Q&A – Who is the Angel of the Lord?

 

During the South East Institute of Biblical Studies lectureship, I heard a lesson titled, More About Jesus: Was Jesus B.C.? It is an interesting title, but what does it mean?

 

The Bible says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1). In the New Testament we read that Jesus, “the Word,” was with God in the beginning (Jn. 1:1). John goes onto tells us, “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made” (Jn. 1:3; see Col. 1:16). Many explain it this way: the Father is the ultimate source, and the Son the divine agent of creation. A helpful, though imperfect, illustration describes the Father as the architect and the Son as the builder. Creation is from the Father through the Son. The point is that the Son was active in creation.

 

The Bible also teaches that God the Son became flesh (Jn. 1:14) through the virgin conception in Mary (Isa. 7:14; Matt. 1:18, 23). Jesus Christ took on flesh to fulfill God’s eternal purpose to redeem man from sin and its consequences. First Peter 1:18–21 teaches that Jesus, foreordained before the world began, was revealed in these last times to redeem us through His precious blood, fulfilling God’s eternal plan. So Jesus was active not only in the beginning at creation, but also in redeeming sinners through His death, burial, and resurrection — a mission that began with His incarnation when the Son became flesh (Jn. 1:14).

 

So back to the interesting title: Was Jesus B.C.? It raises the question: Was the Son of God active and involved between creation and the birth of Jesus the Christ? 

 

Many interpret the Angel of the Lord in the Old Testament as a visible manifestation of God, and some even suggest He is a preincarnate appearance of Christ. There are compelling reasons to view this angel as far more than an ordinary messenger.

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This Sunday evening we will examine what Scripture reveals about the identity of the Angel of the Lord and the reasons he appears far more than an ordinary angel. This fascinating study helps us see that if the Angel of the Lord is indeed a manifestation of God, and even a preincarnate appearance of Christ, then the Son of God was actively involved in His people’s lives long before Bethlehem.

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Written by Craig Ressler