Genesis or Exodus how they inclined

again and again toward toward uh

idolatry uh so it was

necessary for this to be enshrouded in a

as in in a

cloud because of their weakness the

Incarnate son will reveal most clearly

The Mystery of the true aun god with his

Incarnation as it says in John 1:7 Grace

and Truth came through Jesus Christ

whereas the law was given by Moses as a

barrier fragos is the Greek term which

could be translated as wall or barrier

or

fortification uh but I think it's

something that ultimately is a barrier

because it does not allow them to

commune and to see face to face so as a

barrier and as a preparation so that's

all it was so those those Christians who

have returned to a kind of moralism

characteristic of the pre-incarnate

logos are the most

tragic reducing Christianity to

immoralism or

legalism is indeed to reverse the whole

process of the economy of Salvation and

to go back before the Incarnation it's

to empty the life in Christ out of all

grace and truth it's a tragedy a grave

tragedy so Grace came through Jesus

Christ the law was given through Moses

and that was simply a preparation

for the Lord and his

[Music]

incarnation