According to the classic Christian interpretation, the Old Testament’s Angel of the LORD is Jesus Christ.
This idea plays a role in the Old Testament’s theology of the Trinity and, as such, is a solid testimony to the interconnectedness of the two Testaments.
This article builds a case with 8 proofs that the Angel of the LORD is Jesus by showing
- the features and roles of the Angel of the LORD in the Old Testament are the same as Jesus in the New Testament.
- the New Testament tells us the Angel of the LORD is Jesus.
Contents
What is the Angel of the LORD?
In the Old Testament, the Angel of the LORD appears as a divine messenger or representative of God who often delivers messages, guidance, or acts on behalf of God.
This figure is distinct from ordinary angels, is the only angel bearing the name Yahweh, and is sometimes identified as Yahweh Himself. The Angel of the LORD is involved in significant events, such as the burning bush encounter with Moses in Exodus 3.
In Christian theology, scholars interpret this figure as a manifestation of God’s presence or a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ.
Next, we will see why the Angel of the LORD is indeed pre-incarnate Jesus.
1 “The angel whom God sent” is the Angel of the LORD
According to Easton’s Bible Dictionary, “angel” is a word signifying, both in Hebrew (malach) and Greek (angelos), a “messenger,” and hence is employed to denote any agent God sends forth to execute his purposes.
We often think angels mean only spirit creatures with wings, but they are not only that. An angel is a messenger who can be a human, a spirit, or even God, appearing as a man or a flaming fire.
In other words, the Angel of the LORD is a messenger sent by Yahweh, just like we read in Exodus 23:20-21 and other passages (Exodus 33:2, Numbers 20:16, 1 Chron 21:15).
The Angel of the LORD is the only messenger who bears the name of Yahweh in the Bible.
Exodus 23:20-21
“Behold, I send an angel before you, to keep you by the way, and to bring you into the place which I have prepared. Pay attention to him, and listen to his voice. Don’t provoke him, for he will not pardon your disobedience, for my name is in him.
In the above two verses, Yahweh says He will send an angel before the Israelites and warns them not to provoke him because he “will not pardon transgressions” because the LORD’s “name is in him.”
The two highlighted texts show that the angel is divine, especially since only God can forgive sins. As an interesting side note, the words “the place I have prepared” echo Jesus’ words in John 14:2-3 when He is about to finish His exodus.
John 14:2-3
In my Father’s house are many homes. If it weren’t so, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and will receive you to myself; that where I am, you may be there also.
In Exodus 33:2, Numbers 20:16, and 1 Chronicles 21:15, you can tie “the angel whom God sent” directly to the Angel of the LORD.
- In 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. In Judges 2:1-4 the Angel of the LORD says he was supposed to be the angel God would use to drive out the enemies, but because of Israel’s disobedience, he will not do it.
- In Numbers 20:16, the LORD sent an angel and brought the people of Israel forth from Egypt. According to Judges 2:1, the Angel of the LORD brought Israel out of Egypt.
- 1 Chronicles 21:15, the connection is even clearer because the next verse, 1 Chron 21:16, tells you the angel God sent to destroy Jerusalem is the Angel of the LORD.
Notice also how in 1 Chronicles 21:15-16 the Angel of the LORD appears to David “by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.” According to 2 Chronicles 3:1, the LORD appeared to David “on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite,” connecting the Angel of the LORD directly to Yahweh.
Judges 2:1-4 (ESV)
Now the angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bochim. And he said, “I brought you up from Egypt and brought you into the land that I swore to give to your fathers. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you, and you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall break down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed my voice. What is this you have done? So now I say, I will not drive them out before you, but they shall become thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you.” As soon as the angel of the Lord spoke these words to all the people of Israel, the people lifted up their voices and wept.
Exodus 33:2-3
I will send an angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; but I will not go up among you, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people.”
Numbers 20:16
When we cried to Yahweh, he heard our voice, sent an angel, and brought us out of Egypt.
The Father sent Jesus
Just like Yahweh sent the Angel of the LORD, Jesus was sent by the Father.
John 17:25-26
Righteous Father, the world hasn’t known you, but I knew you; and these knew that you sent me. I made known to them your name, and will make it known; that the love with which you loved me may be in them, and I in them.”
John 17:26 also says Jesus makes Father’s name known, and He does it by manifesting His name (John 17:6) in the fullness of God (Col 2:9), which ties into Exodus 23:21 that says the LORD’s “name is in” the Angel of the LORD.
