Jesus’ Preincarnate Appearances – Abraham – Pt 02

Summary

Grace in Focus: Jesus’ Preincarnate Appearances – Abraham – Pt 02

Podcast by Grace Evangelical Society | Hosts: Bob Wilkin & David Renfrow
Date: July 14, 2026 | Duration: 13 minutes

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Episode Overview

This episode delves into the fascinating topic of Christ's preincarnate appearances (Theophanies or Christophanies) in the Old Testament, focusing particularly on his interactions with Abraham. The hosts, Bob Wilkin and David Renfrow, examine biblical passages where Abraham encounters "the Angel of the Lord," discuss the theological significance of these events, and challenge common misconceptions about Old Testament beliefs regarding resurrection and the Messiah. The discussion connects OT narratives to key New Testament affirmations, emphasizing the continuity of faith and revelation across the covenants.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Multiple Encounters Between the Lord and Abraham

[00:53-02:40]

• Bob highlights not only Genesis 18 (traditionally viewed as a Christophany) but also other moments where the Lord appeared to Abraham:
  • Genesis 12 – God promises Abraham he will be a blessing and foresees a great lineage. Bob notes this is "probably he's seeing the Lord Jesus Christ face to face."
  • Genesis 15 – God promises a miraculous son through Sarah and gives a justification-by-faith promise. Again, seen as a face-to-face encounter with the preincarnate Christ.
  • Genesis 22 – The command to sacrifice Isaac is the focal point of this episode, with Bob and David discussing both the typology and Christological significance.

2. The Command to Sacrifice Isaac and Preaching Bodily Resurrection

[02:41-04:25]

• The story of Abraham's command to sacrifice Isaac on Mount Moriah is explored as a profound test of faith and a prophetic foreshadowing:
  • Isaac is called Abraham’s “only son," underscoring his legitimacy in the Messianic line.
  • Bob links Abraham’s faith to Hebrews 11, stating:

    "He believed God would raise Isaac from the dead because he knew God had promised that his descendants would come through Isaac."

• Bob challenges scholarly skepticism about Old Testament belief in bodily resurrection, referencing Job 19 and Daniel 12 as further proof.

“If you read Hebrews 11, it says that’s what he believed.”
— Bob Wilkin [03:33]

3. Genesis 22 as a Christophanic Event

[04:25-06:54]

• David walks through the Genesis 22 account:
  • The “angel of Yahweh” (the Lord) calls to Abraham just as he's about to sacrifice Isaac.
  • David points out the emotive double address ("Abraham, Abraham!" [Genesis 22:11]) and connects it to other intense moments of biblical dialogue.
  • The hosts discuss translation choices (noting that the New King James capitalizes “Angel” to signify divine identity) and agree this is indeed a Christophany—the preincarnate Christ stopping Abraham on Mount Moriah.

"At least sometimes in the Old Testament, the angel of the Lord appears to be Yahweh in the flesh."
— Bob Wilkin [06:21]

4. Typology: Isaac as a Foreshadowing of Christ

[04:41-08:22]

• The three-day journey to Mount Moriah foreshadows Christ’s resurrection:

“That’s interesting because Jesus rose on the third day. … This might be not only a type of the death of God’s only son, but it could also be a type of the resurrection of his only son.”
— Bob Wilkin [04:44]

• They note the geographic connection between Mount Moriah and Golgotha, suggesting the place where Abraham nearly sacrificed Isaac is the same site of Jesus’ crucifixion.

“The one who dies on the cross for Abraham, for Isaac, and for us...he’s meeting with Abraham...knowing that 2,000 years later, he’s going to be dying for the people.”
— Bob Wilkin [07:46]

5. Abraham’s Mature Faith & Misconceptions about Old Testament Revelation

[08:25-10:28]

• James 2 is cited as interpreting the Genesis 22 event as a maturation of Abraham’s faith (not a proof of his original belief).
• They challenge the idea that Abraham and other OT figures were spiritually ignorant:
  • John 8:56’s “Abraham rejoiced to see my day” is discussed as evidence that Abraham anticipated the Messiah and his kingdom.

