God Manifestation
God Manifestation is a key principle for understanding the entire Bible.
The key concept is that God delegates His authority to other beings. When this delegation happens, that being can then be referred to as “God”.
Examples of God Manifestation in Scripture
In Exodus 3 the Bible records the incident of the burning bush. It says that it was an angel in the bush and yet it records that God spoke to Moses from the bush:
When Yahweh saw that he came over to see, God {Eloheem) called to him out of the middle of the bush, and said, “Moses! Moses!” He said, “Here I am.”
(Exo 3:4)
It is interesting that it uses both the word “Yahweh” and “Eloheem” (translated God) in the same verse. It is clear thought that this is the one God who is considered to be directly speaking to Moses from the content of later in the conversation:
Moreover he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look at God.
(Exo 3:6)
So although it is an angel, the angel is representing to point to such a level that it takes the name of God in verse 4 (Yahweh) and verse 6 (the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob). This is not a one off. In Exodus 23 Moses is instructed that God is providing an angel to “watch over them” and this angel has special authority:
“Behold, I send an angel before you, to keep you by the way, and to bring you into the place which I have prepared. Pay attention to him, and listen to his voice. Don’t provoke him, for he will not pardon your disobedience, for my name is in him.
(Exo 23:20-21)
Jesus Manifesting God
Jesus was the best manifestation of God in a human being.
Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you such a long time, and do you not know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father. How do you say, ‘Show us the Father?’ Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I tell you, I speak not from myself; but the Father who lives in me does his works.
(Joh 14:9-10)