I prepared this subject study for Advanced Old Testament Theology II (TH 842) at Bob Jones University on March 16, 2004.
Advanced OT Theology Philip Gons Subject Study: The Messenger of the Yahweh March 16, 2004
Introduction: The subject of the Messenger of Yahweh is an important one in Old Testament theology. Yet the importance of this figure is not equaled by the simplicity of His identification. Discussion of the Messenger of Yahweh cannot be separated from a discussion of Theophanies in general. The word Theophany comes from the Greek words θεός “God” and φαίνω “to appear.” God appears in human form throughout the Old Testament. While the data is difficult to harmonize, it is clear that there must be some sense in which the Messenger of Yahweh is an appearance of God Himself.
I. The designations for the Messenger of Yahweh
The Hebrew term מַלְאָך occurs 213 times in the OT. An examination of these passages reveals that not all the references to a מַלְאָך in the OT should be understood as the special figure, the Messenger of Yahweh. The term simply means “messenger,” and it may refer to (1) humans who carry out the divine will,1 (2) to angelic beings,2 or (3) to God Himself.3 A messenger is one who (1) carries a message, (2) performs a commission, and (3) represents the sender (TWOT 1:464). This study concerns the specific references to the Messenger of Yahweh. While this is the normal designation for this important Old Testament figure, there are other ways of referring to Him.
A. Common designations
1. The Messenger of Yahweh (מַלְאַך יְהוָה): This expression occurs 58 times.4
2. The Messenger of God (מַלְאַך הָאֱלֹהִים; מַלְאַך אֱלֹהִים): This expression occurs ten times (Gen. 21:17; 31:11; Ex. 14:19; Jdg. 6:20; 13:6, 9; 1 Sam. 29:9; 2 Sam. 14:17, 20; 19:27).
B. Uncommon designations
1. His Messenger (מַלְאָכוֹ or מַלְאֲכֵהּ): The expression occurs 4 times, twice in Hebrew (Gen. 24:7, 40) and twice in Aramaic (Dan. 3:28; 6:22).
2. The Messenger (הַמַּלְאָך): This expression occurs 17 times (Gen. 48:16; 2 Sam. 24:16, 17; 1 Chr. 21:20; Zech. 1:9, 13, 14; 2:2, 7; 3:3; 4:1, 4, 5; 5:5, 10; 6:4, 5).5
3. My Messenger (מַלְאָכִי): This expression occurs twice (Ex. 23:23; 32:34).6
4. The Messenger of His presence (מַלְאַך פָּנָיו): This expression occurs once (Is. 63:9).
5. The Messenger of the covenant (מַלְאַך הַבְּרִית): This expression occurs once as a prophecy of the incarnation of Christ (Mal. 3:1). If there is a connection between this messenger and the Messenger of Yahweh, this seems to provide an important link in identifying the Messenger of Yahweh as the second person of the Trinity.
6. The captain of the army of Yahweh (שַׂר־צְבָא יְהוָה): This expression is not explicitly connected to the Messenger of Yahweh, but it appears that this individual was a theophany, and arguably, all Old Testament Theophanies were Christophanies (Josh. 5:14–15).
II. The activities of the Messenger of Yahweh
A. Revelation (Gen. 16:11–12; 22:17; 31:13; 32:28; Ex. 3:2–6; Jdg. 13:3ff.; Zech. 1:9–6:5)
B. Comfort (Gen. 21:17; Jdg. 6:12, 23)
C. Intercession (Zech. 1:9ff; Job 33:23[?])
D. Punishment (Jdg. 2:1–5; 1 Chr. 21:12–30)
E. Destruction and judgment (2 Sam. 24:16; 2 Ki. 19:35; Ps 35:5, 6)
F. Protection and deliverance (Gen 48:15–16; Ex. 14:19–22; 23:20; 32:34; Ps. 34:7; Is. 63:9; Dan. 3:28; 6:22)
G. Guidance and instruction (Gen. 16:9; 24: 7, 40; 31:11–13; Ex. 14:19; Ex. 23:23; Josh. 5:13–15; Jdg. 5:23; 1 Ki. 19:7; 2 Ki. 1:3, 15)
III. The identity of the Messenger of Yahweh
A. The Data
1. The Messenger of Yahweh is God.7
a. He is identified as God.
