Sinai

Theophany

definition

The use of the term theophany is restricted here to manifestations of God in temporary forms perceptible to the external senses, and thereby excludes divine manifestations in dreams or visions and the incarnation of Christ.

Theophany is regarded as one of the means by which God’s special revelation comes to man. God’s special revelation may be divided into two basic forms, that of word and deed. God’s revelatory deeds may be further divided into the categories of theophany and miracle. A theophany is then a form of divine revelation in which God’s presence is made visible and recognizable to man. God therefore reveals himself not only by word and miracle, by prophecies and signs, but also by making his presence perceptible to men….

In all cases the dramatic encounter between human and divine is prefatory to a major change in the life of the character…In all the texts to be discussed the theophany serves as the central focus of the text, and not as a secondary motif.10 For this reason this discussion necessarily cuts across accepted categories of genre, for it is the theophanic encounter which defines and shapes the story.

Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, “Theophany,” in Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988), 2050.

five-part structure for understanding the call narratives

(George W. Savran, Encountering the Divine: Theophany in Biblical Narrative (London; New York: T & T Clark International, 2005)

Preparation for Theophany: Setting the Scene: While the exposition is a common element in many stories, its importance here is in establishing some basic parameters of the nature of the divine-human encounter. In theophany stories the primary function of such a mise en scène is to separate the protagonist from family or others in preparation for what in most cases is a solitary experience…Insofar as it is a highly uncommon occurrence, the recipient of the experience must separate himself from his everyday reality as a precondition for the encounter.