The Angel of the LORD

Okay, our study tonight in the study of what the Bible teaches about angels is on one of those topics that is of special interest to most people when they when they study about angels. And we're going to be talking tonight about the angel of the Lord, the angel of the Lord. And what we're going to see is this is a rather mysterious character in the Old Testament, a unique messenger of God. And in fact, what we will hope to show tonight is that this particular messenger of God is actually Christ himself, Christ in what is called a pre incarnate appearance incarnation, meaning when he came to earth as a baby before that before he came to earth as a baby. And he appeared numerous times in the Old Testament as the angel of the Lord. Now, I know already some of you are thinking, wait a second, John, didn't you tell us that Christ is not an angel that he's separate from angels, that they're not the same. And you say that it was cults that equate Christ with angels. Well, this is why this is somewhat mysterious and somewhat difficult to grasp is that we're not talking about any angel. We're not talking about an angel of the Lord. We're talking about a particular character in the Old Testament who is always designated not as an angel, but the angel of the Lord, capital L, capital O, capital R, capital D. Whenever you see that, it's the unique name of God named Jehovah. So the angel of Jehovah, the angel of the Lord. And we're going to see that this is not this is not a typical angel. This is this is different. This is a different person. And so we're going to try to see that and show that tonight and pull all the information together. We're going to we're going to move through this very methodically and carefully to prove as the scripture saved precept upon precept line up online that this is a unique messenger of God, I believe the second person of the Trinity. Okay, any questions before we jump into the biblical evidence for this? All right. Okay, what we're going to do first is talk about his identity and then later we'll talk about his ministries. We're going to try to identify him first. And the way that we see who the angel of the Lord is is by a process of assimilating information from the Old Testament and then eliminating the options. It's kind of a process of pulling together information. And then once you get all the information, it kind of narrows the scope down to only one person. This could be. So let's begin with kind of a broad scope. This angel, the angel of the Lord. Let's talk first of all about his identity with Jehovah. His identity with Jehovah. Now I'm using the word Jehovah rather than Lord for a particular purpose. There are three major names for God in the Old Testament. Three major Hebrew names and they are reflected by different names in our English translations. One name is the word Elohim, E-L-O-H-I-M, Elohim, which is usually translated God. And it is a very broad name. It's the name found most in the Old Testament for God. It's a very broad name. It is used for the God of creation. It's the same word used for false gods. Whenever the Old Testament uses the word God's little G, that's also Elohim. It's just a very broad general name for God. Then there is a second name for God that is represented in our English translations by capital L, little O, little R, little D. That's the way you'll always see it translated in your English translations. It's the Hebrew word Adonai. Adonai is a term of respect. It recognizes someone in authority, but it can also be translated sir. And so sometimes it's used of a person. And sometimes it is also used as a term of respect for God. And it is written out Lord with capital L. But then sometimes in your English versions, our English versions, you'll find the word Lord with all capital letters, capital L, capital O, capital R, capital D. That is a unique name for God, the name Jehovah. It's the name that God first revealed to Moses at the burning bush as the name by which he would be known in his covenant with his people. It is a special personal covenant name that he uses to identify himself with his people Israel. So it's not like the general name God of creation recognized by anyone in the world. It's not a term of respect. Lord or sir, it is the unique name for God's personal relationship, redemptive relationship with his people in the Old Testament. Jehovah. Now I emphasize those three names because this angel, this special messenger is always tied almost always. There are a few references where in the context of being called the angel of the Lord, it will call him in another verse or so the angel of God. But typically referred to as the angel of Jehovah or the angel of the Lord. Now other angels are called in some places the Old Testament are called sons of God, but never the angel of the Lord. The angel of the Lord, that term is always used for this particular individual, uniquely used for this particular individual. And the interesting thing is not only is he the angel of the Lord, but he is identified with Jehovah. He is identified in passages where he is mentioned as the Lord himself. We're going to look at five of those passages. I want you to turn to them so we can really look at them in our Bible. First of all, Genesis 16, the angel of the Lord appeared to Hegar. When Hegar was run off by Sarah Abrams' wife because of the contention between them, Genesis chapter 16 and verse 7, The