“He knew that there was going to be a city...the New Jerusalem...he was going to be in that kingdom. And the idea that Abraham was some kind of spiritual nincompoop is contrary to both the Old and the New Testament.”
— Bob Wilkin [10:28]

6. Face-to-Face Encounters and Common (Mis)Perceptions

[10:52-11:57]

• Bob and David agree that Abraham's experience of meeting the Lord face-to-face is profound, and, contrary to some present-day assumptions, OT believers had significant revelations:
  • Bob hypothesizes that Christ met someone in every generation up to the "400 silent years," showing consistent personal revelation.

7. Hebrew Word Study — Malachi

[11:57-12:12]

• David briefly explains the name “Malachi” means “my messenger,” derived from “malak” (angel/messenger).

8. Preview of Upcoming Topics

[12:12-12:46]

• The hosts preview the next episode, which will explore the appearances of the preincarnate Christ to Moses.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Old Testament Resurrection:

  “Many scholars today have an anti-supernatural bias...they don’t think that Old Testament people believed in bodily resurrection.”
  — Bob Wilkin [03:43]

• On Isaac’s Sacrifice as a Type of Christ:

  “Figuratively speaking, God spared his [Isaac’s] life and raised him, and it was a three day journey.”
  — Bob Wilkin [04:44]

• On Spiritual Perception:

  “If [Abraham] was a nincompoop, then what can you say about us?”
  — David Renfrow [10:48]

• On Seeing Jesus Face-to-Face:

  “He saw him face to face. I never have. Have you?”
  — Bob Wilkin [11:02]

• On Abraham’s Mature Faith:

  “It proved that his faith had matured to the point where he was ready to offer up his son, knowing that God would raise him from the dead.”
  — Bob Wilkin [08:25]

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Important Timestamps

• 00:53: Start of Abraham/Christophany discussion
• 02:41: Foreshadowing of the resurrection and Isaac’s typological role
• 04:25: The “angel of Yahweh” in Genesis 22—discussion of divine identity
• 07:43: Geographic/typological connection between Mount Moriah and Golgotha
• 08:25: Explanation of faith's maturation in Abraham (James 2)
• 10:28: Abraham’s spiritual understanding and anticipation of Messiah/kingdom
• 11:57: Word study on “Malachi” and preview of next episode

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Conclusion

Bob Wilkin and David Renfrow’s discussion provides a rich, accessible exploration of the preincarnate appearances of Christ in Abraham’s life, combining careful textual analysis, theological insight, and practical faith encouragement. The episode affirms the continuity between Old and New Testament revelation and challenges the notion that OT saints had only vague faith in God, instead showing Abraham as a man with a remarkable grasp of God’s promises, including the resurrection and the coming kingdom. The conversation is approachable and engaging, making Old Testament stories relevant for listeners’ faith and understanding.

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Next Episode Teaser:
The series continues with a look at Moses' encounters with the preincarnate Christ—“many times” (David Renfrow [12:45]).

Transcript

[A]

The following is a listener supported ministry from the Grace Evangelical Society. We are continuing our journey this week looking at the prehistoric Christophanies or theophanies in the Old Testament, focusing on the ones to Abraham this episode Glad you are with us friend. This is Grace in Focus Radio, a ministry of the Grace Evangelical Society. Our website is faithalone.org and I want to let you know and encourage you to find out more about our online seminary. It offers an M. Div. Degree and scholarships are available for those who maintain high academic performance. Application and registration for our fall semester is now. Get the information you [e-mail] now with our discussion of the day, here are Bob Wilken and David Renfrow okay David,

[B]

we're talking about appearances of the pre incarnate Lord Jesus Christ in the Old Testament. And because last time we just barely scratched the surface, I thought we'd have a part two and we were talking about Abraham and how the Lord met with Abraham in Genesis 18. But there are probably many different times when the Lord met with Abraham. For example, in Genesis 12 when he talks to him and says he's going to be a blessing to him and he was going to have a great number of descendants in Genesis 12:1,3. That's probably he's seeing the Lord Jesus Christ face to face. And again in Genesis 15 when he gives him the promise of justification by faith alone through his descendants, he says, no, no, Eleazar is not going to be your descendant. It's going to be through you and Sarah, which was going to be a miraculous birth. That's another example. But I thought we'd also talk about Genesis 22 because something amazing happens in Genesis 22. You have the promised child in Genesis 15 and that child is born and he grows up. And we're not sure how old that Isaac is at the time at which God tells him to offer up his son on Mount Moriah. And he's called, by the way, his only son, even though he had Ishmael through Hagar, that wasn't his legitimate child. That wasn't the one that was going to be in the line of Messiah. Later had other sons through Keturah, but again, none of those are his son. In the line of Messiah he had

[C]

only in the kingly line.

