TRIUMPHS OF TRUTH: CHRIST - MEDIATOR 9...

[ed. This is the sixteenth of the 27-part-series from a pamphlet by Elder Wilson Thompson titled, The Triumphs of Truth. Or The Scripture A Sure Guide To Zion's Pilgrims.]

CHAPTER 16 THE MEDIATOR CONTINUED. 
The man Christ Jesus is the only mediator between God and men, and the divine nature and the human nature being each essential to him, qualifying him as man to perform on the part of man what was requisite to man, and as God to perform what was requisite to God, and thus both natures being in one mediator, he is properly man, and independently God; and is properly called either God or man, or both God and man; and both natures being necessary to him as mediator, I conceive he was never a mediator antecedent to his existence in both natures, but existing in both natures, or existing as he was and is, both God and man in one mediator, he could be seen and called a man or God with equal propriety, and so he was seen and was called by both appellations, God and man. 

The medium in which God was ever visible to mortals was the human nature of Christ, and God being in the man, manifested in him, the divine majesty and glory that was seen in or upon that nature; that is the glory of the divine nature or God was seen in or upon the human nature or man; and so the man was seen and in and through him the God was manifested, and a knowledge of the Deity was communicated to men. The glory and fullness of the whole Godhead dwelt in him, and was so conspicuously illustrious, that it stamped on the visible man this majestic index, God is here; or in scripture language, God with us. 

The man was visible to the eye, the glory of God was beheld, his glory was seen, and when seen, was overpowering to mortality, and with evidences more powerful and resistless than the force of electricity, declaring to every nerve and all the faculties of the soul, This is God, or “God is in this place.” Having thus showed that God is invisible, and was never seen by men, nor can be seen by them without the mediator, but in the man or mediator alone, God has been frequently seen by his servants; my next business is to show, that in the mediator, existing in both natures, and being both God and man in one person, all those scriptures and apparent paradoxes are harmoniously reconciled, and shine with translucent excellency in the immaculate mediator, and prove at once the pre-existence of the man in whom alone God was seen or can be seen by men. 

As I wish to be understood on this very important point, and also to show with clearness the reconciliation of the above scriptures, which declare, that “no man hath seen God at any time,” and of others which declare of the nobles of Israel and others, that they did see God; I shall notice those several texts a little more closely, that the truth may be more clear to the weakest capacity. Gen. 32:30, Jacob says, “I have seen God face to face, and my life is spared.” The 24th verse will show that Jacob saw God in the man, for there it is said, “And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.” This man was what Jacob saw, and wrestled with, but this man was God as well as man, or else Jacob was guilty of idolatry for worshipping a man; but when Jacob prevailed in the wrestle it is said, “as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.” 

Now the place was called Penuel, that is the face of God. Here Jacob saw God, and wrestled with him as a man, and called him God and man, and when he has called him God, I will not contradict him, and when it is said he wrestled with a man, I must believe it. Then he with whom Jacob wrestled was both God and man; that is, the mediator we have spoken of above, and both natures were then in existence, although this event took place about 1739 years before the birth of Christ by Mary. Thus, in the man, the mediator, and not without him, did Jacob see God. Compare Hos. 12:3-6. Here, the same transaction of Jacob is referred to, and the same character which Jacob called man and God, to show that he was both God and man, is here called by Hosea, “The Lord God of hosts; the Lord is his memorial.” 

And again he is called an angel [or messenger] as Christ in human nature is called the messenger or angel of his presence, etc. Thus, Jacob made supplication unto him, which he would not have been allowed to have done, if he were a common angel; but because this was the Lord God of hosts, appearing in the man, both natures in one person, Jacob wept and made supplication unto him. So in Exod. 24:10-11, it is said, “They saw the God of Israel,” and again it is said, “also they saw God.” “There was under his feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and as it were, the body of heaven in his clearness.” Here God appeared for the giving of the law to Israel; his awful glory and majesty was here displayed in the most tremendous manner, and they saw no shape, but only his glory, [see Deut. 4:12]. 

Moses in rehearsing the above matter, says, “ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude, only ye heard a voice,” or as the margin renders it – “but saw no similitude save a voice.” There was under his feet, as it were, or dimly seen, something like or resembling a paved work of a sapphire stone. How often is Christ compared to a stone, and to a precious stone, then why not understand him by this precious carved work or sapphire stone, in the giving of the law, his human nature was but dimly seen, but not entirely concealed, but even in this display of the terrible majesty of God, we may have a faint and indistinct view of the mediator, as the body of heaven in the clearness of God’s glory; that is, the glory of the divine majesty and justice was so great, and was revealed with such transparent luster, that the man was but dimly seen, but yet he was not out of existence, but as a sapphire stone, or the body of heaven was, as it were, seen in this display of God’s pellucid glory, that seemed to rise up over it, as though the human nature was a paved way, or work in which, and upon which the glory of the God of Israel could be seen by men, even by Moses and the elders of Israel. Judg. 13:22, “And Manoah said unto his wife, we shall surely die, because we have seen God.” 

This character which Manoah says was God, at the third verse is called the angel of the Lord, that is, he was a messenger to Manoah’s wife concerning the birth of Samson; in the 6th verse he is called “a man of God,” “and his countenance was like the countenance of an angel of God, very terrible.” As the woman had seen the man of God, whose countenance was like an angel, very terrible, she told her husband, and “Manoah intreated the Lord, and said, O my Lord, let the man of God which thou didst send, come again unto us,” “and God hearkened to the voice of Manoah, and the angel of God came again unto the woman as she sat in the field; but Manoah her husband was not with her.” The woman in telling Manoah of what she had seen, said unto him, “Behold the man hath appeared unto me, that came unto me the other day.” When Manoah followed his wife to the man, he asked him, “Art thou the man that spakest unto the woman? And he said I am;” that is, I am the man. 

Some may think that this man was some prophet, and no more than an inspired man; but if so, I hope they will read the 18th verse, where he says his name is secret or as the margin renders it “wonderful” which name belongs to the man Christ Jesus; when the prophet Isaiah speaks of his human nature; saying, “Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful.” I hope the reader will also notice the 20th verse, and he will see that this man or angel, whose name was wonderful, “did wondrously, and ascended in the flame of the altar.” 

Then he was not one of the inspired prophets, nor would he have here ascended in the flame of the altar, if he had been no more than a common angel, but when he did wondrously and ascended in the flame of the altar, Manoah was convinced that it was God, or the angel of God’s presence, and said to his wife, "We have seen God.” I do not feel willing to contradict Manoah, and say he was mistaken; but Manoah called this man an angel also, this is true, and how often Jesus is called an angel in scripture. In the Book of Revelation; he is frequently called an angel by John, and so he is here by Manoah. But when Manoah said he was God, I take the liberty to believe him; when he says he was a man, I will not dispute him, and when he calls him an angel, I will agree, for Jesus is the angel of the covenant; but to decide the whole dispute, Manoah asks him, “Art thou the man?” And he said, “I am.” 

Then the case is decided by him whom Manoah calls God. Then he was God and man, in one person, worthy of both names. If what the man of God said be true, he was man, for being asked if he was, he said, “I am.” If what Manoah said be true, he was God; for Manoah said unto his wife, “We have seen God.” And if what both said be true, he was both God and man; and this is true of none but the mediator, and in him all is in complete harmony, and God in the man appeared to Manoah about 1162 years before the gospel day.