According to the Bible, there are “countless beings” that “that fill the void around us. These amazing beings, who live in the heavenly realm, are known as angels. And since the creation of man, they have mingled in human affairs. Hebrews 13:2 even says ‘Some have entertained angels unawares’” (John MacArthur, God, Satan, and Angels, Study Guide, p.127). The universe is occupied by angels. While they cannot normally be perceived by human vision, they do mingle in the earth. They exist in a dimension we can’t comprehend. But just because we can’t see them doesn’t mean they aren’t there. In 2 Kings 6:15-17, there is an incident involving Elisha and his servant. They were both about to be captured by the Syrian army. It says: “And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, 'Alas, my master! What shall we do' So he answered, 'Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.' And Elisha prayed, and said, 'Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.' Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” When the natural vision of Elisha’s servant was enhanced, he saw the previously invisible army.
Now it’s important at this point to ask the question, “Why do we believe in angels?” In his book, Angels: God’s Secret Agents, Billy Graham reflects a good perspective that best answers this question. He says, “I am convinced that these heavenly beings exist and that they provide unseen aid on our behalf. I do not believe in angels because someone has told me about a dramatic visitation from an angel, impressive as such rare testimonies may be. I do not believe in angles because UFO’s are astonishingly angel-like in some of their reported appearances. I do not believe in angels because ESP experts are making the realm of the spirit world seem more and more plausible. I do not believe in angels because of the sudden worldwide emphasis on the reality of Satan and demons. I do not believe in angels because I have ever seen one — because I haven’t. I believe in angels because the Bible says there are angels; and I believe the Bible to be the true Word of God” (pp.14-15). If you believe the Bible is the Word of God, you then must believe in angels because they are in the Bible.
Now there is an angel that is different from all the angels mentioned in the Bible. He is called “The Angel of the LORD” or “The Angel of Jehovah.” His appearances are limited to the Old Testament where He first appeared to Abraham, and his last appearance occurs in Zechariah.
In Genesis 16:7-13 we see his appearance to Hagar. It says, “Now the Angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur. 8 And He said, 'Hagar, Sarai's maid, where have you come from, and where are you going?' She said, 'I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai.' 9 The Angel of the Lord said to her, 'Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hand.' 10 Then the Angel of the Lord said to her, 'I will multiply your descendants exceedingly, so that they shall not be counted for multitude.' 11 And the Angel of the Lord said to her: 'Behold, you are with child, And you shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, Because the Lord has heard your affliction. 12 He shall be a wild man; His hand shall be against every man, And every man's hand against him. And he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.' 13 Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, You-Are- the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, 'Have I also here seen Him who sees me?'
In Exodus 3:1-6 we see another appearance of this Angel. It says, “Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the back of the desert, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. 3 Then Moses said, "I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn." 4 So 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." 5 Then He said, "Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground." 6 Moreover He said, "I am the God of your 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.”
A third appearance is found Judges 6:11-24 where he appears to 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. 12And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him, and said to him, “The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor!” 13 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.14 Then the LORD turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?” 15 So he said to Him, “O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” 16 And the LORD said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man.” 17 Then he said to Him, “If now I have found favor in Your sight, then show me a sign that it is You who talk with me. 18 Do not depart from here, I pray, until I come to You and bring out my offering and set it before You.” And He said, “I will wait until you come back.” 19 So Gideon went in and prepared a young goat, and unleavened bread from an ephah of flour. The meat he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot; and he brought them out to Him under the terebinth tree and presented them. 20 The Angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened bread and lay them on this rock, and pour out the broth.” And he did so. 21 Then the Angel of the LORD put out the end of the staff that was in His hand, and touched the meat and the unleavened bread; and fire rose out of the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. And the Angel of the LORD departed out of his sight. 22 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.” 23 Then the LORD said to him, “Peace be with you; do not fear, you shall not die.” 24 So Gideon built an altar there to the LORD, and called it The-LORD-Is-Peace. To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.”
The last appearance is in Judges 13:21-22 - 21. It says, “When the Angel of the Lord appeared no more to Manoah and his wife, then Manoah knew that He was the Angel of the Lord. 22 And Manoah said to his wife, “We shall surely die, because we have seen God!”
When you evaluate these four passages you see “in four separate incidents the Angel of the LORD is equated with God” (Ibid., MacArthur, p.146).
In Genesis 16:10, 13 to Hagar He says “I will multiply your descendants exceedingly” (v.10) Hagar “called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, You-Are- the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, 'Have I also here seen Him who sees me?” (v.13). In Exodus 3:4, 6 we see that again. Verse 1 says, “the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush.” Verse 4 says it was “God” who “called to him from the midst of the bush.” In verse 6 He identifies Himself by saying "I am the God of your 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.” His appearance in Judges 6:1-2, 14, 16 takes on the same identity. In verses 1-2 it says “the Angel of the LORD” was talking to Gideon. In verse 14 it says, “The LORD turned to him and said.” In verse 16 it says, “And the LORD said to him.” The same is true in Judges 13:22. Verse 21 refers to “the Angel of the LORD.” Verse 22 says, “Manoah said to his wife, “We shall surely die, because we have seen God!”
Who is the Angel of the LORD if He is God, yet distinct from God? I believe He is the Second Person of the Trinity — the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. The appearance of the Second Person of the Trinity in human form is known as a theophany, or more specifically, a Christophany (a preincarnation appearance of Christ). The only member of the Trinity who ever manifests Himself is the Second Person. The Bible says that “God is spirit” (Jn.4:24). The Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity, is of spiritual essence as well. He is never manifested visually. In the OT the Second Person of the Trinity appears as the Angel of the LORD. But in the NT He appears as the man Christ Jesus, God in human flesh. The Angel of the LORD doesn’t appear in the Bible after Zechariah because He became the incarnate Son in the NT (cf. Phil.2:6-8).
