Translate

Friday, November 29, 2019

YESHUA IS The ANGEL Of The JEHOVAH




YESHUA IS The ANGEL Of The LORD






It’s about time for me to delve in an interesting subject. 


The subject we’re about to look closer at is about The ANGEL of The LORD of the Old Testament. Many have correlated The ANGEL of The LORD of OT to archangel Michael which they believe is none other but JESUS CHRIST.  JESUS CHRIST WHO Died for the sin of the world (John 3:16) was Michael “one of the foremost” angel in heaven. Seventh-day Adventists and Jehovah’s Witnesses has been on the forefront when it comes in relating JESUS as Michael.


The belief that CHRIST is Michael is just one among myriads of heresies that has been propagated by the Watchtower Society (more about this subject in my article JESUS Is NOT Michael).



So, Who Is The ANGEL of The LORD


A prelimenary task is at hand. First, we must be clear what we mean by “angel.” When a person speaks or mention angel what is it that comes into our minds? The word “angel” actually comes from the Greek word aggelos, which means “messenger.” The word angel per se doesn’t discribe what that being is. When someone says angel the word doesn’t automatically tells you about a shining, heavenly celestial being incorporating wings on his back, right?


Just because an angel or a messenger from heaven happened to have wings doesn’t presuppose that all messengers necessarily possesses angelic wings (as depicted in arts, paints and drawings such as the cherubim, seraphim and even the archangel). So, the word “angel” in a biblical sense simply means “envoy, ambassador, or messenger.”


Could it be possible that JESUS CHRIST, Before HIS Incarnation, acted as a Messenger in the OT? Absolutely!  There’s no doubt about that. But don’t get hooked up with the word “messenger.” Being a “messenger” doesn’t always mean a subordinate person or being in comparing with GOD.


Initially, some contexts of the term “The ANGEL of The LORD” Appear to refer to nothing more than any other angel (as in Judges 6:11). But as the narrative progresses, that angel soon transcends the angelic category and is described in terms suited only to a member of the Trinity. Thus in the Judges 6 episode, we are startled when verse 14 has The LORD Speaking to Gideon, when previously only The ANGEL of The LORD had been talking [Hard Sayings Of The Bible, InterVarsity Press].

And…


The precise identity of The "ANGEL of The LORD" is not given in the Bible. However, there are many important “clues” to HIS Identity. There are Old and New Testament references to “angels of The LORD,” “an angel of The LORD,” and “The ANGEL of The LORD.” It seems when the definite article “the” is used, it is specifying a unique being, separate from the other angels. The ANGEL of The LORD Speaks As GOD, Identifies HIMSELF With GOD, and Exercises the Responsibilities of GOD (Genesis 16:7-1221:17-1822:11-18Exodus 3:2Judges 2:1-45:236:11-2413:3-22;2 Samuel 24:16Zechariah 1:123:112:8).¹



As I will demonstrate here in this exciting subject about The "ANGEL of The LORD", (Heb. Mal’akh YAHWEH) in the OT is none other than The Preincarnate SON of Man, JESUS CHRIST, The Second Person of The Triune GOD. As you will see, This ANGEL, according to the OT Is Indeed GOD of Abraham, Isaac and of Jacob (Ex. 3:6).





CHRIST Is Mal’akh YAHWEH in The Old Testament





The ANGEL of The LORD Appeared and Spoke to Moses as a flame of fire within the bush in the Old Testament (Exodus 3:2).


Before CHRIST Gave up HIS Heavenly abode because of HIS Supreme Mercy and Love Came to Earth to save humanity from its sin (John. 3:16), HE Was with GOD and Is GOD (John. 1:1).



According to the conventional understanding of the Holy Scriptures, GOD The FATHER, GOD The SON and GOD The HOLY SPIRIT Cooperated With Each Other in Their Creation of the universe, angels, animals and man (Gen. 1:1-2,26). It is therefore a huge mistake in correlating CHRIST with Michael since this archangel is just a created being and did nothing to create something. Angels too were created by GOD. GOD The SON Is Far Superior than the angels and Is Worshiped by angels! 