angel of the Lord, see, capital L, capital O, capital R, capital D. The angel of the Lord found Hegar near a spring in the desert. It was the spring that is beside the road to shore. And he said, Heygar, slave of Sarah, where have you come from and where are you going? I'm running away from my mistress, Sarah, she answered. Now look at verse 9. Then the angel of the Lord told her, go back to your mistress and submit to her. He goes on to say some other things, but we have promised to her through verse 12. Then look at verse 13. She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her. You are the God who sees me, for she said, I have now seen the one who sees me. So she says to the Lord who had spoken to her, who was it that was speaking to her? Well back in in verse 7, it is the angel of the Lord, verse 9, the angel of the Lord, verse 11, the angel of the Lord. But in verse 13, she recognizes this is actually the Lord. So he is, the angel of the Lord is identified with Jehovah identified as Jehovah in this passage. Second passage where the same thing happens is in Exodus 3. In Exodus 3, this same person appears to Moses at the burning bush. Exodus 3, verse 2, there the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that the bush was on fire. It did not burn up. Now you'll skip down to verse 4. When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, Moses, Moses said, here I am. And through the rest of this conversation, the one who was in the burning bush who's first of all identified as the angel of the Lord is now spoken of as the Lord. Or God. Notice down in verse 7. The Lord said, I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I've heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, etc. It goes on to talk about what he's going to do. Now skip down to verse 14. God said to Moses, I am who I am. This is what you're going to say to the Israelites. I am has sent me to you. There's no indication in the flow of this passage that a third person enters the scene. Moses goes over to see the burning bush and the angel of the Lord speaks to him. But from that point on, the one talking with him is called God or the Lord, Jehovah himself. So here again you see that the angel of the Lord is identified with the Lord himself or Jehovah. Third example, get in. In Judges chapter 6, flip over to Judges chapter 6. And we're just taking these in the order in which they appear in the Old Testament. God says, let all things be done decently and in order. So we're doing them in order. In Judges chapter 6, verse 12. He actually has mentioned before this by conversely 11, the angel of the Lord sits down where Gideon is threshing wheat. Verse 12, when the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, the Lord is with you. Mighty warrior pardon me, my Lord. And my translation has little L there. He just recognizes this is someone he should show respect to. So he calls him sir pardon me, my Lord or my sir, Gideon replied. If the Lord Jehovah is with us, why is all this happened us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt. But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian. Now look at verse 14. The Lord turned to him and said, go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian's hand. Am I not sending you? Now obviously there's not a, again, a third person that comes into the picture here. This is a conversation between two people. First of all mentioned as the angel of the Lord talking to Gideon, Gideon responds to him and then it says the Lord turned to say something to him. So obviously the angel Lord is identified with the Lord or Jehovah, same person. Fourth example, just a few chapters over in judges 13 with Samson's parents, Manoa and his wife. Manoa is, or Manoa's wife is visited in verse 3 by one who is called the angel of the Lord appeared to her and said, you're bearing childless but you're going to become pregnant, give birth to a son. She tells her husband, Manoa about this strange occurrence and he asks the Lord in verse 8 for this man of God, you sent to come to us again. So look on down in the chapter, it talks about this happening again. A man appears, verse 10, he's here, the woman says, the man who appeared to me the other day, Manoa gets up when he comes to the man, he says, are you the man who talked, who talked to my wife? I am, he said, verse 12. So Manoa asked him when your words are fulfilled, what is to be the rule that governs the boys life and work, verse 13, the angel of the Lord answered. So again, this is the angel of the Lord that is appearing to Manoa now and speaking to him, continues to speak to him again, verse 15, verse 16, verse 17. Every case he's mentioned is the angel of the Lord. Now look down at verse 20, they built an altar of fire as the flame blazed up from the altar toward heaven, the angel of the Lord ascended in flame, seeing this, Manoa and his wife fell with their faces to the ground. When the angel of the Lord did not show himself again to Manoa and his wife Manoa realized that it was the angel of the Lord and notice how you're responding, verse 22, we are doomed to die. He said to his wife, we have seen God. So again, the angel of the Lord is associated with God. He is the Lord. He is a divine being. Okay, I'm going to give you one other example in the Old Testament that will pause for a moment and give you a chance to ask any questions. Look at Zachariah. Flip all the way over