. Sáng Thế Ký 1:26–27 – Loài người theo hình ảnh Elohim
. Ê-xê-chi-ên 1:26–28 – Hình dạng vinh quang của YHWH
. Đa-ni-ên 7:13–14 – Đấng “như người” được đưa đến
. Khải Huyền 1:13 – Một Đấng giống như Con của Loài Người giữa các chân đèn
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ENGLISH
The Bible repeatedly describes Elohim or heavenly beings as having a form resembling that of humans.
Below are four representative scriptural passages:
Genesis 1:26–27 — Humanity according to the image of Elohim
“Let us make humankind in our image (בְּצַלְמֵנוּ – bəṣalmênû) and according to our likeness (כִּדְמוּתֵנוּ – kiḏmûṯênû)…”
- ṣelem (צֶלֶם): usually refers to a physical form, such as a statue or an image cast in material.
- demut (דְּמוּת): means likeness or resemblance, which may be abstract or concrete.
→ Humanity does not possess its form by itself, but is “made according to” the image of Elohim.
Ezekiel 1:26–28 — The form of the glory of YHWH
“Upon the throne… was a form like the appearance of a man (דְּמוּת כְּמַרְאֵה אָדָם – demut kəmarʾeh adam)… This was the form of the glory of YHWH.”
- demut (דְּמוּת): form, likeness, representation.
- marʾeh (מַרְאֶה): that which is seen by the eyes, a visible form.
→ Two terms are used for emphasis: this is a form “like a man” and one that can be seen.
Daniel 7:13–14 — One “like a man” being brought forward
“There came one like a human being (כְּבַר אֱנָשׁ – kəvar ʾĕnāsh), and he was brought before the Ancient of Days…”
- kəvar (כְּבַר): a prefix meaning “like” or “similar to.”
- ʾĕnāsh (אֱנָשׁ): man, humanity.
→ This figure is like a human, but his journey and status are above that of humans.
Revelation 1:13 — One like a Son of Man among the lampstands
“I saw among the lampstands one like a Son of Man (ὅμοιον υἱὸν ἀνθρώπου – homoion huion anthrōpou)…”
- homoion (ὅμοιον): like, similar to.
- huion anthrōpou (υἱὸν ἀνθρώπου): son of man (huion: son).
→ The phrase “like” indicates similarity to the human form.
Summary
Four times, the prophets saw a form “like a human,” described with concrete visual terms relating to sight, image, and form. None of these visions describe something “without form.”
— chatgpt
Personal viewpoint
- Humanity was created according to the image of the elohim (“us”).
- YHWH has a form like that of a human: this is the human perception. In reality, humans were formed according to His form.
- Besides YHWH, there are other elohim who also have a human-like form, because Genesis uses the word “us,” which implies multiple Elohim (at least two are required to use “us”).