Listen to this articleINTRODUCTION
As we read throughout the Old Testament, there is a rather mysterious figure who appears first in the life of Abraham and continues to lead him and his descendants within their Messianic destiny. This figure is known as The Angel of the LORD and he speaks as God himself. As a result people have come to the conclusion that he is either Jesus, The Holy Spirit or part of the God head. But careful study of the scriptures and with the revelation of the apostles, we find that the angel of The LORD is not Jesus or part of the Godhead. The angel of the LORD is just an angel. In fact they are many angels. This teaching was prepared to teach on why the angel of the Lord is not Jesus, and explain how he speaks as God himself. Let’s talk scriptures.
ENTER THE ANGEL
Let’s look at some scriptures where the Angel of The Lord appears, which have caused a lot of the controversy.
Genesis 16:7-14 New International Version (NIV)
7 The angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. 8 And he said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?” “I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,” she answered.
9 Then the angel of the Lord told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” 10 The angel added, “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.”
So who has power to increase the descendants of Abraham but God himself? When God commanded Abraham to give Isaac as a sacrifice, Abraham obeyed. But as he was about to strike his son, he was suddenly stopped by the angel of The Lord as he spoke from heaven.
Genesis 22:11-12 New International Version (NIV)
11 But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”
“Here I am,” he replied. 12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”
Who could say such things, But God himself? The Angel of the Lord appeared to the Israelites to tell them about how they had not obeyed the covenant.
Judges 2:1-6 New International Version (NIV)
2 The angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bokim and said, “I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land I swore to give to your ancestors. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you, 2 and you shall not make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall break down their altars.’ Yet you have disobeyed me. Why have you done this? 3 And I have also said, ‘I will not drive them out before you; they will become traps for you, and their gods will become snares to you.’”
From a human perspective, it seems like a logical conclusion to think that the angel of The LORD is God himself, since he speaks as God. But when we understand how angels work, we shall see that this was not God, but an angel doing exactly what an angel does.
Before we go on to the scriptures that explain how the angel of The LORD operates and why he speaks as he does, let us look at some scriptures that show us that He is not Jesus.
Jesus did not appear to people before his birth in Bethlehem.
Hebrews 1:1-2 New International Version (NIV)
1 In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.
God spoke to Abraham, Moses and the Israelites in various ways, but he spoke through his Son in the last days. This implies that God did not speak to the Fathers through his Son Jesus.
Hebrews 9:26 New English Translation (NET Bible)
26 for then he would have had to suffer again and again since the foundation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the consummation of the ages to put away sin by his sacrifice.
Jesus has appeared once for all, at the ends of the ages. If Christ had appeared in the old testament before, as the angel of the Lord or as Melchizedek, then we would not be waiting for his second appearance. When scripture says, he shall appear a second time, it means the time he came to Bethlehem, that was his first appearance .
Hebrews 9:28 New International Version (NIV)
28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
God was working through Angels
The bible also makes it clear to us that, the angel of the Lord that we see in the Old Testament, at different times, was not one but many angels. The one who appeared to Moses and gave him the Law was an angel. And those that came to enforce it, were angels.
When Stephen revealed this fact to the Sanhedrin, it was the nail that sealed his death.
Acts 7:53-54 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)
53 You who received the Law as it was ordained and set in order and delivered by angels, and [yet] you did not obey it! 54 Now upon hearing these things, they [the Jews] were cut to the heart and infuriated, and they ground their teeth against [Stephen].
The apostle Paul, then emphasises the same point to the church of Galatia.
Galatians 3:19 New Living Translation (NLT)
19 Why, then, was the law given? It was given alongside the promise to show people their sins. But the law was designed to last only until the coming of the child who was promised. God gave his law through angels to Moses, who was the mediator between God and the people.
To assume that it was Jesus who was appearing to Moses to give him the Law, would be against scripture. It was angels that Moses was interacting with, until the coming of the promised seed, Jesus. Moses himself, understood that the one who had taken them out of Egypt to lead them to Canaan, was an angel, sent by God.