[B]

In the kingly line he had one son, right? And that one son was Isaac. But in Genesis 22 he's told to offer him up. Now we're told in the book of Hebrews that he believed God would raise Isaac from the dead because he knew God had promised the that his descendants would come through Isaac. And by the way, a lot of people scoff at that. I remember talking to a New Testament scholar at the Evangelical Theological Society and he had said that there's no Old Testament belief in bodily resurrection. I'm thinking, what about job 19 where job says, I know I'm gonna walk with my Redeemer in my flesh? Or what about, I asked him specifically about Hebrews 11 saying that Abraham believed God would raise Isaac from the dead and his response is no, no, that's what his actions imply, that's not what he believed. I'm like, I don't know. If you read Hebrews 11, it says that's what he believed.

[A]

Right.

[B]

And part of the problem is many scholars today have an anti supernatural bias and they don't think that Old Testament people believed in bodily resurrection, that we had to wait till we get to the New Testament to have teaching on bodily resurrection. Daniel of course talks about bodily resurrection in Daniel chapter 12. There are lots of examples in the Old Testament. And of course David believed he was going to be with the Lord forever and he was going to enjoy fellowship with the Lord forever. And all of the Old Testament believers did. But in any regard, how do we know or do we think that the pre incarnate Lord Jesus Christ met with Abraham on Mount Moriah?

[C]

Well, it says in the text here that.

[B]

And what is this Genesis 22, Genesis

[C]

22, and he's talking about taking his son Isaac up to the mountain. In other words, he was obeying the word of the Lord to do this, to sacrifice his only son.

[B]

And by the way, wasn't it a three day journey?

[C]

Yes, it was.

[B]

And that's interesting because Jesus rose on the third day. And if he believed that God could have raised Isaac from the dead, this might be not only a type of the death of God's only son, where Abraham's offering his only son, but it could also be a type of the resurrection of his only son. Absolutely, because figuratively speaking, God spared his life and raised him and it was a three day journey. So what hint is there this might be actually Yahweh in the presence of Abraham?

[C]

Well, it says here that when they got to the place where the sacrifice was to take place, that all of a sudden it says Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked and there was a ram and that was divinely provided for. Before that he stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. And then in verse 11 of Genesis 22 it says, but the angel of Yahweh, the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, abraham, Abraham. And by the way, just a little Bible study note, whenever you see something repeated like that, it's intense. It stresses the intense. When our Lord says, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? When he was on the cross, that's intense emotion. And so that's kind of a Bible study. I threw that in for free.

[B]

There you go.

[C]

But he calls out to Abraham and says, do not lay your hand on the lad. In other words, don't kill your son.

[B]

And the one speaking to him is the angel of the Lord. Now, at least sometimes in the Old Testament, the angel of the Lord appears to be Yahweh in the flesh.

[C]

I agree.

[B]

This one. In the new King James, do they capitalize angel or not?

[C]

Yes, they do.

[B]

So when the new King James capitalizes the A in angel, that means that Art ftad and the translators of the new King James, they believe this is the pre incarnate Lord Jesus Christ. And I would agree.

[C]

I agree.

[A]

We will return to our program content shortly, but we're taking this break to let you know that Grace and Focus is shortly going to be transitioning to digital delivery only. We've appreciated this fine radio station and being part of its lineup has been a privilege indeed. But we're going to say goodbye to this time slot and make room for another ministry right here. You can continue to listen to Grace in Focus. Just pick the time of day anytime, 24 7. And find us on Spotify, Apple and many other podcast outlets.

[B]

Now, where are they? They're on Mount Moriah, are they not?

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

By the way, is it true that Mount Moriah is essentially the same place as Golgotha? The same place as where Jesus was crucified?

[C]

There's a good chance that they are the same.

