Appendix 6: God Can Appear in Different Forms
Excerpt from Appendix 6 of…
Immanuel: A Practicum by Patricia A. Velotta
God Can Appear in Different Forms
I think we all agree that angels can appear looking like human
beings “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing
some have unwittingly entertained angels.” (Hebrews 13:2) So
the question comes, “Does God appear in various forms?” I’m
not asking if he, for instance, is a tree but can He appear as a
tree?
After that, He appeared in another form to two of them
as they walked and went into the country. (Mark 16:12)
Now when she [Mary Magdaline] had said this, she
turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not
know that it was Jesus. (John 20:14)
Here are some ways God chooses to appear in Scripture.
I. As The Angel of the Lord
A. To Hagar
Then the Angel of the LORD said to her, “I will multiply
your descendants exceedingly, so that they shall not be
counted for multitude.” (Genesis 16:10) Also see Genesis
16:7–11, 21:17.
B. To Jacob
Then the Angel of God spoke to me [Jacob] in a dream,
saying, ‘Jacob.’ And I said, ‘Here I am.’ (Genesis 31:11)
C. To Moses
And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him [Moses] in a
fl ame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and
behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was
not consumed. (Exodus 3:2)
D. To the Camp of Israel
And the Angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel,
moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud
went from before them and stood behind them. (Exodus
14:19)
E. Other Examples
1. Balaam and the Donkey (Numbers 22:22–27,
31–35)
2. All the Children of Israel (Judges 2:1, 4)
3. Gideon (Judges 6:11–12, 20–22)
4. Manoah and his wife (Judges 13:3, 6, 9, 13, 15-18,
20-21)
5. Zechariah (Zechariah 1:11–12; 3:1, 5–6; 12:8)
A tip that the being identified as the Angel of the Lord is indeed
God, is that he accepts worship. All other angels refuse to be
worshipped in deference to Almighty God.
Now I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I
heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of
the angel who showed me these things. Then he said to
me, “See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow
servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those
who keep the words of this book. Worship God. (Revelation
22:8–9)
The devil said, “Therefore, if You will worship before me,
all will be Yours.” And Jesus answered and said to him,
“Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship
the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’”
(Luke 4:7–8)
II. As A Man
A. Jesus
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,
who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery
to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation,
taking the form of a bondservant, an] coming in
the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a
man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the
point of death, even the death of the cross. (Philippians
2:5–8)
B. One of the Three Men Who Appeared
to Abraham before the Destruction of Sodom
Then the LORD appeared to him by the terebinth trees of
Mamre, as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of
the day. So he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, three
men were standing by him; and when he saw [them], he
ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself
to the ground. (Genesis 18:1–2)
C. Wrestling man
Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him
until the breaking of day. (Genesis 32:24)
D. Melchizedek
For this Melchizedek, 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 translated “king of
righteousness,” and then also king of Salem, meaning
“king of peace,” without father, without mother, without
genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of
life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually.
(Hebrews 7:1–3)
See also Genesis 14:18; Psalms 110:4; Hebrews 5:6, 10;
6:20; 7:1, 10–11, 15, 17, 21.
E. Commander of the Army of the Lord
And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that
he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood
opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And
Joshua went to Him and said to Him, “Are You for us or
for our adversaries?” So He said, “No, but as Commander
of the army of the LORD I have now come.” And Joshua
fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to
Him, “What does my Lord say to His servant?” Then the
Commander of the LORD’S army said to Joshua, “Take
your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is
holy.” And Joshua did so. (Joshua 5:13–15)
III. As Sound from Heaven, A Rushing Wind, and Fire
And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a
rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where
they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided
tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. (Acts
2:2–3)
IV. As a Dove
And when Jesus was baptized, he went up immediately
from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened
and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and
alighting on him. (Matthew 3:16)
And when he came up out of the water, immediately he
saw the heavens opened and the Spirit descending upon
him like a dove. (Mark 1:10)
And the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form,
as a dove, and a voice came from heaven, “Thou art my
beloved Son; with thee I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:22)
And John bore witness, “I saw the Spirit descend as a
dove from heaven, and it remained on him.” (John 1:32)
V. As Parts of Himself
Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My
back; but My face shall not be seen. (Exodus 33:23)
In the same hour the fingers of a man’s hand appeared
and wrote opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the
wall of the king’s palace; and the king saw the part of the
hand that wrote. (Daniel 5:5)
Then the LORD delivered to me two tablets of stone
written with the finger of God, and on them were all the
words which the LORD had spoken to you on the mountain
from the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly.