2 The Angel of the LORD makes covenants
By now, you have learned that an angel is a messenger sent by someone. So, the angel of the LORD is a messenger whom the LORD has sent.
In Malachi 3:1, you will see two messengers sent by God: a messenger who prepares the way to Yahweh and the Messenger of the Covenant.
Malachi 3:1
“Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me; and the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, behold, he comes!” says Yahweh of Armies.
According to Judges 2:1-4, the Angel of the LORD saved Israel from Egypt, gave them the Promised Land, and made a covenant with them. In Judges 2:1, the Angel says: “I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you.”
Judges 2:1-4
1 Now the angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bochim. And he said, “I brought you up from Egypt and brought you into the land that I swore to give to your fathers. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you, 2 and you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall break down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed my voice. What is this you have done? 3 So now I say, I will not drive them out before you, but they shall become thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you.” 4 As soon as the angel of the Lord spoke these words to all the people of Israel, the people lifted up their voices and wept.
The Angel of the LORD made a covenant with the patriarchs. The Angel says that He made a covenant with all the patriarchs, plural. This makes Him the Angel of the Covenant, whom we see in Malachi 3:1.
Let’s see how all this connects to Jesus in the New Testament.
Jesus made the New Covenant
Just like the Angel of the LORD made a covenant with God’s people in the Old Testament, likewise Jesus made a covenant with God’s people in the New Testament.
Jesus ratified the New Covenant by dying on the cross. See below the Communion bible verses in Matthew 26:26-28 for this.
Matthew 26:26-28
26 As they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks for it, and broke it. He gave to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” 27 He took the cup, gave thanks, and gave to them, saying, “All of you drink it, 28 for this is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the remission of sins.
Now, let’s see how Jesus Himself connects the Messenger of the Covenant in Malachi 3:1 to Himself.
In Luke 7:24-27, Jesus explains to His audience who John the Baptist is.
Luke 7:24-27
When John’s messengers had departed, he began to tell the multitudes about John, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft clothing? Behold, those who are gorgeously dressed, and live delicately, are in kings’ courts. But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and much more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written,
‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way before you.
The quote in verse 27 is from Malachi 3:1. In the verse, Yahweh is speaking. He says He will send His messenger to prepare a way before Him, echoing the promise in Isaiah 40:3. Jesus confirmed that the messenger was John the Baptist.
Malachi 3:1 says that a messenger will prepare the way, and soon after the messenger’s arrival, the Lord comes to His Temple as the Messenger of the Covenant.
Here, “the Lord” in Hebrew is “Ha Adon,” which is only used for Yahweh God in the Old Testament (Isaiah 1:24), so there is no ambiguity about the messenger’s (of the Covenant) nature. He is Yahweh.
Remember also that the Temple in Jerusalem was built for Yahweh (1 Kings 8, 1 Chronicles 29:1). The Messenger of the Covenant coming to His Temple means that the Messenger of the Covenant is none other than Yahweh.
Jesus claims that John the Baptist is the messenger who prepares the way for God’s sudden coming to His temple.
Who came soon after John the Baptist? Jesus did.
Thus, Jesus is the Messenger of the Covenant who makes the New Covenant with God’s people as did the Angel of the LORD in the Old Testament.
3 The Angel of the LORD is divine
The Angel of the LORD speaks as if he were God; he exercises authority that only God has, and on many occasions, the people who see the Angel are afraid for their lives and claim to have seen God.
You have already seen in couple occasions in this article that the Angel of the LORD is divine. Let’s go through rest of the proofs for this next.
People who see the Angel of the LORD fear for their lives and/or claim to have seen God.
- Hagar in Genesis 16.
- Balaam in Numbers 22.
- Gideon in Judges 6.
- Samson’s parents in Judges 13.
- Jacob in Genesis 32.
The Angel of the LORD has divine attributes.
- His name is incomprehensible, Judges 13. In the Bible, a name is the same as a person’s nature or character, so only a divine person has a name beyond comprehension.
- He is omnipresent, Psalm 34:7.
The Angel of the LORD performs actions that only God can do.
- He forgives sins, Exodus 23 and Zechariah 3.
- He multiplies offspring, Genesis 16:10.
The Angel of the LORD and Yahweh saved Israel from Egypt and made a covenant with them.
In Judges 2:1-4 the Angel of the LORD says that he was the one who brought Israel out of Egypt and that he swore to give the Promised Land to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and that the covenant “is my covenant.”