[B]

And so here you have the one who dies on the cross for Abraham, for Isaac, and for us. And he's meeting with Abraham, knowing that Abraham offering up his son is a type of his own death. And he knows that 2000 years later he's going to be dying for the people. And that the Father is not going to stop that death, that he really is going to die. And yet Jesus in his grace, is stopping Abraham from taking his only begotten son.

[C]

It's an amazing scene, isn't it?

[B]

And by the way, in James chapter two, James cites this incident that to say this was a fulfillment of the faith that Abraham had in Genesis 15:6, meaning that it was the maturation of his faith. In other words, when he believed God about the coming Messiah that was coming through him, that was tested at Genesis 22, and he passed the test didn't mean that this proved he really believed. He. It proved that his faith had matured to the point where he was ready to offer up his son, knowing that God would raise him from the dead.

[C]

Yeah, it's a fascinating passage to me too, because put yourself in Abraham's place and you hear, go to Mount Moriah and kill your son after you've heard that he is through him, through the son, the same son that you're supposed to kill, that the promises are going to come through. And so can you imagine what was going through his mind? How is the Lord going to put all that together? And I think one of the major statements of faith there is, I don't understand this, but the Lord can do whatever he wants.

[B]

But you know, a lot of people, when they look at Abraham, they think of somebody that was spiritually ignorant, somebody who didn't have a clue about who Jesus is. They didn't have a clue about the coming kingdom. They didn't have a clue about the resurrection from the dead. And yet Jesus said in John 8:56, Abraham rejoiced to see my day. And my day refers to his kingdom. So Abraham rejoiced, looking at the coming kingdom.

[C]

He knew that was going to happen, and he rejoiced.

[B]

And we're told in Hebrews 11 that Abraham was looking to the new Jerusalem.

[C]

Right.

[B]

He knew that there was going to be a city that would be a new city, that would be the world capital, the new Jerusalem, and he was going to be in that kingdom. And the idea that Abraham was some kind of spiritual nincompoop is contrary to both the Old and the New Testament.

[C]

If he was a nincompoop, then what can you say about us?

[B]

Yeah, I mean, don't a lot of people in the church age think we know so much more about Jesus than Abraham did? Yeah, but he saw him face to face. I never have. Have you?

[C]

I have yet to see that.

[B]

I have yet to see the Lord face to face. And I really don't think that the Damascus experience has happened too many times in church history. I mean, I know people have said people have seen Jesus in visions. People say that Jesus appeared in their cell or whatever when they were being imprisoned for Christ. Maybe. I mean, that certainly could happen again. Sure, but it's not a common experience. But before Jesus was born in Bethlehem, it was not uncommon for Jesus to meet with people many times. In fact, I have a theory that most likely he appeared in every generation, at least to somebody in every generation from Adam and Eve, at least until the 400 silent years, at least up until the Italian prophet. I wouldn't, you know, Malachi.

[C]

Malachi.

[B]

Malachi or Malachi. What does Malachi mean, by the way?

[C]

My messenger.

[B]

It means my messenger.

[C]

Actually, Moloch is two words. Moloch means angel, but the word angel is literally messenger.

[B]

And Malik is king. But Moloch, which is related, is angel or messenger. And so Malachi is my messenger, Malaki my messenger, Malak my messenger. Very good. All right. Well, we've just again touched the surface on the pre incarnate Lord Jesus Christ. We just looked at one incident from the life of Abraham. But we'd like to go on. And let's talk a little bit about Moses because Moses met the preincarnate Lord Jesus Christ on multiple occasions.

[C]

Many times. Yes.

[B]

So let's talk about that in the next one. In the meantime, we're going to keep grace in focus.

[A]

Would you be interested in some free ebooks on topics you hear on this program? Well, if you are, you need to come Visit [e-mail] that's faithalone.org we would love to hear from you. Maybe you've got a question, comment or some feedback. If you do, please don't hesitate to send us a message. Here's our email address. It's radioaithalone.org that's radioaithalone.org and when you do, very important. Please let us know your radio station call letters and the city of your location. On our next episode, more Old Testament appearances of Christ to Moses. Be sure to join us. And in the meantime, let's keep grace in focus. The proceeding has been a listener supported ministry from the Grace Evangelical Society.