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IS THE ANGEL OF THE LORD JESUS?
WHO IS THE ANGEL OF THE LORD?
The phrase “the angel of the Lord” is found 55 times in the Old Testament in a total of 52 verses that are comprised of a total of 19 different passages of Scripture. For example, the phrase “the angel of the Lord” is found 10 times in just the ONE passage of Scripture found in Numbers 22:22-35. Also, the phrase “the angel of the Lord” is found 12 times in the New Testament of the King James Version. It is found 5 times in the gospel of Matthew, 2 times in the gospel of Luke, and 5 times in the book of Acts.
Then there is also the phrase “the angel of God” which is referring to the same being as the angel of the Lord or the angel of Yahweh. And then there is the phrase “his angel” which again is speaking also of the angel of the Lord. The phrase “the angel of God” is found 13 times in the Bible. It is found 10 times in the Old Testament and 3 times in the New Testament. And the phrase “his angel” is found 4 times in the Old Testament and 4 times in the New Testament. And then the phrases “the Angel”, “an Angel”, and “mine Angel” with a capital “A” are found 4 times in the Bible and all four times are in the Old Testament. So then, all together in both the Old and New Testaments, there are a total of 92 verses that make reference to the angel of the Lord.
Now, the Oneness Christians say that some of the verses in the Old Testament with the phrase “the angel of the Lord” are actually referring to Yahweh HIMSELF, as in, Yahweh manifesting himself as the angel of the Lord. In other words, some Christians, such as the Oneness Christians, interpret the angel of the Lord as being Yahweh himself. And Trinitarian Christians interpret some of the verses in the Old Testament as the angel of the Lord as being a pre-existing or a pre-incarnate Jesus.
So then, the question or line of reasoning is that if one or two or even three passages of scripture with the phrase “the angel of the Lord” in them are INTERPRETED to mean that the angel of the Lord is Yahweh himself then why do not ALL the verses with the phrase “the angel of the Lord” speak of the angel of the Lord as being Yahweh himself? To ME, if the angel of the Lord is INTERPRETED to be Yahweh himself in ONE verse then would it not seem logical that the angel of the Lord would be Yahweh himself in every verse with the phrase “the angel of the Lord”?
And this same line of reason would also be true when Trinitarian Christians INTERPRET one or two or even three passages of Scripture to mean that the angel of the Lord was the pre-incarnate Jesus. So again, why would not ALL the verses in both the Old and the New Testaments with the phrase, “the angel of the Lord” be interpreted as being the pre-incarnate Jesus”? What I mean by this is that the phrase “the Son of God” is found 48 times in the King James Bible Version and that phrase “the Son of God” refers to Jesus every time but ONE time when speaking of the first Adam. And even then that one verse could be interpreted as the first Adam as being a shadow pointing to the last Adam.
So then, since only a few verses in the Old Testament with the phrase “the angel of the Lord” can be INTERPRETED to refer to a so-called pre-incarnate Jesus then to me, NONE of the verses can be used as solid sound Biblical evidence of a literal pre-existing Jesus. Certainly, NONE of the verses in the New Testament with the phrase “the angel of the Lord” can refer to the so-called pre-incarnate Jesus. And that to me raises another question. Is there more than one angel of the Lord? For you see, IF the angel of the Lord in the Old Testament was a so-called pre-incarnate Jesus that incarnated himself to become the Son of man then how is there still yet an angel of the Lord in the New Testament after the Virgin birth of Jesus that is called the angel of the Lord?
And thus, with this line of reason in mind that not ALL the verses with the phrase “the angel of the Lord” can be INTERPRETED to be Yahweh himself or a so-called pre-incarnate Jesus, I took a closer look at ALL the verses with the phrases “the angel of the Lord”, “the angel of God”, “his angel”, “mine Angel”, “the Angel”, and “an Angel” in them. And here is what I found.
You can read Genesis 16:7-11 on your own, which is the FIRST passage of Scripture where the phrase “the angel of the Lord” is found. And when you read Genesis 16:10 alone and by itself out of its context, then it SEEMS as if the angel of the Lord is Yahweh himself. Some Bible scholars say that the meaning of a word or phrase is often the same meaning as the FIRST occurrence of that word or phrase in the Bible.
Please read Genesis 16:10 out of its context.
“And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply your seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.”
Now, we all know that ONLY Yahweh himself has the power to give life. And for that reason, some Christians interpret this verse to mean that the angel of the Lord is Yahweh himself. But is this a sound Biblical interpretation of this verse?