Judges 2:1-4 (ESV)
Now the angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bochim. And he said, “I brought you up from Egypt and brought you into the land that I swore to give to your fathers. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you, and you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall break down their altars.’
In Genesis 12, Yahweh promises the Land to Abraham, and in Judges 6:8, Yahweh says that He brought Israel out of Egypt.
Genesis 12:7
Yahweh appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your offspring.”
Judges 6:8
Yahweh sent a prophet to the children of Israel; and he said to them, “Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, ‘I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you out of the house of bondage.
Abraham didn’t withhold Isaac from the Angel of the LORD.
In Genesis 22, Abraham is about to sacrifice Isaac on Mt. Moriah when the Angel of the LORD calls him from heaven and stops him. The text alludes that the Angel is God because he now knows that Abraham fears God because he didn’t withhold his only son from the Angel.
Genesis 22:11-12 (ESV)
But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”
The Angel of the LORD is in the burning bush.
Exodus 3 depicts Moses at the burning bush. In this encounter between Moses and God, the Angel of the LORD appears to Moses in a flame of fire, and he seems to be identified as Yahweh and distinguished from another person, who is also Yahweh.
In verse 4, the LORD (Yahweh translated as LORD) saw that Moses turned, but God (Elohim) called to Moses. The same “Elohim” says in verse 6 that He is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
The incident is one of the examples that leads to the idea of Two Powers in Heaven.
Exodus 3:2-6 (ESV)
And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” And 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 at God.
The Angel of the LORD is Angel of God.
In Exodus 23, Yahweh says He will send an angel before the Israelites and warns them not to provoke him because he “will not pardon transgressions,” which only God can do.
Exodus 23:20-21
“Behold, I send an angel before you, to keep you by the way, and to bring you into the place which I have prepared. Pay attention to him, and listen to his voice. Don’t provoke him, for he will not pardon your disobedience, for my name is in him.
Genesis 31 also mentions a divine angel of God (Elohim, not Yahweh, as in the Angel of the LORD).
In Judges 13, the angel of the LORD (verse 3) is called the angel of God (verse 9), so it’s almost sure it is the same as in Genesis 31. Furthermore, in Exodus 14:19, we see that the angel of God led Israel out of Egypt, a task that the Bible says Yahweh and the Angel of the LORD performed.
In another famous passage in Genesis 32, Jacob wrestles with a man and prevails. The man then says Jacob “has fought with God and with men and prevailed.” and blesses Jacob. Hosea 12:3-4 mentions this incident, but now the “man” is referred to as God and “the angel.”
Genesis 32:26-30
The man said, “Let me go, for the day breaks.”
Jacob said, “I won’t let you go unless you bless me.”
He said to him, “What is your name?”
He said, “Jacob”.
He said, “Your name will no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have fought with God and with men, and have prevailed.”
Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.”
He said, “Why is it that you ask what my name is?” So he blessed him there.
Jacob called the name of the place Peniel for he said, “I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.”
Hosea 12:3-4
and in his manhood he contended with God.
In the womb he took his brother by the heel;
Indeed, he struggled with the angel, and prevailed;
he wept, and made supplication to him.
The story starts in Genesis 28 when Jacob moves from Beersheba towards Haran and stops for a night. On that night, Yahweh appears to Jacob for the first time in a dream in which he sees angels ascending and descending on a ladder that reaches from the earth to heaven.
Jacob names the place Bethel (the house of God).
In Genesis 31, The Angel of God appears to Jacob in a dream, identifying Himself with Yahweh, who appeared to Jacob in Bethel.
Genesis 31:10-13 ESV
In the breeding season of the flock I lifted up my eyes and saw in a dream that the goats that mated with the flock were striped, spotted, and mottled. Then the angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob,’ and I said, ‘Here I am!’ And he said, ‘Lift up your eyes and see, all the goats that mate with the flock are striped, spotted, and mottled, for I have seen all that Laban is doing to you. I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar and made a vow to me. Now arise, go out from this land and return to the land of your kindred.’”
The Angel of the LORD is omnipresent
Psalm 34 tells us that the Angel of the LORD is omnipresent. The Psalm mentions the LORD in many different ways before verse 7, so “him” in Psalm 34:7 refers to God. If the angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear God, he has to be omnipresent.