to the end of the Old Testament. Next to the last book, Zachariah, chapter 3, verses 1 and 2. This is one of Zachariah's visions. Verse 1, then he showed me Joshua the High Priest standing before the angel of the Lord and Satan standing at his right side to accusing. The Lord said to Satan, the Lord rebuke you, Satan, the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire. So the one called the angel of the Lord in verse 1, this vision of Joshua the High Priest standing before the angel of the Lord, Satan standing at his right side to accuse him. And then it says, the Lord said to Satan, there's this conversation between the angel of the Lord, the Lord, Satan. So the angel of the Lord is the same as Jehovah in this passage and we'll see a little bit later. The angel of the Lord who is called the Lord in verse 2, then calls upon the Lord to intervene on Joshua's behalf. And so you've got a very interesting scene there where the angel of the Lord who now is identified as Jehovah is interceding to Jehovah. Now that gets a little tricky but we'll see how all that works out in just a little bit. So I think I think we've seen enough examples in the Old Testament to see this is not an ordinary angel because this angel comes and people recognize this is not just an angel. This is God. This is the Lord and they worship him as the Lord. They make requests of him as though he is the Lord and he is called the Lord. So he is identified with Jehovah. Any comments or questions about that? It's only one of three pieces of this puzzle. So we haven't gotten the full picture yet but any questions before we move on. Yes, Al? Yes, Al? It could be. I mean that's the name that God gives for Himself to Moses in Exodus 3. It's sometimes it's hard to tell when that expression is used whether or not it is a statement of the name or it's just an answer I am in the sense that I am that same man. But certainly it is interesting He uses those words which definitely fit the name of God. Yeah, whether or not it was intended that way in that particular instance I'm not real sure but it's your fits. Yes, yeah. Right. Right. That was certainly a recognition of divine power there. Okay, so the angel of the Lord whoever this is is identified as the Lord. He has identified with Jehovah but hold your place here in Zachariah because we're now we're going to look at his distinction from Jehovah. He has identified as Jehovah but he is different from Jehovah too. While he has identified as Jehovah, he is also presented as distinct from Jehovah as a distinct person. Okay, look at Zachariah 1. Zachariah chapter 1 verses 9 through 11. This is the first of Zachariah's visions which he has in the first few chapters of his book. Verse 8 says during the night I had a vision there was before me a man mounted on a red horse. He was standing behind or among the myrtel trees in a ravine behind him were red brown white horses. Verse 9, I asked what are these my Lord the angel who was talking with me answered I will show you what they are then the man standing among the myrtel trees explained. They are the ones the Lord has sent to go throughout the earth and they reported to the angel of the Lord who was standing among the myrtel trees. We have gone throughout the earth and found the whole world at rest and in peace. Verse 12, then the angel of the Lord said Lord Almighty how long will you withhold mercy from Jerusalem from the towns of Judah which you have been angry with these 70 years then the Lord spoke kind and comforting words to the angel who talked with me. Now have you got all the characters straight here? You have got someone identified as the angel of the Lord who is standing among the myrtel trees and speaks in verse 11. Then this same angel of the Lord speaks to someone else and calls him Lord Almighty. The angel of the Lord who is identified as the Lord Jehovah identified with him in the Old Testament is now speaking to Jehovah Almighty a separate person and that separate person the Lord spoke kind and comforting words to the angel who talked with me. So while the angel of the Lord is identified with Jehovah here he is seen as a distinct person from Jehovah and the same thing is seen in chapter 3 in the passage we just read a little bit ago where the angel of the Lord in verse 1 who now speaks in verse 2 and is called the Lord said to Satan the Lord review you speaking of a third person. The Lord say in review you the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem review you so in both of those passages the angel of the Lord who is identified as the Lord prays to the Lord or ask something of the Lord. So let me try to summarize it this way you you've got a being here a person who is identified as identified with Jehovah he has the same nature obviously but he is a distinct person he is divine he has the same nature as Jehovah but he is a distinct person. What does that sound like to you maybe but not what we typically think of in the New Testament who has the same nature as God but is a distinct person obviously Holy Spirit would fit Christ. Yes Jesus Christ fits that description perfectly he is he is God he is a member of the Trinity but he is a distinct person he has the same nature as Jehovah as as God the Father but he is a separate person that's what so many of the cults have difficulty grasping and it is difficult to understand. The only way that both of these can be true that a person can