Angelos 3. The Angel of the Lord

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2021 09 05

The reason for gathering together

Acts 20:7 NKJV

Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight.

Ephesians 4:12-15 NKJV

  • for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry,
  • for the edifying of the body of Christ,
  • [13] till we all come to the unity of the faith and
  • of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
  • [14] that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and
  • carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting
  • [15] but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head-Christ-
  • Joash and his arrows

2 Kings 13:14–19 (NKJV)

  • Wells
  • Galatians 6:9 NKJV And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
  • Parable of the Woman and the Judge

Luke 18:1–8 (NKJV)

  • His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them
  • 2 Thess 3:13 Grow weary in doing good
  • Psalm 147:10-11 NKJV He does not delight in the strength of the horse; He takes no pleasure in the legs of a man. [11] The LORD takes pleasure in those who fear Him, In those who hope in His mercy.

What tasks did the Angel of the Lord perform?

  1. Delivered messages from the Lord
  • After Abraham had not withheld from sacrificing Isaac Ge 22:15–18
  1. Protected God’s people
  2. When 185000 Assyrians were killed . 2 Ki 19:34–35 “34
  3. Redeemed God’s people
  4. Isa 63:9 “9
  5. Revelation 19:13 A robe dipped in blood Isaiah 63:3-4.
  6. Punished God’s people
  7. When King David to a count of the Israelites 2Sa 24:16-17 “16
  8. Destroyed God’s enemies
  • When God said ”I send an Angel before you to keep you in the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared” Ex 23:23

How can we identify him as God (Jesus)?

  1. He uses “I” when he brings a message
  2. He describes himself as holy
  3. He carries out God’s judgment
  4. God’s name is in him
  5. He takes on a human appearance
  • It is clear that all the passages above refer to the manifestations of God and not of an ordinary angel.
  • In all other places where “the angel of the Lord” is found, the term refers to common angels.

Joash and his arrows

2 Kings 13:14–19 (NKJV)

14 Elisha had become sick with the illness of which he would die. Then Joash the king of Israel came down to him, and wept over his face, and said, “O my father, my father, the chariots of Israel and their horsemen!”

15 And Elisha said to him, “Take a bow and some arrows.” So he took himself a bow and some arrows. 16 Then he said to the king of Israel, “Put your hand on the bow.” So he put his hand on it, and Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands. 17 And he said, “Open the east window”; and he opened it. Then Elisha said, “Shoot”; and he shot. And he said, “The arrow of the Lord’s deliverance and the arrow of deliverance from Syria; for you must strike the Syrians at Aphek till you have destroyed them.” 18 Then he said, “Take the arrows”; so he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground”; so he struck three times, and stopped. 19 And the man of God was angry with him, and said, “You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck Syria till you had destroyed it! But now you will strike Syria only three times.”

Parable of the Woman and the Judge

Luke 18:1–8 (NKJV)

18 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, 2 saying: “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. 3 Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ 4 And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, 5 yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’ ”

6 Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. 7 And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? 8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”

 

What tasks did the Angel of the Lord perform?

  1. Delivered messages from the Lord
  2. After Abraham had not withheld from sacrificing Isaac
  3. Ge 22:15–18 “15 Then the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, 16 and said: “By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son—17 blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. 18 In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.””
  4. Protected God’s people
  5. When 185000 Assyrians were killed
  6. 2 Ki 19:34–35 “34 ‘For I will defend this city, to save it For My own sake and for My servant David’s sake.’ ” 35 And it came to pass on a certain night that the angel of the Lord went out, and killed in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand; and when people arose early in the morning, there were the corpses—all dead.”
  7. Redeemed God’s people
  8. Isa 63:9 “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.”
  9. Revelation 19:13 A robe dipped in blood Isaiah 63:3-4.
  10. Punished God’s people
  11. When King David to a count of the Israelites
  12. 2Sa 24:16-17 “16 And when the angel stretched out His hand over Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord relented from the destruction, and said to the angel who was destroying the people, “It is enough; now restrain your hand.” And the angel of the Lord was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. 17 Then David spoke to the Lord when he saw the angel who was striking the people, and said, “Surely I have sinned, and I have done wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? Let Your hand, I pray, be against me and against my father’s house.””
  13. Destroyed God’s enemies
  14. When God said”I send an Angel before you to keep you in the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared”
  15. Ex 23:23 “23 For My Angel will go before you and bring you in to the Amorites and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Canaanites and the Hivites and the Jebusites; and I will cut them off.”

How can we identify him as God (Jesus)?