Psalm 34:7
The angel of the Lord encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
God’s name is in the Angel of the LORD
In Exodus 23:20-21, Yahweh speaks to Moses and promises to send an Angel, distinct from Yahweh, to guard Israel and guide them to the Promised Land. The Angel is divine because God’s name is in Him, and He can pardon disobedience.
A name in the Bible describes a person’s characteristics and nature. “Name” is itself an Old Testament expression of the Person of the God of Israel. The Temple in Jerusalem was a place where God would place His Name. So, when God places His name in the Angel, He communicates that His presence and nature are in the Angel.
The Angel of the LORD’s name is beyond understanding
In Judges 13, Samson’s parents meet the angel of the LORD. In verse 17, they inquire about the angel’s name, to which the angel replies: “Why do you ask my name, seeing it is wonderful?”
In some translations, the word “wonderful” is translated as “beyond understanding.” First, as names in the Bible denote a person’s characteristics or nature, when the angel’s name is beyond understanding, he can’t be just a creature. Second, the question, “Why do you ask my name?” is the same question the angel asks Jacob when Jacob asks the name of the angel in Genesis 32:29.
The above two points are another proof that the angel of the LORD has a divine nature.
The Angel of the LORD in Zechariah 3
In Zechariah 3, you find another passage that shows the Angel of the LORD is divine. In verse 1, Zechariah sees a heavenly vision in which three figures are identified: Joshua, the high priest, the Angel of the LORD, and Satan, who accuses Joshua.
We know the vision is taking place in heaven because it is where Satan goes to accuse God’s people before God (Job 1:6-8; 2:1).
Verse 1 describes the Angel of the LORD and Satan next to Him, accusing Joshua. In verse 2, the LORD verbally rebukes Satan. In verse 3, Joshua is standing next to “the Angel.”
Remember how, in verse 1, only three figures were identified, and the LORD was not one of them? These verses handle the Angel of the LORD and the LORD interchangeably as if they were both God.
In the following verses, the Angel of the LORD takes away Joshua’s sins. Heaven is where God’s will is done and where He is enthroned. It is hard to see why God would need a creature to forgive sins in heaven—even more so “a creature” that the previous verses treat as the LORD. Therefore, the passage is yet another example of the Angel of the LORD being depicted as divine.
Jesus is God
- John 1:1
- Titus 2:13
- Hebrews 1:8
- John 20:28
- Romans 9:5
See more in Where in the Bible does it say Jesus is God? and Is Jesus God? articles.
4 The Old Testament depicts the Angel of the LORD as a man
The Bible describes the Angel of the LORD two times as a man. (In addition to Jacob wrestling with the angel, God, and a man we mentioned in the previous proof.)
Joshua 5:13-15
“And it happened, when Joshua was by Jericho, he looked up, and he saw a man standing opposite him with his sword drawn in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said, ‘Are you with us, or with our adversaries?’ And he said, ‘Neither. I have come now as the commander of Yahweh’s army.’ And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and he bowed down and said to him, ‘What is my lord commanding his servant?’ The commander of Yahweh’s army said to Joshua, ‘Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.’ And Joshua did so.”
In the above passage, Joshua sees a man who identifies as the captain or commander of Yahweh’s army, after which Joshua immediately bows down to him. The man accepts Joshua’s gesture, indicating he is Joshua’s superior and perhaps divine.
Moreover, the man commands Joshua to take off his sandals as the place he stands is holy. The words come from Exodus 3:5, the burning bush passage, which mentions the Angel of the LORD being in the bush.
When we do a word study on the “drawn sword in his hand,” we see that the phrase is mentioned two other times in the Bible, Numbers 22:23 and 1 Chronicles 21:16. Both times, the Angel of the LORD is the one with the drawn sword in his hand.
When the Angel of the LORD appeared to Samson’s parents, the mother of Samson described the Angel as a man.
Judges 13:6
Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, “A man of God came to me, and his face was like the face of the angel of God, very awesome.
Jesus is 100% man
- Romans 1:2-3
- 1 John 4:2
- Hebrews 2:14-17
5 The Angel of the LORD meets a woman at a well
The Bible mentions the Angel of the LORD for the first time in Genesis 16 when he appears to Hagar, Abraham’s Egyptian mistress.
The Angel meets her at a well, a recurring theme in the Bible. Notably, several prominent men of the Old Testament met their wives at a well.
The meeting at a well is a pattern that leads to a marriage between the meeting parties.
- The two parties meet at a well
- one of the parties helps the other
- water is drawn
- the future wife goes and tells her family about the encounter
- they meet for a meal
- and are married
We see the pattern repeating in the following Old Testament passages.