be God and yet separate from God is for it to be a member of the Trinity who is not God the Father must be Christ and we'll see why it's not the Holy Spirit a little bit later as we put more pieces of the puzzle together so how can you be both how can you be both identified with Jehovah having the same nature being worshiped as God called God. But still be a separate person the only way that can happen is if you recognize the full deity of Christ and that's the problem the cults have they don't recognize the deity of Christ and so they stumble over this whole issue of the angel of the Lord. So his identity with Jehovah we've established but his distinction from Jehovah we've also seen so now let's pull both of those together and talk about his identity with Christ. Let's nail down which member of the Trinity it actually is that we're talking about here Christ is Jehovah God in essence in nature but he is a member of the Trinity. He is a distinct person put these verses on the screen so you can rest your fingers a little bit here John 1, 1 and 2 in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God he was with God in the beginning. Now that passage summarizes in the New Testament exactly what we've been talking about the word who is identified later on in verse 14 as Christ the word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory the glory is of the one and only begotten of the Father that's Christ. So the word is Christ he was in the beginning he was with God preposition meaning face to face with in a relationship with but clearly establishing two distinct persons with God but he was God. Now the only way he can be with God a separate person but he still is God is that he has the same nature as the same essence he is deity but within the Godhead within the same within the Godhead the Godhead all of whom share the same nature there are three distinct persons father son holy spirit and this is talking about Jesus so Jesus fits the description Christ fits the description of one who is God as divine nature is equal with God the father but he is a distinct person separate person look also at Hebrews 1 8 9 it's on the screen also this is Old Testament quote we saw it last week when we were distinguishing Christ from the angels this quote says your throne oh God and it's a quote about Christ your throne oh God so Christ is called God he is divine he is deity your throne oh God will last forever and ever a chapter of justice will be the chapter of your kingdom you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness therefore God your God who's God God's God the one mentioned in the first part of the verses God Christ his God the father has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy obviously the father exalted Christ to his right hand and we see the father of Christ is a gift for the Father of God and the Father of God and the Father of God. So his right hand at his ascension and that's what this is is talking about that Christ has been anointed as the king so Christ is God but he is separate from God because it is God the father who has set him on his throne. So Christ certainly fits this Old Testament picture now let me give you four supporting evidences of the fact that the angel of the Lord is indeed Christ here for supporting evidences number one Christ is the visible representation of God in the New Testament. Okay Christ is the visible representation of God in the New Testament when God wants to make himself known and manifest he does it through Christ look at John chapter one verses 14 and 18 will be on the screen first of all verse 14 the word same one we saw in verse one was God the word became flesh made his dwelling among us we have seen his glory the glory of the one and only son who came from the father full of grace. And truth now verse 18 expands on that by saying no one has ever seen God speaking of the father but the one and only son who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the father so there again you've got both of those he's God he shares the same nature as the father but he's a distinct person from the father he's in relationship with he has made him known so when God wants to reveal himself in a visible physical form in the New Testament he does it through Christ so why not also in the Old Testament if that's the way God reveals himself in physical form in the New Testament then why not also in the Old Testament so that supports the fact that the visible representation of God the angel of Jehovah who has God himself would be Christ. Second supporting evidence is that the angel of the Lord does not appear again in the Bible after the conception of Christ in Mary's womb that expression is not used again of any angel with one exception that we'll look at in just a moment and I'll show you why it's stated that way but let me just make the point first. The angel of the Lord does not appear again after the conception of Christ in Mary's womb why because Jesus takes on physical form permanently once he's conceived in the womb of Mary so God is no longer gonna appear Christ is no longer gonna appear you know for a few moments or minutes or a few hours and then begun again in a physical form he permanently takes on the form of the Lord. He takes on a physical body when he became man and that happened at the moment of conception now the one the one exception where the term the angel of the Lord is used after the conception