Is the Angel of the Lord a Second Yahweh or a Preincarnate Christ, or an Agent of First-Person Representation?
Few figures in the Old Testament have stirred as much theological curiosity as the Angel of the Lord. This being appears repeatedly—guiding, commanding, and speaking as God Himself—yet sometimes distinct from Him. In one passage, the angel of the Lord declares, “I am the God of your father” (Exodus 3:6), while in another, he is described as one sent by God (Exodus 23:20). The question arises: Is this figure merely a divine messenger speaking in God’s name according to ancient Near Eastern (ANE) conventions of representation, or does he represent something far more profound—a visible manifestation of Yahweh, a second Yahweh, or even the preincarnate Christ?
The biblical evidence reveals a complex pattern. The Angel of the Lord embodies both divine authority and divine presence. He is not merely an emissary; he bears the name, power, and nature of Yahweh Himself. While ancient customs of agency explain part of this phenomenon, Scripture itself portrays this angel as more than a representative—he is Yahweh in visible form, a foretaste of the incarnation, and a key witness to the unity and complexity of the divine nature.
1. The Angel of the Lord in Scripture
Throughout the Old Testament, the angel of the Lord (mal’ak YHWH) appears in key moments of divine encounter. In Genesis 16, he meets Hagar in the wilderness, promising, “I will surely multiply your offspring,” a statement that belongs to God alone (v. 10). In Genesis 22, the angel calls from heaven to stop Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac, swearing by Himself, “By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord” (v. 16).
At the burning bush, “the angel of the Lord appeared to Moses in a flame of fire,” yet the text soon states, “God called to him out of the bush” (Exodus 3:2–4). The two are interwoven, the angel’s voice indistinguishable from God’s.
Similarly, in Judges 6, Gideon encounters the angel of the Lord, who says, “The Lord is with you.” When Gideon fears for his life, believing he has seen God, the Lord reassures him: “Peace be to you; do not fear, you shall not die” (Judges 6:22–23). The narrative seamlessly shifts from angel to Yahweh, suggesting identity rather than mere representation.
These encounters depict the angel of the Lord as both distinct from and identical with Yahweh. He speaks as God, bears divine authority, and receives worship due only to the Lord.
2. The Concept of Representation in the Ancient Near East
In the ancient Near Eastern world, messengers acted as living extensions of their senders. An envoy bearing a king’s seal or message was treated as the king himself. This concept of “agency” explains why a divine messenger might speak in the first person on behalf of God—using I and me—without claiming to be God. The messenger carried the authority of the sender, and any insult to the messenger was considered an insult to the king.
This framework helps explain how an angelic being could speak for Yahweh using divine self-identification. However, in Israel’s Scripture, this principle is transformed. The angel of the Lord does not merely represent Yahweh—he embodies His presence in a unique way. His words are not simply relayed; they are divine in origin and essence.
This is especially evident in Exodus 23:20–21, where God says, “Behold, I send an angel before you… for my name is in him.” In Hebrew thought, the name signifies the very nature and essence of a person. To say God’s name is “in” the angel is to ascribe to him divine identity. This goes beyond ANE agency—it implies shared essence and authority with Yahweh Himself.
3. The Angel as a Visible Manifestation of Yahweh
The Old Testament consistently treats the angel of the Lord as a visible manifestation of the invisible God. Unlike other angels who serve as messengers, this angel performs uniquely divine acts: making covenants, forgiving sins, commanding worship, and blessing with promises that only God can fulfill.
Jacob’s encounter in Genesis 31:11–13 illustrates this vividly. The angel of God speaks to him and says, “I am the God of Bethel,” identifying himself as the same deity who appeared earlier (Genesis 28:13). Likewise, in Judges 13:20–22, Manoah and his wife realize that the angel who foretold Samson’s birth was no ordinary being: “We shall surely die, for we have seen God.”
This blending of angelic form and divine identity reveals the Old Testament’s sophisticated understanding of divine manifestation. The angel of the Lord is Yahweh revealed in human or visible form—a theophany anticipating the incarnation of the Word.
