Ryan Habbena returns for this, the 100th episode of Echo Zoe Radio to share his study of Christ in the Old Testament. The dynamics of interactions between God and Man in the Old Testament reveal that Christ was a central figure long before His incarnation.
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Outline of the Discussion
- Theophanies would describe the discussion, as would Christophanies.
- The Son was present throughout the Law and Prophets.
- Heresy so often boils down to an improper teaching of either the Person or the Works of Christ, and often an improper teaching of one leads to an improper teaching of the other.
- It's Ryan's belief that most of the time (he's still studying and unwilling to say all of the time) when God appears in the Old Testament, it's in the Person of the Son.
- Jude 5 takes us to Exodus 3 and the Burning Bush. We see that the one who appears to Moses is the Angel (messenger) of the Lord, commonly understood to be the pre-incarnate Christ.
- True belief is coming to Christ on His terms. In John 8, after being accused of having a Demon, Christ reveals that He is the “I Am” of the Old Testament. We also see that the only way we know the Father is through the Son.
- John 1:18 (HCSB) says “No one has ever seen God. The One and Only Son– the One who is at the Father's side– He has revealed Him.” – We must wrestle with this verse, as it indicates only the Son makes the Father known to us.
- It was Jesus who walked with Adam & Eve in the Garden, delivered the Israelites from Egypt, and led Abraham up Mount Moriah to sacrifice Isaac.
- In the Aramaic Targums (Aramaic translation of the Hebrew Old Testament), “Angel of the Lord” and “Word of the Lord” were often used interchangeably. John's writings reflect this.
- Modern Judaism is both Monotheistic and Unitarian. Ancient Rabbinic Judaism, however, wrestled with the evidence of at least two YHWHs; a greater one that is unseen and another that interacts with mankind.
- As a reaction against the coming of Messiah, Judaism had to reject the previously taught idea of multiple persons in the Godhead.
- The Holy Spirit is also prevalent in the Old Testament too. Though the Son was commissioned by the Father, and the Spirit was commissioned by the Son.
Scriptures Referenced
- Jude 5
- Exodus 3:1-15
- John 8:48-59
- Colossians 1
- Hebrews 1
- John 1:14, 18
- John 12
- Isaiah 6:10
- Isaiah 6:1-5
- Romans 11
Additional Resources
- Jesus in the Old Testament – Dr. Walter Kaiser Jr.
- Two Powers in Heaven – Michael Heiser
One thought on “Ryan Habbena: Christ in the Old Testament”
That was amazing! My mind is blown. So many times I have wondered what happened, what did it look like when the prophets of old heard from the Lord. But tying in Christ as the mediator between God and man into the Old Testament passages and John 1:18 clarifies so so much! We have only touched the hem of His garments and heard the faintest whisper of His ways. Thanks for this episode.