The Bible describes God appearing, speaking, and descending. I wonder if this is just different language or if these terms represent various types of divine communication...?
Please picture Judeo-Christian religion as a tree rooted in revelation from Source. The trunk is Torah/teachings inspired by God who created and cares for us. Let's remember our united foundation of faith as as we dwell on our particular branches and leaves.
This shared root of reliance on the Word of God sustains every branch and leaf of Judaism and Christianity. Through the Word, we know that God is One, Spirit with no material form, everywhere and eternal, Designer with purpose, Beyond all. When the Creator manifests to humans in any way, this does not change God.
Eliezer ben Hurcanus אליעזר בן הורקנוס was a prominent Torah scholar during the first and second centuries in Judea. His writings, recorded in the Talmud, highlight ten Biblical accounts of God descending to the material world:
פרקי דברי אליעזר
Chapters of the words of Eliezer
פרק יד Chapter 14
"עשרה ירידות ירד הקב"ה על הארץ ואלו הן"
God descended on the earth in ten descents and these are them
"אחת בגן עדן"
one in the Garden of Eden
וַֽיִּשְׁמְע֞וּ אֶת־ק֨וֹל יְהוָ֧ה אֱלֹהִ֛ים
מִתְהַלֵּ֥ךְ בַּגָּ֖ן לְר֣וּחַ הַיּ֑וֹם
בראשית ג:ח
And they heard the sound of HaShem God
walking in the garden in the wind/spirit of the day
Genesis 3:8
דּוֹדִי֙ יָרַ֣ד לְגַנּ֔וֹ לַעֲרוּג֖וֹת הַבֹּ֑שֶׂם
שיר השירים ו:ב
My beloved has descended to his garden, to the fragrant flowerbeds
Song of Songs 6:2
"ואחת בדור הפלגה"
and one in the generation of the dispersion
וַיֵּ֣רֶד יְהוָ֔ה
לִרְאֹ֥ת אֶת־הָעִ֖יר וְאֶת־הַמִּגְדָּ֑ל
אֲשֶׁ֥ר בָּנ֖וּ בְּנֵ֥י הָאָדָֽם
בראשית יא:ה
And HaShem descended
to see the city and the tower
which the sons of men had built
Genesis 11:5
"ואחת בסדום"
and one in Sodom
אֵֽרֲדָה־נָּ֣א וְאֶרְאֶ֔ה
הַכְּצַעֲקָתָ֛הּ הַבָּ֥אָה אֵלַ֖י עָשׂ֣וּ כָּלָ֑ה
בראשית יח:כא
I will descend
and see
if they have done according to the outcry that comes to Me
Genesis 18:21-22
"ואחת בסנה"
and one in the (burning) bush
וַיַּ֥רְא יְהוָ֖ה כִּ֣י סָ֣ר לִרְא֑וֹת וַיִּקְרָא֩ אֵלָ֨יו אֱלֹהִ֜ים מִתּ֣וֹךְ הַסְּנֶ֗ה
וַיֹּ֛אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֥ה מֹשֶׁ֖ה וַיֹּ֥אמֶר
הִנֵּֽנִי
שמות ג:ד
And HaShem saw that he turned aside to look;
and God called to him from the midst of the bush
and said,
"Moses, Moses!"
And he said, "
Here I am."
Exodus 3:4
"ואחת במצרים"
and one in Egypt
וְעָבַ֣ר יְהוָה֮ לִנְגֹּ֣ף אֶת־מִצְרַיִם֒
וְרָאָ֤ה אֶת־הַדָּם֙ עַל־הַמַּשְׁק֔וֹף וְעַ֖ל שְׁתֵּ֣י הַמְּזוּזֹ֑ת וּפָסַ֤ח יְהוָה֙ עַל־הַפֶּ֔תַח
וְלֹ֤א יִתֵּן֙ הַמַּשְׁחִ֔ית לָבֹ֥א אֶל־בָּתֵּיכֶ֖ם לִנְגֹּֽף
שמות יב:כג
And HaShem will pass through to smite Egypt,
and He will see the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts; and HaShem will pass over the entrance and will not allow the destroyer to come to smite your homes.
Exodus 12:23
"ואחת בסיני"
and one at Sinai
וְהַ֤ר סִינַי֙ עָשַׁ֣ן כֻּלּ֔וֹ מִ֠פְּנֵי אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָרַ֥ד עָלָ֛יו יְהוָ֖ה בָּאֵ֑שׁ
שמות יט:יח And Mount Sinai was all in smoke because HaShem descended on it in fire
Exodus 19:18
וַיֵּ֧רֶד יְהוָ֛ה עַל־הַ֥ר סִינַ֖י אֶל־רֹ֣אשׁ הָהָ֑ר וַיִּקְרָ֨א יְהוָ֧ה לְמֹשֶׁ֛ה אֶל־רֹ֥אשׁ הָהָ֖ר וַיַּ֥עַל מֹשֶֽׁה
שמות יט:כ
HaShem descended upon Mount Sinai,
to the top of the mountain;
and HaShem called Moses
to the top of the mountain,
and Moses ascended.