Let us read the passage of Hebrews 1:1-8 (NIV) shall we?

In the past GOD Spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days HE Has Spoken to us by HIS SON, Whom HE Appointed heir of all things, and through Whom HE Made the universe. The SON IThe Radiance of GOD’S Glory and the Exact Representation of HIS Being, Sustaining all things by HIS Powerful WORD. After HE Had Provided purification for sins, HE Sat Down at the Right Hand of the Majesty in heaven. So HE Became as much superior to the angels as the Name HE Has Inherited ISuperior to theirs. For to which of the angels Did GOD Ever Say, YOU Are MY SON; today I Have Become YOUR FATHER? Or again, I Will BHIS FATHER, and HE Will BMY SON? And again, when GOD Brings HIS Firstborn into the world, HE Says, Let all GOD’S angels Worship HIM. In speaking of the angels HE Says, HE Makes HIS angels winds, HIS servants flames of fire. But about The SON HE Says, YOUR Throne, O GOD, Will Last for ever and ever, and Righteousness will be the Scepter of YOUR Kingdom.


In Genesis 1.27 reads, So GOD Created man in HIS OWN Image, in the Image of GOD Created HE him; male and female created HE them.  This passage did not speak of GOD created man in the image angels. But GOD’S Image HE Created man.


In the New Testament, JESUS Said, before Abraham Was, I AM (John. 8:58). “This speaks Abraham a creature, and our LORD The Creator; well, therefore, might HE Make HIMSELF greater than Abraham. I AM, Is the Name of GOD, Ex 3:14; It Speaks HIS Self-existence; HE Is The First and The Last, ever the same, Revelation 1:8 (Matthew Henry Concise Commentary).”  In contrast with Abraham who is a finite being and who has a beginning, JESUS’ Life Was from and to eternity. Hence the formula for absolute, timeless existence. The I AM statement of JESUS Would be awkward if HE Was just a created and ordinary messenger!


Before Abraham was, I AM-The words rendered “was” and “AM” are quite different. The one clause means, “Abraham was brought into being”; the other, “I Exist.” The statement therefore is not that CHRIST Came Into Existence before Abraham did (as Arians affirm is the meaning), but that HE Never Came Into Being at all, but Existed before Abraham had a being; in other words, Existed before creation, or eternally (as John 1:1). In that sense the Jews plainly understood HIM, since “then took they up stones to cast at HIM,” just as they had before done when they saw that HE Made HIMSELF Equal With GOD (John 5:18) [Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary].


Compare the confirmation of JESUS where Mal’akh YAHWEH and Moses had a private conversation in which GOD Told Moses that HE Is I AM. GOD Is Described as The ANGEL of The LORD in Exodus 3:14. It is interesting to note that JESUS Never Said that, “before Abraham, I WAS.” JESUS Clearly Confessed to the pharisees that HE Is The Alpha and The Omega (John. 1:1) in John 8:58, and this very statement put JESUS in a very dangerous position. Claiming HIMSELF To Be on equal footing with YHVH wasn’t acceptable by the zealot Jews.


Of course The I AM (the Eternal YHVH) statement of JESUS Won’t Make any sense at all if JESUS Was an archangel (Gr. chief angel) Michael who is said to be “one among the chief angels (Daniel 10:13)!” We should not ignore the fact that Gabriel is an archangel too (Daniel 8:16; 9:21; Luke 1:19, 26)! Besides, CHRIST Is Identified as “ONE and ONLY Begotten SON (KJV)”, which means HE Is Unique, (monogenes in Greek) in John 3:16. The uniqueness of JESUS don’t make much sense if HE Is just one among chief angels!

Anyway, however you look at these passages, GOD Created the angels, archangels or otherwise (Psaim 148:2, 5). And this is the Same GOD WHO Is Also Known in the as The ANGEL of The LORD The Great I AM!

The early church fathers contends and identify CHRIST as Mal’akh YAHWEH in the Old Testament.

Tertullian 230 A.D. On the Flesh of CHRIST: Chapter 14 



“But HE Is Not on this account to be regarded as an angel, as a Gabriel or a Michael….HE…Is Verily GOD, and The SON of GOD.”


