The
first encounter with the
Angel of the LORD
is found in
Ge 16:6, 7, 8, 9, 0, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 (click to read the Scripture
in
context remembering that
context is "king" in interpretation) where we learn that
this Angel is God and that He appears at a time of great distress to
fulfill the need (cp Php 4:11, 12, 13-notes).
In Genesis 16:10, the
Angel of the LORD
promised to multiply
Hagar's
descendents, which is something that
only God could promise and fulfill (cf similar promise given to Abram in
Gen 13:16 15:5).
Genesis 16:10
Moreover, the
Angel of the
LORD said
to her, "I will greatly multiply your descendants so that they will be too
many to count."
When the Angel
appeared to Hagar, she acknowledged that she was in the presence of God,
referring to the Angel of the LORD
as
El Roi, (el =
God; ) the-God-Who-Sees (cf Ge 15:3,
omniscience).
Genesis 16:11 The
ANGEL
of the
LORD said
to her further, "Behold, you are with child, and you will bear a son; and
you shall call his name Ishmael, because the LORD has given heed to your
affliction....
13
Then she called the Name
of the LORD Who spoke to her "You are a God Who sees" (El Roi)
for she said, "Have I even remained alive here after seeing Him?"
The
Angel of the LORD
appeared a second time to
Hagar
("stranger") after being expelled for a second (and final) time by Abraham
at a time of severe distress and great need (in the wilderness and out of
water). Moses records
Genesis 21:17
God heard the lad crying (Ishmael = "God hears") and the
ANGEL
OF
GOD
called to Hagar from
heaven and said to her, "What is the matter with you, Hagar? DO NOT FEAR,
for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is. (Related Resource:
Fear, How to Handle It)
Note the fascinating play
on Ishmael's name, "God will hear" and twice in this verse this fact
is stated "God heard" and "God has heard".
David Guzik
explains that...
As Hagar escaped this difficult
situation the Angel of the Lord (here, the pre-incarnate presence of
Jesus) met her by a spring of water in the wilderness. We can assume that
this was God, in the Person of Jesus Christ, appearing to Abraham before
His incarnation and birth at Bethlehem. We assume this because of God the
Father it says, "No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son,
who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him" (John 1:18), and
no man has ever seen God in the Person of the Father (1Timothy 6:16).
Therefore, if God appeared to someone in human appearance in the Old
Testament (and no one has seen God the Father) it makes sense the
appearance is of the eternal Son, the Second Person of the Trinity, before
His incarnation in Bethlehem. (David Guzik. The Enduring Word Commentary
Series)
John MacArthur comments on the Angel of the LORD noting that...
This special individual spoke as though
He were distinct from Yahweh, yet also spoke in the first person as though
He were indeed to be identified as Yahweh Himself, with Hagar recognizing
that in seeing this Angel, she had seen God (v. 13). Others had the same
experience and came to the same conclusion (cf. Ge 22:11, 12, 13, 14, 15,
16, 17, 18; 31:11, 12, 13;
Ex 3:2, 3, 4, 5; Nu 22:22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35;
Jdg 6:11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23; 13:2, 3, 4, 5; 1Ki 19:5, 6, 7). The Angel
of the Lord, who does not appear after the birth of Christ, is often
identified as the pre-incarnate Christ (Ed note: NT verses with
phrase "angel of the Lord" appear but none are equated with Divinity as is
the Angel in this OT passage and those surveyed below). (MacArthur,
J.: The MacArthur Study Bible Nashville: Word
or
Logos)
Warren Wiersbe
comments that...
This is the first appearance in
Scripture of the Angel of the Lord, who is generally identified as our
Lord Jesus Christ. In Genesis 16:10, the angel promised to do what only
God can do; and in Genesis 16:13, Hagar called the angel “God.” These
pre-Incarnation visits of Jesus Christ to the earth were to meet special
needs and to accomplish special tasks. The fact that the Son of God took
on a temporary body, left heaven, and came down to help a rejected
servant-girl surely reveals His grace and love. His servants Abraham and
Sarah had sinned against the Lord and against Hagar, but the Lord did not
desert them. (Wiersbe, W. W. Be Obedient. Wheaton, Ill.: Victor
Books)
John Gill writes that this...