Exodus 19:20
"ואחת בנקרת הצור"
and one in the cleft of the rock
וַיֵּ֤רֶד יְהוָה֙ בֶּֽעָנָ֔ן וַיִּתְיַצֵּ֥ב עִמּ֖וֹ שָׁ֑ם וַיִּקְרָ֥א בְשֵׁ֖ם יְהוָֽה וַיַּעֲבֹ֨ר יְהוָ֥ה עַל־פָּנָיו֮
וַיִּקְרָא֒ יְהוָ֣ה יְהוָ֔ה אֵ֥ל רַח֖וּם וְחַנּ֑וּן אֶ֥רֶךְ אַפַּ֖יִם וְרַב־חֶ֥סֶד וֶאֱמֶֽת
שמות לד:ה
And HaShem descended in the cloud, and stood with him there; and he called in the name of HaShem. And HaShem passed before him
and he proclaimed, "HaShem! HaShem! God compassionate and gracious; slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness and truth"
Exodus 34:5-6
"ושנים באהל מועד"
and two in the tent of meeting
וַיֵּ֨רֶד יְהוָ֥ה בֶּעָנָן֮
וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר אֵלָיו֒ וַיָּ֗אצֶל מִן־הָר֙וּחַ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָלָ֔יו וַיִּתֵּ֕ן עַל־שִׁבְעִ֥ים אִ֖ישׁ הַזְּקֵנִ֑ים
במדבר יא:כה
And HaShem descended in the cloud
and spoke to him, and he bestowed from the Spirit that was on him and put it upon the 70 elders.
Numbers 11:25
וַיֵּ֤רֶד יְהוָה֙ בְּעַמּ֣וּד עָנָ֔ן וַֽיַּעֲמֹ֖ד פֶּ֣תַח הָאֹ֑הֶל וַיִּקְרָא֙
אַהֲרֹ֣ן וּמִרְיָ֔ם וַיֵּצְא֖וּ שְׁנֵיהֶֽם
במדבר יב:ה
And HaShem descended in a pillar of cloud, and stood at the entrance of the Tent; and called out,
"Aaron and Miriam!" and the two of them came out.
Numbers 12:5
"ואחת לעתיד לבא"
and one for the future to come
כִּֽי־הִנֵּ֥ה יְהוָ֖ה יֹצֵ֣א מִמְּקוֹמ֑וֹ וְיָרַ֥ד
וְדָרַ֖ךְ עַל־במותי [בָּ֥מֳתֵי] אָֽרֶץ
מיכה א:ג
For behold, HaShem is coming out from His place and He will descend
and He will tread on the high places of the earth.
Micah 1:3
The Brit Chadashah describes the Spirit of God descending on Messiah:
וְכַאֲשֶׁר נִטְבַּל יֵשׁוּעַ
מִיָּד עָלָה מִן הַמַּיִם
וְנִפְתְּחוּ לוֹ הַשָּׁמַיִם
וְרָאָה אֶת רוּחַ אֱלֹהִים
יוֹרֶדֶת כְּיוֹנָה
וּבָאָה עָלָיו
הכזת מתי ג:טז
And when Yeshua was immersed,
he arose at once from the water
and heaven was opened to him,
and he saw the Spirit of God
descending like a dove
and it came upon him
Matthew 3:16
וּמִיָּד עִם עֲלוֹתוֹ מִן הַמַּיִם
רָאָה שֶׁנִּבְקְעוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם
וְהָרוּחַ כְּיוֹנָה שֶׁיָּרְדָה עָלָיו
הכרזת מרקוס א:י
Immediately with his ascending from the water, he saw the heavens splitting, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him.
Mark 1:10
וְהֵעִיד יוֹחָנָן וְאָמַר:
רָאִיתִי אֶת הָרוּחַ יוֹרֶדֶת מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם כְּיוֹנָה
וְנָחָה עָלָיו.
וַאֲנִי לֹא הִכַּרְתִּי אוֹתוֹ
אֶלָּא מִי שֶׁשְּׁלָחַנִי לְהַטְבִּיל בְּמַיִם,
הוּא אָמַר לִי:
זֶה שֶׁתִּרְאֶה שֶׁהָרוּחַ יוֹרֶדֶת וְנָחָה עָלָיו
זֶהוּ מַטְבִּיל בְּרוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ.
הכרזת יוחנן א:לב-ג
And Yochanan testified and said:
"I have seen the Spirit descending from the heavens like a dove, and resting upon him.
And I did not recognize him, but He who sent me to immerse with water,
He said to me: 'The one you will see the Spirit descending and resting on him, this is the one who immerses in the Holy Spirit.'"
John 1:32-33
Jews and Christians together in the Word of God await the future descent of Messiah:
כִּי הוּא אֲדוֹנֵנוּ יֵרֵד מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם
בִּפְקֻדָּתוֹ וּבְקוֹלוֹ שֶׁל שַׂר הַמַּלְאָכִים
וּבְשׁוֹפַר אֱלֹהִים
וְהַמֵּתִים אֲשֶׁר בַּמָּשִׁיחַ יָקוּמוּ רִאשׁוֹנָה
אגרת שאול הראשונה אל התסלוניקים ד:טז
For he our lord will descend from the heavens with the mandate and voice of the chief of angels, and with the shofar of God, and the dead who are in Messiah will rise first.
1 Thessalonians 4:16
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