Irenaeus 200 A.D. Against Heresies 4:20:1: 



“It was not angels, therefore, who made us, nor who formed us, neither had angels power to make an Image of GOD, nor any one else, except The WORD of The LORD, nor any Power remotely distant from The FATHER of all things. For GOD Did Not Stand in need of these [beings], in order to the accomplishing of What HE Had HIMSELF Determined with HIMSELF beforehand should be done, as if HE Did Not Possess HIS OWN Hands. For with HIM were always present The WORD and WISDOM, The SON and The SPIRIT, by Whom and in Whom, freely and spontaneously, HE Made all things, to Whom also HE Speaks, Saying, 


`Let Us Make man after Our Image and Likeness….’”


Again, like I said earlier, don’t be fooled by a mere word, “angel.” Angel doesn’t always means created suprahuman beings. The ANGEL of The LORD Is certainly Not an ordinary angelic being but a Theophany of the Preincarnate JESUS CHRIST WHO Came to earth to Bring a message of sacrifice and salvation—Amen.

Read more : http://truthvanguard.com/2012/09/02/yeshua-is-the-angel-of-the-lord/







Judges 2 - The ANGEL Of JEHOVAH Is The Pre-Incarnate CHRIST






Judges 2:1-23 NIV









The ANGEL of The LORD at Bokim   













1The ANGEL of The LORD Went Up from Gilgal to Bokim and Said,



“I Brought you Up Out of Egypt and Led you Into the land I Swore To Give To your ancestors. 


I Said, 




‘I Will Never Break MY Covenant With you, 2 and you shall not make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall break down their altars.’ Yet you have disobeyed ME. Why have you done this? 3 And I Have Also Said, ‘I Will Not Drive them Out before you; they will become traps for you, and their gods will become snares to you.’ ”



4When The ANGEL of The LORD Had Spoken these things to all the Israelites, the people wept aloud, 5and they called that place Bokim.a There they offered sacrifices To The LORD.








Disobedience and Defeat







6After Joshua had dismissed the Israelites, they went to take possession of the land, each to their own inheritance. 7The people served The LORD throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had seen all the Great Things The LORD Had Done For Israel.



8Joshua son of Nun, the servant of The LORD, died at the age of a hundred and ten. 9And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath Heresb in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.



10After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither The LORD nor What HE Had Done For Israel. 11Then the Israelites did evil in the Eyes of The LORD and served the Baals. 12They forsook The LORD, The GOD of their ancestors, WHO Had Brought them Out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them. They aroused The LORD'S Anger 13because they forsook Him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths. 14In HIS Anger Against Israel The LORD Gave them into the hands of raiders who plundered them. HE Sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist. 15Whenever Israel went out to fight, The Hand of The LORD Was Against them to defeat them, Just As HE Had Sworn to them. They were in great distress.



16Then The LORD Raised Up judges,c who saved them out of the hands of these raiders. 17Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. They quickly turned from the ways of their ancestors, who had been obedient to The LORD'S Commands. 18Whenever The LORD Raised Up a judge for them, HE Was With the judge and Saved them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; For The LORD Relented because of their groaning under those who oppressed and afflicted them. 19But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their ancestors, following other gods and serving and worshiping them. They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.



20Therefore The LORD Was Very Angry With Israel and 

Said, 




“Because this nation has violated the Covenant I Ordained for their ancestors and has not listened to ME, 21I Will No Longer Drive Out before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died. 22I Will Use them to test Israel and see whether they will keep the Way of The LORD and walk in it as their ancestors did.” 




23The LORD Had Allowed those nations to remain; HE Did Not Drive them Out at once by Giving them into the hands of Joshua.








The ANGEL of JEHOVAH (not ‘an angel’)







The phrase is used to designate The ANGEL of GOD'S Presence. See Genesis 12:7  In all cases where "The ANGEL of JEHOVAH" Delivers a message, HE Does it as if GOD HIMSELF Were Speaking, without the intervening words "Thus Says The LORD," which are used in the case of prophets. (Compare Judges 6:8; Joshua 24:2.)


