~ Angel of The Lord ~
Angel of The Lord ~ There are many references to “an
angel of the Lord” as well as “the angel of the Lord” in
Scripture. The implication is that there
are both multiple angels of the Lord as well as a specific angel of the Lord. Angels of the Lord are not only identified
with God they often speak as God and exercise responsibilities of God (see the
“Theophanies” section below).
“An” Angel of The Lord
~ “Then the high priest rose up,
and all those who were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees), and they
were filled with indignation, and laid their hands on the apostles and put them
in the common prison. But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison
doors and brought them out, and said, ‘Go, stand in the temple and speak to the
people all the words of this life’” (Acts 5:17-20). There are a number of other examples of “an”
angel of the Lord.
“The” Angel of The Lord
~ Here is one example: “Now the Angel of the Lord found her by a spring
of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur. 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.’ The Angel of the Lord said to her, ‘Return to your mistress, and submit
yourself under her hand.’ Then the Angel of the Lord said to her, ‘I will multiply your descendants
exceedingly, so that they shall not be counted for multitude.’ 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. 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’” (Genesis 16:7-12). There are
many other examples of “the” angel of the Lord.
Theophanies
~ It is interesting to note that
even though angels are mentioned numerous times in the New Testament, “the”
angel of the Lord is not mentioned in Scripture post
the birth of Jesus Christ—rather it is always “an” angel of the
Lord.
It
seems probable that in at least some of these appearances of the angel of the
Lord it was a theophany (an appearance of God, the Father in physical
form). Consider for example: “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.’ Then the Lord said to him, ‘Peace be with
you; do not fear, you shall not die.’ 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” (Judges 6:22-24).
Remember that
Jesus Christ was before Abraham (John 8:58), is eternal, is the Creator and sustainer
of all (Colossians 1:16). Some or all of
these occurrences may have actually been a Christophany (physical appearing of
Christ) before His incarnation.
Conclusion
~ It is quite possible that
appearances of “The Angel of The Lord” were physical appearances of either God,
the Father or the Son of God—Jesus Christ.
~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW
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