"GOD CAME DOWN"

 

The literal spatial terms “up” and “down” also take on spiritual importance as metaphors in both the Old and New Testaments. For example, one is said to always go “up” to Jerusalem and “down” to Egypt. The operative Hebrew verb for “go down” in the Old Testament is yarad, and it appears a number of times to describe a descent of God to earth.

Genesis 11:5,7     God comes down to look at the Tower of Babel. Some people read this passage and become concerned about the anthropomorphic language involved. Thus, why does God have to go somewhere to see something if He is both omnipresent and omniscient? We should realize that this is earthly terminology to express the inexpressible. Nonetheless, we should pay attention to the humorous irony that is present here. The inhabitants of Babel are so proud of their almost completed tower because they feel it is already in easy reach of heaven itself. But, in fact, it is so far from heaven that God has to come down in order to even see what it looks like.

Genesis 18:21     In a similar manner, God comes down to look over the situation at Sodom and Gomorrah. However, it is obvious from a careful reading of this chapter that He already knows how sinful the cities are and has decided their apt punishment. But just to prove that this is a righteous judgment, He first decides to give Abraham a chance to intercede in order to prove to him, and us, that this judgment is well deserved.

Exodus 3:8      God tells Moses, “I have come down to deliver them [the people] from the Egyptians.” Stephen later reminds the Jews of this fact in his recapping of Israelite history (Acts 7:34).

This is the first of many times when God lowers himself in order to intercede for mankind Himself, rather than coming down in judgment.

Exodus 19:11     God comes down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people to deliver the law to them. This event is also alluded to in Exodus 19:18,20 and Nehemiah 9:13. Here is one of the watershed moments in the history of the world, when God reveals his ideal will for mankind's attitude and actions toward both Him and our fellow human beings.

Exodus 34:5     Then God descends in a cloud and appears to Moses alone. Moses is privileged to view God's glory from behind, and He also deigns to write the second copy of the Ten Commandments Himself on stone after the first set had been destroyed.

Numbers 11:17     Moses chooses seventy elders, and God comes down to give them part of Moses' “spirit” so that they can judge the people well. This will serve as the prototype for several New Testament passages given below.

Numbers 12:5      In this appearance, God comes down in judgment on Aaron and Miriam for their rebellion against Moses. In essence they were also rebelling against God Himself, who had personally set Moses up as the people's leader. In this episode, both God's judgment and mercy are in evidence as Moses intercedes for his siblings. In this action, he is more successful than Abraham had been earlier.

II Samuel 22:10     David says, “He bowed the heavens and came down” as part of his hymn of deliverance from Goliath. This identical line of poetry appears in Psalm 18:9 referring to David's deliverance from Saul. And a very similar phrase is utilized in another Davidic Psalm in which the Psalmist pleads with God to come down and rescue him from his enemies (Psalm 144:5). The Hebrew verb translated “bow down” is a rare one and may either have that meaning or “spread open.” Both McCarter and Tsumura opt for the latter understanding in light of a similar passage, Isaiah 64:1-3 (see below).

Isaiah 31:4     “So the LORD of hosts will come down to fight upon Mount Zion upon its hill.” This is a prophecy of God protecting Jerusalem from the Assyrians. The heavenly host, or army of God, appears several times in the Old Testament fighting invisibly on the side of the Israelites.

Isaiah 64:1-3     The prophet here prays that God will come down as in olden days and make Israel's enemies tremble. The wording in NRSV is “O that you would tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at our presence.”

The operative Greek word in the New Testament references to divine descents is katabaino. And these cases may refer to any of the three Persons of the Godhead.

Matthew 3:16      This important event is actually recorded by all four Gospel writers (see also Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22; and John 1:32-33). At Jesus' baptism by John, the Holy Spirit descends from heaven and alights on Jesus. This somewhat echoes the giving of the “spirit” of Moses to his seventy helpers at another descent of God to earth (see Numbers 11:17).

John 3:13      This verse refers to an even earlier event, the Incarnation of Jesus Christ when He states, “No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.” This purposeful lowering of Jesus is described in more detail in the ancient hymn recorded in Philippians 2:5-11 even though the key word katabaino does not appear in that particular passage.

Matthew 17:9 // Mark 9:9 // Luke 9    The account of the Transfiguration is recorded in these three Gospel accounts. All contain the word katabaino except Luke's. The context, of course, is the appearance of Moses and Elijah on the mountain with Jesus during which God's voice from heaven states, “This is my Son whom I love. Listen to him.” That should remind us of the similar words spoken after Jesus' baptism. When Jesus and the three apostles descend the mountain, they are confronted immediately with a situation of unbelief involving the other apostles which makes Jesus upset. At this point, the descent (yarad) by Moses from Mt. Sinai with the Ten Commandments is being subtly cited since that occasion was also met with the disappointing scene of unbelief as the Israelites were found worshiping the golden calf (Exodus 32:15).

John 6      After the feeding of the multitudes, Jesus gives them the teaching about Himself being the bread that came down from heaven. Significantly the verb 'to come down' appears exactly seven times in this passage (vv. 33, 38, 41, 42, 50, 51, 58). As with the many other times that John utilizes the number “seven” in his writings, the symbolic meaning of completion or perfection is in mind.

Ephesians 4:7-9     Paul alludes to Jesus after the crucifixion descending to Hades before the ascension in order to impart spiritual gifts on believers. Here we have yet another example of a divine descent that results in the giving of the Spirit. It also serves as an answer to those mockers at the cross who taunt Jesus by saying, “You saved others, now come down from the cross and save yourself.” Jesus' refusal to do so was precisely because it was necessary for him to go all the way down to Hades in order that others could be saved eternally.

I Thessalonians 4:16     At Christ's Second Coming he will descend from heaven so that we can be with Him forever. This passages is popularly, but incorrectly, taken to refer to the “Rapture” of Christians somewhere or other while the Tribulation takes place. But the Greek word for “meet” in this passage is a technical term that refers to going out to greet a visiting dignitary and then escorting him back to your own town. See my post titled “I Thessalonians 4:16-17: The Rapture?”.

James 1:17     This verse states, “Every perfect gift comes down from the Father.” The probable reference, according to the context of these words, is the giving of spiritual gifts. Thus, it takes us back to passages such as Numbers 11:17 (where seventy elders are given the Holy Spirit) and Matthew 3:16 (where the Spirit descended upon Jesus).

Revelation 3:12; 21:10     At the end of earthly time, the heavenly Jerusalem will come down to earth, and we will be with the Father and Son for eternity. As Beale and most non-premillennial commentators explain, we should not view this as a physical city since the last chapters of Revelation make it clear that the heavenly Jerusalem is actually equated with the bride of Christ, the body of all the redeemed coming down with God in their midst where they will abide together for eternity.