4. The “Two Powers in Heaven” Tradition
Early Jewish interpretation recognized the tension between Yahweh’s transcendence and His visible self-disclosures. Some rabbis described this in terms of “two powers in heaven”—one invisible, enthroned, and transcendent, and another visible, manifest, and active within creation.
This belief, held by some Jewish circles before and during the Second Temple period, aligned naturally with texts where Yahweh interacts with Yahweh (Genesis 19:24) or sends His own presence in angelic form (Exodus 23:21). The angel of the Lord thus fits within this framework as the visible Yahweh—the divine intermediary who reveals God to humanity without diminishing His glory.
However, after the rise of Christianity, Jewish authorities declared the “two powers” view heretical, precisely because Christians used it to explain the relationship between the Father and the Son. The early church saw in this Old Testament figure a direct foreshadowing of Christ—the divine Word through whom God reveals Himself and acts in history.
5. The Angel of the Lord and the Preincarnate Christ
Many theologians have therefore identified the angel of the Lord with the preincarnate Christ—the second person of the Trinity appearing before the incarnation. This view coheres with the New Testament’s teaching that “no one has ever seen God, but the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, has made Him known” (John 1:18). If the Father remains unseen, then the visible appearances of God in the Old Testament—such as the angel of the Lord—point naturally to the Son, the eternal Word who reveals the Father.
This interpretation preserves the unity of God while accounting for the personal distinction seen in these theophanies. The angel is Yahweh, yet distinct from Yahweh; he speaks as God, yet is sent by God. The divine “Word” who would one day become flesh (John 1:14) first appeared to patriarchs and prophets as the messenger bearing God’s own name and presence.
Thus, the angel of the Lord prefigures the incarnation. In the Old Testament, God’s Word is visible but not yet incarnate; in the New Testament, the Word becomes flesh and dwells among us.
6. The Gospel Implications of the Angel of the Lord
The angel of the Lord embodies the Gospel’s central truth: God reveals Himself not only in transcendence but in nearness. The same God who cannot be seen chooses to make Himself known through presence, speech, and covenant relationship. In Christ, this self-revelation reaches its climax.
Through the angel, God’s people encountered divine mercy and covenant faithfulness. Through Christ, the same divine Word now reconciles the world to Himself. The mystery glimpsed in the burning bush, the desert encounters, and the promised land is fulfilled in the cross and resurrection—the visible and invisible God acting as one for the redemption of His people.
Conclusion: Representation or Revelation?
While ancient Near Eastern conventions of agency explain why divine messengers could speak in the first person, the angel of the Lord transcends that framework. He is not simply an emissary acting by delegated authority but the very presence of Yahweh in visible form. The Old Testament’s portrayal of this angel reflects both the unity and complexity of the divine nature—an anticipation of the revelation of the Word made flesh.
In short, the angel of the Lord is not merely an agent of first-person representation but the preincarnate manifestation of the Son, the visible Yahweh who reveals the invisible God.
Bible Verses About the Angel of the Lord and Divine Representation
Genesis 16:10–13 – “The angel of the Lord said to her, ‘I will surely multiply your offspring.’”
Genesis 22:11–16 – “The angel of the Lord called to Abraham… ‘By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord.’”
Exodus 3:2–6 – “The angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire… God called to him out of the bush.”
Exodus 23:20–21 – “My name is in him.”
Judges 6:22–23 – “Gideon said, ‘Alas, O Lord God! For now I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face.’”
Judges 13:20–22 – “We shall surely die, for we have seen God.”
Genesis 31:11–13 – “The angel of God said to me… ‘I am the God of Bethel.’”
Genesis 19:24 – “The Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the Lord out of heaven.”
John 1:18 – “No one has ever seen God; the only Son has made Him known.”
Hebrews 1:1–3 – “In these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, the radiance of His glory and the exact imprint of His nature.”