This is the first time that mention is
made of an angel in Scripture, but is not to be understood of a created
angel, but of a divine Person, as appears from Genesis 16:10 ("I will
greatly multiply your descendants so that they shall be too many to count"
= essentially the same covenant promise Jehovah gave to Abraham in Genesis
22:17), the uncreated angel, the Logos or Son of God, called the Angel
of God's presence, and the Angel of the covenant, Isa 63:9, Mal 3:1;
who often appeared in an human form before his incarnation, being sent by
his divine Father on one account or another; and hence called an angel, a
messenger, or one sent, as in the fulness of time he was sent in human
nature to be the Redeemer of his people; though many of the Jewish writers
take this angel to be a man sent of God. Gersom {n} says he was one of the
prophets that lived in those times, and observes, that some of their
Rabbins say {o} he was Shem, the son of Noah; and Maimonides {p} suggests,
that this angel was but a mere man, by comparing this passage with that in
Ge 37:15, "a certain man found him", &c. but the context most clearly
confutes this notion, and proves him to be the almighty and omniscient
God; since he promises to do what none but the omnipotent Being could do,
and declares such things as none but the omniscient God could know: and
when it is said he "found Hagar", it is not to be understood as if it was
a chance matter, or the fruit and effect of search and inquiry, or as if
he had not seen her before; but rather it shows that his eye was upon her,
and he had a concern for her, and at a proper time and place appeared to
her at once, and unawares, and unthought of by her. And the place where he
found her was (Gill, J. Exposition of the Entire Bible)
Wenham in his commentary note on Genesis 16:7 writes that...
The Angel of the Lord is
mentioned 58 times in the OT, “the angel of God” 11 times. Angels of the
Lord appear either singly as here or in groups. When first seen, they are
usually taken to be men, but by the end of the encounter one of them is
realized to be God (Genesis18:2, 22; Jdg 6:11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18,
19, 20, 21, 22; 13:3-22). When, as here,
the text simply speaks of a single Angel of the Lord, this must be
understood as God himself appearing in human form, a nearly always to
bring good news or salvation. The Angel of the Lord appears
frequently in Genesis and in the Book of Judges but rarely in the
literature dealing with later periods. The exact relationship between the
Angel and God himself has been the subject of much inconclusive
discussion. The (Early Church) Fathers identified him with the Logos.
...Within Genesis, the angel of the Lord tends to appear at moments of
dire personal crisis (cf. Ge 21:17; 22:11, 15). (Wenham, G. J. Vol. 2: Word
Biblical Commentary : Genesis 16-50. Word Biblical Commentary. Dallas:
Word)
GENESIS 22
THE ANGEL AND
JEHOVAH JIREH
Speaking to
Abraham on Mt Moriah, the Angel unequivocally identifies Himself as
the LORD (YHWH or
Jehovah - see study
Jehovah = Jesus).
Genesis 22:10-16
(Abraham in obedience to the LORD's command had taken Isaac, his only son,
whom he loved to the land of Moriah to offer him as a burnt offering on Mt
Moriah, the site of Solomon's Temple and the same area where the Lamb of
God was crucified. In an incredible act of faith Abraham obeyed...) And
Abraham stretched out his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. But
the
Angel of the LORD
called to him from heaven, and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said,
“Here I am.” And he said, “Do not stretch out your hand against the lad,
and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have
not withheld your son, your only son, from Me. Then Abraham raised his
eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his
horns; and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt
offering in the place of his son. And Abraham called the name of that
place The Lord Will Provide (see study of
Jehovah Jireh),
as it is said to this day, “In the mount of the Lord it will be provided.
Then the Angel of the LORD
called to Abraham a second time from heaven and said "By Myself I have
sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this thing & have not
withheld your son, your only son"
In the following two
stories in
Jacob's life compare the God of Bethel with the Angel of God.
John Gill writes that the
Angel in Genesis 22 is...
Not a created angel, but the eternal
one, the Son of God, Who perhaps appeared in an human form, and spoke with
an articulate voice, as He frequently did; for that this was a divine
Person is clear from his swearing by Himself, and renewing the promise
unto Abraham (Ge 22:17,18 "indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will
greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens, and as the sand
which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their
enemies.18 And in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed,
because you have obeyed My voice.") , (Gill, J. Exposition of the Entire
Bible)
GENESIS 28
JACOB'S DREAM
AT BETHEL
Genesis 28:12-22 And he had a
dream, and behold, a ladder was set on the earth with its top reaching to
heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on
it.13 And behold, the LORD stood above it and said, "I am the LORD, the
God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac; the land on which you
lie, I will give it to you and to your descendants. (reaffirming the
Abrahamic Covenant)
14 "Your descendants shall also be like the dust of the earth, and you
shall spread out to the west and to the east and to the north and to the
south; and in you and in your descendants shall all the families of the
earth be blessed.15 "And behold, I am with you, and will keep you wherever
you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you
until I have done what I have promised you."
16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and
said, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it."17 And he
was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than
the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven."
