Theophanies, Spirit-Fire, and the “Angel of the LORD” (with Courtney Trotter) - Episode 158

In this episode of Genesis Marks the Spot, Carey sits down with Courtney Trotter of Kairos Classroom for a deep-dive into how Scripture portrays God’s appearances—especially the debated “Angel of the LORD,” and the often-overlooked manifestations of the Holy Spirit. Courtney outlines a helpful taxonomy (aural, phenomenological, and embodied theophanies) and explains how these encounters operate across “tiers” of experience—earthly, heavenly vision from earth, and heavenly vision in the heavenly realm. Together, Carey and Courtney explore why this matters for Trinitarian theology (including how Augustine’s approach shifted Western instincts, and how Luther/Calvin helped repopularize a Christophany reading), and why it matters for worship, embodiment, and daily Christian life—especially in an age tempted toward “functional deism.” In this conversation: What a theophany is—and why the “Angel of the LORD” question isn’t a side issue A practical framework for how God appears in Scripture (aural / phenomenological / embodied + where the experiencer is) Spirit theophanies as wind/breath/fire: Genesis 1 and Exodus 14 as “Breath/Wind/Spirit” readings The fire-thread: Sinai fire, temple presence, exile traditions, Hanukkah (2 Maccabees 2), and Pentecost as “fire moving outward” Why John’s Gospel presses the issue (“that was me” logic tied to Abraham/Isaiah/Jacob patterns) and how that connects to the Transfiguration A key scholarly prompt: Benjamin Sommer’s argument that a “God with an earthly body… and a heavenly manifestation” is a perfectly Jewish model (and why that matters for Christian claims) Why this isn’t “too mystical”: seeing creation as an arena for encounter, not mere “resources” Referenced / mentioned in the episode: Courtney Trotter’s Kairos Classroom (Greek & Hebrew instruction): Kairos Classroom Benjamin Sommer, The Bodies of God in Ancient Israel C.S. Lewis, The Discarded Image 2 Maccabees 2 (the preserved fire tradition) On This Rock Biblical Theology Community: https://on-this-rock.com/ Website: genesismarksthespot.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/GenesisMarkstheSpot Music credit: "Marble Machine" by Wintergatan Link to Wintergatan’s website: https://wintergatan.net/ Link to the original Marble Machine video by Wintergatan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvUU8joBb1Q&ab_channel=Wintergatan Chapters (00:00:00) - Theophanies, Angel of the LORD, and Spirit manifestations (00:04:57) - Intro: Courtney Trotter (Kairos Classroom) (00:07:06) - Theophany taxonomy + the “three tiers” framework (00:09:21) - Are embodied theophanies pre-incarnate Logos? (00:20:30) - Sinai fire → altar/temple → exile/Hanukkah → Pentecost → Revelation lampstands (00:27:29) - Benjamin Sommer and the Jewishness of theophanies and Spirit manifestations (00:45:08) - Incarnation uniqueness + “time traveling Jesus?” (00:55:31) - Rabbinic commentary on the “Great Angel” of Genesis 22