The Angel of the Lord

Daily Old Testament Reading: Judges 13-15

Daily Focus Passage: Judges 13

The Bible details several moments when either “an” angel of the Lord appears or “the” angel of the Lord appears. These appearances cause to make us wonder precisely what is meant when the phrase “the angel of the Lord” is used. For example, in Judges 13, we find one of the moments where the angel of the Lord engages with humanity when the angel speaks to Manoah, Samson’s mom. So who is the angel of the Lord, and what do we need to understand when we read this phrase?

THEOPHANY

Theophany is the visible manifestation of the Lord found in the Old Testament. These occurrences do not always mean that the Lord appeared in human form. Instead, we find theophanies in places like the appearance of the Lord to Moses at the burning bush and the appearing of the Lord to Job in a whirlwind. In the Old Testament, some of these occurrences are classified as Christophany because they point to the appearance of the pre-incarnate Christ in the Old Testament.  

THE ANGEL OF THE LORD

When it comes to the phrase “the angel of the Lord,” it is a general agreement that this phrase refers to the visible presence of the Lord. The key to understanding the difference between “a” and “the” messenger of the Lord often comes from the original languages instead of the English translations. If the term refers to “angel,” the understanding probably is that the appearance is not the Lord but a representative of the Lord. At the same time, if the term points to the idea of “messenger,” then the idea probably points to a theophany or Christophany.

Judges 13 is a prime example of how we can view “the angel of the Lord” as a Theophany or Christophany. In Judges 13, we are told that “the messenger of the Lord” appeared to Manoah. After the appearance, Manoah declares that he will surely die because he has seen the Lord. This indicates that he understood that he did not see a representative of the Lord but instead engaged with a visible manifestation of the Lord.

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

There are two concluding thoughts I challenge you to consider. First, there are moments in the Old Testament that indicate the visible manifestation of the Lord to various individuals. These manifestations fall under what we understand to be Theophany and Christophany. These do exist in the text, and we must understand that these appearances demonstrate how God interacts with his people and foreshadow the incarnation of Christ.

Second, some angels appear that are not visible manifestations of the Lord. These refer to angels created by the Lord and serve him. Thus, they appear as representatives of the Lord, bringing the message of the Lord to the Lord’s people. So, yes, there are moments when the seems of the angel of the Lord provides evidence of a visible manifestation of the lord, and yes, there are times when it does not. The key to understanding comes with context and the text's backdrop.