18 So Jacob rose early in the morning,
and took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up as a
pillar, and poured oil on its top. 19 And he called the name of that place
Bethel; (means "the house of God") however, previously the name of the
city had been Luz. 20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with
me and will keep me on this journey that I take, and will give me food to
eat and garments to wear, 21 and I return to my father's house in safety,
then the LORD will be my God. 22 "And this stone, which I have set up as a
pillar, will be God's house; and of all that Thou dost give me I will
surely give a tenth to Thee."
GENESIS 31
THE ANGEL AND
THE GOD OF BETHEL
Genesis 31:11, 12, 13
Then the
Angel
of God
said to me in the dream, 'Jacob,'
and I said, 'Here I am.' He said, 'Lift up now your eyes and see
that all the male goats which are mating are striped, speckled, and
mottled; for I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you. 'I
am the God of Bethel,
where you anointed a pillar, where you made a vow to Me; now arise,
leave this land, and return to the land of your birth.'
In Genesis 31, the Angel of God
calls Himself the God of Bethel which would imply that they
are one and the same Person. The Angel of God is the same as the Angel of
the LORD and clearly identified Himself as the LORD, pointing back as He
did so to the earlier critical encounter with God in Jacob’s life (Genesis
28:12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22).
GENESIS
48
THE ANGEL WHO REDEEMS
Jacob before he dies, in giving a
blessing to Joseph, uses the names “God” and “the Angel”
interchangeably. In addition he identifies the "Angel" as the One Who has redeemed
him from all evil, a transaction that would not be plausible for a created
angel.
Genesis 48:15 He
blessed Joseph, and said, "The God before Whom my fathers Abraham
and Isaac walked. The God Who has been my shepherd (Hebrew
verb means to care for, protect, graze and to feed flocks)
all my
life to
this
day.
16 (Jacob continues
describing "God") The
Angel Who has
redeemed (Goel
[word study] Hebrew =
ga'al which is a verb meaning to
redeem, the first use in the OT. Ga'al {Goel} means to act as one's
kinsman-redeemer, to be a savior. The
LXX
translates ga'al with the Greek verb
rhuomai - see word study;
see also use of
rhuomai
to describe deliverance by Jesus in study on 1Th 1:10-note);
me from all evil. Bless the lads and may my name live on in them,
and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac and may they grow into
a multitude in the midst of the earth. (Comment: Ro 11:26-See notes
on
Ro 11:26
for more on rhuomai describing Israel's Deliverer.)
The Amplified Version renders
Genesis 48:16 as follows...
The redeeming**
Angel [that is, the Angel the Redeemer—not a created being but the
Lord Himself] Who has redeemed me continually from every evil, bless
the lads! And let my name be perpetuated in them [may they be worthy
of having their names coupled with mine], and the names of my
fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them become a multitude in the
midst of the earth." (Comment: **Footnote
in Amplified = "The “Angel of the Lord” is here
identified as Christ Himself.")
In his commentary
Adam Clarke writes that in this verse
we have full proof that this was no
created angel, but the Messenger of the Divine Council, the Lord Jesus
Christ. Who then was the angel that redeemed Jacob, and Whom he invoked to
bless Ephraim and Manasseh? Is it not Jesus? He alone can be called Goel
(Hebrew word for "redeemed" is ga'al =Goel
[word study]), the redeeming Kinsman; for He alone
took part of our flesh and blood that the right of redemption might be
His; and that the forfeited possession of the favour and image of God
might be redeemed, brought back, and restored to all those who believe in
His name. To have invoked any other angel or messenger in such a business
would have been impiety. Angels bless not; to God Alone this prerogative
belongs. With what confidence may a truly religious father use these words
in behalf of his children: "Jesus, the Christ, Who hath redeemed me, bless
the lads, redeem them also, and save them unto eternal life!" (Clarke, A..
Clarke's Commentary: Genesis)
John MacArthur echoes Clarke's comments noting that
This is the first
mention of God as Redeemer, Deliverer, or Savior. (The MacArthur Study
Bible. Nashville: Word Pub)
Henry Morris comments on
Genesis 48:16 adding that...
the word “redeem” (Hebrew goel)
is used here for the first time in the Bible, and it is significant
that it occurs as a description of the work of the great Angel of
Jehovah, none other than the preincarnate Christ. The God of his
fathers had surely provided for Jacob and protected him marvelously
through the years, just as He had promised when He first spoke to
him (Genesis 28:15); and Jacob knew he could call on Him in faith to
bless his sons, specifically those two on whose heads his hands
rested, in the same ways. He then prayed especially that God would
let “my name be named on them” that is, Jacob’s character, for which
his name stood and also let them “grow into a multitude” in the
midst of the land. (Henry Morris. Genesis Record)
EXODUS 3
THE ANGEL IN
THE BURNING BUSH
At the
burning bush, it was the “Angel
of the Lord” Who appeared
and Who called to him from the midst of the bush, Moses “hid his face, for
he was afraid to look upon God”.
