Lesson for January 29, 2025
The Doctrine of Angelology
Lesson 5
The Angel of the Lord
The Angel of the Lord in the Old Testament is most often Jehovah (Jesus Christ). Jesus Christ is the only member of the Godhead Who physically appeared to mankind. In the Old Testament, these appearances were called theophanies. A theophany was an appearance of the Person of Jesus Christ in His preincarnate state (before He was born as a human). Appearances of Jesus Christ in the Old Testament as an angel are found in many passages. (Genesis 22:11-18, 16:13-17, 22:11-18, 31:11-13, 48:15-16; Exodus 3:2, 13:21, 14:19)
Jesus Christ, as the Angel of the Lord, was in the “pillar of the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night” that lead the Israelites through the desert. (Exodus 13:21, 14:19, 23:20-23, 32:34, 33:2; Numbers 20:16) Isaiah 63:9-10 emphasizes the fact that the Angel of the Lord was a theophany of Jesus Christ, and that He is the God of Israel. As the God of Israel, Jesus Christ, the Angel of the Lord gave a warning to the judges of Israel in Judges 2:1-4. Not only did Jesus Christ, the God of Israel, appoint Moses the first leader of the Jewish nation, but He also appointed the second leader, Gideon, in Judges 6:11-24.
While the Angel of the Lord was the primary form in which Jesus Christ was manifest to people in the Old Testament, there are other theophanies as well. He appeared to Abraham as a man in Genesis 18:1-33. He was the One Who wrestled with Jacob in Genesis 32:24-32 and Hosea 12:4-5. He appeared as a man to the elders of Israel in Exodus 24:9-11. Jesus Christ is called “the cloud of the Lord” in Exodus 40:38. He is called “the pillar of cloud” in Exodus 33:9-23. When the Angel of the Lord spoke to Hagar in Genesis 16:7-13, He identified Himself as God. Genesis 22:11-18 and Genesis 48:15-16 relates the same principle. The Angel of the Lord identified Himself as God in Judges 6:11-24, 13:3-23.
Jesus Christ is the only visible member of the Trinity, according to John 1:14. When Jesus was born and the Hypostatic Union occurred, there were no longer theophanies. Instead, from that point on, there were Christophanies, which were appearances of Christ in His resurrection body from the time of His resurrection until He ascended to Heaven. The theophany of the Angel of the Lord is proof of the pre-existence of Jesus Christ as the visible member of the Trinity. Jesus declared Himself to exist before Abraham in John 8:58.
Theophanies demonstrate the fact that Jesus Christ is the God of Israel. Christ’s appearance as the Angel of the Lord was the primary theophany. This was substantiated by the fact that Jesus Christ appeared to Moses in the burning bush. (Exodus 3:2 cf. Acts 7:30-35) He was called in Hebrew, “malach adonai,” meaning the Angel or Messenger of Jehovah.
So, in passages where the Angel of the Lord is identified as the Lord, it was the declaration of the deity of Christ. It therefore refutes all the false doctrine that Jesus Christ was not truly God but merely a super-human being.
The Old Testament teaches that there is more than one Person in the Godhead. When this distinction occurs, the Hebrew word “adonai” refers to God the Father, whereas “malach adonai,” refers to God the Son. This distinction is made in Zechariah 1:12-13; Exodus23:20-23, 32:24; I Chronicles 21:15-18.
The Angel of the Lord in the Old Testament and Jesus Christ in the New Testament are the same Person, sent by God the Father as His messenger. Theophanies are theological proof of the pre-existence of Jesus Christ as the visible God of the Old Testament. For example:
God Appeared to Abraham and Sarah
Genesis 17:1-4
“Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, ‘I am God Almighty; walk before Me, and be blameless. I will make My covenant between Me and you, and I will multiply you exceedingly.’ Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying, ‘As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you will be the father of a multitude of nations.’”
Genesis 17:9-10, “God said further to Abraham, ‘Now as for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. This is My covenant, which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: every male among you shall be circumcised.’”
Genesis 17:15-16, 22, “Then God said to Abraham, ‘As for your wife Sarai, you shall not call her by the name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. I will bless her, and indeed I will give you a son by her. Then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.’”