Here is why that I myself do NOT see that this is a sound Biblical interpretation of this verse. First of all, the Hebrew word that is translated as “angel” also means “MESSENGER”. And to ME, a messenger is one who delivers a message FROM another being to give to someone else FOR that other being that SENT the messenger. So to me, IF the messenger is Yahweh himself then FROM WHOM did Yahweh receive this message to give to Sarah’s handmaid Hagar? In other words, WHO SENT Yahweh himself? And FOR WHOM did Yahweh himself go? I mean WHO is OVER the Almighty God Yahweh himself to SEND Yahweh himself?
So to me, the INTERPRETATION of ANY verse in the Bible with the phrase “the angel of the Lord” referring to the angel of the Lord as being Yahweh himself does not make any sense whatsoever. For you see, no being is over or above THE ALMIGHTY Yahweh himself. No one SENDS Yahweh himself. No one TELLS Yahweh himself what to do or what to say. Yahweh himself is NOT someone’s MESSENGER. A messenger is SENT by someone else.
And that raises another question in me as to why would Yahweh temporally manifest himself as his own angel OF himself and then send that temporary manifestation of himself when Yahweh already has many angelic beings that he could send as his messenger? Secondly, when we read the very next verse then we can see that the CONTEXT itself proves that the angel of the Lord is NOT Yahweh himself.
Please read Genesis 16:11.
“And the angel of the LORD (Or the MESSENGER OF Yahweh) said unto her, Behold, you are with child, and shall bear a son, and shall call his name Ishmael; because the LORD (Or because Yahweh) has heard your affliction.”
Please notice that the angel of the Lord did NOT say “because I have heard your affliction”. The angel of the Lord did NOT say “because I, myself, have heard your affliction”. The angel of the Lord did NOT say “because I, Yahweh myself, have heard your affliction”. But rather the angel of the Lord gave the MESSAGE that Yahweh gave to him for him to give to Hagar to let her know that Yahweh himself has seen her affliction. So to me, the angel of the Lord is simply God’s MESSENGER. And in some verses, the angel of the Lord has “characteristics” that POINT to God’s TRUE messenger, his Messiah. In their words, the angel of the Lord is a TYPE, FIGURE, and SHADOW pointing TO Jesus as opposed to being a literal pre-existing pre-incarnate Jesus.
Think things through for yourself. If so be the angel of the Lord was a pre-incarnate Jesus then that would mean that the angel of the Lord ALWAYS existed AS Yahweh himself. So then, why does John 1:1 NOT say, “In the beginning was the Angel of the Lord, and the Angel of the Lord was with God, and the Angel of the Lord was God”?
Now, I am not going to cover every single verse or passage of Scripture with the phrase “the angel of the Lord” and the other phrases referring to the angel of the Lord but at the end of this study you will find a list of all the verses with the phrase “the angel of the Lord” and all the other phrases in them so that you can take a closer look at them for yourself. In this study in God’s word, I will just quote a few more verses that are blatantly obvious that the angel of the Lord could NOT possibly be Yahweh himself.
Please read 2 Samuel 24:16.
“And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD repented him of the evil, and said TO the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough: stay now YOUR hand. And the angel OF the LORD was by the threshing place of Araunah the Jebusite.”
Clearly, this verse teaches us that the angel of the Lord is NOT Yahweh himself. But rather the angel of the Lord was TOLD or given a MESSAGE from Yahweh and then the angel of the Lord was SENT BY Yahweh to destroy the people. We can clearly see that Yahweh is speaking TO the angel of the Lord and commanded him to CEASE his destruction saying that it is ENOUGH. Let us read this same account from 1 Chronicles 21:15 where we can see that God SENT this angel to destroy the children of Israel.
1 Chronicles 21:15.
“And God SENT an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it: and as he was destroying, the LORD (Or Yahweh) beheld, and he repented him of the evil, and (Or Yahweh) said TO the angel that destroyed, It is enough, stay now YOUR hand. And the angel of the LORD stood by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.”
From this verse, we can see that the angel of the Lord was SENT BY God. And we can also see that the angel of the Lord being spoken TO BY Yahweh himself. So to me, the angel of the Lord cannot possibly be Yahweh himself in ANY of the verses of Scripture. For you see, Yahweh himself is not SENT or told to do anything by another being.
Now let us see if any of the verses with the phrase “the angel of the Lord” in them refer to a so-called incarnate Jesus as being the angel of the Lord. We already know that NONE of the verses in the New Testament with the phrase “the angel of the Lord” are referring to the angel of the Lord as being Jesus himself, as in a PRE-EXISTING PRE-INCARNATE Jesus. And that to me, raises the question of how can there be TWO angels of the Lord. What I mean by this is that IF the angel of the Lord BECAME the Son of man, Jesus, then HOW is there still yet an angel of the Lord AFTER the Virgin birth of Jesus? So again, to me, none of the verses in the New Testament with any phrase referring to the angel of the Lord can NOT possibly be speaking of Jesus as being the angel of the Lord.