In the Hebrew Bible the term "מַלְאָךְ יהוה(malak YHWH), Hebrew for "Messenger of YAHWEH", in the King James Version "ANGEL of The LORD", occurs 65 times and always in the singular. In English translation it is usually accompanied with the definite article.


Appearances of the "ANGEL of The LORD" are often presented as theophanies: in Genesis 31:11–13, The ANGEL of GOD Says, "I AM The GOD of Beth-el"; in Exodus 3:2–6,  The ANGEL of The LORD WHO Appeared to Moses in the flame of fire says, "I AM The GOD of your father"; compare Genesis 22:11Judges 6:11–22. At times The ANGEL of The LORD Speaks in such a way as to assume authority over previous promises (see Genesis 16:11 and 21:17).


The following are examples of use of the term "The ANGEL of The LORD":


  • Genesis 16:7–14The ANGEL of The LORD Appears to Hagar. The ANGEL Speaks as GOD in the first person, and in verse 13 Hagar identifies the Visitor as GOD.
  • Exodus 3:2–4The ANGEL of The LORD Appears to Moses in a flame in verse 2, and GOD Speaks to Moses from the flame in verse 4.
  • Numbers 22:22–38The ANGEL of The LORD Meets the prophet Balaam on the road. In verse 38, Balaam identifies The ANGEL WHO Spoke to him as delivering The WORD of GOD.
  • Judges 6:11–23The ANGEL of The LORD Appears to Gideon, and in verse 22 Gideon fears for his life because he was in the Presence of GOD.
  • Judges 13:3–22The ANGEL of The LORD Appears to Manoah and his wife. In verse 16, differentiates HIMSELF From GOD. ("And The ANGEL of The LORD Said to Manoah, “if you will offer a burnt offering, you must offer it to The LORD.")


The ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament known as the Septuagint (known as LXX) translates the phrase as ἄγγελος Κυρίουaggelos Kyriou, "ANGEL of The LORD", a phrase used also in the New Testament. The Hellenistic Jewish philosopher Philo identified The ANGEL of The LORD (in the singular) with The Logos.


The term "ANGEL of GOD" occurs 12 times (2 of which are plural). The following are examples:


  • Judges 13:9The ANGEL of GOD Approached the wife of Manoah after The LORD Heard Manoah.


The following are examples of GOD "sending An ANGEL":


  • Exodus 23:20-21. The LORD Says HE Will Send An ANGEL before the Israelites, and warns them to obey The ANGEL's Voice, and that The ANGEL "Will Not Pardon transgressions" because “The LORD'S Name Is In HIM".
  •  
  • Exodus 33:2. GOD Says HE Will Send An ANGEL before the Israelites, and that GOD Will Drive Out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
  •   
  • Numbers 20:16. The LORD Sent An ANGEL and brought the people of Israel forth from Egypt.
  •   
  • 1 Chronicles 21:15. GOD Sent An ANGEL To Destroy Jerusalem, but then repented and told The ANGEL To Stay His Hand.
  •  
     
  • 2 Chronicles 32:21. The LORD Sent An ANGEL, Which Cut Off all the mighty men of valor and the leaders and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria.


Somewhat similar expressions are "The Redeeming ANGEL", המלאך הגאלhamalak haggoel (Genesis 48:16); "The ANGEL of HIS (The LORD'S) Presence", מלאך פניוmalak panaiv (Isaiah 63:9); "The ANGEL of The Covenant", מלאך הבריתmalakh habrit (Malachi 3:1); and in the Septuagint "ANGEL (or Messenger) of Great Counsel", μεγάλης βουλῆς ἄγγελοςmegalēs boulēs angelos (Isaiah 9:6).


On the expression "The ANGEL of HIS Presence", see ANGEL of The Presence.
In the view of the Alexandrian Jewish philosopher Philo, The "ANGEL of YAHWEH" That Appeared to the patriarchs Was The Divine Logos.


I firmly believe that The ANGEL (=Messenger) of JEHOVAH Was none other than The Pre-incarnate CHRIST, The Eternal SON of GOD WHO Was With The FATHER from all eternity and Appeared as Man and Died for us.






