THE ANGEL OF THE LORD NEVER APPEARS AFTER THE BIRTH OF CHRIST

This "Angel of the Lord" Never Appears After Birth of Christ

 

Why? Matt. 1:20 ASV (see Matt. 1:24) It is significant that in the N.T. there is no further reference to the angel of the LORD. The Greek definite article is used only to identify some ordinary angel previously mentioned in the context. See Mat 1:20, where the article is absent in the Greek, and 1:24, where it properly occurs as referring back to v. 20.

"But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost."
"Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:"

Matt. 2:19 ASV . . .

Acts 5:19 ASV

Acts 12:7, 23 ASV

 

The identification of this angel with our Lord harmonizes with His distinctive function in relation to the Godhead, for He is the eternal Word through whom the invisible God speaks and manifests Himself (John 1:1, 18).

 This O.T. Angel of the Lord Demands Worship, Whereas Other Angels Forbid it

Exod. 3:1-5 with Rev 19:10 and Rev. 22:8-9. “Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.  And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.  And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.  And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.  And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.”

Christ appears also in Old Testament under name "Jehovah"

Gen. 18:22 "And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD."

Joshua 6:2 (cf. 5:13-15) "And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour.
"And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant? And the captain of the LORD'S host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so."

Isaiah 6:1-5 (cf. John 12:39-41) "In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts."
"Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him."

 Christ Appears also in Old Testament as the "Wisdom" of God Personified

Prov. 8:22-31 Many have seen in portions of vv. 22 - 31 distinct descriptions of Christ. Thus wisdom is more than the personification of an attribute of God, or of the will of God as best for man. Of course, in no sense could it be said of Christ that he was "given birth" (vv. 24 and 25). Yet the ascription of eternality (v. 23) and presence at and participation in creation are certainly true of Him. Such statements, when read along with John 1:1 - 3; 1 Cor 1:23; Col 2:3, can refer to no one less than the eternal Son of God.
"The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth: While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth: When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep: When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth: Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him; Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men."

 PROBLEMS

How could the pre-existent Christ be both Jehovah and the angel of Jehovah?
Name "Jehovah" is applied to whole Godhead.
In His own person Christ is Jehovah (O.T.) and God (N.T.).
In relation to the Father, He is the Angel of Jehovah (O.T.) and the Son of God (N.T.).

Certain texts identify Jehovah with the angel of Jehovah.
Gen. 48:15-16 "And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day, The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth."

Isa. 63:9 "In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old."

Mal. 3:1 "Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, He shall come, saith the LORD of hosts."
This cleansing of the temple can only be regarded as a great miracle, as Jerome long ago asserted. If our Lord had been only a man, how easily the traffickers could have overpowered and cast Him out! And this miracle of cleansing was followed by other physical wonders. Matthew says, "And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them" (Matt. 21:14). These miracles were seen, not only by His friends but also by His enemies, "the chief priests and scribes" (Matt. 21:15), who had concluded that they had no argument left against His deeds except to "destroy him" (Mark 11:18). Luke adds that "He was teaching daily in the temple" (Luke 19:47). Thus for a brief season the Jewish temple became, in the words of Lange, a "theocratic residence" of the Messianic King. And for this brief season, the people of Israel tasted some of the glorious blessing of the Millennial Kingdom: the Messianic King personally present in His own temple (Mal. 3:1 ); the Word of the Lord going forth in instruction from Jerusalem (Isa. 2:2-3); the healing hand of the King upon all those suffering physical affliction (Isa. 35:4-6); the greedy shepherds of Israel cast out (Ezek. 34:1-10); the children crying hosannas in the temple (Ps. 8:1-2). These were some of the things the nation might have had without limitation or interruption if she had known the "time" of her "visitation" and the hearts of her people had been opened to receive the King. But this final taste of Messianic authority and compassion and miracle-working power was also the prophecy of a future and better day when Israel, with a contrite heart, will say, "Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: . . . we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation" (Isa. 25:9).