But what about the Old Testament?
Well, let us begin with this verse in 1 Chronicles 21:15 that we just read. Please notice that this verse says that “GOD” SENT the angel of the Lord. Now, if so be that God is a triune being then that would mean that God, as a Trinity God, SENT the angel of the Lord. In other words, one must INTERPRET that only ONE or at most TWO persons of a so-called Godhead Trinity sent God the Son, or God the Word, to manifest himself as the angel of the Lord. To say this another way, this verse does NOT say that the “Father” sent the angel of the Lord. It does NOT say that the “Spirit of the Lord” sent the angel of the Lord. But rather it says that “GOD” sent the angel of the Lord.
And, according to the doctrine of the Trinity, the so-called pre-incarnate Jesus is the second person of the ONE God. And since “GOD” SENT the angel of the Lord then the angel of the Lord can NOT possibly be ANY of the three persons of the Godhead. For you see, that would mean that God sent HIMSELF. Let us read that verse again and please notice the SINGULAR pronoun HE referring back to God.
1 Chronicles 21:15.
“And God SENT an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it: and as he was destroying, the LORD (Or Yahweh) beheld, and he repented him of the evil, and (Or Yahweh) said TO the angel that destroyed, It is enough, stay now YOUR hand. And the angel of the LORD stood by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.”
Now to ME, this verse is saying that the LORD or Yahweh is “GOD”. And by the singular pronoun “HE” it is clear to me that Yahweh is ONE being in ONE person that is called by the title of “GOD”. So to me, all the verses that SEEM to be saying that the angel of the Lord is Yahweh himself are simply pictures, types, figures, and shadows that point to the Messiah as being the MESSENGER OF Yahweh himself. They are like hidden PROPHECIES of the yet coming Messiah as being Almighty God Yahweh’s TRUE MESSENGER.
Can you not see that Hebrews 1:1,2 clearly teaches us that during the Old Testament times God spoke to mankind by way of his prophets and by way of his angels? And then during these LAST DAYS God has chosen to speak to us by way of his SON.
Please read Hebrews 1:1,2.
“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake IN TIME PAST (Speaking of the time BEFORE Jesus began his ministry God spoke) unto the fathers BY the prophets,
2. Has in these LAST DAYS spoken unto us BY his Son, whom he has appointed HEIR of all things, by (Or more accurately FOR) whom also he made the worlds;”
Now, Trinitarian Christians focus all their attention on the last phrase of verse 2 in order to try and prove that Jesus is the creator of all things. And, therefore, according to Trinitarian Christians, Jesus had to have had always pre-existed in eternity past in order to be the creator of all things.
But that is NOT what this verse is saying. The LITERAL translation says “...THROUGH whom HE Speaking of Yahweh himself) MAKES the eons” That is to say, the ages, speaking of the ages yet to come in the future. In other words, Yahweh the Father himself is the creator and his Son is the AGENT by which, through which, or FOR which the Father alone and by himself makes the ages to come.
Also, the Greek word “DIA” which is translated as “BY” whom in the King James Version could just as easily been translated as “through” whom, “FOR” whom, “BECAUSE OF whom”, and “FOR THE SAKE OF” whom Yahweh makes the ages to come. Please read the studies under the heading >>>WAS JESUS CREATED?<<< But for now, let us go back to the Old Testament verses with the phrase “the angel of the Lord” in them so that you can see for yourself that the angel of the Lord is NOT the so-called pre-incarnate Jesus. Please read Zechariah chapter 3 where we see references to Yahweh, to Satan, to the angel of the Lord, to Joshua, and to a PROPHECY of Yahweh’s future servant, the BRANCH.
Zechariah 3:1-10.
“And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing BEFORE the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.
2. And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke you, O Satan; even the LORD that has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?
3. Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and stood BEFORE the angel. (Speaking of the angel of the Lord)
4. And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said (Speaking of the angel of the Lord as the MESSENGER OF Yahweh speaking in behalf of Yahweh said), Behold, I have caused your iniquity to pass from you, and I WILL (Speaking prophetically of Joshua being a FIGURE of the Son of man Jesus) clothe you with change of raiment.
5. And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by.
6. And the angel of the LORD protested unto Joshua, saying,
7. Thus says the LORD of hosts; If you will walk in my ways, and if you will keep my charge, then you shall also JUDGE my house, and shall also keep my courts, and I will give you places to walk among these that stand by. (Again, Yahweh is speaking prophetically of Joshua as being a FIGURE or a TYPE of his servant the BRANCH)
8. Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, you, and you fellows that sit before you: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH.
