Another significant text relating to pre-existence is 1 Cor. 10:4, “and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.” Many might suggest that Paul had only a typological meaning in mind. But notice that Paul uses the past tense “that rock was Christ” rather than saying “that rock is Christ.” This which would be strange if by the statement the rock is solely to be understood as a type by his audience, a deeper meaning is likely intended. To further illustrate the significance of the use of a past tense in 1 Cor. 10:4, contrast it with one of Paul’s allegories:
“Now this is an allegory: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children.” (Gal. 4:24-25)
Here the apostle says “Hagar is Mount Sinai” not “Hagar was Mount Sinai.” The present tense suggests an allegory or legal representation, and conversely the past tense would also suggest a past historical event, Alfred Plummer,
“Of much more importance is the unquestionable evidence of the apostle’s belief in the pre-existence of Christ. He does not say, ‘And the rock is Christ,’ which might mean no more than, ‘And the rock is a type of Christ,’ but, ‘And the rock was Christ.’ In Gal. 4:24, 25 he uses the present tense, Hagar and Sarah ‘are two covenants,’ i.e. represent them, are typical of them. Similarly, in the interpretation of parables (Matt. 13:19–23, 37–38) we have ‘is’ throughout. The (ἦν) implies that Christ was the source of the water which saved the Israelites from perishing of thirst; there was a real Presence of Christ in the element which revived their bodies and strengthened their faith.” — A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the First Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians, published in New York, and Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 38 George Street, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1961, pp. 201.
When we consider his statement “Christ was the Rock,” it is evident that the apostle refers to a past event, not merely a type, for which he commonly uses the present tense, Robertson wrote,
“He definitely states here in symbolic form the pre-existence of Christ. But surely “we must not disgrace Paul by making him say that the pre-incarnate Christ followed the march of Israel in the shape of a lump of rock” (Hofmann). He does mean that Christ was the source of the water which saved the Israelites from perishing (Robertson and Plummer) as he is the source of supply for us today.” — Word Pictures in the New Testament, Vol. IV. The Epistles of Paul (New York: Richard R. Smith, Inc., 1931), pp. 151, 152.
The apostle’s language indicates that the Son was the source of the water from the rock, the water they had was “from” the supernatural rock, Jesus Christ. There are other accounts which reference to the actions of Christ and Wisdom in the epistles when compared with the Wisdom of Solomon. (1Cor. 10:1, 4; Jude 1:5; Wis. 10:15; 11:4, 10)
First Epistle to the Corinthians (10:1-4)
I want you to know, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same supernatural food and all drank the same supernatural drink. For they drank from the supernatural Rock which followed them, and the Rock was Christ.
Wisdom of Solomon (10:15; 11:4, 10)
A holy people and blameless race (Israel) wisdom delivered from a nation of oppressors… When they thirsted, they called upon (Wisdom), and water was given them out of flinty rock, and slaking of thirst from hard stone… For thou didst test them as a father does in warning, but thou didst examine the ungodly as a stern king does in condemnation.
In the Wisdom of Solomon, it is Wisdom personified, a “kindly spirit,” who was the source of the water from the Rock. (Wis. 1:6; 11:4) In Jude's epistle I have preferred the reading “Jesus who saved a people” however, someone may also validly prefer the reading “[the] Lord who saved a people out of Egypt,” [The reading “the Lord (ὁ κύριος)” being supported by such comparably good attestation as: א; C*; Ψ; 436; 945; 1505; 1611; 2138; 1067; 1175; 1292; 1409; 1844.] Metzger, wore the following concerning the variant readings,
“Despite the weighty attestation supporting Ἰησοῦς (Α, Β, 33, 81, 322, 323, 424c, 665, 1241, 1739, 1881, 2298, 2344, vg, copsa, boeth, [Patristic Evidence] Origen, Jerome, Bede; ὁ Ἰησοῦς 88, 915), a majority of the Committee was of the opinion that the reading was difficult [evidently, theologically] to the point of impossibility, and explained its origin in terms of transcriptional oversight [...] Critical principles seem to require the adoption of Ἰησοῦς, which admittedly is the best attested reading among Greek versional witnesses (see above). Struck by the strange and unparalleled mention of Jesus in a statement about the redemption out of Egypt (yet compare Paul’s reference to Χριστὸς in 1 Cor 10.4).” — A Textual Commentary on The Greek New Testament (Federal Republic of Germany: Biblia-Druck GmbH Stuttgart, 1975), pp. 723, 724. Punctuation Added.
Even if someone were to prefer the reading “the Lord” ([ὁ] κύριος) despite the “weighty attestation” to “Jesus,” (Ἰησοῦς), these words still likely refer to the Son. The title “Lord” appears over several hundred times in the New Testament in reference to the Son, the title is applied more-so to the Son than to God the Father by the apostolic authors. [Watson E. Mills, Roger A. Bullard, Mercer dictionary of the Bible (Macon Georgia: Mercer University Press, 1998), pp. 520-525.] It would be far more plausible for the “Lord” in verse five to refer to the same figure mentioned previously in verse four, “Jesus Christ.” Hence, the apostle Jude likely referred to Christ as being involved in the salvation of Egypt, as “the angel of God who went before the host of Israel.” A fascinating passage found in Philo’s Legum Allegoriarum (2:86) uses language very reminiscent of the Wisdom parallel under discussion:
“Moreover, the soul falls in with a scorpion, that is to say, with dispersion in the wilderness; and the thirst, which is that of the passions, seizes on it until God sends forth upon it the stream of his own accurate wisdom, and causes the changed soul to drink of unchangeable health; for the abrupt rock is the wisdom of God, which being both sublime and the first of things he quarried out of his own powers, and of it he gives drink to the souls that love God; and they, when they have drunk, are also filled with the most universal manna; for manna is called something which is the primary genus of every thing. But the most universal of all things is God; and in the second place the word of God. But other things have an existence only in word, but in deed they are at times equivalent to that which has no existence.” — D. Yonge, The Works of Philo (1855)]
It was this angel who guided Israel out of Egypt, "when we cried out to the Lord, he heard our voice and sent the angel and brought us up out of Egypt; now here we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your border.” (Num. 20:16) Jude further describes this “Lord” as having “destroyed those who did not believe.” This is exactly similar to Wisdom 10:15 where pre-existent Wisdom is said to have delivered Israel from Egypt, and afterwards punished the rebellious Israelites among the camp as a “stern king.” (Wis. 11:10)