Exodus 3:2, 3, 4, 5, 6 And
the Angel of the
LORD appeared to
him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and
behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not
consumed...4 When the LORD saw that he turned aside to look,
God called to him from the
midst of the
bush &
said,
"Moses,
Moses !" And he
said,
"Here I am."
5 Then He
(the Angel of the LORD) said, "Do
not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the
place on which you are standing is holy ground. 6 He said also, "I Am the God of your father, the
God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." (an
allusion to God's covenant first with Abram and passed on to and
through Isaac and Jacob - see
Abrahamic Covenant)
Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God
(the Angel of the LORD)
MacArthur comments that
the Angel of the LORD is literally...
“messenger of Yahweh” who, in
context, turns out to be the Lord Himself talking to Moses (cf. Acts
7:30 Stephen's Sermon comments this OT event). (MacArthur,
J.: The MacArthur Study Bible Nashville: Word
or
Logos)
EXODUS 13-14
THE ANGEL IN THE
PILLAR OF CLOUD & FIRE
The
LORD Who went before Israel in
a pillar of cloud (Click
here
for note on the Shekinah glory cloud of
the LORD) was none other than the
Angel of God
Ex 13:21
The
LORD was
going
before them in a
pillar of
cloud by
day to
lead them on the
way, and in a
pillar of
fire by
night to
give them
light, that they might
travel by
day and by
night.
Ex 14:19
The
Angel of God,
Who had been
going
before the
camp of
Israel,
moved and
went
behind them; and the
pillar of
cloud
moved from
before them and
stood
behind them. (Ex 14:19-see
note)
So
comparing
Scripture with Scripture
(the best commentary on Scripture is Scripture), we can interpret the
Angel of God is "the LORD".
JUDGES 2
THE ANGEL OF THE LORD
"I WILL NEVER BREAK MY COVENANT"
In the introductory
section of Judges we meet the Angel of the Lord in chapter 2
Now the
angel of the LORD
came up from Gilgal to Bochim. And he said, "I brought you up out of Egypt
and led you into the land which I have sworn to your fathers; and I said,
'I will never break My covenant with you, 2 and as for you, you shall make
no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their
altars.' But you have not obeyed Me; what is this you have done? (Jdg
2:1,2-See
notes
Jdg 2)
Clearly a literal
interpretation of this passage identifies the Angel of Jehovah with the
One Who made a covenant with Israel. A created angel is never recorded as
cutting a covenant, leaving no doubt that this Angel is no ordinary
created angel but is the Lord Himself.
Warren Wiersbe
comments...
In the Old Testament, the “angel of the
Lord” is generally interpreted to be the Lord Himself, who occasionally
came to earth (a theophany) to deliver an important message. It was
probably the Lord Jesus Christ, the second Person of the Godhead, in a
temporary pre-incarnation appearance. (See Ge 16:9; 22:11; 48:16; Ex
3:2; Jdg 6:11, 13:3; 2Ki 19:35.) The fact that God Himself came to
give the message shows how serious things had become in Israel. (Wiersbe,
W. W. Be Available. An Old testament Study. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books)
The New Bible
Commentary writes that...
The angel of the Lord is ‘the Lord’
himself in the form of an angel (Carson, D. A. New Bible
Commentary : 21st Century Edition. Inter-Varsity Press)
Moore agrees
writing that...
The Messenger of Yahweh not a prophet,
but, as always in Judges., Yahweh himself as He appears to men in human
form or otherwise sensibly manifests His presence; (Moore, G. F. A
Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Judges. New York: C. Scribner's
sons. 1910)
Even older
commentators like John Wesley acknowledge the fact that this Angel
was God, Wesley writing that...
Christ the Angel of the covenant, often
called the Angel of the Lord, to Whom the conduct of Israel out of Egypt
into Canaan, is frequently ascribed. He alone could speak the following
words in His own name and person; whereas created angels and prophets
universally usher in their message with, Thus saith the Lord, or
some equivalent expression. And this angel having assumed the shape of a
man, it is not strange that He imitates the motion of a man, and comes as
it were from Gilgal to the place where now they were: by which motion He
signified, that He was the Person that brought them to Gilgal, the first
place where they rested in Canaan, and there protected them so long, and
from thence went with them to battle, and gave them success. (Wesley, J.
Wesley's Notes: Judges).
John Gill
writes the following note regarding the Angel of the LORD...
