Meaning of ANGEL OF THE LORD

Every angel that God sends to carry out his orders could be called the angel of the Lord (2 Sam. 24:16; 1 Kings 19:5, 7).

But the mysterious being called "the Angel of Jehovah" is of a totally different order. It is both distinct and one with God, being similar to Him.

He speaks as if he were God himself and his person seems to be confused with that of God (Gen. 16:7, 10; 18:10, 13-14, 33; 22:11-12, 15-16; 31:11, 13; Ex. 3:2, 4; Jos. 5:13-15; 6:2; Judges 6:12-22; 13:13-22; Zech. 1:10-13; 3:1-2).

The angel of Jehovah reveals the face of God (Gen. 32:30); the name of Jehovah is in him (Ex. 23:21), and his presence is equivalent to the divine presence (Ex. 32:34; 33:14; Is. 63:9).

His name is “wonderful” (Judges 13:18), which is found again in the prophecy of Isaiah 9:6 applied to the Messiah: “And his name will be called Wonderful” (the same term also in Hebrew).

From all this we can reach the conclusion that the Angel of Jehovah is a true "theophany" (see), or appearance of God. Jehovah himself is invisible, and no one has ever been able to see him (Ex. 33:20; Jn. 1:18; 1 Tim. 6:16).

It is the Only Begotten Son who has manifested it, and this not only through his incarnation in the NT, but also in the OT through his appearances as the Angel of Jehovah.

This is how the texts are harmonized on the basis of which, on the one hand, no one can see or has ever seen God, and on the other hand, those texts on the basis of which OT believers had a real encounter with God (Gen. 32:30; Ex. 24:9; cp. Acts 7:38; it was the Angel who appeared to Moses, etc.).

Let us also quote the prophet Zechariah (Zech. 3:1-5), where the Angel of Jehovah intervenes as Christ, our Advocate, does to defend Joshua, who was being accused by Satan before God (cp. Rev. 12:10 ; 1 Jn. 2:1-2). He is undoubtedly also the “mighty angel” of Revelation (Rev. 10:1-3).