9. For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: (Speaking prophetically of the seven churches in Asia) behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, says the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. (Speaking of the 1000 year long day of the Lord)
10. In that day, (Speaking of the Millennium or the 1000 year reign of Jesus) says the LORD of hosts, shall you (Joshua being a FIGURE or TYPE of the BRANCH) call every man his neighbor under the vine (The church) and under the fig tree (The children of Israel).”
Now, in this passage of Scripture, we can clearly see that the angel of the Lord is NOT Yahweh himself because the angel of the Lord is speaking FOR or on behalf OF Yahweh. And we can also see that the angel of the Lord is NOT Yahweh’s yet future servant called the BRANCH whom we all know to be a PROPHECY of Jesus. Also, to me, in this passage of Scripture Joshua being a HIGH PRIEST, seems more like a shadow, figure, or type of the yet future Messiah more so than the angel of the Lord seems like a figure of Jesus. But in other verses, such as Zechariah 12:8, the angel of the Lord is most definitely a figure or a TYPE pointing to Jesus. Please read Zechariah 12:8 from several different translations.
Here is Zechariah 12:8 from the King James Version.
“In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be AS God, (And he that is feeble among them shall be) AS the angel of the LORD before them.”
Here is Zechariah 12:8 from the Bible in Basic English.
“In that day the Lord will be a cover over the people of Jerusalem; and he who is feeble among them in that day will be as strong as David, and the family of David will be as God, (And he that is feeble among them shall be) as the angel of the Lord before them.”
Here is Zechariah 12:8 from the Common English Bible.
“On that day the LORD will protect the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Anyone among them who stumbles on that day will become like David, and David's house will BECOME LIKE God, (And he that is feeble among them shall be) like the LORD's MESSENGER in front of them.”
I think that this is one of the better translations for this particular verse of Scripture. For you see, in that day, speaking of the second coming of Jesus, the REMNANT of Israel will be SEALED or PROTECTED. Also, the remnant of Israel will repent and call upon the name of the Lord to be saved ALIVE in their mortal bodies and be FORGIVEN of all their sins. And in that way, they will become like God, as in, they will obtain the RIGHTEOUSNESS of God to be made PERFECT, even as the Father is perfect. And thus, they will be LIKE their Messiah Jesus, the TRUE MESSENGER OF Yahweh, by their becoming the RIGHTEOUSNESS of God through their faith in Jesus. In other words, the angel of the Lord is a FIGURE or a TYPE pointing to Jesus BECOMING the angel or the Lord or the TRUE MESSENGER of Yahweh.
Here is Zechariah 12:8 from the English Standard Version.
“On that day the LORD will protect the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the feeblest among them on that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, like the angel of the LORD, going before them.”
Here is Zechariah 12:8 from the New Century Version.
“At that time the Lord will protect the people in Jerusalem. Then even the weakest of them will be strong like David. And the family of David will be like God, like an angel of the Lord in front of them.”
Here is Zechariah 12:8 from the New International Readers Version.
“At that time I will be like a shield to those who live in Jerusalem. Then even the weakest among them will be great warriors like David. And David's family line will be like the Angel of the LORD who leads them.”
Here is Zechariah 12:8 from the New International Version.
“On that day the LORD will shield those who live in Jerusalem, so that the feeblest among them will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the angel of the LORD going before them.”
Here is Zechariah 12:8 from the New Revised Standard.
“On that day the Lord will shield the inhabitants of Jerusalem so that the feeblest among them on that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, like the angel of the Lord, at their head.”
Here is Zechariah 12:8 from the World English Bible.
“In that day Yahweh will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem. He who is feeble among them at that day will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the angel of Yahweh before them.”
Now, I cover the other “angel of the Lord” verses in the studies called “THREE MEN WHO APPEARED TO ABRAHAM” and “WAS MELCHISEDEK A THEOPHANY OF JESUS?”
And for further study on the subject of whether or not Jesus pre-existed the Virgin birth please read all the studies under the heading >>>A LIST OF STUDIES ON THE TRINITY<<<
Thanks for reading and may God bless you richly as you continue to seek the truth of the whole word of Almighty God.
Your brother in our Lord Jesus Christ,
Brother Mark.
RETURN TO HOMEPAGE
AT
Below is a list of all the verses referring to the angel of the Lord, the angel of God, his angel, mine angel, the angel, and an angel.
Passage of Scripture #1. (four times)
1. Genesis 16:7
And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur.
2. Genesis 16:9
And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.
3. Genesis 16:10
And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.
4. Genesis 16:11
And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
Passage of Scripture #2. (Two times)
5. Genesis 22:11
And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.