The Targum calls him a prophet and the
Jewish commentators in general interpret it of Phinehas and that a man is
meant is given into by others, because he is said to come from a certain
place in Canaan, and not from heaven, and spoke in a public congregation,
and is not said to disappear; but neither a man nor a created angel is
meant, or otherwise he would have spoken in the name of the Lord, and have
said, "thus saith the Lord", and not in his own name; ascribing to himself
the bringing of the children of Israel out of Egypt, and swearing to them,
and making a covenant with them, and threatening what he would do to them
because of their sin; wherefore the uncreated Angel, the Angel of the
covenant, is meant, who brought Israel out of Egypt, was with them in
the wilderness, and introduced them into the land of Canaan, and appeared
to Joshua as the Captain of the Lord's host at or near Gilgal, Joshua 5:13
(Gill, J. Exposition of the Entire Bible)
Similarly Matthew
Henry comments...
This extraordinary messenger was sent
to command, if possible, the greater regard to the message, and to affect
the minds of a people whom nothing seemed to affect but what was sensible.
The learned bishop Patrick is clearly of opinion that this was not a
created angel, but the Angel of the covenant, the same that appeared to
Joshua as captain of the hosts of the Lord, who was God himself. Christ
himself, says Dr. Lightfoot; who but God and Christ could say, I made you
to go up out of Egypt? Joshua had lately admonished them to take heed of
entangling themselves with the Canaanites, but they regarded not the words
of a dying man; the same warning therefore is here brought them by the
living God himself, the Son of God appearing as an angel. If they slight
his servants, surely they will reverence his Son...It was the great Angel
of the covenant, the Word, the Son of God, who spake with Divine authority
as Jehovah, and now called them to account for their disobedience. God
sets forth what he had done for Israel, and what he had promised.
Keil and
Delitzsch write that...
The “angel of Jehovah” is not a
prophet, or some other earthly messenger of Jehovah, either Phinehas or
Joshua, as the Targums, the Rabbins, Bertheau, and others assume, but the
angel of the Lord who is of one essence with God. In the simple historical
narrative a prophet is never called Maleach (malak) Jehovah. The prophets
are always called either נָבִיא or אִישׁ נָבִיא, as in Judges 6:8, or else
“man of God,” as in 1Kings 12:22; 13:1, etc.; and Hag. 1:13 and Mal. 3:1
cannot be adduced as proofs to the contrary, because in both these
passages the purely appellative meaning of the word Maleach (malak) is
established beyond all question by the context itself. Moreover, no
prophet ever identifies himself so entirely with God as the angel of
Jehovah does here. The prophets always distinguish between themselves and
Jehovah, by introducing their words with the declaration “thus saith
Jehovah,” as the prophet mentioned in Judges 6:8 is said to have done.
(Keil, C. F., & Delitzsch, F. Commentary on the Old Testament. Peabody,
MA: Hendrickson)
JUDGES 6
JEHOVAH SHALOM:
THE LORD IS PEACE
In the book of Judges, Gideon became
fearful that he would
die because he had seen the
Angel of the LORD,
Whom he equated with the Lord God (see Ex 33:20).
When
Gideon
saw that he was the
Angel
of the
LORD,
he
said,
"Alas, O
Lord
GOD ! For
now I have
seen the
Angel
of the
LORD
face to
face."
23 The
LORD
said to him,
"Peace to you, do not
fear (see
How to
Handle Fear) you shall not
die."
24 Then
Gideon
built an
altar
there to the
LORD and
named it
The
LORD is
Peace
(which means
Jehovah Shalom). To
this
day it is
still in
Ophrah of the
Abiezrites. (Jdg 6:22, 23,24-see notes
Jdg 6:22-24)
So here we observe the
Angel of the
LORD speaking Peace
and being memorialized with an altar named
the
LORD is peace.
John MacArthur adds that
In the realization of the presence of
God, the sensitive sinner is conscious of great guilt. Fire from God
further filled Gideon with awe and even the fear of death. When he saw the
Lord, he knew the Lord had also seen him in his fallenness. Thus he feared
the death that sinners should die before Holy God. But God graciously
promised life." (MacArthur,
J.: The MacArthur Study Bible Nashville: Word
or
Logos)
John Gill writes...