Judges 1 - Israel Fights the Remaining Canaanites





Judges 1:1-24 NIV







Israel Fights the Remaining Canaanites






1After the death of Joshua, the Israelites asked The LORD, “Who of us is to go up first to fight against the Canaanites?”



2The LORD answered, 



“Judah Shall Go Up; 


I Have Given the land into their hands.”



3The men of Judah then said to the Simeonites their fellow Israelites, “Come up with us into the territory allotted to us, to fight against the Canaanites. We in turn will go with you into yours.” So the Simeonites went with them.



4When Judah attacked, The LORD Gave the Canaanites and Perizzites into their hands, and they struck down ten thousand men at Bezek. 5It was there that they found Adoni-Bezek and fought against him, putting to rout the Canaanites and Perizzites. 6Adoni-Bezek fled, but they chased him and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and big toes.








7Then Adoni-Bezek said, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off have picked up scraps under my table. Now GOD Has Paid me back for what I did to them.” They brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.



8The men of Judah attacked Jerusalem also and took it. They put the city to the sword and set it on fire.



9After that, Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites living in the hill country, the Negev and the western foothills. 10They advanced against the Canaanites living in Hebron (formerly called Kiriath Arba) and defeated Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai. 11From there they advanced against the people living in Debir (formerly called Kiriath Sepher).



12And Caleb said, “I will give my daughter Aksah in marriage to the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher.” 13Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, took it; so Caleb gave his daughter Aksah to him in marriage.



14One day when she came to Othniel, she urged hima to ask her father for a field. When she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What can I do for you?”
15She replied, “Do me a special favor. Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me also springs of water.” So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.



16The descendants of Moses’ father-in-law, the Kenite, went up from the City of Palmsb with the people of Judah to live among the inhabitants of the Desert of Judah in the Negev near Arad.



17Then the men of Judah went with the Simeonites their fellow Israelites and attacked the Canaanites living in Zephath, and they totally destroyedc the city. Therefore it was called Hormah.d18Judah also tooke Gaza, Ashkelon and Ekron—each city with its territory.



19The LORD Was with the men of Judah. They took possession of the hill country, but they were unable to drive the people from the plains, because they had chariots fitted with iron. 20As Moses had promised, Hebron was given to Caleb, who drove from it the three sons of Anak. 21The Benjamites, however, did not drive out the Jebusites, who were living in Jerusalem; to this day the Jebusites live there with the Benjamites.



22Now the tribes of Joseph attacked Bethel, and the Lord was with them. 23When they sent men to spy out Bethel (formerly called Luz), 24the spies saw a man coming out of the city and they said to him, “Show us how to get into the city and we will see that you are treated well.” 25So he showed them, and they put the city to the sword but spared the man and his whole family. 26He then went to the land of the Hittites, where he built a city and called it Luz, which is its name to this day.



27But Manasseh did not drive out the people of Beth Shan or Taanach or Dor or Ibleam or Megiddo and their surrounding settlements, for the Canaanites were determined to live in that land.28When Israel became strong, they pressed the Canaanites into forced labor but never drove them out completely. 29Nor did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites living in Gezer, but the Canaanites continued to live there among them. 30Neither did Zebulun drive out the Canaanites living in Kitron or Nahalol, so these Canaanites lived among them, but Zebulun did subject them to forced labor. 31Nor did Asher drive out those living in Akko or Sidon or Ahlab or Akzib or Helbah or Aphek or Rehob.32The Asherites lived among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land because they did not drive them out. 33Neither did Naphtali drive out those living in Beth Shemesh or Beth Anath; but the Naphtalites too lived among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land, and those living in Beth Shemesh and Beth Anath became forced laborers for them. 34The Amorites confined the Danites to the hill country, not allowing them to come down into the plain. 35And the Amorites were determined also to hold out in Mount Heres, Aijalon and Shaalbim, but when the power of the tribes of Joseph increased, they too were pressed into forced labor. 36The boundary of the Amorites was from Scorpion Pass to Sela and beyond.