3.3.2 The Pre-incarnate Christ

The incarnation refers to Christ taking on the form of a man.

Philippians 2:7 -8—But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

1. Christ existed before He became man.

Christ was not known by the name Jesus until His birth in Bethlehem.

Matthew 1:21—And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

In the beginning was the Word. The Word of God reveals to us that Christ always was and existed in the beginning with God.—John 1:1

Jesus had glory with the Father before the world was created.

John 17:5—And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.

John 8:58—Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

2. Old Testament appearances of Christ.

John 1:18—No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

According to the context of this Scripture no man hath seen God the Father at any time. This would include the time period of the Old Testament. The Father reveals Himself to humanity through the Son in both Old Testament and New Testament times. Even though in the Old Testament Christ had not yet been manifested in the flesh, He still existed with the Father and appears in the Old Testament to humanity as God. And since we know from Scripture that no man hath seen God the Father at any time these Old Testament appearances of God could only have been Christ who is the eternal declaration of the Father.

Captain of the host of the LORD.

Joshua 5: 14-15 And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant? And the captain of the LORD's host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.

This was Holy ground because the Christ who is God was standing on it.

The Angel of the Lord.

Throughout the Old Testament the Angel of the Lord is ascribed the attributes of Deity.

Genesis 16:10—And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.

Genesis 22:11—And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.

Genesis 22:15-17—And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;

Genesis 31:11— And the angel of God spake unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I.

Genesis 31:13— I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred.

Exodus 3:2— And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.

Numbers 22:35— And the angel of the LORD said unto Balaam, Go with the men: but only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak. So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.

Judges 2:1 - And an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you.

Judges 6:12 - And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.

The man who wrestled with Jacob.

Genesis 32:24—And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.

JEHOVAH appeared to Abraham

Gen 18:1—And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;

Jehovah God appears to Abraham as described in this passage of Scripture. We understand from John 1:18 that Abraham could not have seen God the Father. The only logical conclusion is that Abraham met with the Christ who is man's declaration of God in both the Old and New Testaments.

The fourth man in the fire.

Daniel 3:25—He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.

Melchisedec

Hebrews 7:1-3 For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him;

To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;

Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.