theophany

Theophany is the appearance or manifestation of God to a human being. The term comes from the Greek theophaneia, from theos “god” and phainein “to appear.” In religious studies it refers to episodes in which the divine reveals itself in a perceivable form, often accompanied by signs such as fire, cloud, voice, or miracles.

In the Hebrew Bible, theophanies include Moses at the burning bush, the descent of God upon Mount Sinai in a pillar of cloud and fire, and various appearances described as the angel of the Lord acting with divine authority. The visitations to Abraham (Genesis 18) are sometimes described as theophanies or as manifestations of the divine presence. The phenomenon is typically understood as a direct, mediated encounter with the one God.

In Christian theology, the term is often extended to pre-incarnate appearances of Christ (sometimes called Christophanies) and to events such as the Transfiguration, where the divine presence is manifested to observers. For some writers, the Incarnation—God becoming flesh in Jesus—represents the ultimate theophany, the definitive self-revelation of God to humanity.

Theophany is distinguished from general revelation by emphasizing a conspicuous, sensory manifestation and a message or commissioning that accompanies the appearance. It is primarily discussed within Judaism and Christianity, with broader use in biblical interpretation. In Islam, God is considered transcendent and not displayed in a physical appearance; revelations occur through prophets and are not described as theophanies in the same sense.