Jesus in the Book of Job

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. 

In some ways the Book of Job is independent from much of the Old Testament. The narrative of the book, which concerns the suffering of Job and the sovereign purposes of God, is separate from the history of the patriarchs and of Israel as a nation. However, Job knew the true God, the God of Israel. And like with several of the patriarchs, prophets, and other people in the Old Testament, Job too was visited by the Son of God.  

Speaking From the Whirlwind

Job 37 records the culmination of Elihu’s monologues, where he proclaims the majesty of God. Elihu frames God speaking and acting using language associated with storms (vv. 2–15). He tells Job to listen closely to the thunder of God’s voice and to the rumbling that comes from His mouth (v. 2). Job would soon have to do just that. 

In his concluding statements, Elihu compared God to sunlight in the sky, which when it is uncovered by clouds, becomes too bright to directly look upon. Elihu then described a golden splendor coming from the north, surrounding God with awesome majesty. Elihu stated that Shaddai (the Almighty) cannot be found; He is exalted in power (vv. 21–23). Elihu made the point that the thoughts and ways of the Almighty God are beyond the understanding of men. Elihu may have also been describing a vision he had of God approaching from the north, surrounded by His glory. Benson commented that Elihu “speaks abruptly, and in haste, because, it should seem, he perceived God was approaching, and presumed he was about to take the work into his own hands.”^[1] Whether it was of a vision or not, Elihu’s description serves as a fitting segue to what immediately followed.

It seemed that a storm had been gathering. And at the opening of Job 38, the storm arrived, and within it was the Lord:

Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said,

“Who is this that darkens counsel
By words without knowledge?” (Job 38:1–2).

The same Hebrew word (seʹarah) for the “whirlwind” that took Elijah is used here, and it can also be translated as “tempest” or “windstorm.” And like with Elijah, Job found himself facing a storm of Shekinah glory. The Lord’s awesome display undoubtedly demanded Job’s respect and attention. Job had demanded an answer from the Almighty for his suffering (Job 13:22; 31:35), and now Yahweh personally came to give it. The Lord had no need to explain Himself, instead asking who this was who had spoken so ignorantly, darkening the purposes of God.  

The Lord continued to answer Job through chapter forty-one by giving two speeches that spoke to His sovereign power over creation and to His greatness as the Creator. The Lord’s speeches are well represented by the question He asked in 38:4: “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding . . .” The Son of God may rightly say that He laid the foundation of the earth. All things were created through the Word, and apart from Him nothing has been created (John 1:3). All things in heaven and on earth were created through Christ (Col 1:16). The universe was made through the Son (Heb 1:2).

After the Lord had finished speaking, Job had a new perspective on who God was. Job answered the Lord by declaring that He could do all things and that He couldn’t be thwarted. Job admitted that he had ignorantly spoken about the wonderful purposes of God, and that he had been humbled by the Lord’s words (Job 42:1–4). Job’s new understanding wasn’t just the result of hearing Yahweh but seeing Him as well: “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear;
But now my eye sees You . . .” (Job 42:5). Some conclude that the reference to seeing God only means that Job now had a more intimate understanding of Him. However, it is explicitly stated that Job saw the Lord with his “eye,” strongly suggesting physical sight. The plain meaning is that Job had seen, however obscurely, Yahweh as He spoke from within the whirlwind.

Eusebius of Caesarea (ca. 260–ca. 340 AD) was a bishop and a theologian, and he remains a famed church historian. Eusebius reasoned that Job must have seen Yahweh the Word:

if it is not possible for the Most High God, the Invisible, the Uncreated, and the Omnipotent to be said to be seen in mortal form, the Being Who was seen must have been the Word of God, Whom we call Lord as we do the Father.^[2]

Gill agreed with Eusebius, explaining that Job saw the

Shechinah . . . divine glory and Majesty; the Logos, the Word or Son of God, who now appeared in an human form, and spake to Job out of the whirlwind; and whom he saw with the eyes of his body, as several of the patriarchs had seen him, and which is the sense of an ancient writer [Eusebius]; though no doubt he saw him also with the eyes of his understanding, and had a clearer sight of his living Redeemer, the Messiah, than ever he had before; and saw more of God in Christ, of his nature, perfections, and glory, than ever he had as yet seen . . .^[3]

Job’s Redeemer

Before he had seen the Lord, Job was confident that he would:

“As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives,
And at the last He will take His stand on the earth.
“Even after my skin is destroyed,
Yet from my flesh I shall see God;
Whom I myself shall behold,
And whom my eyes will see and not another.
My heart faints within me!” (Job 19:25–27).

Here Job looked forward to the time when the Lord would resurrect the dead. Even though his skin and flesh would be destroyed, Job had faith in the resurrection of his body. On that glorious day, Job would physically see his Redeemer—God Himself—standing on the earth. Because the Redeemer is God standing on earth, who will be seen with bodily eyes, He is God the Son. Jesus taught that the “voice of the Son of God” will raise the dead (John 5:25, 28–29). And before raising Lazarus, Jesus declared, “I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25). Regardless of how well Job understood the specifics of his own inspired words, he will see Jesus Christ at the resurrection of the dead. This has been the prevalent view throughout much of church history. For example, the fourth-century theologian Ephrem the Syrian succinctly stated: “Here the blessed Job predicts the future manifestation of Emmanuel in the flesh at the end of time.”^[4]

The “Redeemer” (Heb. goel) was a kinsman whose job was to advocate for a wronged relative. Poole explained that

the Hebrew word goel, here used; which although sometimes it be used of God absolutely, or essentially considered, yet it most properly agrees to Jesus Christ; for this word, as all Hebricians know, is primarily used of the next kinsman, whose office it was to redeem by a price paid the sold or mortgaged estate of his deceased kinsman, Lev. xxv. 25; and to revenge his death, Numb. xxxv. 12; and to maintain his name and honour, by raising up seed to him, Deut. xxv. 5: all of which most fitly agrees to Christ, who is our nearest Kinsman and Brother, Heb. ii. 11, as having taken our nature upon him by the incarnation; who also hath redeemed that everlasting inheritance which our first parents had utterly lost and sold by the price of his own blood; and hath revenged the death of mankind upon the great contriver of it, the devil, by destroying him and his kingdom; and hath taken a course to preserve our name, and honour, and persons to eternity. And if the places where God is called Goel in the Old Testament be examined, it will be found that either all or most of them may be, and some of them must be, understood of God the Son, or of Christ, as Gen. xlviii. 16; [etc.]^[5]

The God-man Jesus Christ is the ultimate kinsman-redeemer.

Even though the resurrection of the dead was in the distant future, Job knew that his Redeemer already lived. And he would soon see Him in the whirlwind. Job had to face great hardship and suffering, but he was also greatly blessed. Job got to see the Son of God before the Incarnation, and he will see the incarnate Son of God, Jesus Christ, at the resurrection of the dead.

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[1] Benson, Notes, vol. 2, Job 37:22–24.

[2] Eusebius, Proof of the Gospel 1.5.

[3] Gill, Exposition, Job 42:5.

[4] Ephrem, quoted in Simonetti and Conti, Ancient Christian Commentary, 105.

[5] Poole, Annotations, 1:967–968.