The Angel of the Lord ~ The Angel of His Presence, Part 2

5/1/24 

If we read the full account of each appearance of the Angel of the Lord in the Old Testament, we find that the appearance to a human elicits worship.  Except in the case of Balaam, though I might add that his donkey bowed down before the Angel of the Lord!  And none of those were rebuked by the Angel for their worship.  

Which leads to the fact that we are not worship angels, only God…and when they have appeared being sent from the Lord, they tell us not to worship themselves.  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!  Revelation 19:10.

Another clue as to the true identity of Angel of the Lord is that His appearance stopped with Christ’s birth.  So, who is the Angel of the Lord?  Well, we know it’s not God the Father, because no one has seen God face-to-face.

No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.  John 1:18.

So, it must be Jesus before He came to this earth as our Savior.

“There are angels—and then there’s The Angel. Now we come to the greatest mystery of all the one who is called “the Angel of the Lord.”  By looking at the Angel of the Lord we’re in some definite way looking at God. And God, as we know, is set apart from angels just as He is from all the rest of creation. Could He Be Christ? It seems highly possible that in the Old Testament, Christ came to earth in the form of an Angel—the greatest Angel. Appearances of the Angel of the Lord ceased after the birth of Jesus Christ—a further bit of evidence that he may indeed have been that angel. No doubt you’ve already noticed that often in an Old Testament passage the “Angel” who’s speaking is identified directly with God himself. The Angel seems not just to be from the Lord, but actually to be the Lord.”  Jeremiah, David. Angels: Who They Are and How They Help--What the Bible Reveals.

I found it interesting that in Isaiah the expression “Angel of His Presence” appears only once in the entire scriptures. Isaiah 63:9 In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the Angel of His Presence saved them; in His love and in His pity, He redeemed them; and He bore them and carried them all the days of old.

The context of this verse suggests comfort to the Lord’s people, even through their disobedience.  Though this is before Christ and the Holy Spirit coming, perhaps the Angel of His Presence is both Christ and the Holy Spirit.  Isn’t that what the Holy Spirit does for us redeemed sinners today…the Great Comforter?  

“The Holy Spirit, as in Isaiah 63:9-10, is the Angel of God’s Presence. The context in which Isaiah uses this phrase shows us plainly that this Angel is no ordinary angel; the Angel of His Presence is God Himself. Calling Him, an angel does not mean He is one amongst the many angels in heaven; instead, it means, He is a Carrier or Messenger (the meaning of the word “angel” here) of God’s Presence in the same way that Jesus, the Word of God, is the Messenger of God’s Word (John 10:36).”   Who is the Angel of His Presence? patrickoben.com.

As we conclude this section on the Angel of the Lord, I hope you feel as blessed as I knowing that Jesus, King of Angels, is our Savior and Deliverer and that we have the Holy Spirit as our Great Comforter!

The Angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him and delivers them.  Psalm 34:7.