Numbers 20:16 New International Version (NIV)
16 but when we cried out to the Lord, he heard our cry and sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt.
NO-ONE HAS SEEN GOD
Now, just to seal it off let’s look at this for a moment. We have people like Jacob, who fought against the Angel of the LORD and believed that he had seen God. He had asked the name of the man he fought with, but the man refused, so Jacob concluded that he had seen God.
Genesis 32:29-30 New International Version (NIV)
29 Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.” But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there. 30 So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”
A similar thing happens to Manoah and his wife.
Judges 13:17-22 New International Version (NIV)
17 Then Manoah inquired of the angel of the Lord, “What is your name, so that we may honor you when your word comes true?”
18 He replied, “Why do you ask my name? It is beyond understanding.[a]” 19 Then Manoah took a young goat, together with the grain offering, and sacrificed it on a rock to the Lord. And the Lord did an amazing thing while Manoah and his wife watched: 20 As the flameblazed 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. 21 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.
22 “We are doomed to die!” he said to his wife. “We have seen God!”
However, when Jesus comes, he corrects them all. He tells them that none of those people had ever seen God.
John 1:18 New King James Version (NKJV)
18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
To the Jews of the time, he says…
John 5:37 New King James Version (NKJV)
37 And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form.
HOW THE ANGEL OF THE LORD WORKS
The mystery of the Angel of The LORD is revealed in the book of Revelation. When John writes the book, he tells us how this angel came to him.
Revelation 1:1 New International Version (NIV)
1 The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John,
Here, John starts by making it clear that Jesus did not come himself to talk to John, but he sent HIS Angel with the revelation. However, as you read it, it suddenly looks like it was actually Jesus who came to speak to John. Look at this.
Revelation 1:10-18 New International Version (NIV)
10 On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet 11 which said: “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus,Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.”
12 I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man,[a] dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters.16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
Remember that John has already told us that Jesus sent his angel with the revelation. The one before John, is not Jesus but the Angel of The Lord delivering the words of the Lord. His very appearance is a message from the Lord and his words are not his own, they are the words of the Lord Jesus. When the Angel opens his mouth, the words of Lord come out as they are. He is like a phone.
I know this can sound strange and confusing at first. This is exactly how John felt. Seeing the angel with the appearance of Jesus, and speaking as Jesus, John then bowed down to worship this angel. I personally believe that the apostle only bowed down to worship this angel because like many of us, he thought the Angel of the Lord was Jesus.
Revelation 22:6-8 New International Version (NIV)
6 The angel said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God who inspires the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place.”
7 “Look, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll.”
8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me.
The moment, the angel says, “Look, I am coming soon” seeing all his appearance and hearing him speak as though he was Jesus, bows down to worship him thinking it must be Jesus. The angel then reveals who he is.
Revelation 22:9 New International Version (NIV)
9 But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and with all who keep the words of this scroll. Worship God!”
The angel then refuses to be worshipped because he is not the Lord. However, that is not the interesting part. The interesting part, is that after refusing to be worshipped, the angel immediately continues to say words like, “I am the alpha and the omega” and “I Jesus.” Let’s listen to him.
Revelation 22:10-15 New International Version (NIV)
10 Then he told me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this scroll, because the time is near. 11 Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy.”
12 “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
Whaaaaat? How could he say that. He goes on to repeat the words, “I am coming soon” and calls himself the beginning and the end. When the angel of the Lord is speaking, he does not have to say, thus says the Lord. He opens his mouth, and the words of the Lord speak through him. He himself is not Jesus, but the words of Jesus are spoken through him. Let’s hear as this angel continues to speak the Lord’s message.
Revelation 22:16 New International Version (NIV)
16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.”
So the words, “I Jesus have sent my angel to you” are coming out of the mouth of the angel. The angel of the Lord, is not the Lord and he should not be worshipped. He can take the form that represents God, so that you know the message is coming from God, and he speaks the words of God, but he himself is not God.