This was not the prophet before
mentioned, as Ben Gersom thinks, but an Angel of God, as expressed, and
not a created one, but the Angel of Jehovah's presence, the Word and Son
of God, and Who is expressly called Jehovah Himself (Gill, J. Exposition
of the Entire Bible)
Warren Wiersbe adds that
For a man with a worried heart, The-Lord-Is-Peace
was just what he needed. You can enjoy God’s peace today as you fight the
battle (Php 4:6, 7, 8, 9, 10-see notes on
Php 4:6-7
4:8-10). (Wiersbe,
W: With the Word: Chapter-by-Chapter Bible Handbook. Nelson
or
Logos)
JUDGES 13
"WE HAVE SEEN GOD"
But the
ANGEL
of the
LORD
said to him, "Why
do you
ask my
Name seeing it is
Wonderful (Hebrew =
piliy or pilay = incomprehensible, fantastic, beyond understanding,
marvelous, only used one other time Ps 139:6;
LXX
= thaumastos = that which causes or is worthy of
amazement and wonder used in
LXX
in Ex 15:11 as to describe God and His
work)?" (Jdg 13:18-see note
Jdg 13:18)
Manoah and his wife fell on
their faces—an act that would have been improper if the Angel were less
than God (cf John's prostration before
angels - Re 19:10, 22:8, 9-see notes
Revelation 19:10
22:8;
22:9). They felt they would die for in seeing the
Angel they had
"seen God." (see Ex 33:20).
For
it
came about
when the
flame
went up from
the
altar toward
heaven, that
the
ANGEL
of the
LORD
ascended in the flame of the altar. When Manoah and his wife saw
this, they fell on their faces to the ground. 21 Now the
ANGEL
of the
LORD
did not appear to Manoah or his wife again. Then Manoah knew that he
was the
ANGEL
of the
LORD.
22 So Manoah said to his wife, "We will surely die, for we have seen
God. (Jdg 13:20, 21, 22-see notes
Jdg 13:20-22)
Again in the
spiritually dark days of the book of Judges
("In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was
right in his own eyes." see Jdg 21:25-
notes) we encounter a glorious
appearance of the
Angel
of the Lord who announced
Samson's birth to his father,
Manoah,
and referred to Himself as Wonderful (in Hebrew thought the name often
reveals the nature), which is one of the names of
God (Isaiah 9:6, although here "wonderful" is not the same Hebrew word)
(See God's Attribute
Incomprehensible)
PSALM 34
THE ANGEL WHO
ENCAMPS AROUND
Psalm 34:7
is one of three mentions of angel of the LORD in the Psalms
(Ps34:7; 35:5; 35:6).
This verse pictures a battlefield scene, in which the angel of the Lord
makes his camp around the faithful and delivers them. The word deliver
means to snatch or tear away, to rescue. Let the truth that special
providence watches over the chosen cheer and comfort you. God not only
rescued David from his enemies but also from his “fears, “from being
“ashamed,” and from “troubles” (read all of
Psalm 34)
Is He not able to deliver you also beloved? And so David records...
The angel of the LORD encamps (Hebrew = pitch a tent, set up camp)
around (LXX
= forms a circle around = on all sides) those who fear
(live with a sense of reverential awe of,
LXX
= has this verb in
present tense =
speaks of a lifestyle or habitual
practice) Him, and rescues (Hebrew =
halas = draws out, deliver from danger;
LXX
=
rhuomai - see word study
= draw or snatch
to oneself, invariably from danger, evil or an enemy) them. (Psalm 34:7)
C H Spurgeon comments that the angel of the Lord
in Psalm 34:7 is the
covenant angel, the Lord Jesus, at the
head of all the bands of heaven, surrounds with his army the dwellings of
the saints. Encampeth round about them that fear him. On every side the
watch is kept by warriors of sleepless eyes, and the Captain of the host
is one whose prowess none can resist. And delivereth them. We little know
how many providential deliverances we owe to those unseen hands which are
charged to bear us up lest we dash our foot against a stone. (Spurgeon
The Treasury of David)
In Surgeon's
devotional, Faith's Checkbook, he writes on (Psalm 34:7)
that
We cannot see the angels, but it is enough that they can see us.
There is one great Angel of
the Covenant Whom, not
having seen, we love; and His eye is always upon us both day and night. He
has a host of holy ones under Him, and He causes these to be watchers over
His saints and to guard them from all ill. If devils do us mischief,
shining ones do us service. Note that the Lord of angels does not come and
go, and pay us transient visits, but He and His armies encamp around us.
The headquarters of the army of salvation are where those live whose trust
is in the living God. This camp surrounds the faithful, so that they
cannot be attacked from any quarter unless the adversary can break through
the entrenchments of the Lord of angels. We have a fixed protection, a
permanent watch. Sentineled by the messengers of God, we shall not be
surprised by sudden assaults, nor swallowed up by overwhelming forces.