Genesis 18:1-3, 10, “Now the Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, while he was sitting at the tent door in the heat of the day. When he raised his eyes and looked, behold, three men were standing opposite him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed down to the ground, and said, ‘My Lord, if now I have found favor in Your sight, please do not pass Your servant by.’”
God Wrestled with Jacob
Genesis 32:24-30
“Then Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. When the man saw that he had not prevailed against him, He touched the socket of Jacob’s hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was dislocated while He wrestled with him. Then He said, ‘Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.’ But he said, ‘I will not let you go unless you bless me.’ So, He said to him, ‘What is your name?’ And he said, ‘Jacob.’ Then He said, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have contended with God and with men and have prevailed.’ And Jacob asked Him and said, ‘Please tell me Your name.’ But He said, ‘Why is it that you ask My name?’ And He blessed him there. So, Jacob named the place Peniel, for he said, ‘I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been spared.’”
Jesus Christ Appeared in the Furnace
Daniel 3:23-25
“But these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, fell into the middle of the furnace of blazing fire still tied up. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astounded and stood up quickly; he said to his counselors, ‘Was it not three men that we threw bound into the middle of the fire?’ They replied to the king, ‘Absolutely, O king.’He responded, ‘Look! I see four men untied and walking about in the middle of the fire unharmed, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods!’”
The Angel of the Lord Appeared to Moses
Exodus 3:2-6
“Then the angel of the Lord appeared to him (Moses) 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 being consumed. So, Moses said, ‘I must turn aside and see this marvelous sight, why the bush is not burning up!’When the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, ‘Moses, Moses!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’Then He said, ‘Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.’And He said, ‘I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.”
Jesus Christ Appeared to Joshua
Joshua 5:13-15
“Now it came about when Joshua was by Jericho, he raised his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing 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 enemies.’ He said, ‘No; rather I have come now as captain of the army of the Lord.’ And Joshua fell on his face to the ground and bowed down, and said to him, ‘What has my lord to say to his servant?’ And the captain of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, ‘Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.’ And Joshua did so.”
Lesson for January 29, 2025
The Doctrine of Angelology
Lesson 5
The Angel of the Lord
The Angel of the Lord in the Old Testament is most often Jehovah (Jesus Christ). Jesus Christ is the only member of the Godhead Who physically appeared to mankind. In the Old Testament, these appearances were called theophanies. A theophany was an appearance of the Person of Jesus Christ in His preincarnate state (before He was born as a human). Appearances of Jesus Christ in the Old Testament as an angel are found in many passages. (Genesis 22:11-18, 16:13-17, 22:11-18, 31:11-13, 48:15-16; Exodus 3:2, 13:21, 14:19)
Jesus Christ, as the Angel of the Lord, was in the “pillar of the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night” that lead the Israelites through the desert. (Exodus 13:21, 14:19, 23:20-23, 32:34, 33:2; Numbers 20:16) Isaiah 63:9-10 emphasizes the fact that the Angel of the Lord was a theophany of Jesus Christ, and that He is the God of Israel. As the God of Israel, Jesus Christ, the Angel of the Lord gave a warning to the judges of Israel in Judges 2:1-4. Not only did Jesus Christ, the God of Israel, appoint Moses the first leader of the Jewish nation, but He also appointed the second leader, Gideon, in Judges 6:11-24.
While the Angel of the Lord was the primary form in which Jesus Christ was manifest to people in the Old Testament, there are other theophanies as well. He appeared to Abraham as a man in Genesis 18:1-33. He was the One Who wrestled with Jacob in Genesis 32:24-32 and Hosea 12:4-5. He appeared as a man to the elders of Israel in Exodus 24:9-11. Jesus Christ is called “the cloud of the Lord” in Exodus 40:38. He is called “the pillar of cloud” in Exodus 33:9-23. When the Angel of the Lord spoke to Hagar in Genesis 16:7-13, He identified Himself as God. Genesis 22:11-18 and Genesis 48:15-16 relates the same principle. The Angel of the Lord identified Himself as God in Judges 6:11-24, 13:3-23.
