This article is part of a series on Old Testament Christophanies. For important background information, see An Introduction to Old Testament Christophanies–with Justin Martyr.
After the five books of Moses, the rate of Old Testament Christophanies noticeably declines. This makes sense as the Torah is the foundation for the rest of God’s Word. The Son appeared throughout to establish His plan, covenants, and to guide His people. His appearances in the rest of the Old Testament built upon the foundation He laid, beginning in Joshua 5.
Not long after the Israelites had crossed the Jordan River they came to camp at Gilgal (vv. 8–10). Then, Joshua received an intimidating visitor:
Now it came about when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing 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?” He said, “No; rather I indeed come now as captain of the host of the LORD.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and bowed down, and said to him, “What has my lord to say to his servant?” The captain of the LORD’s host said to Joshua, “Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so (Josh 5:13–15).
The Captain didn’t come to fight for the Israelites or their enemies. The conquest of Canaan was the Lord’s campaign, and the Israelites would fight as part of His army (or host). Joshua was Israel’s commander; the Captain was her commander-in-chief. The Captain’s title identifies Him as the Angel with Yahweh’s name in Him (Exod 23:20–23), the very Son of God. Thus, the earthly Joshua encountered the heavenly Joshua.[1] Joshua’s role as a conqueror typified Jesus as the Lion Messiah (e.g., Isa 63:1–6; Zech 14:1–5; Rev 19:11–21). The type fell on his face to worship the antitype.
God is often later referred to as “Yahweh of hosts” (Heb. YHWH Tzevaot) or by the more elaborate, “Yahweh God of hosts” (e.g., Ps 80:4). Yahweh reigns over all armies, both in heaven and on earth. It is fitting that the Son would serve the Father by leading God’s armies. A note in the Geneva Bible states, “in that he calls himself the Lord’s captain he declares himself to be Christ.”[2]
The Captain’s command that Joshua take off his sandals, for he stood on holy ground, calls us to compare this Christophany to the one in the burning bush. There, the Angel of the Lord appeared to Moses in a blazing bush and God called to him from it, ordering Moses to remove his sandals, for he was standing on holy ground (Exod 3:1–6). The Son appeared differently before Joshua: with a drawn sword in His hand, to symbolize victory through Him. The Angel of the Lord also held a drawn sword when He opposed Balaam (Num 22:23, 31). Now He opposed the Canaanites. The Son intended to keep His promise to the patriarchs, to deliver the land to their descendants.
It is a common conclusion among the Christian commentators that the Captain was the Son of God. Henry provides us with a good example:
This Man was the Son of God, the eternal Word. Joshua gave him Divine honours: he received them, which a created angel would not have done, and he is called Jehovah, chap. 6:2. To Abraham he appeared as a traveller; to Joshua as a man of war. Christ will be to his people what their faith needs. Christ had his sword drawn, which encouraged Joshua to carry on the war with vigour. Christ’s sword drawn in his hand, denotes how ready he is for the defence and salvation of his people.[3]
John Calvin was the finest scholar among the Reformers. He identified the Captain as the divine Angel from the Torah, commenting that
in the books of Moses the name of Jehovah is often attributed to the presiding Angel, who was undoubtedly the only-begotten Son of God. He is indeed very God, and yet in the person of Mediator by dispensation, he is inferior to God. I willingly receive what ancient writers teach on the subject,—that when Christ anciently appeared in human form, it was a prelude to the mystery which was afterwards exhibited when God was manifested in the flesh.[4]
[1] Joshua is the English spelling of Jesus’ Hebrew name Yeshua. Jesus is the English spelling of the Greek Iesous.
[2] Study note on Joshua 5:14, in The Geneva Bible.
[3] Henry, Concise Commentary, Josh 5:13–15.
[4] Calvin, Commentaries on the Book of Joshua, Josh 5:14.
So according to the Calvin quote, Christ is inferior to God.
Calvin was saying that as the mediator Christ placed Himself in an inferior position to the Father. As Calvin noted, however, the Son is Himself God.
Yes he is inferior. Jesus was the firstborn of creation. So he was created. He also says himself that the Father is greater than he is.
No, you are gravely mistaken. The Son takes on a submissive role in the Trinity. However, the Son is of the exact same substance and nature as the Father (e.g., John 1:18). “Firstborn” as it was used in the historical context speaks to preeminence. Thus the meaning of Colossians 1:15 is that the Son of God is greater than all created things, not that He was created. Indeed, the very same verse teaches that He is the image of the invisible God. No created being could appear exactly as God does.
I encourage you to embrace Jesus as God. For unless you believe that Jesus is I AM, you will die in your sins (John 8:24). Additional reading on this subject found here: https://appleeye.org/2019/12/31/in-the-burning-bush-jesus-in-exodus-3/
Jesus never denied His deity when He walked this earth. He was True Man and True God. Jesus is His Humanity and Christ is His deity.
He was the Incarnate God, meaning God came in the flesh. He came to shed Holy blood on the Cross for the remission of our sins; God’s Gift of Grace. His blood was Holy, as He had no earthly father. Every human must receive this gift through faith, belief and confession. We must declare the Son of God died on the Cross for our sins and make Him Lord of your life, in order to receive eternal life with God.
He came that we may be reconciled back to our heavenly Father. The Father, Son and Holy Ghost are One. Scripture after scripture confirms that He was God in the flesh.
The ultimate scripture(s), Jesus said: “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty,” (Revelation 1:8). All Glory to God. Amen.