Appearances of Jesus Christ Before His Birth
Note: No one has seen the Father but the Son has been manifested.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory,
the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and
truth. John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of
whom I said, He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was
before me.” And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for
grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came
through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time. The only
begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
John 1:14-18
1) Yahweh appeared to Adam and Eve before and after sin.
Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to
tend and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “Of every
tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge
of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it
you shall surely die.” And the LORD God said, “It is not good that man
should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” Out of
the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird
of the air and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And
whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. So, Adam
gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast
of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to
him. And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he
slept; and He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh in its
place. Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man He made into
a woman, and He brought her to the man. Genesis 2:15-22
And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the
cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence
of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. Then the LORD God called
to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” So, he said, “I heard Your
voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid
myself.” And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten
from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?” Then
the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of
the tree, and I ate.” And the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this
you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
So, the LORD God said to the serpent: “Because you have done this, you
are cursed more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the
field; On your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days
of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and
between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you
shall bruise His heel.” To the woman He said: “I will greatly multiply
your sorrow and your conception; In pain you shall bring forth
children; Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over
you.” Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your
wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying,
‘You shall not eat of it’: “Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil
you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles
it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field.
In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the
ground, for out of it you were taken; For dust you are, and to dust you
shall return.” And Adam called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the
mother of all living. Also, for Adam and his wife the LORD God made
tunics of skin and clothed them. Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the
man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he
put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live
forever”— therefore the LORD God sent him out of the garden of Eden to
till the ground from which he was taken. Genesis 3:8-23
Note: Jesus Christ was born to redeem mankind as a free gift through faith.
Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men,
resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the
free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as
by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s
obedience many will be made righteous. Romans 5:18-19
2) Yahweh appeared to Abraham.
Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will
give this land.” And there he built an altar to the LORD, who had
appeared to him. And he moved from there to the mountain east of
Bethel, and he pitched his tent with Bethel on the west and Ai on the
east; there he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the
LORD.” Genesis 12:7-8
Note: Abraham worshipped God while religious people wanted to kill Jesus Christ.
They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to
them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of
Abraham. But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth
which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. You do the deeds of
your father.” John 8:39-41
3) Yahweh appeared to Abraham again.
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and
said to him, “I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless. And I
will make My covenant between Me and you and will multiply you
exceedingly.” Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him,
saying: “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a
father of many nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but
your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many
nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations
of you, and kings shall come from you. And I will establish My covenant
between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations,
for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants
after you. Also, I give to you and your descendants after you the land
in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting
possession; and I will be their God.” And God said to Abraham: “As for
you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you
throughout their generations. This is My covenant which you shall keep,
between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child
among you shall be circumcised; and you shall be circumcised in the
flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between
Me and you. He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised,
every male child in your generations, he who is born in your house or
bought with money from any foreigner who is not your descendant. He who
is born in your house and he who is bought with your money must be
circumcised, and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting
covenant. And the uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in
the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his
people; he has broken My covenant.” Then God said to Abraham, “As for
Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be
her name. And I will bless her and also give you a son by her; then I
will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples
shall be from her.” Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said
in his heart, “Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years
old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” And
Abraham said to God, “Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!” Then God
said: “No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his
name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting
covenant, and with his descendants after him. And as for Ishmael, I
have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful,
and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall beget twelve princes, and I
will make him a great nation. But My covenant I will establish with
Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this set time next year.” Then
He finished talking with him, and God went up from Abraham. Genesis
17:1-22
Note: Jesus Christ ascended from His disciples as He had ascended from Abraham.
So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. Mark 16:19
4) Yahweh appeared to Abraham again.
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, and said, “My Lord, if I have now found favor in Your
sight, do not pass on by Your servant. Please let a little water be
brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. And I
will bring a morsel of bread, so that you may refresh your hearts.
After that you may pass by, inasmuch as you have come to your servant.”
They said, “Do as you have said.” So, Abraham hurried into the tent to
Sarah and said, “Quickly, make ready three measures of fine meal; knead
it and make cakes.” And Abraham ran to the herd, took a tender and good
calf, gave it to a young man, and he hastened to prepare it. So, he
took butter and milk and the calf which he had prepared and set it
before them; and he stood by them under the tree as they ate. Then they
said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” So, he said, “Here, in the
tent.” And He said, “I will certainly return to you according to the
time of life, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.” (Sarah was
listening in the tent door which was behind him.) Now Abraham and Sarah
were old, well advanced in age; and Sarah had passed the age of
childbearing. Therefore, Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I
have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?” And the
LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I surely
bear a child, since I am old?’ Is anything too hard for the LORD? At
the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life,
and Sarah shall have a son.” Genesis 18:1-14
Note: Abraham obeyed the words of God while religious people do not.
Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I
proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He
sent Me. Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able
to listen to My word. You are of your father the devil, and the desires
of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning,
and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When
he tells a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and
the father of it. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me.
Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you
not believe Me? He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore, you do
not hear, because you are not of God.” John 8:42-47
5) Yahweh appeared to Issac.
There was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in
the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the
Philistines, in Gerar. Then the LORD appeared to him and said: “Do not
go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you. Dwell in
this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your
descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I
swore to Abraham your father. And I will make your descendants multiply
as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these
lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed;
because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My
statutes, and My laws.” Genesis 26:1-5
Note: Abraham obeyed the words of God while religious people do not.
Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you
dishonor Me. And I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks and
judges. Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall
never see death.” Then the Jews said to Him, “Now we know that You have
a demon! Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and You say, ‘If anyone
keeps My word he shall never taste death.’ Are You greater than our
father Abraham, who is dead? And the prophets are dead. Who do You make
Yourself out to be?” John 8:49-53
6) Yahweh appeared to Issac again.
Then he went up from there to Beersheba. And the LORD appeared to him
the same night and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham; do not
fear, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants
for My servant Abraham’s sake.” So, he built an altar there and called
on the name of the LORD, and he pitched his tent there; and there
Isaac’s servants dug a well. Genesis 26:23-25
Note: Jesus Christ declared His appearance to Abraham.
Jesus answered, “If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing. It is My
Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God. Yet you have
not known Him, but I know Him. And if I say, ‘I do not know Him,’ I
shall be a liar like you; but I do know Him and keep His word. Your
father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.”
John 8:54-56
7) God Almighty appeared to Jacob.
Then God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there; and
make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from the
face of Esau your brother.” And Jacob said to his household and to all
who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you,
purify yourselves, and change your garments. Then let us arise and go
up to Bethel; and I will make an altar there to God, who answered me in
the day of my distress and has been with me in the way which I have
gone.” So, they gave Jacob all the foreign gods which were in their
hands, and the earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them
under the terebinth tree which was by Shechem. And they journeyed, and
the terror of God was upon the cities that were all around them, and
they did not pursue the sons of Jacob. So, Jacob came to Luz (that is,
Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were
with him. And he built an altar there and called the place El Bethel,
because there God appeared to him when he fled from the face of his
brother. Now Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died, and she was buried
below Bethel under the terebinth tree. So, the name of it was called
Allon Bachuth. Then God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from
Padan Aram, and blessed him. And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob;
your name shall not be called Jacob anymore, but Israel shall be your
name.” So, He called his name Israel. Also, God said to him: “I am God
Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations
shall proceed from you, and kings shall come from your body. The land
which I gave Abraham and Isaac I give to you; and to your descendants
after you I give this land.” Then God went up from him in the place
where He talked with him. So, Jacob set up a pillar in the place where
He talked with him, a pillar of stone; and he poured a drink offering
on it, and he poured oil on it. And Jacob called the name of the place
where God spoke with him, Bethel. Genesis 35:1-15
Note: Jesus Christ ascended from His disciples as He had ascended from Jacob.
Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I
was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were
written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning
Me.” And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the
Scriptures. Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was
necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third
day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in
His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses
to these things. Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but
tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on
high.” And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted His hands
and blessed them. Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He
was parted from them and carried up into heaven. And they worshiped
Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in
the temple praising and blessing God. Amen. Luke 24:44-53
Note: The disciples worshiped Jesus Christ.
8) Yahweh appeared to Moses.
Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest
of Midian. And he led the flock to the back of the desert, and came to
Horeb, the mountain of God. And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him
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. Then
Moses said, “I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the
bush does not burn.” So when the LORD saw that he turned aside to look,
God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!”
And he said, “Here I am.” Then He said, “Do not draw near this place.
Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy
ground.” Moreover, He said, “I am the God of your father—the God of
Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his
face, for he was afraid to look upon God. And the LORD said: “I have
surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have
heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.