6. Genesis 22:15
And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time,
Passage of Scripture #3. (One time)
7. Exodus 3:2
And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
Passage of Scripture #4. (Ten times)
8. Numbers 22:22
And God's anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the LORD stood in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him.
9. Numbers 22:23
And the ass saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way.
10. Numbers 22:24
But the angel of the LORD stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side.
11. Numbers 22:25
And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she thrust herself unto the wall and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall: and he smote her again.
12. Numbers 22:26
And the angel of the LORD went further and stood in a narrow place where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.
13. Numbers 22:27
And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she fell down under Balaam: and Balaam's anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a staff.
14. Numbers 22:31
Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head and fell flat on his face.
15. Numbers 22:32
And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me:
16. Numbers 22:34
And Balaam said unto the angel of the LORD, I have sinned; for I knew not that thou stood in the way against me: now, therefore, if it displeases thee, I will get me back again.
17. Numbers 22:35
And the angel of the LORD said unto Balaam, Go with the men: but only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak. So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.
Passage of Scripture #5. (Two times)
18. Judges 2:1
And AN angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you.
19. Judges 2:4
And it came to pass, when the angel of the LORD spake these words unto all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept.
Passage of Scripture #6. (One time)
20. Judges 5:23
Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the LORD, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help of the LORD, to the help of the LORD against the mighty.
Passage of Scripture #7. (Five times and two times is one verse)
21. Judges 6:11
And there came AN angel of the LORD and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.
22. Judges 6:12
And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valor.
23. Judges 6:21 (Two times in one verse)
Then the angel of the LORD put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there rose up fire out of the rock and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the LORD departed out of his sight.
24. Judges 6:22
And when Gideon perceived that he was AN angel of the LORD, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord GOD! for because I have seen an angel of the LORD face to face.
Passage of Scripture #8. (Eleven times and two times in one verse)
25. Judges 13:3
And the angel of the LORD appeared unto the woman and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son.
26. Judges 13:13
And the angel of the LORD said unto Manoah, Of all that I said unto the woman let her beware.
27. Judges 13:15
And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, I pray thee, let us detain thee until we shall have made ready a kid for thee.
28. Judges 13:16 (Two times in one verse)
And the angel of the LORD said unto Manoah, Though thou detain me, I will not eat of thy bread: and if thou will offer a burnt offering, thou must offer it unto the LORD. For Manoah knew not that he was AN angel of the LORD.
29. Judges 13:17
And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, What is thy name, that when thy sayings come to pass we may do thee honor?
30. Judges 13:18
And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it is secret?
31. Judges 13:20
For it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the altar. And Manoah and his wife looked on it and fell on their faces to the ground.
32. Judges 13:21 (Two times in one verse)
But the angel of the LORD did no more appear to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was AN angel of the LORD.
33. 2 Samuel 24:16
And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD repented him of the evil and said TO the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough: stay now thine hand. And the angel OF the LORD was by the threshing place of Araunah the Jebusite.
Passage of Scripture #9. (One time)
34. 1 Kings 19:7
And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee.
Passage of Scripture #10. (Two times)
35. 2 Kings 1:3
But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say unto them, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that ye go to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron?
36. 2 Kings 1:15
And the angel of the LORD said unto Elijah, Go down with him: be not afraid of him. And he arose and went down with him unto the king.
Passage of Scripture #11. (One time)
37. 2 Kings 19:35
And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the LORD went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.
Passage of Scripture #12. (Five times)
38. 1 Chronicles 21:12
Either three years' famine; or three months to be destroyed before thy foes, while that the sword of thine enemies overtake thee; or else three days the sword of the LORD, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel. Now, therefore, advise thyself what word I shall bring again to him that sent me.
39. 1 Chronicles 21:15
And God sent AN angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it: and as he was destroying, the LORD beheld, and he repented him of the evil and said TO the angel that destroyed, It is enough, stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD stood by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
40. 1 Chronicles 21:16
And David lifted up his eyes and saw the angel of the LORD stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.
41. 1 Chronicles 21:18
Then the angel of the LORD commanded Gad to say to David, that David should go up and set up an altar unto the LORD in the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
42. 1 Chronicles 21:30
But David could not go before it to inquire of God: for he was afraid because of the sword of the angel of the LORD.
Passage of Scripture #13. (Three times)
43. Psalm 34:7
The angel of the LORD encamps round about them that fear him and delivereth them.
44. Psalm 35:5
Let them be as chaff before the wind: and let the angel of the LORD chase them.
45. Psalm 35:6
Let their way be dark and slippery: and let the angel of the LORD persecute them.
Passage of Scripture #14. (One time)
46. Isaiah 37:36
Then the angel of the LORD went forth, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred and fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.