Deliverance is promised in this verse, deliverance by the great Captain of
our salvation (allusion to another Theophany, probably a Christophany, to
Joshua before the battle of Jericho in Joshua 5:14, 15
slowly wiggle pointer over link to keep open). That deliverance we
shall obtain again and again until our warfare is accomplished and we
exchange the field of conflict for the home of rest.
John Gill, although agreeing with Spurgeon, et al, does offer an
alternative possible interpretation of this Psalm. Although the
context (especially the immediate
surrounding verses) as well as the use of the word "rescue", tends to
support that this "angel" is the LORD, is would be difficult to be too dogmatic in stating that the "angel" is the Lord Jesus Christ.
Gill writes...
By whom may be meant, either the uncreated
Angel, the Lord Jesus Christ,
the Angel of God's presence, and of the covenant, the Captain of
salvation, the Leader and Commander of the people; and whose salvation is
as walls and bulwarks about them, or as an army surrounding them; or a
created angel may be intended, even a single one, which is sufficient to
guard a multitude of saints, since one could destroy at once such a vast
number of enemies, as in 2Ki 19:35
(although I believe this
passage in 2Kings is more likely the LORD than a created angel) or one may
be put for more, since they are an innumerable company that are on the
side of the Lord's people, and to whom they are joined; and these may be
said to encamp about them, because they are an host or army; and are the
guardians of the saints, that stand up for them and protect them, as well
as minister to them.
ISAIAH 63
ANGEL OF
HIS PRESENCE
The
Angel of His presence
is a synonym of the Angel of the Lord,
Isaiah recording that...
In all their affliction He was
afflicted, and the
Angel of His presence
saved them; In His love and in His mercy He redeemed them; And He lifted
them and carried them all the days of old. (Isaiah 63:9)
The Hebrew word for presence is literally face, which pictures the entire Person.
This same Hebrew word is used in a parallel
passage, Exodus 33:14, 15,
in which the
LORD encourage Moses promising him that
My presence
shall go with you, and I will give you rest." to which Moses
responds [as should we all] "If Thy presence does not go
with us, do not lead us up from here."
Morris commenting on Isaiah 63:9 writes that
Christ, in a pre-incarnate theophany, was suffering with, and
for, His people even prior to His incarnation. (Morris,
Henry: Defenders Study Bible. World Publishing)
MacDonald writes that in Isaiah 63:9...
The Angel is the Messenger of His Presence, that
is, the Messiah, (Who) saved them. (MacDonald,
W & Farstad, A. Believer's Bible Commentary: Thomas Nelson or
Logos)
J Vernon McGee commenting
on Isaiah 63:9 writes...
How tender are these
words. I believe that the angel of the Lord is none other than the
pre-incarnate Christ. We are told that in His love and pity He
redeemed and carried them. He entered into the sufferings of
His people." (Thru the Bible commentary. Vol. 3, Page 341:
Thomas Nelson)
HOSEA 12
THE ANGEL WHO
WRESTLED WITH JACOB
Hosea describes the patriarch Jacob
(jaqob = "wrestler") who is held out by the prophet as an example of an
Israelite who won victories through turning to God. Again we find the Angel
clearly identified as God...
In the womb he took his brother by the
heel, and in his maturity he contended (Hebrew
= sarah = to persist, to exert oneself, to persevere) with
God
4 Yes, he wrestled (Hebrew
= sarah) with the
Angel and
prevailed. He
wept and
sought His
favor. He
found Him at
Bethel and
there
He
spoke with us,
5 Even the
LORD, the
God
of hosts,
the LORD is His
name. (Hosea
12:3-5)
Jameison comments that this
is...
the uncreated Angel of the Covenant, as
God the Son appears in the Old Testament (Ref)
Guzik observes that the fact
that Jacob...
struggled with God reinforces a point
already made clear in Genesis 32:24-30: Jacob wrestled with the LORD God,
Who appeared in human form as a Man. Since this was a unique messenger
from heaven, He is also appropriately described as an Angel of the LORD.
(Ref)
In Hard Sayings of the Bible we
read this comment...
It thus appears that the "man" or
"angel" with whom Jacob wrestled was Jesus himself, in a temporary
incarnate form prior to his permanent enfleshment when he would come to
earth as a human baby. This is consistent with other places in the Old
Testament where the "angel of the Lord" can be identified as the second
person of the Trinity.
Matthew Poole writes that the...