of Christ is in Matthew 1 so let's look at it and I'll explain why it's found there. Matthew chapter 1 this is the announcement of the angel to Joseph explaining why Mary is pregnant and that it's okay to marry her she hasn't been unfaithful to Joseph this is a virgin conception. But Joseph was troubled about the matter thinking about what he should do in verse 20 says but after he had considered this notice and angel of the Lord just an angel an angel sent by the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said Joseph son of David do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife because what is conceived in her from the Holy Spirit. He goes on to explain all of this now look at in verse 24 when Joseph woke up he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife this is the only instance where this phrase the angel of the Lord appears after the conception of Christ but Greek scholars tell us that this is what is called the anophoric use of the definite article the definite article V is used. Here simply for this reason it refers back to the angel that was mentioned four verses ago it's not a title it's just referring back to the angel that was introduced in verse 20 who is not called the angel of the Lord he is called an angel of the Lord just a typical angel Gabriel yes but just a regular angel and then verse 24 is just saying oh yeah that angel the angel mentioned back to the angel. So that's the reason why the death in that article V is used here and it's a particular use that fits the grammar of the passage it's not a title like the Old Testament uses of the angel of the Lord. So the point still stands the angel of the Lord does not appear after the conception of Christ in the New Testament as a titled individual and so that also lends support to the fact this must have been Christ in the Old Testament. Okay third supporting evidence is this both the angel of the Lord and Christ both were sent by the Father and had very similar ministries. We're going to see nine different ministries the angel of the Lord had in the Old Testament just a moment which is going to kind of list them and they're very similar to the ministries that Christ has in his in his ministry. We're going to see things like revealing guiding judging things like that we'll see nine of them in just a moment. It's interesting that the what what the angel of the Lord does in the Old Testament is is very similar to what Christ does in the New Testament. So again that lends support to the fact that they're the same and then the fourth supporting evidence is that the Father and the Spirit do not typically take on bodily form in the Bible. You can make a case for rare occasions like in the Garden of Eden where it may have been God the Father who came down and walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden. You can also make one case for the Holy Spirit taking on a physical form but it's not the form of a person. What was it do you remember? What physical form did the Holy Spirit take in a particular instance in the New Testament? Yes, the Holy Spirit came on him at his baptism on Christ as a dove. There is some question is whether or not there was a literal physical appearance of a dove or whether or not the motion of the Spirit was like that of a dove. There are two different ways to interpret that but let's let's give it the fact that he actually took on the appearance of a of a dove and landed on him as a bird but he did not take on human appearance. So typically the Father and the Spirit do not take on human appearance. For instance, again look at John 1-18 on the screen. No one has ever seen God speaking of the Father. The one and only Son is the one that makes him known, the one that shows him to people. And then John 3-8 talking about the Holy Spirit, the wind blows where it pleases. You hear it sound, you cannot tell where it comes from, where it's going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit. The Spirit is likened to wind here in the sense that you don't see wind, you see the evidence of it, but you don't see the wind. You can see things blowing, you know the wind is moving, but you don't actually see the wind. So the Holy Spirit does not take on a physical presence. So just a supporting evidence, typically with maybe a couple of rare exceptions, the Father and the Spirit don't take on physical form, the Son does. He takes on permanent physical form in the New Testament. So it would stand to reason, he would be the one that takes on the physical form of a special messenger of God, the angel of the Lord, in the Old Testament. Okay, so putting all those pieces of the puzzle together, the angel of the Lord, that specially designated angel, that special messenger, is identified as Jehovah. He is God in the Old Testament, but he's also distinct from Jehovah because he praised the Jehovah and calls upon Jehovah to do things for others. So the only one who really fits that is Christ and the other supporting evidence seem to show that, that he is Christ. Okay, so that's why we believe that whenever you find that expression in the Old Testament, the angel of the Lord, it's Christ coming down to do something as a special messenger of God before he became a baby in Bethlehem. Okay. Comments or questions about that before we take a quick look at the different ministries that he performs in the Old Testament. I'm sorry, very could say that again. He is