Passage of Scripture #15. (Two times)
47. Zechariah 1:11
And they answered the angel of the LORD that stood among the myrtle trees, and said, We have walked to and fro through the earth, and, behold, all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest.
48. Zechariah 1:12
Then the angel of the LORD answered and said, O LORD of hosts, how long will thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years?
Passage of Scripture #16. (Four times)
49. Zechariah 3:1
And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.
50. Zechariah 3:5
And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by.
51. Zechariah 3:6
And the angel of the LORD protested unto Joshua, saying,
52. Zechariah 12:8
In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them.
The phrase “the angel of the Lord” in the New Testament.
Passage of Scripture #17.
1. Matthew 1:20
But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
2. Matthew 1:24
Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:
It should be noted that the definite article THE is not found in the verses that follow but the definite article THE is found in this verse which is AFTER the CONCEPTION of Jesus in the womb of the Virgin Mary. Also, it should be noted that the definite article is NOT found in John 1:1 and thus the phrase “the word was God” could just as easily be translated as “the word was A God”. And the Son of man Jesus was indeed highly exalted to become A God under and subject to HIS God.
3. Matthew 2:13
And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
4. Matthew 2:19
But when Herod was dead, behold, AN angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,
5. Matthew 28:2
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.
Passage of Scripture #18.
6. Luke 1:11
And there appeared unto him AN angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
7. Luke 2:9
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
Passage of Scripture #19.
8. Acts 5:19
But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said,
9. Acts 7:30
And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai AN angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush.
10. Acts 8:26
And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.
11. Acts 12:7
And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.
12. Acts 12:23
And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.
The phrase “his angel”.
Genesis 24:7
The LORD God of heaven, which took me from my father's house, and from the land of my kindred, and which spake unto me, and that sware unto me, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land; he shall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence.
Genesis 24:40
And he said unto me, The LORD, before whom I walk, will send his angel with thee, and prosper thy way; and thou shalt take a wife for my son of my kindred, and of my father's house:
Daniel 3:28.
Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.
Daniel 6:22.
My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.
Acts 12:11.
And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.
Acts 12:15
And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel.
Revelation 1:1
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
Revelation 22:6
And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.
The phrase “the angel of God”.
Genesis 21:17
And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.
Genesis 31:11
And the angel of God spake unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I.
Exodus 14:10
And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them:
Judges 6:20.
And the angel of God said unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so.
Judges 13:6
Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, A man of God came unto me, and his countenance was like the countenance OF AN angel of God, very terrible: but I asked him not whence he was, neither told he me his name:
Judges 13:9
And God hearkened to the voice of Manoah; and the angel of God came again unto the woman as she sat in the field: but Manoah her husband was not with her.
1 Samuel 29:9
And Achish answered and said to David, I know that thou art good in my sight, AS AN angel of God: notwithstanding the princes of the Philistines have said, He shall not go up with us to the battle.
2 Samuel 14:17
Then thine handmaid said, The word of my lord the king shall now be comfortable: for AS AN angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and bad: therefore the LORD thy God will be with thee.
2 Samuel 14:20
To fetch about this form of speech hath thy servant Joab done this thing: and my lord is wise, according to the wisdom of AN angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth.
2 Samuel 19:27
And he hath slandered thy servant unto my lord the king; but my lord the king is AS AN angel of God: do therefore what is good in thine eyes.
Acts 10:3
He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day AN angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius.
Acts 27:23
For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,
Galatians 4:14
And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as AN angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.
The phrase “mine Angel”.
Exodus 23:23
For mine Angel shall go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: and I will cut them off.
Exodus 32:34
Therefore now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee: behold, mine Angel shall go before thee: nevertheless in the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them.
The phrase “the Angel”.
Genesis 48:16
The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.
The phrase “AN Angel”.
Exodus 23:20
Behold, I send AN Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared.
Also, please notice that the angel of the Lord is also called AN angel of the Lord in the following verses:
Exodus 23:20
Judges 2:1
Judges 6:11
Judges 6:22
Judges 13:16
And the angel of the LORD said unto Manoah, Though thou detain me, I will not eat of thy bread: and if thou will offer a burnt offering, thou must offer it unto the LORD. For Manoah KNEW NOT that he was AN angel of the LORD.
Judges 13:21 (two times in one verse)
But the angel of the LORD did no more appear to Manoah and to his wife. THEN Manoah knew that he was AN angel of the LORD.
1 Chronicles 21:15
Matthew 2:19
Luke 1:11
Acts 7:30
And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sinai AN angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush.
