Angel of God
The word angel has a dual meaning. First, it speaks of a messenger, one sent to announce, teach, perform, or explore anything, as in John the Baptist, Matthew 11:10, “Behold, I send my messenger,”
It can also refer to angelic creatures, those sent from heaven to reveal the will of God. Scriptures reveal there are creatures called angels, Cherubim, Seraphim, and archangels, as in Michael and Gabriel, who both serve God and are very powerful.
Lucifer, now known as Satan and the Devil, is the messenger of evil, a powerful adversary of Jesus Christ, the Jews, and the Christian community. He said long ago,
Isaiah 14:13, “I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:”
“The angel of the LORD” speaks of Jesus Christ. Note the definite article “the.” This article is particular as to the person or thing it addresses.
In the Greek language, the article’s usage appears in many cases never to have become fixed but to have been left to the taste and judgment of the writer or speaker, as it is in English. We observe its use in the following verses.
Matthew 1:22, “The prophet,” speaking of Isaiah.
Matthew 2:4, “The people,” as in the Jewish people.
Romans 4:3, “The Scripture?”
We read “The Lord,” meaning the one and only Lord. “The King of kings” is the one and only King.
“The angel of the Lord,” also called “The angel of Jehovah.”
In the O.T., the following phrase is often repeated, “The angel of the Lord,” the messenger in most cases, is regarded as a deity, yet distinguished from the Father.
The angel of the LORD is a title given to Jesus Christ in His many appearances to the prophets and others. He is the pre-incarnate Logos, the Word, Jesus Christ, as seen in John 1:1. His appearance is angelic and human. As a man, Abraham saw him in Genesis 18:1, “And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre;”
The LORD wrestled with Jacob, Genesis 32:24:
The angel of the Lord was seen by Manoah, the Father of Samson, seen by Paul on his way to Damascus, Acts 9: By John in Revelation 5:6, to Daniel and others.
Daniel 7:13, “I saw in the night visions, and behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven and came to the Ancient of days (the Father,), and they (ministering angels) brought Him (the Son) near before Him (the Father.).”
Also, in Daniel, we see three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, thrown into a fiery furnace by the soldiers of Nebuchadnezzar. When the counselors looked into the furnace, they said,
Daniel 3:25, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.”
Concerning future appearances, Jesus said,
Matthew 24:30, “Then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven -- and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with POWER and great GLORY.
John has a vision, Revelation 14:14, “I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man.” A little side note. The “clouds of heaven are not the clouds our eye’s view, but the angelic host of heaven and the shekinah glory, the Light of the Glory of God that shines forth from within and without.
A chosen few had observed the pre-incarnate Son of God in person or visions. Others have heard the voice of the LORD from heaven.
Genesis 16:7-10-14. “The angel of the LORD found her (Hagar) by a fountain of water in the wilderness.” Verse 10, “The angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for the multitude.” Verse 13, “And she (Hagar) called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me.”
Here, Hagar calls the angel of the LORD “God.” God in Hebrew is “El,” implying deity, the Almighty. If this had been an angel, a created being, it would have spoken against Hagar’s words.
Genesis 22:11-18, “The angel of the LORD called unto him (Abraham) out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham.” Verse 14, “Abraham called the name of the place Jehovah-ji-reh. Verse 15-16, The angel of the LORD called unto Abraham -- the second time, and said, by myself have I sworn, saith the LORD.”
Without doubt, in Genesis 22, the angel of the LORD is the Son of God Himself.
Exodus 3:2-4-6. “The angel of the LORD appeared to Moses in a flame of fire.” Verse 4, “When the LORD saw that he (Moses) turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses.”
Verse 6, “Moreover He (the angel of the LORD) said, I am the God of thy Father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.”
We of the faith have been given the most substantial evidence as to who the angel of the LORD is. It’s the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who is the God of Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth;”
The word angel has a dual meaning. First, it speaks of a messenger, one sent to announce, teach, perform, or explore anything, as in John the Baptist, Matthew 11:10, “Behold, I send my messenger,”
It can also refer to angelic creatures, those sent from heaven to reveal the will of God. Scriptures reveal there are creatures called angels, Cherubim, Seraphim, and archangels, as in Michael and Gabriel, who both serve God and are very powerful.
Lucifer, now known as Satan and the Devil, is the messenger of evil, a powerful adversary of Jesus Christ, the Jews, and the Christian community. He said long ago,
Isaiah 14:13, “I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:”
“The angel of the LORD” speaks of Jesus Christ. Note the definite article “the.” This article is particular as to the person or thing it addresses.
In the Greek language, the article’s usage appears in many cases never to have become fixed but to have been left to the taste and judgment of the writer or speaker, as it is in English. We observe its use in the following verses.
Matthew 1:22, “The prophet,” speaking of Isaiah.
Matthew 2:4, “The people,” as in the Jewish people.
Romans 4:3, “The Scripture?”
We read “The Lord,” meaning the one and only Lord. “The King of kings” is the one and only King.
“The angel of the Lord,” also called “The angel of Jehovah.”
In the O.T., the following phrase is often repeated, “The angel of the Lord,” the messenger in most cases, is regarded as a deity, yet distinguished from the Father.
The angel of the LORD is a title given to Jesus Christ in His many appearances to the prophets and others. He is the pre-incarnate Logos, the Word, Jesus Christ, as seen in John 1:1. His appearance is angelic and human. As a man, Abraham saw him in Genesis 18:1, “And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre;”
The LORD wrestled with Jacob, Genesis 32:24:
The angel of the Lord was seen by Manoah, the Father of Samson, seen by Paul on his way to Damascus, Acts 9: By John in Revelation 5:6, to Daniel and others.
Daniel 7:13, “I saw in the night visions, and behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven and came to the Ancient of days (the Father,), and they (ministering angels) brought Him (the Son) near before Him (the Father.).”
Also, in Daniel, we see three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, thrown into a fiery furnace by the soldiers of Nebuchadnezzar. When the counselors looked into the furnace, they said,
Daniel 3:25, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.”
Concerning future appearances, Jesus said,
Matthew 24:30, “Then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven -- and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with POWER and great GLORY.
John has a vision, Revelation 14:14, “I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man.” A little side note. The “clouds of heaven are not the clouds our eye’s view, but the angelic host of heaven and the shekinah glory, the Light of the Glory of God that shines forth from within and without.
A chosen few had observed the pre-incarnate Son of God in person or visions. Others have heard the voice of the LORD from heaven.
Genesis 16:7-10-14. “The angel of the LORD found her (Hagar) by a fountain of water in the wilderness.” Verse 10, “The angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for the multitude.” Verse 13, “And she (Hagar) called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me.”
Here, Hagar calls the angel of the LORD “God.” God in Hebrew is “El,” implying deity, the Almighty. If this had been an angel, a created being, it would have spoken against Hagar’s words.
Genesis 22:11-18, “The angel of the LORD called unto him (Abraham) out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham.” Verse 14, “Abraham called the name of the place Jehovah-ji-reh. Verse 15-16, The angel of the LORD called unto Abraham -- the second time, and said, by myself have I sworn, saith the LORD.”
Without doubt, in Genesis 22, the angel of the LORD is the Son of God Himself.
Exodus 3:2-4-6. “The angel of the LORD appeared to Moses in a flame of fire.” Verse 4, “When the LORD saw that he (Moses) turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses.”
Verse 6, “Moreover He (the angel of the LORD) said, I am the God of thy Father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.”
We of the faith have been given the most substantial evidence as to who the angel of the LORD is. It’s the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who is the God of Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth;”
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