truly not an angel. That's a great question because something I meant to mention at the very beginning and didn't. The word angel, both in Hebrew and Greek, literally means a messenger. So the root meaning of the word angel is a messenger of God. Now, the angel of the Lord is functioning as a unique messenger of God, a unique spokesman for God. So he is not an angel in the sense of the persons who are called angels, but he is performing the function of an angel in the sense that he is a messenger. He is sent by God to do a special thing on planet earth, bringing a message, speaking to people, doing something on God's behalf on the Father's behalf. So, yeah, great distinction. He is called the angel of the Lord in the sense that he is a unique messenger of God, spokesman for God, but he is not an angel at all in the sense of angels who are persons. The personality of angels. Yeah, Tommy? No one has such a place in some times, like us. God only uses Jesus Christ in the spirit because no one can look at all Him. Right? Yes. No one can see God in all of His glory, not in our un-glorified bodies. Now, I think we probably will in our glorified bodies, according to Revelation 21, 22, but in our normal human bodies, we cannot stand that glory. And so, God has to amp it down to a physical presence through Christ, not lowering His deity, I don't mean amping down in that sense, but just putting the glory through a transformer that brings it down to where we can actually handle it. We can handle 220 volts or 110 volts, we can't handle the 40,000 coming through the big line. And so, we can't handle God's glory, but God amps it down to where we can handle it when He appears as Christ or the Holy Spirit. Good point. Okay? Anything else? Yeah. That's a good way to put it in a certain sense. I was asking that Christ prayed to the Father, is that because there's an order in the Trinity. God, the Father's one Christ is two in the Holy Spirit's three. There is a sense in which, yes, we can say that in the sense that in Christ's humanity, He voluntarily submitted Himself to the Father. And so, He Himself said in John's Gospel, I do nothing except the Father tells me. I do nothing except the Father's will. I'm doing nothing on my own. I'm following the Father's plan. So, in that sense, yes, He was number two, He was being submissive to the Father. And the Holy Spirit, I guess, because He is represented as being sent in John 14 and 16 by both the Father and the Son, He is submissive to both of them. In that sense, you could say He's number three. But in reality, they're all equal in another sense because they all share deity. And you can't have deity on any lesser level than perfection. So, yes, in one sense of their functions, there are different one, two, three, but in the sense of nature, they're all the same. Okay, great questions. Any others? Okay, I mentioned there are nine ministries of the Angel of the Lord and the Old Testament. Let me just kind of quickly name them because we've only got about five minutes left here. And one of the things I want to do is show how they parallel the ministries of Christ. So, again, this is more supporting evidence that the Angel of the Lord, since He's doing the same things Christ does, another evidence that is the same person. One of the ministries of the Angel of the Lord is Revelation. In other words, in Exodus 3, He reveals to Moses the name of God. Remember Moses asked, what name should I use when I go down to Egypt and the Israelites ask, who sent you? And the Angel of the Lord reveals this unique name of Jehovah. So, He reveals things. And certainly in the New Testament, Christ reveals God. That's what we saw in John 1. He manifests the Father. He reveals Him to us. They're very similar in that. The second ministry that the Angel of the Lord does is commission. And by that, I mean, he commissions people to do something for God. It's true of Moses. He commissioned him, called him with the burning bush. It was true of Gideon, called him when he was threshing wheat. It was true of Samson through Samson's parents. The Angel of the Lord commissioned him to a particular ministry. So, the Angel of the Lord commissions people to do something. It's one of the reasons he comes. Christ came and ended up commissioning his 12 disciples, didn't he? 11, at the time of the resurrection, 11 disciples to go into all the world, preach the gospel to every creature. So, He commissioned them very similar responsibilities. The third ministry is deliverance. We didn't even talk about this one, but in Exodus 33, God says, I will send an angel before you to lead you into the land of Canaan. And then twice, a little bit later in the same chapter, He says, my presence will go with you. And so, this angel that is going with them, who may be represented in the pillar of Calbade and Fire by Night, is the Lord Himself. So, He delivers God's people through the wilderness. And certainly, in the New Testament, Christ delivers us. He delivers us in lots of different ways that are mentioned in the New Testament. The fourth ministry is protection. The Angel of the Lord is seen as protecting Old Testament saints. Here's a couple of passages we didn't even look at. So, I'll throw them on the screen real quick, or very well actually. I'll just call it, attention to them. David in Psalm 347, the Angel of the Lord in camps around those who fear Him. And He delivers them. And then in 2 