We have seen that the Presence of God is everywhere and that the Person of God is on His throne in Heaven. Last time we introduced the idea of theophany, the veritable appearance of God in the world in some form. It is how God chose to make Himself known to the world in some instances. Those theophanies are also Christophanies, where the pre-incarnate Christ appeared in the world. Sometimes the Lord’s pre-incarnate appearance was referred to as the angel of the Lord.

First of all, consider that God appeared to Moses in a bush that burned but was not consumed (Exodus 3:1-6). This unconsumed burning bush caught Moses’ attention and piqued his interest. He turned aside to see it, going out of his way, which indicates it was some distance away, yet noticeable. This event was more than a miracle, more than just a bush that was not consumed with the fire that engulfed it, for, from within a flame of fire that covered the bush, incredibly, the angel of the Lord appeared to him (Ex. 3:15).

This was not merely just some one of the myriad of the angels of God. It was “the angel of the Lord,” identifying this” angel” as unique among divine messengers. We learn that God called unto him from out of the midst of the bush, further equating the angel of the Lord with God, Himself! Yet further proof of the divine encounter is that Moses was required to take the shoes from off his feet because that place was holy ground. It could only be considered holy ground only if God was there. Even further tightening the connection between the angel of the Lord and God, is that the one speaking says, “I am the God of they father, the God of Abraham…” (Ex. 3:6).

What is the significance of this appearance? God had told Abraham over four hundred years earlier that the children of Israel would go into bondage in a land that was not theirs and serve them four hundred years (Gen. 15:13,14). But God promised to bring them out again and the people who had enslaved them would pay dearly (Gen. 15:14). God sealed that promise with Abraham by His own theophanic revelation as a smoking furnace and a burning lamp (Gen. 15:17). The time had now come to bring an end to their captivity (Ex. 3:8). The children of Israel had been brought, as it were, by God “out of an iron furnace, even out of Egypt” (Deut. 4:20). Israel had gone through the fire and water and God had brought them to a wealthy place (Psalm 66:12). It was the angel of the Lord that said “I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you” (Judges 2:1).

When God had commanded Abraham to offer up his only son Isaac, it was the angel of the Lord that stayed his hand (Gen. 22:11). Twice the angel of the Lord speaks to Abraham, but it is what He says that is great interest.

And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: 17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; 18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice (Genesis 22:16-18).

Note that the angel of the Lord says “By Myself have I sworn, saith the Lord…” (22:16). The angel identifies Himself as the “LORD”, or Jehovah. All the affirmations of this Angel indicate that He was divine, and not merely one of the myriad of created angels at God’s disposal. The Angel says, “you have obeyed My voice” (22:18). This can only be God.

Though the phrase ‘Angel of the Lord’ is absent in this passage, the Lord’s appearance to Abram at Mamre (Gen. 18:1) bears similar characteristics to other theophanies/Christophanies. Yet, the Bible says three “men” appeared to Abraham on the plains of Mamre (Gen. 18:2). While they are talking, the Text suddenly changes from the plural to the singular, from “they” (v.9) to “He” (v.10). Moreover, “He” promised to return again in a year to see that Sarai would have a son, even though they were both old and Sarai had passed the age of childbearing (Rom. 4:18-21). This is the kind of promise only God could make. The Bible text says that while apparently two of the “men” then left and went toward Sodom, Abraham was left to stand before the Lord, or Jehovah. We find that two angels come to Sodom (Gen. 19:1), which identifies two of the three men as angels and the one that did not come was the Second Person of the Godhead.

It seems fitting that the Second Person of the Godhead would appear to Abram and Sarai and announce that they would have a son in a year in fulfillment of the promise the Lord had made to Abraham some twenty-five years earlier since, He, Himself, would come in the fulness of time and be born of a virgin and be the ultimate fulfillment of that spiritual promise to bless all the earth.

Scripture records several other encounters with the Angel of the Lord: His appearance to Hagar in the wilderness (Gen. 16:7-13), to Gideon (Judges 6:11-24), to Manoah and his wife regarding Samson’s birth (Judges 13:3-22), as Israel’s divine guide (Ex. 23:20-23), to Joshua before Jericho (Josh. 5:13-15), and more. It is clear, that God has appeared in times past in some visible, tangible form to guide, and sometimes judge, His people. This shows God’s personal interest in our affairs and the development of the Scheme of Redemption. These theophanies/Christophanies were powerful testimonies to that fact God cares and is interested in man’s salvation.

One final note. In the mythologies of at least the western world there were stories of gods appearing in various forms to man. But these were very different than what we see in the developed theology of the Bible. Consider the following.

First, the nature of the divinity is drastically different. Jehovah is transcendent, holy, and unchanging. Theophanies reveal His presence without diminishing His divine nature. But the appearances of the gods in mythology (i.e., Greek and Roman, an others) are often anthropomorphic, flawed, and subject to human-like emotions and desires. In the second place, the purposes are completely different. Theophanies serve to reveal God’s will or guide His people (e.g., the burning bush, Mount Sinai) while mythological appearances often involve deception, seduction, or personal whims of the gods (e.g., Zeus taking the form of a swan to seduce Leda). In the third place, consider the moral framework. Biblical theophanies emphasize holiness, justice, and divine authority. Encounters often demand reverence and obedience while mythological appearances frequently reflect the gods’ capricious nature, often leading to morally ambiguous or tragic outcomes. And finally, consider the form of the appearance. God appears in various forms, fire, cloud, angelic messenger, but always with a clear divine purpose. Greek and Roman gods take on human or animal forms, often to manipulate or interact with mortals in unpredictable ways. Ultimately, mythological depictions of divine interaction pale in comparison to the biblical portrayal of God’s direct involvement in the unfolding Scheme of Redemption.

Through the unfolding drama of Scripture, the appearances of the Angel of the Lord serve as profound glimpses of God’s personal engagement in human history. These theophanies/Christophanies reveal the Second Person of the Godhead actively working within His creation, guiding, delivering, and establishing His covenantal promises. Unlike the flawed and capricious deities of mythology, who often descend for self-serving ends, the biblical manifestation of God demonstrates divine intentionality, holiness, and redemptive love. From the burning bush to the patriarchs, these encounters remind us that the God who appeared in times past is the same God who ultimately took on flesh to dwell among us, fulfilling His promises in the person of Jesus Christ. His involvement is not distant, but deeply personal, pointing humanity toward redemption and the culmination of His divine plan.

Eric L. Padgett