(1) The Messenger of Yahweh is identified as Elohim. Jacob wrestled with an unnamed man whom he identified as אֱלֹהִים saying, “I have seen Elohim face to face” (Gen. 32:30). Hosea identified this man as the Messenger of Yahweh (Hos. 12:4). The Messenger of Yahweh was in the burning bush (Ex. 3:2). When Yahweh saw Moses’ response, God called to Him from the bush (3:4). Zechariah said the house of David would be כֵּאלֹהִים, and then uses the phrase כְּמַלְאַך יְהוָה as an appositive to it, identifying the Messenger with Elohim (Zech. 12:8). See also Gen. 31:13; Jdg. 13:21–22.
(2) The Messenger of Yahweh is identified as Yahweh. He speaks as Yahweh (22:11ff.; Ex. 3:7; Judg. 6:14). Others identify Him as Yahweh (Gen. 16:13).
b. He acts as God.
(1) He forgives sins (Zech. 3:1–4).
(2) He makes covenants (Jdg. 2:1).
(3) He redeems (Gen. 48:15–16).
(4) He had power to give life (Gen. 16:13–14).
(5) He accepts sacrifices (Jdg. 6:21–22).
(6) He accepts worship (Jos. 5:14).
(7) He sanctifies the place where He dwells (Ex. 3:5).
2. The Messenger of Yahweh is distinct from Yahweh.
a. Yahweh speaks about the Messenger of Yahweh (Ex. 23:20, 23; 32:34).
b. Yahweh sends the Messenger of Yahweh (Jdg. 13:8, 9).
c. Yahweh speaks to the Messenger of Yahweh (2 Sam 24:16; 1 Chr. 21:27).
d. The Angel of Yahweh speaks about Yahweh (Gen. 16:11).
e. The Angel of Yahweh speaks to Yahweh (Zech. 1:12).
f. Others (Ex. 3:4)
B. The Views:
1. Finite Being
a. The Messenger may be a different angel for each encounter.8
b. The Messenger is always the same angel.9
2. Infinite Being
a. The Messenger is the Father (see ISBE, 125).
The problem with this view is that no man has ever seen the Father (Jn. 1:18; 6:46; 1 Tim. 6:16; 1 Jn. 4:12), since He is spirit (Jn. 4:24) and consequently invisible (Col. 1:15; 1 Tim. 1:17).
b. The Messenger is the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 8:26–29).
There is little exegetical basis for making a connection between the Spirit and the Messenger of Yahweh. This view also suffers from the same weakness of the previous view, although the Spirit was seen at Jesus’ baptism (Mt. 3:16; Mk. 1:10; Lk. 3:22; Jn. 1:32).
c. The Messenger is an unsubstantial manifestation of God.
This view fails to give adequate account for the personality of the Messenger. He is regarded as a person, speaks as a person, and is distinguished from the person of Yahweh.
d. The Messenger is the Logos—the second person of the Godhead.
This view seems to have the fewest problems, and gives adequate account for both the identification of the Messenger with Yahweh (i.e., the Triune God) and His distinction from Yahweh (i.e., the Father or Father and Spirit). The following evidence points to this conclusion: (1) Christ is the visible manifestation of God (Jn. 1:18); (2) the divine Messenger of Yahweh never appears after the incarnation; (3) both Christ and the Messenger are sent by the Father for similar purposes; (4) both perform the acts of and exercise the prerogatives of Deity; and (5) both the Father and the Spirit are invisible spirits.