(Deuteronomy 9:10)
VI. As a Lion or a Lamb
But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold,
the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed
to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals. . . .
And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures
and the twenty-four elders fell down before the
Lamb, each holding a harp, and with golden bowls full
of incense, which are the prayers of the saints; . . . saying
with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and
honor and glory and blessing! And I heard every creature
in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the
sea, and all therein, saying, “To him who sits upon the
throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory
and might forever and ever!” (Revelation 5:5, 8, 12–13)
See also Revelation 6:1, 16; 7:9–10, 14, 17; 8:1; 12:11; 13:8;
14:1, 4, 10; 15:3; 17:14; 19:7, 9; 21:9, 14, 22–23, 27; 22:1, 3.
Additional Examples Addressed in Immanuel: A Practicum
VII. As A Ghost
VIII. As The Word of the Lord to:
- Abram
- Samuel
- Others to Whom the Word Appeared
IX. As The Lampstand
X. As a Smoking Oven and a Burning Torch
XI. God Also Seems to Use Signs of His Presence
A. A Pillar of Fire and a Cloud
And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of
cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar
of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day
and by night. (Exodus 13:21)
Now it came to pass, in the morning watch, that the
LORD looked down upon the army of the Egyptians
through the pillar of fire and cloud, and He troubled the
army of the Egyptians. (Exodus 14:24)
And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They
have heard that You, LORD, are among these people; that
You, LORD, are seen face to face and Your cloud stands
above them, and You go before them in a pillar of cloud
by day and in a pillar of fire by night. (Numbers 14:14)
Also see Nehemiah 9:12, 19.
B. A Whirlwind
And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong
wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces
before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind;
and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not
in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the
LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small
voice. (1 Kings 19:11–12)
Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and
said . . . (Job 38:1)
C. Storms and Natural Phenomena
The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of
glory thunders; the LORD is over many waters. (Psalm
29:1-11, v. 3)
Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the
ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there
were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and
great hail. (Revelation 11:19)
D. A Burning Bush
And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him [Moses] in a
flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and
behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was
not consumed. (Exodus 3:2)
E. A Rock
And what do we do with the Rock? Was it metaphorical or was
it a visible sign of his presence?
E. A Rock (cont.)
The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spoke to me:
‘He who rules over men must be just, ruling in the fear of
God.’ (2 Samuel 23:3)
Are You not from everlasting, O LORD my God, my Holy
One? We shall not die. O LORD, You have appointed
them for judgment; O Rock, You have marked them for
correction. (Habakkuk 1:12)
And all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of
that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was
Christ. (1 Corinthians 10:4)
XII. And Finally, In the Mystical Forms of His Glory
A. Jesus Transfigured
And He was transfigured before them. His face shone
like the sun, and His clothes became as black as the light.
(Matthew 17:2)
B. Daniel’s Vision of the Ancient of Days
and One Like the Son of Man
I watched till thrones were put in place, and the Ancient
of Days was seated; His garment was black as snow, and
the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was
a fiery flame, its wheels a burning fire . . . I was watching
in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of
Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the
Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him
. . . until the Ancient of Days came, and a judgment was
made in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time
came for the saints to possess the kingdom. (Daniel 7:9,
13, 22)
C. Ezekiel’s Visions
And above the firmament over their heads was the likeness
of a throne, in appearance like a sapphire stone; on
the likeness of the throne was a likeness with the appearance
of a man high above it. Also from the appearance of
His waist and upward I saw, as it were, the color of amber
with the appearance of fire all around within it; and from
the appearance of His waist and downward I saw, as it
were, the appearance of fire with brightness all around.
Like the appearance of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy
day, so was the appearance of the brightness all around
it. Th is was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of
the LORD. So when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard
a voice of One speaking. (Ezekiel 1:26–28)
Additional Examples Addressed in Immanuel: A Practicum
D. Zechariah’s Visions (cont.)
E. John’s Revelation of Jesus Christ
F. Matthew’s Jesus, The Judge of the Nations