- The servant Abraham sent to look for a wife for Isaac met Rebekah at a well. (Gen 24)
- Jacob met his wife at a well. (Gen 29)
- Moses met his Gentile wife at a well. (Ex 2)
- Jesus met a Samaritan woman at a well. (John 4)
Jesus meets a Samaritan woman at a well
The Old Testament pattern peaks in John 4 when Jesus meets with the Samaritan woman at a well. The encounter symbolizes Jesus being the husband of His Church and that the Gospel will also go to the Gentiles.
6 The Angel of the LORD has a sword
As shown in the 3rd proof, it is almost sure that the Captain of the LORD’s army is the Angel of the LORD.
This is based on a word study on the “drawn sword in his hand” phrase. The phrase is mentioned three times in the Bible: Joshua 5, Numbers 22:23, and 1 Chronicles 21:16.
In Joshua 5, the Captain of the LORD’s army has the drawn sword, and in the other two passages, it is the Angel of the LORD with the drawn sword in his hand.
In the above passages, the sword is drawn for judgment and conquest.
- In Numbers 22, the Angel opposes Balaam because his ways were perverse before the angel.
- In 1 Chronicles 21, the Angel came to deliver judgment for David’s sin.
- In Joshua 5, the Captain comforts Joshua before the victorious battle over Jericho.
Jesus has a sword
Jesus tells us in Matthew 10:34 that He didn’t come to bring peace on earth but a sword. The word sword is changed to division in the same passage in Luke 12:51. Jesus divides with His sword, which, according to Ephesians 6:17 and Hebrews 4:12, is the word of God. In John 1:1 and Revelation 19:13, He is called “The Word of God.”
We see this sword as the word of God symbolism in the Book of Revelation 1:16, 2:12, 2:16, and 19:15 when a sharp sword comes out of Jesus’ mouth to strike the nations. Those nations are conquered as “He will rule them with an iron rod.”
Jesus, the ultimate judge, will pass judgment on the living and the dead, as revealed in John 5:22, John 9:39, 2 Timothy 4:1.
7 The Angel of the LORD is a high priestly figure
A lot could be said about this theme. However, we have picked the four best to show how the Angel of the LORD is a high priestly figure.
1) When Israel is coming out from Egypt, the angel of God leads them in the pillar of cloud (Exodus 14:19). The cloud represents God’s glory cloud. It is the same that descends on Mt Sinai and comes to dwell in the Holy of Holies in Tabernacle (Leviticus 16:2) and the Temple. Only the high priest could access the Holy of Holies once a year on the Day of the Atonement.
2) The Angel of the LORD bore Yahweh’s name in him (Exodus 23:21). In Exodus 28, Yahweh instructed that Aaron, as the high priest, should wear a golden plate in his turban that says “HOLY TO THE LORD” bearing the name the LORD in his vestments.
3) In Zechariah 3, the Angel of the LORD takes away the high priest Joshua’s sins and changes his soiled garments to pure. This was a duty that only the high priest could do for Israel and himself once a year.
4) The Angel of the LORD prays for Jerusalem in Zechariah 1:12 as Jesus prays for the Church in John 17, especially John 17:20-23. This prayer is Jesus’ most extended prayer in the Bible and is called His “High Priestly prayer.”
Jesus is our high priest
Read the Bible verses showing Jesus is our high priest.
8 The Angel of the LORD disappears in the New Testament after the incarnation
Why would such a central figure as the Angel of the LORD in the Old Testament disappear from the Scripture once Jesus is incarnated?
The fact that there is no mention of the Angel in the New Testament adds weight to the idea that the Angel of the LORD is Jesus.
The New Testament tells us the Angel of the LORD is Jesus
Let’s see what the Bible tells us about who brought Israel out of Egypt.
- Jesus brought Israel out of Egypt. (Jude 5)
- The Angel of the LORD brought Israel out of Egypt. (Judges 2:1)
- Yahweh brought Israel out of Egypt. (Judges 6:8, Exodus 20:2, and Leviticus 11:45)
- The presence of God or the angel of His presence brought Israel out of Egypt. (Exodus 33:14-15, Isaiah 63:9)
- The angel of God brought Israel out of Egypt. (Exodus 14:19)
Since Jesus is one with the Father, Jude’s testimony nicely ties all the above so that the angel of God and the Angel of the LORD is Jesus, the Son of God.