Conclusion: The Messenger of Yahweh is of supreme importance for a proper understanding of Old Testament Theology, especially of God’s self-revelation. This subject provides significant data for the Old Testament revelation of both the multiplicity of the divine unity and the pre-existence of the Son of God. The translation, “the Angel of the Lord,” is not the best translation, seeing that “angel” in English is a created being. This translation seems to rule out the most likely interpretation, that the appearances of יְהוָה מַלְאַךwere preincarnate manifestations of the Son of God. Although Biblical theology alone cannot seal the case, it does present it as the best option. When consideration is given to the systematic theological issues involved, the case for identifying the Messenger of Yahweh with the second person of the Trinity is quite convincing.
Sources: Dictionaries: Cairns (DTT), McComiskey (“Angel of the Lord,” EDT), Wilson (“Angel,” ISBE), Twelftree (“Spiritual Powers,” NDBT); OT Theologies: Oehler (TOT, 129–34), Kaiser (TOTT), Payne (TOT, 167–70, 176), Vos (BT, 72–76); Articles: Blaze, “The Angel of the Lord in the Old Testament,” CTJ; Books: Barrett, Beginning at Moses (148–50), Walvoord, Jesus Christ Our Lord (44–46).
Notes
1. E.g., 1 Sam. 23:27; 2 Sam. 11:19, 22f, 25; 15:13; 1 Ki. 19:2; 22:13; 2 Ki. 5:10; 6:32f; 9:18; 10:8; 2 Chr. 18:12; Job 1:14; Pro. 13:17; 17:11; 25:13; Ecc. 5:6; Is. 41:27; 42:19; Jer. 51:31; Ezek. 23:40; Hag. 1:13; Mal. 2:7; 3:1. ↩
2. E.g., Gen. 28:12; 32:2. ↩
3. See all the passages below where the מַלְאַך is identified as Yahweh. ↩
4. Gen. 16:7, 9, 10, 11; 22:11, 15; Ex. 3:2; Num. 22:22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 31, 32, 34, 35; Jdg. 2:1, 4; 5:23; 6:11, 12, 21 (2), 22 (2); 13:3, 13, 15, 16 (2), 17, 18, 20, 21 (2); 2 Sam. 24:16; 1 Ki. 19:7; 2 Ki. 1:3, 15; 19:35; 1 Chr. 21:12, 15, 16, 18, 30; Ps. 34:8; 35:5, 6; Isa. 37:36; Hag. 1:13; Zech. 1:11, 12; 3:1, 5, 6; 12:8; Mal. 2:7. ↩
5. Some of these passages are questionable as to whether the Messenger of Yahweh is in view. ↩
6. The name Malachi is this same Hebrew form. This occurrences are distinct, seeing that this is a proper name (Mal. 1:1). ↩
7. In support of this connection between the Messenger and Yahweh, some have suggested that the genitive relationship is one of apposition rather than source. Therefore, instead of understanding it “the Messenger from Yahweh,” it should be “the Messenger who is Yahweh.” See Michael Barrett, Beginning at Moses (Greenville: Ambassador-Emerald, 1999), 149. While it may be theologically true that the Messenger was Yahweh, it seems difficult to be certain that this was the intended meaning of the expression, seeing that the idea of a messenger naturally lends itself to the idea of source (i.e., a messenger is sent from someone). ↩
8. In refutation of this view, the grammar of the phrase is significant. A Hebrew noun in the absolute state determines the definiteness of the word standing in construct with it. The absolute word is definite if it has the (1) pronominal suffix, (2) the definite article, or (3) is a proper name. Yahweh is clearly a proper name, and therefore the translation “an angel of the Yahweh” is inaccurate. In order to avoid making the first noun definite (when the second noun is definite) the genitive of circumlocution is used (GK §129c). The construction for “an angel of Yahweh” would then be לַיהוָהמַלְאָך. For a discussion of this point, see John M. Blaze, Jr. “The Angel of the Lord in the Old Testament – Part I” Conservative Theological Journal 1:3 (December 1997), 270–71. ↩
9. This view has the difficulty of dealing with the clear identification between the Messenger and Yahweh Himself. Some have attempted to explain this by pointing to the fact that “the words and acts of a messenger are properly the words and acts of him whom he represents” (Oehler, 132). Nevertheless, this does not seem to account satisfactorily for all the data. ↩