Judges 13:6
Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, A man of God came unto me, and his countenance was LIKE the countenance OF AN angel of God, very terrible: but I asked him not whence he was, neither told he me his name:
Then, in the end, Manoah KNEW that he was AN angel of God when at first she THOUGHT that it was Yahweh himself.
1 Samuel 29:9
And Achish answered and said to David, I know that thou art good in my sight, as AN angel of God: notwithstanding the princes of the Philistines have said, He shall not go up with us to the battle.
Galatians 4:14.
Now to me, AN angel is referring to ANY angel and THE angel would be referring to a SPECIFIC angel. However, the word “the” does not demand the angel of the Lord be a specific angel of God. So since the angel of the Lord is ALSO called AN angel of the Lord then the angel of the Lord can no longer be isolated as just one specific angel of God. In other words, ANY angel can BECOME a SPECIFIC angel. For example, if I were to say that God sent AN angel to deliver a message and then further on I could call that SAME angel as THE angel. For you see, I would be referring to that SPECIFIC angel that was just AN ordinary angel but I would be talking about the SAME angel that I was talking about earlier. Let me give you another example. If I were to say bring me AN ink pen then you would know that ANY ink pen will be satisfactory. But if I were to say something like bring me THE ink pen that you brought to me yesterday then you would know that I want the SAME ink pen that you brought to me yesterday. So you see, yesterday it was just AN ink pen. And then it became THE ink pen. I pray that you can see that the definite article “the” does NOT dogmatically demand that THE angel of the Lord be some special specific angel of the Lord.
We know that the angels are created beings. And for the angel of the Lord to NOT be an angelic being that was created then ALL the verses referring to the angel of the Lord should have been translated as THE Angel of the Lord. But as you can see there are several verses that are translated as AN angel of the Lord or as AN angel of God.
Jesus was made LOWER than the angels and then he OBTAINED BY INHERITANCE a name greater than the angelic beings.
And Hebrews 1:4-6 teaches us that God never at any time said to ANY of the angels “Being made so much better than the angels, as he has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
5. For unto which of the angels said he at any time, You are my Son, THIS DAY have I begotten you? And again, I WILL BE to him a Father, and he SHALL BE to me a Son?
6. And again, when he bringeth in the first begotten into the world, he says, And let ALL the angels of God worship HIM.”
So to ME, that means that THE angel of the Lord along with ALL the angels of the Lord will WORSHIP Jesus during the Millennium.
Here are some more thoughts as to WHY I myself do NOT believe that the angel of the Lord is the so-called pre-incarnate Jesus.
Was the definite article “THE” added by the translators?
Here is the Hebrew word that is translated as angel מַלְאָךְ. The Strong’s number is #H4397 and it means messenger.
And here is the Hebrew word for THE angel מַלְאָךְהַ in Genesis 4:16. I will enlarge them for you so that you can see the difference
הַמַלְאָךְ is translated as THE Angel in Genesis 48:16. And the following Hebrew word is translated as angel.
מַלְאָךְ is also TRANSLATED as THE angel. But at other times this exact Hebrew word is translated as AN angel.
So then, was the second Hebrew word WITHOUT the extra Hebrew letter “ הַ ” TRANSLATED correctly? Or was the definite article “THE” ADDED by the translators. Should ALL the verses with the phrase “the angel of the Lord” have been translated as “AN angel of the Lord”?
You see when I myself read verses like Numbers 20:16 and Judges 2:4, then I see THE angel of the Lord as being the SAME angel that is also called AN angel of the Lord In Judges 2:1.
Please read these three verses together because those who teach that “THE” angel of the Lord is the pre-incarnate Jesus only FOCUS on the definite article “THE” which the EMPHASIZE as being a SPECIFIC angel of God and NOT just any ordinary angel of God. And I agree that the article “THE” does point to anything as being a specific thing. But does the original text DEMAND that the Hebrew word is translated WITH the definite article “THE”. And before you answer remember that the exact same Hebrew word in the original text is ALSO translated as “AN” angel which could mean any one of the angels of God.
Numbers 20:16.
“And when we cried unto the LORD, he heard our voice, and sent AN angel, and has brought us forth out of Egypt: and, behold, we are in Kadesh, a city in the uttermost of your border:”
Now let us read Judges 2:1 along with Judges 2:4 since it is the SAME angel according to the CONTEXT.
Judges 2:1-4.