MOSES AND THE BUSH
The book of revelation truly reveals all mysteries. Now. Let’s go back to Moses as we conclude. Moses, makes a very good separation between the angel of the LORD and the LORD himself.
Exodus 3:2-4 New International Version (NIV)
2 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. 3 So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.”
4 When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush,“Moses! Moses!”
The one who appeared to him as fire, was the angel of the LORD, but the one who spoke out of that fire was the LORD himself. In the same way, the one who appeared to John in the form of the Son of man, with white hair and a robe, was the angel of the Lord Jesus, but the one who spoke through the angel was Jesus himself.
ANGELS AND PROPHETS
This is because the angel of the Lord acts like a prophet. He is a mouthpiece of God. Indeed the angel of the Lord who appeared to John explained that he also had the spirit of prophecy just like the prophets.
Revelation 22:9 New King James Version (NKJV)
9 Then he said to me, “See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”
Revelation 19:10 New King James Version (NKJV)
10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
When he says, I hold the testimony of Jesus, he simply means the one testifying, the message I am giving you is not mine but is Jesus. “ When I say, I am the Alpha and the Omega” It is not my own testimony, it is the testimony of Jesus. And this is the spirit of prophecy. Prophecy does not bring out the message or testimony of the prophet, but of the Lord Jesus. This is why the testimony ends by saying, “I Jesus have sent my angel to testify.” It is the testimony of Jesus delivered through an angel.
THE ANGEL TRAPPED BY THE KING OF PERSIA
The form of angel that appeared to John speaking as Jesus, also appeared to Daniel speaking as the Lord. But in the book of Daniel we learn that this angel was actually trapped by the prince of Persia for 21 days and had to be rescued by Michael. Consider this.
Let’s look at the form in which the angel appeared to John.
Revelation 1:13-16 New King James Version (NKJV)
13 and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. 14 His head and hair werewhite like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; 15 His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; 16 He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength
Everything about this appearance is talking and prophesying about Jesus. Note:
- Like a Son of Man 2. Garment to the feet 3. Golden girdle 4. White Hair 5. Eyes like fire 6. Feet like fine brass 7. Voice like many waters.
Now, let’s go to the book of Daniel and see the form in which the angel appeared to him. Exactly the same.
Daniel 10:5-6 New King James Version (NKJV)
5 I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, a certain man clothed in linen, whose waist wasgirded with gold of Uphaz! 6 His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like torches of fire, his arms and feet like burnished bronze in color, and the sound of his words like the voice of a multitude.
- Looked like a man 2. Linen garment 3. Golden girdle 4. Face like lightning 5. Eyes like fire 6. Feet like beryl 7. Voice like a multitude
All this speaks concerning the messiah, because the angel of the Lord says to John.
Revelation 2:18 New International Version (NIV)
18 “To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze.
Having been written in different times and different languages, some terms are slightly different, but you can tell that John and Daniel are encountering the same being, at least in terms of appearance.
However, when we go down with the book of Daniel, this being says to him…
Daniel 10:12-13 New International Version (NIV)
12 Then he continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. 13 But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia.
So from this you then see that even though he had the appearance of the Son of God, with eyes of fire and feet of fine brass, yet, he was just an angel who needed to be rescued by Michael. Unless if we are willing to believe that Jesus can not handle principalities by himself. The reason why the angel has appeared to Daniel in this form, is because he is bringing the message of the Lord Jesus concerning his coming. He even speaks as God himself.
Daniel 11:1 New King James Version (NKJV)
11 “Also in the first year of Darius the Mede, I, even I, stood up to confirm and strengthen him.
CONCLUSION
If we are not careful to understand how angels operate we can easily fall into the trap of worshipping angels such as Michael and other unknown angels because we think they are Jesus. Yet they are merely agents by which God speaks to us. Jesus is so much more superior to the angels. He is our creator himself. I leave you with this verse.
Hebrews 1:1-6 New International Version (NIV)
1 In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.
3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.
4 So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs. 5 For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father”? Or again, “I will be his Father, and he will be my Son”?
6 And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.”