The angel called God (in) Hosea
12:3, and, Hosea 12:5, is Jehovah, Lord of hosts. He was no created angel,
but the uncreated Angel Christ, the Messiah, eternal God by nature
and essence, angel by office and voluntary undertaking. (Bolding added)
OTHER COMMENTS
ON THE ANGEL OF THE LORD
MacDonald believes that
The
angel of the Lord, that is, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, serves as
an encircling garrison for those who fear Him, delivering them from
dangers seen and unseen. No sheep of His can ever perish (John 10:28). (MacDonald,
W & Farstad, A. Believer's Bible Commentary: Thomas Nelson or
Logos)
John MacArthur comments that the angel
of the LORD is
A special manifestation of Yahweh Himself at strategic historical
junctures. A strong case can be made that these were pre-incarnate
appearances of the Lord Jesus Christ. (MacArthur,
J.: The MacArthur Study Bible Nashville: Word
or
Logos)
J Vernon McGee writes
I am not going to go into any detail about this subject, but I believe the
Angel of the Lord is the preincarnate Christ. You do not find the Angel of
the Lord in the New Testament because the Lord is no longer an angel, but
a Man. When He appeared in the Old Testament as an angel, He was none
other than the Lord Jesus Christ. (McGee,
J V: Thru the Bible Commentary: Thomas Nelson
or
Logos)
ANGEL
OF THE LORD
IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
Note that Dr McGee's comment above is not
completely accurate for the phrase angel of the Lord does in fact appear 12
times in the NT. However careful attention to the context of each of these
passages, reveals that unlike the same phrase in the OT, none of these NT
passages directly or indirectly indicate any of these angels are God, but
only the messengers of God. In each of the passages below, the angel
is clearly a created holy being, and there is no support that they refer
to the Person of Jesus Christ.
Mat 1:20 But when he had considered
this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream,
saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife;
for that which has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
Mat 1:24 And Joseph arose from his sleep, and did as the angel of the
Lord commanded him, and took her as his wife,
Mat 2:13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord
appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise and take the Child and His
mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is
going to search for the Child to destroy Him."
Mat 2:19 But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord
appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying,
Mat 28:2 And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of
the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and
sat upon it.
Luke 1:11 And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the
right of the altar of incense.
Luke 2:9 And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and
the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly
frightened.
John 5:4 for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into
the pool, and stirred up the water; whoever then first, after the stirring
up of the water, stepped in was made well from whatever disease with which
he was afflicted.>
Acts 5:19 But an angel of the Lord during the night opened the
gates of the prison, and taking them out he said,
Acts 8:26 But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, "Arise
and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza." (This is a
desert road.)
Acts 12:7 And behold, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared, and a
light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter's side and roused him,
saying, "Get up quickly." And his chains fell off his hands.
Acts 12:23 And immediately an angel of the Lord struck him because
he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and died.
ACTS 7
STEPHEN'S SERMON
As discussed above, although the phrase
Angel
of the Lord is present 12
times in the NT, none of those instances can be identified as a God. The
only NT reference to the Angel of God which can be unequivocally
identified as Divine is a historical reference in Stephen's Sermon
in Acts
7:30-38
And after forty years had passed, AN ANGEL
APPEARED TO HIM (Moses) IN THE WILDERNESS OF MOUNT Sinai, IN THE FLAME OF A
BURNING THORN BUSH. 31 "And when Moses saw it, he
began to marvel at the sight; and as he approached to look more
closely, there came the voice of the Lord:
32 'I AM THE GOD OF YOUR FATHERS, THE GOD OF ABRAHAM AND ISAAC AND
JACOB.' And Moses shook with fear and would not venture to look.
33 "BUT THE LORD SAID TO HIM, 'TAKE OFF THE SANDALS FROM YOUR FEET,
FOR THE PLACE ON WHICH YOU ARE STANDING IS HOLY GROUND.
34 'I HAVE CERTAINLY SEEN THE OPPRESSION OF MY PEOPLE IN EGYPT, AND
HAVE HEARD THEIR GROANS, AND I HAVE COME DOWN TO DELIVER THEM; COME
NOW, AND I WILL SEND YOU TO EGYPT.'
35 "This Moses whom they disowned, saying, 'WHO MADE YOU A RULER AND
A JUDGE?' is the one whom God sent to be both a ruler and a
deliverer with the help of the
Angel who appeared to him in the
thorn bush.
36 "This man led them out, performing wonders and signs in the land
of Egypt and in the Red Sea and in the wilderness for forty years.
37 "This is the Moses who said to the sons of Israel, 'GOD SHALL
RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR BRETHREN.'
38 "This is the one who was in the congregation (ekklesia = in
context the literal meaning applies = "called out ones") in the wilderness
together with the Angel who was speaking to him on
Mt Sinai (see cross reference below
- Scripture is always the best commentary on Scripture
click here for discussion of this principle), and
Who was with our fathers (Who was "with our fathers"?); and he received living oracles to pass on
to you." (Acts
7:30-38)
