Can God Come Into the World?
In this article I aim to demonstrate, through Jewish scriptures, that God can indeed take on physical form and that the Messiah can be a divine figure, challenging the contemporary Jewish perspectives. When discussing with Jews the topic of whether Jesus is the Messiah or not, you may hear comments similar to “The concept of God becoming a man is different from what exists in Judaism.” They usually back this up by saying something like, “Judaism teaches that God is beyond space and time” and “That God does not take on physical form.” But is this true? Obviously, God is beyond space and time. As Christians, we affirm that the real question is: does that mean God cannot take on a physical form?
Let’s start by revisiting the question: can God come into the world? The answer is a resounding yes. He can, He has, and He will again. However, simply answering “yes” doesn’t effectively defend my position. So, allow me to build a defense for the idea that God can come into the world.
Table of Contents
God Walking: Evidence from Genesis
In the introduction, I mentioned engaging with Jews, so I think it’s appropriate to use Jewish sources for this article. I believe a perfect place to start is in Genesis. In Genesis 3:8, we see that Adam and Eve heard the sound of the LORD God walking. How can God walk if He cannot take on physical form? We also see that they hid from the presence of the LORD. How do you hide from something that is not physical?
Seeing God: Jacob’s Encounter in Genesis
In the book of Genesis, there are examples of God walking and making sounds, which are characteristics of a physical being. Additionally, there’s the account of Jacob seeing God in Genesis 32:30, where Jacob describes his encounter with God as being face-to-face. This suggests that God may have taken on a human form.
None of this implies that God is physical; instead, it suggests that God, in his infinite power, can take on a physical form. This doesn’t mean that God is no longer God or that He has become limited. It simply shows that God has, even in the Jewish sources, taken on a physical form.
Appearing as a Man: The LORD and Abraham in Genesis 18
As a Christian could I not not mention Genesis 18 where God explicitly takes on the form of a man? In Genesis 18, the LORD appears to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre as a man, He physically interacts with Abraham even going as far as to eat with him. This narrative not only suggests the possibility of God taking on a human form but also establishes a precedent for God appearing in human form. There is so much in Genesis 18 that I could write this entire article just using this chapter let alone the entirety of the Hebrew Scriptures.
Some Jewish scholars argue that anthropomorphic descriptions of God in Genesis 18 and the entire Hebrew Bible are metaphorical rather than literal. However, when these passages are considered together, they strongly suggest that God’s interaction with the physical world goes beyond mere metaphor. Additionally, interpreting all of these encounters as metaphorical can easily destroy any meaning that these stories may have.
God in the Burning Bush: God's Manifestation in Exodus
Perhaps Genesis isn’t your cup of tea. What about Exodus? Exodus is a significant book in the Hebrew scriptures. In Exodus 3, we see the angel of the LORD, who is Jesus, appearing as a flame in a bush. It doesn’t end there; in verse 4, the LORD saw Moses turn aside and called out to him from the flame. Not only is this a good passage for proving the Trinity but it is also a good passage to show that God can indeed take on or incarnate a physical form.
Pillar of Cloud and Fire: God's Physical Forms in Exodus
Maybe you’re a little scared of fire. But don’t worry, in Exodus, God took on other forms. For example, in Exodus 13:21, God appeared as a “Pillar of Cloud” by day and a “Pillar of Fire” by night. (Sorry if you’re still scared of fire.) Again this shows that God can take on physical form. Challenging the contemporary Jewish interpretation that “God does not take on physical form.” Keep in mind so far we have stayed exclusively in the Jewish scriptures. We aren’t even halfway through yet.
Is the Messiah a Divine Figure? Addressing Jewish Perspectives
Maybe by now, you have come to accept the idea that God can take on physical form, whether as a cloud or a human. However, in Judaism, there’s a belief that the Messiah is not a divine figure. Many Jews argue that the concept of the Messiah as a divine figure is nothing more than a Christian invention.
So now the question has shifted. No longer is the question merely whether can God take on human form or not. Now the question is, can God be the Messiah?
Can God be the Messiah? The answer is a resounding yes! To address this question, we need to examine the nature of God, which is more complex than previously thought. I present to you the Trinitarian perspective.
When reading both the Old and the New Testament, we encounter numerous instances of peculiar dualities. I mentioned one earlier in this article when examining Exodus 3. However, this duality extends beyond a few references to The Angels of the LORD. It’s not just a duality; it goes far beyond that. “Duality” isn’t even an adequate word to describe these occurrences.
This forces us to adopt a new approach when attempting to comprehend the nature of God. I am of the opinion that the Trinitarian perspective is the most suitable. For a straightforward understanding of what Trinitarianism is, I recommend reading “What is the Trinity?” by myself. Even with a basic grasp of the Trinity, we can observe that it aids in understanding many of these passages.
The Son of Man: Duality in Daniel 7
Now that we have a new approach, let’s apply it and see if it fits. To do this, let’s take a look at Daniel 7. In this passage, Daniel sees the Ancient of Days, who is God (the Father, the first person of the Trinity). In verse 13, we see someone who looks like a son of man. However, there is a specific detail we need to realize here. This “son of man” is coming on the clouds of Heaven. On its own, this seems like a strange detail meant to animate the scene. However, if we go to Deuteronomy 33, we see that only YHWH comes on the clouds.
With that context, we can see that in Daniel 7:13, we are seeing two God figures. However, it doesn’t end there. Moving on to verse 14, we learn that this “son of man” figure is given dominion, glory, and a kingdom, and that all peoples, nations, and languages will serve him. The word “serve” carries heavy meaning; in Aramaic, it is פְּלַח pronounced “pel-akh“, and is only used in reference to YHWH. The word itself means “to serve, worship, revere, minister for, pay reverence to“. So, if the reference to the “son of man” coming on the clouds of heaven wasn’t clear enough, the use of the word “worship” should make it evident that Daniel is talking about a God figure here.
Trinitarian Perspective: Understanding God's Nature
Outside of the Trinitarian perspective, this passage, and others like it, make little sense and are very confusing. How do our Jewish friends respond to arguments like this? They usually say that we are misreading the Hebrew. But that’s just a modern response. If we go back to the first century, many Jews held to a doctrine similar to Trinitarianism called Binitarianism. The primary difference between Trinitarianism and Binitarianism is the number of Persons God is. Binitarianism says that God is two persons, while Trinitarianism says God is three persons.
Conclusion: Jesus in Jewish Scriptures
In conclusion, the Hebrew scriptures provide numerous instances where God takes on physical forms, whether walking in the Garden of Eden, appearing in a burning bush, or manifesting as a pillar of cloud and fire. With these examples, we’ve demonstrated that God can incarnate a physical form. Additionally, using the depiction of the “Son of Man” in Daniel 7 we’ve demonstrated that the Messiah can indeed be God. All that said, this is a very complex topic that contains a vast expanse of theology, history, philosophy, and more. We have only begun to explore this important debate.
As I conclude this article, I want to make it clear that I have no issues with Jews. I am not attacking anyone for being Jewish, as can be seen in the contents of this article. My intention for this article is to provide insight for Christians and hopefully persuade any Jewish believers reading this to consider Christianity.