So, I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians,
and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land
flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the
Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the
Jebusites. Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has
come to Me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the
Egyptians oppress them. Come now, therefore, and I will send you to
Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of
Egypt.” But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh,
and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” So, He
said, “I will certainly be with you. And this shall be a sign to you
that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt,
you shall serve God on this mountain.” Then Moses said to God, “Indeed,
when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your
fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’
what shall I say to them?” And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And
He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, I AM has sent
me to you.’” Moreover, God said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the
children of Israel: ‘The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham,
the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My
name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.’ Exodus 3:1-15
Note: Jesus Christ declared Himself as Yahweh.
Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have
You seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you,
before Abraham was, I AM.” John 8:57-58
9) Yahweh appeared to Moses again.
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to
Pharaoh. For with a strong hand he will let them go, and with a strong
hand he will drive them out of his land.” And God spoke to Moses and
said to him: “I am the LORD. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to
Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name LORD I was not known to them. I
have also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of
Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, in which they were strangers. And
I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel whom the
Egyptians keep in bondage, and I have remembered My covenant.
Therefore, say to the children of Israel: I am the LORD; I will bring
you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from
their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with
great judgments. I will take you as My people, and I will be your God.
Then you shall know that I am the LORD your God who brings you out from
under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I will bring you into the land
which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and I will give it
to you as a heritage: I am the LORD.’” Exodus 6:1-8
Note: Jesus Christ spoke to Moses face to face again.
Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led
them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured
before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as
white as the light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them,
talking with Him. Matthew 17:1-3
10) Yahweh appeared to the elders of Israel.
Then Moses went up, also Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the
elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel. And there was under
His feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and it was like the
very heavens in its clarity. But on the nobles of the children of
Israel He did not lay His hand. So, they saw God, and they ate and
drank. Exodus 24:9-11
Note: Apostle John received a vision of heaven.
After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in
heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking
with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must
take place after this.” Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a
throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. And He who sat there
was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a
rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald. Revelation
4:1-3
11) Yahweh appeared to Moses numerous times.
Now it was so, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai (and the two
tablets of the Testimony were in Moses’ hand when he came down from the
mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone
while he talked with Him. So, when Aaron and all the children of Israel
saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to
come near him. Then Moses called them, and Aaron and all the rulers of
the congregation returned to him; and Moses talked with them. Afterward
all the children of Israel came near, and he gave them as commandments
all that the LORD had spoken with him on Mount Sinai. And when Moses
had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face. But
whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with Him, he would take
the veil off until he came out; and he would come out and speak to the
children of Israel whatever he had been commanded. And whenever the
children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face
shone, then Moses would put the veil on his face again, until he went
in to speak with Him. Exodus 34:29-35
Note: Jesus Christ spoke to Moses face to face again.
Now it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He took
Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray. As He
prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became
white and glistening. And behold, two men talked with Him, who were
Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which
He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. But Peter and those with him
were heavy with sleep; and when they were fully awake, they saw His
glory and the two men who stood with Him. Luke 9:28-32
12) Yahweh appeared to Isaiah.
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne,
high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above
it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his
face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried
to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; The whole
earth is full of His glory!” And the posts of the door were shaken by
the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.
So, I said: “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean
lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes
have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.” Then one of the seraphim flew
to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs
from the altar. And he touched my mouth with it, and said: “Behold,
this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is taken away, and your sin
purged.” Also, I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I
send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.” And
He said, “Go, and tell this people: ‘Keep on hearing, but do not
understand; Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ “Make the heart of
this people dull, and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; Lest they
see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with
their heart, and return and be healed.” Isaiah 6:1-10
Note: Jesus Christ fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah.
And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in
parables?” He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to
you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has
not been given. For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will
have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be
taken away from him. Therefore, I speak to them in parables, because
seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they
understand. And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which
says: 'Hearing you will hear and shall not understand and seeing you
will see and not perceive; For the hearts of this people have grown
dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed,
lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest
they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should
heal them.’" Matthew 13:10-15
Note: The Holy Spirit is given to anyone who believes and confesses Jesus Christ.
Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has
seen the Father. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me
has everlasting life. John 6:46-47
No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in
us, and His love has been perfected in us. By this we know that we
abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. And
we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of
the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides
in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God
has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and
God in him. 1 John 4:12-16