Jesus Christ is the only visible member of the Trinity, according to John 1:14. When Jesus was born and the Hypostatic Union occurred, there were no longer theophanies. Instead, from that point on, there were Christophanies, which were appearances of Christ in His resurrection body from the time of His resurrection until He ascended to Heaven. The theophany of the Angel of the Lord is proof of the pre-existence of Jesus Christ as the visible member of the Trinity. Jesus declared Himself to exist before Abraham in John 8:58.
Theophanies demonstrate the fact that Jesus Christ is the God of Israel. Christ’s appearance as the Angel of the Lord was the primary theophany. This was substantiated by the fact that Jesus Christ appeared to Moses in the burning bush. (Exodus 3:2 cf. Acts 7:30-35) He was called in Hebrew, “malach adonai,” meaning the Angel or Messenger of Jehovah.
So, in passages where the Angel of the Lord is identified as the Lord, it was the declaration of the deity of Christ. It therefore refutes all the false doctrine that Jesus Christ was not truly God but merely a super-human being.
The Old Testament teaches that there is more than one Person in the Godhead. When this distinction occurs, the Hebrew word “adonai” refers to God the Father, whereas “malach adonai,” refers to God the Son. This distinction is made in Zechariah 1:12-13; Exodus23:20-23, 32:24; I Chronicles 21:15-18.
The Angel of the Lord in the Old Testament and Jesus Christ in the New Testament are the same Person, sent by God the Father as His messenger. Theophanies are theological proof of the pre-existence of Jesus Christ as the visible God of the Old Testament. For example:
God Appeared to Abraham and Sarah
Genesis 17:1-4
“Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, ‘I am God Almighty; walk before Me, and be blameless. I will make My covenant between Me and you, and I will multiply you exceedingly.’ Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying, ‘As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you will be the father of a multitude of nations.’”
Genesis 17:9-10, “God said further to Abraham, ‘Now as for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. This is My covenant, which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: every male among you shall be circumcised.’”
Genesis 17:15-16, 22, “Then God said to Abraham, ‘As for your wife Sarai, you shall not call her by the name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. I will bless her, and indeed I will give you a son by her. Then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.’”
Genesis 18:1-3, 10, “Now the Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, while he was sitting at the tent door in the heat of the day. When he raised his eyes and looked, behold, three men were standing opposite him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed down to the ground, and said, ‘My Lord, if now I have found favor in Your sight, please do not pass Your servant by.’”
God Wrestled with Jacob
Genesis 32:24-30
“Then Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. When the man saw that he had not prevailed against him, He touched the socket of Jacob’s hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was dislocated while He wrestled with him. Then He said, ‘Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.’ But he said, ‘I will not let you go unless you bless me.’ So, He said to him, ‘What is your name?’ And he said, ‘Jacob.’ Then He said, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have contended with God and with men and have prevailed.’ And Jacob asked Him and said, ‘Please tell me Your name.’ But He said, ‘Why is it that you ask My name?’ And He blessed him there. So, Jacob named the place Peniel, for he said, ‘I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been spared.’”
Jesus Christ Appeared in the Furnace
Daniel 3:23-25
“But these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, fell into the middle of the furnace of blazing fire still tied up. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astounded and stood up quickly; he said to his counselors, ‘Was it not three men that we threw bound into the middle of the fire?’ They replied to the king, ‘Absolutely, O king.’He responded, ‘Look! I see four men untied and walking about in the middle of the fire unharmed, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods!’”
The Angel of the Lord Appeared to Moses
Exodus 3:2-6
“Then the angel of the Lord appeared to him (Moses) 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 being consumed. So, Moses said, ‘I must turn aside and see this marvelous sight, why the bush is not burning up!’When the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, ‘Moses, Moses!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’Then He said, ‘Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.’And He said, ‘I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.”
Jesus Christ Appeared to Joshua
Joshua 5:13-15
“Now it came about when Joshua was by Jericho, he raised his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing 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 enemies.’ He said, ‘No; rather I have come now as captain of the army of the Lord.’ And Joshua fell on his face to the ground and bowed down, and said to him, ‘What has my lord to say to his servant?’ And the captain of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, ‘Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.’ And Joshua did so.”