“And AN angel of the LORD (Which is NOT a SPECIFIC angel or MESSENGER. Remember that the Hebrew word translated and angel means MESSENGER. In other words, Yahweh sent ‘A’ messenger. A messenger was SENT BY Yahweh. And Moses was SENT BY Yahweh to deliver the children out of the land of Egypt. So THE angel of the Lord may have been the MESSENGER named Moses who was a man and not an angelic being. Or this angel may have been an actual angelic being. Anyway, AN angel of the Lord) came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, (Speaking of the SAME angel we just read about in Numbers 20:16 that Yahweh sent to deliver the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt when the cried unto Yahweh) and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you. (Now, since this angel, that is called AN angel, is speaking in the FIRST person, then some Christians INTERPRET this verse as this angel being Yahweh himself. And other Christians interpret this verse as being a temporary MANIFESTATION of Yahweh. And those Christians who INTERPRET this verse as being a temporary MANIFESTATION OF Yahweh go on to say that THE angel of the Lord is the PRE-INCARNATE Jesus. To ME, this angel is an angelic created being that was SENT BY Yahweh. For you see, the angels are the ambassadors of God who speak FOR Yahweh in the FIRST person.)
2. And you shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but you have not obeyed my voice: why have you done this? (Anyone speaking FOR Yahweh, whether they be an angelic being or a human being, they are the VOICE OF Yahweh. Moses spoke in the FIRST person FOR Yahweh as IF he was Yahweh HIMSELF speaking)
3. Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you.
4. And it came to pass, when THE angel of the LORD spake these words unto all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept.”
In Exodus 16:26 we can clearly see that Moses is the messenger of Yahweh. And we can see that Moses is doing the speaking FOR Yahweh because Moses is speaking in the FIRST person. And yet I have never heard any Christians argue that Moses is the PRE-INCARNATE Jesus.
Exodus 16:26.
“And said, If you will diligently hearken to the VOICE OF the LORD your God, and will do that which is right in his sight, and will give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that heals you.”
You see, if I were to say that “A” man delivered the children of Israel out of Egypt then you would know that a MAN delivered them. And later I told you that that man's name was Moses then you would know that I was speaking of THE man Moses. But I could also say that A man delivered the children of Israel out of Egypt. And if you knew the story then you would know that I was speaking about a SPECIFIC man named Moses by the CONTEXT. So the DEFINITE article “THE” in the English translation does not prove that the angel of the Lord was a SPECIAL angel. But the ABSENCE of the definite article “THE” in the original Hebrew text leads me even more convinced that the angel of the Lord was NOT a so-called PRE-INCARNATE Jesus. But that is something you will have to work out for yourself. This study was just to show you WHY I MYSELF do not believe that the angel of the Lord was a pre-existing pre-incarnate, or pre-manifestation of Jesus.
Again, for further study on why I myself do NOT see that the Bible itself teaches us that there was a so-called pre-incarnate Jesus please read all the studies under the heading >>>A LIST OF STUDIES ON THE TRINITY<<<
Thanks for reading, and may God bless you richly as you continue to seek the TRUTH of the WHOLE word of Almighty God.
And to me, the truth concerning who Jesus TRULY is, according to the Bible ITSELF, is the Biblical Unitarian view of Jesus.
Once Christians, Jews, Muslims, and even atheists understand the REASON that Yahweh CREATED the Son of MAN, Jesus, was to have DOMINION over the work of Yahweh’s hands.
And after you understand that the REASON that Yahweh did that is to STILL His ENEMIES, Satan and the fallen angels.
Then you can understand that God made His human Son to become “a” Lord, “a” King, and “a” God, under and subject to his God and Father in order to JUDGE Satan and the fallen angels.
For a deeper understanding of this WAR that Lucifer and one third of the angels waged against the throne of Almighty God, please read the studies under the subject category called ** Q-0 Why Are We Here? Is God at WAR? **.
More studies are coming in this SHORTER Biblical Unitarian view of who Jesus is according to the WHOLE word of God.
If you have a PARTICULAR verse of Scripture that you would like to know the sound Biblical Unitarian meaning, then please email me at MarkatAMatterOfTruth@Gmail.com and let me know.
For further and more in-depth studies on this subject of Jesus being created to STILL the enemies of Yahweh, please read the studies called D-25. A NEW LOOK at JOHN 1:1, In the BEGINNING!
And also read the study called D-28. The PRE-ADAMIC LUCIFERIAN FLOOD!
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Thanks again for reading, and may God bless you richly as you continue to seek the TRUTH of the WHOLE word of Almighty God.
And to me, the truth concerning who Jesus TRULY is, according to the Bible ITSELF, is the Biblical Unitarian view of Jesus.
And again, for ALL of the studies on the Biblical Unitarian view of Jesus, please click on the subject heading ** D-0 The BIBLICAL UNITARIAN VIEW of Jesus! **
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Your brother in our Lord Jesus Christ,
Brother Mark.
My heartfelt prayer is that all Christians RETURN to the TRUE FOUNDATION of the church that is taught by the very Apostles of Jesus in the first century.
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