  1. He uses “I” when he brings a message
  2. Ge 16:10 “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.””
  3. Ge 22:15–17 “15 Then the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, 16 and said: “By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son—17 blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies.”
  4. Ge 31:13 “13 I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar and where you made a vow to Me. Now arise, get out of this land, and return to the land of your family.’ ””
  5. Ex 3:6 “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.”
  6. Jdg 6:11, “11 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.”
  7. Jdg 6:14 “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?””
  8. He describes himself as holy
  9. Ex 3:2, “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.”
  10. Ex 3:5 “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.””
  11. He carries out God’s judgment
  12. 2 Sa 24:16, “16 And when the angel stretched out His hand over Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord relented from the destruction, and said to the angel who was destroying the people, “It is enough; now restrain your hand.” And the angel of the Lord was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” 2 Ki 19:35 “35 And it came to pass on a certain night that the angel of the Lord went out, and killed in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand; and when people arose early in the morning, there were the corpses—all dead.”
  13. God’s name is in him

Ex 23:20–23 “20 “Behold, I send an Angel before you to keep you in the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared. 21 Beware of Him and obey His voice; do not provoke Him, for He will not pardon your transgressions; for My name is in Him. 22 But if you indeed obey His voice and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries. 23 For My Angel will go before you and bring you in to the Amorites and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Canaanites and the Hivites and the Jebusites; and I will cut them off.”

  1. He takes on a human appearance
  2. Jos 5:13–15, “13 And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood 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 adversaries?” 14 So He said, “No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, “What does my Lord say to His servant?” 15 Then the Commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy.” And Joshua did so.”
  3. Jdg 13:6, “6 So the woman came and told her husband, saying, “A Man of God came to me, and His countenance was like the countenance of the Angel of God, very awesome; but I did not ask Him where He was from, and He did not tell me His name.”
  4. Jdg 13:10, “10 Then the woman ran in haste and told her husband, and said to him, “Look, the Man who came to me the other day has just now appeared to me!””
  5. Jdg 13:21 “21 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.”

It is clear that all the passages above refer to the manifestations of God and not of an ordinary angel.

In all other places where “the angel of the Lord” is found, the term refers to common angels.

Matthew 1:20 (NKJV)  But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 1:24 (NKJV)  Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife,

Matthew 2:13 (NKJV)  Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.”

Matthew 2:19 (NKJV)  But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,

Matthew 28:2-7 (NKJV) 2  And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. 3  His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. 4  And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men. 5  But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6  He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 7  And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.”
Luke 1:11-38 (NKJV) 11  Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12  And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. 13  But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14  And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. 15  For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. 16  And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. 17  He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” 18  And Zacharias said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.” 19  And the angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings. 20  But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time.” 21  And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple. 22  But when he came out, he could not speak to them; and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them and remained speechless. 23  And so it was, as soon as the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house. 24  Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, 25  “Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.” 26  Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27  to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28  And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” 29  But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30  Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. 32  He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33  And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” 34  Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” 35  And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. 36  Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37  For with God nothing will be impossible.” 38  Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
Luke 2:9-14 (NKJV) 9  And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10  Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11  For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12  And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” 13  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 14  “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
Acts 5:19-20 (NKJV) 19  But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, 20  “Go, stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life.”
Acts 8:26 (NKJV)  Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is desert.

Acts 12:7-23 (NKJV) 7  Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands. 8  Then the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and tie on your sandals”; and so he did. And he said to him, “Put on your garment and follow me.” 9  So he went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. 10  When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord; and they went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him. 11  And when Peter had come to himself, he said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people.” 12  So, when he had considered this, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying. 13  And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a girl named Rhoda came to answer. 14  When she recognized Peter’s voice, because of her gladness she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter stood before the gate. 15  But they said to her, “You are beside yourself!” Yet she kept insisting that it was so. So they said, “It is his angel.” 16  Now Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. 17  But motioning to them with his hand to keep silent, he declared to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Go, tell these things to James and to the brethren.” And he departed and went to another place. 18  Then, as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers about what had become of Peter. 19  But when Herod had searched for him and not found him, he examined the guards and commanded that they should be put to death. And he went down from Judea to Caesarea, and stayed there. 20  Now Herod had been very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon; but they came to him with one accord, and having made Blastus the king’s personal aide their friend, they asked for peace, because their country was supplied with food by the king’s country. 21  So on a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat on his throne and gave an oration to them. 22  And the people kept shouting, “The voice of a god and not of a man!” 23  Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died.

 

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