Angels have a specific ministry but the Angel of the LORD even more. No angel could do what this angel did unless He was God. The New Testament gives us this answer. Jesus Christ is God (John 1:1) and He took on human flesh (John 1:14) for the purpose of saving His people from their sins (Mat.1:21). Do you know Him today?
Now it’s important at this point to ask the question, “Why do we believe in angels?” In his book, Angels: God’s Secret Agents, Billy Graham reflects a good perspective that best answers this question. He says, “I am convinced that these heavenly beings exist and that they provide unseen aid on our behalf. I do not believe in angels because someone has told me about a dramatic visitation from an angel, impressive as such rare testimonies may be. I do not believe in angles because UFO’s are astonishingly angel-like in some of their reported appearances. I do not believe in angels because ESP experts are making the realm of the spirit world seem more and more plausible. I do not believe in angels because of the sudden worldwide emphasis on the reality of Satan and demons. I do not believe in angels because I have ever seen one — because I haven’t. I believe in angels because the Bible says there are angels; and I believe the Bible to be the true Word of God” (pp.14-15). If you believe the Bible is the Word of God, you then must believe in angels because they are in the Bible.
Now there is an angel that is different from all the angels mentioned in the Bible. He is called “The Angel of the LORD” or “The Angel of Jehovah.” His appearances are limited to the Old Testament where He first appeared to Abraham, and his last appearance occurs in Zechariah.
In Genesis 16:7-13 we see his appearance to Hagar. It says, “Now the Angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur. 8 And He said, 'Hagar, Sarai's maid, where have you come from, and where are you going?' She said, 'I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai.' 9 The Angel of the Lord said to her, 'Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hand.' 10 Then the Angel of the Lord said to her, 'I will multiply your descendants exceedingly, so that they shall not be counted for multitude.' 11 And the Angel of the Lord said to her: 'Behold, you are with child, And you shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, Because the Lord has heard your affliction. 12 He shall be a wild man; His hand shall be against every man, And every man's hand against him. And he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.' 13 Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, You-Are- the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, 'Have I also here seen Him who sees me?'
In Exodus 3:1-6 we see another appearance of this Angel. It says, “Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the back of the desert, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. 3 Then Moses said, "I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn." 4 So 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." 5 Then He said, "Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground." 6 Moreover He said, "I am the God of your 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.”
A third appearance is found Judges 6:11-24 where he appears to 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. 12And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him, and said to him, “The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor!” 13 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.14 Then the LORD turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?” 15 So he said to Him, “O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” 16 And the LORD said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man.” 17 Then he said to Him, “If now I have found favor in Your sight, then show me a sign that it is You who talk with me. 18 Do not depart from here, I pray, until I come to You and bring out my offering and set it before You.” And He said, “I will wait until you come back.” 19 So Gideon went in and prepared a young goat, and unleavened bread from an ephah of flour. The meat he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot; and he brought them out to Him under the terebinth tree and presented them. 20 The Angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened bread and lay them on this rock, and pour out the broth.” And he did so. 21 Then the Angel of the LORD put out the end of the staff that was in His hand, and touched the meat and the unleavened bread; and fire rose out of the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. And the Angel of the LORD departed out of his sight. 22 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.” 23 Then the LORD said to him, “Peace be with you; do not fear, you shall not die.” 24 So Gideon built an altar there to the LORD, and called it The-LORD-Is-Peace. To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.”
The last appearance is in Judges 13:21-22 - 21. It says, “When the Angel of the Lord appeared no more to Manoah and his wife, then Manoah knew that He was the Angel of the Lord. 22 And Manoah said to his wife, “We shall surely die, because we have seen God!”
When you evaluate these four passages you see “in four separate incidents the Angel of the LORD is equated with God” (Ibid., MacArthur, p.146).
In Genesis 16:10, 13 to Hagar He says “I will multiply your descendants exceedingly” (v.10) Hagar “called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, You-Are- the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, 'Have I also here seen Him who sees me?” (v.13). In Exodus 3:4, 6 we see that again. Verse 1 says, “the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush.” Verse 4 says it was “God” who “called to him from the midst of the bush.” In verse 6 He identifies Himself by saying "I am the God of your 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.” His appearance in Judges 6:1-2, 14, 16 takes on the same identity. In verses 1-2 it says “the Angel of the LORD” was talking to Gideon. In verse 14 it says, “The LORD turned to him and said.” In verse 16 it says, “And the LORD said to him.” The same is true in Judges 13:22. Verse 21 refers to “the Angel of the LORD.” Verse 22 says, “Manoah said to his wife, “We shall surely die, because we have seen God!”
Who is the Angel of the LORD if He is God, yet distinct from God? I believe He is the Second Person of the Trinity — the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. The appearance of the Second Person of the Trinity in human form is known as a theophany, or more specifically, a Christophany (a preincarnation appearance of Christ). The only member of the Trinity who ever manifests Himself is the Second Person. The Bible says that “God is spirit” (Jn.4:24). The Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity, is of spiritual essence as well. He is never manifested visually. In the OT the Second Person of the Trinity appears as the Angel of the LORD. But in the NT He appears as the man Christ Jesus, God in human flesh. The Angel of the LORD doesn’t appear in the Bible after Zechariah because He became the incarnate Son in the NT (cf. Phil.2:6-8).
Angels have a specific ministry but the Angel of the LORD even more. No angel could do what this angel did unless He was God. The New Testament gives us this answer. Jesus Christ is God (John 1:1) and He took on human flesh (John 1:14) for the purpose of saving His people from their sins (Mat.1:21). Do you know Him today?
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