“The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.”..Psalm 34:7 NIV
This verse is normally misquoted to mean angels, as in ministering spirits. It says.. those who fear HIM and He, delivers them. True angels are here to serve inheritors of salvation but anywhere this “angel of the LORD” appears, He should not be confused with ministering angels…
– “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?”..Hebrews 1:14 NIV
We read of Him, the angel of the LORD, in different appearances, ONLY in the Old Testament and He strangely disappears in the New Testament…
Moses
– “Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up.”….Exodus 3:1-2 NIV
Moses approaches the “burning” bush and we read of an interesting conversation. The “angel” suddenly turns to “God”…
– ““Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.”…Exodus 3:5-6 NIV
Again in several appearances to other individuals, the same is repeated. Some that quickly come to mind..
Also later to Moses:
”“This is that Moses who said to the children of Israel, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear.’ “This is he who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the Angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers, the one who received the living oracles to give to us,“
Acts 7:37-38 NKJV
See Exodus 19:20
Hagar:
– “The angel of the LORD found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur……She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.”…Genesis 16:7, 13 NIV
Manoah:
– “Then Manoah inquired of the angel of the LORD, “What is your name, so that we may honor you when your word comes true?” He replied, “Why do you ask my name? It is beyond understanding. ”
– As the flame blazed up from the altar toward heaven, the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame. Seeing this, Manoah and his wife fell with their faces to the ground. When the angel of the LORD did not show himself again to Manoah and his wife, Manoah realized that it was the angel of the LORD. “We are doomed to die!” he said to his wife. “We have seen God!”Judges 13:17-18, 20-22 NIV
In the appearance to Manoah above, to announce the birth of Samson, they realize they have “seen God” in the angel of the Lord. Many others appearances: Jacob… Genesis 32:24-29, Gideon..Judges 6:12; Joshua… Joshua 5:13-15, 6:2; the fourth man in the fire with Shadrack Meshak and Abednego … Daniel 3:25, Balaam…… Numbers 22:22 etc.
Now we read from scripture through Moses who talked to God “face to face”.. Numbers 12:8, that no one can see God Himself and live…
– “Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.” And the LORD said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.”….Exodus 33:18-20 NIV
Gideon
“Now the Angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth tree which was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon threshed wheat in the winepress, in order to hide it from the Midianites. And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him, and said to him, “The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!” Gideon said to Him, “O my Lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.” Now Gideon perceived that He was the Angel of the Lord. So Gideon said, “Alas, O Lord God! For I have seen the Angel of the Lord face to face.””
Judges 6:11-13, 22 NKJV
Joshua
“And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, “Are You for us or for our adversaries?” So He said, “No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, “What does my Lord say to His servant?” Then the Commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy.” And Joshua did so.”
Joshua 5:13-15 NKJV
Abraham
But the appearance which we shall find most “revealing” and may trigger your interest in deeper study on this subject, was the appearance of angel of the Lord to Abraham….Genesis 18. Abraham looked up and saw THREE men.. Genesis 18:2. But as the conversation progressed He addressed them singularly!
– “And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:”…Genesis 18:3 KJV
When Abraham rushes to prepare a meal, He mixes three portions to prepare the bread. Then later, the LORD in conversation with Abraham, says that the outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is so great He has come to confirm if it is so…Genesis 18:20! Who is this spectacular angel of the Lord, here seen as three men but addressed as one? A close study would reveal the complex separate, yet one union of the Trinity! As two “angels” depart, one remains with Abraham as he intercedes for his nephew Lot and family but the two who have proceeded ahead are privy to the conversation Abraham is having “separately” with the remaining “angel” who is clearly, God the Father. Interesting study.
In the New Testament, we meet one part of the Trinity in God the Son, Jesus Christ. He was born flesh and we learn that He came to reveal the Father…
– “No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.”..John 1:18 NIV
– “Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?”..John 14:9 NIV
– “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form,”….Colossians 2:9 NIV
The Angel of the Lord, the “theophany”, appearance of God to man in the Old Testament, is Word, before He became flesh..John 1:1-14, and was conceived in the Virgin Mary, born Jesus Christ, Emmanuel, God with us..Matthew 1:21-23.
The FINAL appearance is when the Angel appeared at the tomb and sat majestically on the stone on the day of Christ’s resurrection. Depicting or making a clear statement that the stone nor the guards who were set before the tomb to guard it would not deter or stop His resurrection! No ministering angel’s arrival has ever been recorded to be accompanied with earthquake as happened in this instance and when Jesus arrived in hades three days earlier. After the sitting on the stone, He revealed Himself to the women as Jesus Himself as they left the tomb, because after the guards were already slain He now could reveal Himself to the women. Only “holy hands and eyes” or His Church touched or saw the risen Christ…
“And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: and for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you. And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word. And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him. Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me….Matthew 28:2-10 KJV
The Angel of the Lord, is the Word of God who was there from the beginning with the Father and Spirit, and now became flesh. EMMANUEL, GOD WITH US. JESUS CHRIST OF NAZARETH. GLORY TO GOD!
”In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.“
John 1:1-2, 14 NKJV
“Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.”…John 17:1, 5 NKJV
Jesus is the Centre, Gospel Teaching Life Church 
Leave a comment