Kings 1935, Hezekiah experienced this kind of protection. That night, the Angel of the Lord went out and put the death 185,000 in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning, there were all the dead bodies. I still like the way the King James renders that if I remember correctly, says, when they got up the next morning, they were all dead. I think about that one a little bit. When they got up the next morning, they were dead. The idea is they saw all their dead comrades around them. Anyway, sorry about that. Hezekiah saw God's protection from the Angel of the Lord. And certainly, it is Christ who protects us, right? Hebrews 13, He will never forsake us. He will never leave us. Therefore, we can say what can man do to me? The Lord is protecting the Lord's protecting us. Fifth ministry is intercession. The Angel of the Lord intercedes, praise for people. Remember those two passages in Zechariah, where the Angel of the Lord appealed to Jehovah on behalf of Israel and then on behalf of Joshua the High Priest. He was interceding. He was praying to the Father for the Nation of Israel and then for the High Priest, Joshua. Certainly, that's a ministry of Christ in the New Testament. He ever lives to make intercession for us. Hebrews 7.25. The sixth ministry, the Angel of the Lord does, is advocacy. It's very closely tied to intercession. It's a form of intercession. To be an advocate means that you defend someone. You're a defense lawyer. And so someone is accusing and someone else defends. Remember, Zachariah 3, Satan is accusing Joshua and Christ, the Angel of the Lord, defends him. That again, very similar to what Christ does for us. First John 2, 1, my little children, I write these things under you that you sinned not. And if any man sinned, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. Christ is our defense attorney who pleads our case in front of heaven's court. The seventh ministry, the Angel of the Lord does, is he confirms a covenant. At least on one occasion, he confirmed a covenant with Abraham. And this is another one we didn't even look at before. But in Genesis 22, you remember when he was going to sacrifice Isaac and the angel stopped him and said, there's a ram. And then speaks to him. This is the Angel of the Lord. Who confirms the Abraham covenant with Abraham there again on that occasion. And certainly it's the same thing Christ does with us. He brews eight. Christ confirms the new covenant with us through his death. So again, all these likenesses between the ministries of the Angel of the Lord and the Old Testament Christ in the New Testament. Eighth ministry, he does is he comforts. Remember, hey, Gar in Genesis 16, the Angel of the Lord appeared to her, comforted her, encouraged her, gave her sustenance. And there are many, many times in the New Testament that Christ has seen as comforting his people. And then one final one, possibly, I think I have a question mark by this one in your notes judgment. Maybe I didn't put a question mark that I put it on my notes because I'm thinking of the passage in Second Samuel 24 where David numbers. The armies of Israel when there was no need to, they were not going to war. It was just a kind of pride like, you know, I want to boast about how many warriors I've got. And he recognized after he counted it was wrong. It was from the wrong spirit. He remembered God sent judgment upon the people and the Angel of the Lord, although he is referred to twice before that as an Angel. And so this could be a reference just the Angel that was in the previous verses, although this is a different language. It's Hebrew, not Greek. So we're not taught about the anophoric use of the article here. That's a Greek thing, but it still could be referring to the the Angel that appeared first in the passage. That's why I would put a question mark by this one. But if it was really the Angel of the Lord Christ, he has seen as judging. Certainly that's something that Christ does. John 5 says the Father has committed all judgment to the Son. And so any future judgment where people stand before God, they will be standing before Christ, the second person of the Trinity. So those are the ministries of the the Angel of the Lord accomplishes in the Old Testament. And again, very similar to what Christ does for us in the New Testament. So very interesting person in the Old Testament, the Angel of the Lord. But I think we've seen that this is an appearance of Christ before his birth in Bethlehem, before his coming to earth. And he does some amazing works. Okay, you know questions before we stop. Okay, I've already used up to two or three minutes that I gave you free last week. So let's close in prayer. Father, thank you for our time together. Thank you that we can study your word and learn more about you and the marvelous riches that you've given to us in your word. And I would say in Proverbs 2 that you've hidden them like silver and gold and an ore in the earth for us to dig out and to like precious treasure that we we work for and dig for. But there's so much there and we thank you for the opportunity to dig into study and to to turn up riches that are a blessing to us. Thank you Lord for sending your son to die for us. Thank you for the many ways that you've sent him through Israel's history to minister to that nation even before he came to be our savior. We are grateful for our Lord and our savior Jesus and his name we pray amen.