People love Angels.  Angels have a good reputation.  They watch out for us.  They protect us.  They guide us.  In some instances Angels have spoken to us.  They seem to get alot of attention during the Christmas Season as many decorate their homes with angel ornaments. 

Personally I believe I've had an angel intervene in my life at least twice that I know of.  There are many angel experiences told by others who feel there just wasn't any other human explanation for what they were going through.  I believe it.  I believe in angels. 

In scripture there are only two angels mentioned by name.  The first, Gabriel is the announcing Angel.  He seems to be the Angel that delivers messenges to humans such as to Mary that she would find herself with Child. 

The other is Michael and he is called the Archangel.  We see Michael when it comes to doing spiritual battle as in the book of Daniel.  He was fighting the demons that were interferring with the prayers of Daniel. 

It's interesting the only two angels mentioned by name were male.  But today we notice that most Angels are depicted feminine. 

There's one other Angel that not too many know about.  He's mentioned in scripture quite a bit.  He's called "The Angel of the Lord." There's much speculation about this angel.  Who is he? 

He first appears in Genesis 16:7 and then intermittently throughout the early OT. 

Many believe, as I do, this Angel of the Lord is the preincarnate Christ.  If this angel actually was Christ or God, why is he called an angel?  The root meaning of "angel" is "messenger" or "one who is sent."  So when we look at the context of each passage we must determine whether the word refers to the office of the sent one or to the nature of created angels. 

When we look at Judges 6 and read the story of Gideon we see what appears as an ordinary Angel appearing to him.  But as the narrative progresses, we are startled to read in Verse 14 that it's actually the Lord speaking to Gideon.   We continue to see in v22-23 that it's the Lord and Gideon acknowledges this by building an altar calling it Jehovah-shalom. 

Many OT passages state that this angel is God.  Four times in Gen 16 (7,9-11) we are told that Hagar had been speaking with the Angel of the Lord.  But v13 informs us that Hagar "gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her:  "You are the God who sees me." 

Even more convincing is Jacob's testimony in Genesis 48:15-16.  He identifies God as "the Angel who has delivered me from all harm. "

If you go back earlier to Jacob's dream you'd read this:  "And the Angel of God spoke unto me in a dream saying, Jacob; and I said, Here am I.  And he said, Lift up now your eyes and see, all the rams which leap upon the cattle are ringstraked, speckled, and grisled; for I have seen all that Laban did to you.  I AM THE GOD of Bethel where you anointedst the pillar and where you vowed a vow to me; now arise get out from this land and return to the land of your kindred."  31:11-13 

We all know about the burning bush experience Moses had in Exodus 3:2-6.  But how many really read it closely enough to see that the phrase "Angel of the Lord" is used interchangeably with "the Lord?"  In fact this Angel claims, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob."  (v6). 

Now the passage that really uncovers the identification of God as the Angel of the Lord is Exodus 23:20-23.  God promises to send his angel ahead of the Children of Israel as they go thru the desert.  They were warned that they must obey and not rebel against this angel.  The reason?  "Since my Name is in him." 

God would never share his name with anyone else.  Isaiah 42:8 advised that he would never share his glory with another.  The name of God stands only for himself. 

This Angel has divine qualities, prerogatives and authority.  He has the power to give life (Gen 16:10); to know and see all (Gen 16:13, Ex 3:7).  We know only God can forgive sins yet we read in Exodus this Angel did the same.  The Angel of the Lord performed miracles, smiting Egypt with plagues, calling forth fire on the rock to consume the meal set for him (Judges 6:21) and ascending the flame of the altar.

Finally, this angel commanded and received worship from Moses and  Joshua.  Angels were not to receive worship.  When Daniel, Peter and John attempted to worship an angel they were told to get up and not to do it.  Remember when Thomas got on his knees to Christ and exclaimed "My Lord and My God?"  Jesus didn't stop him.  Neither did the Angel of the Lord in both cases involving Moses and Joshua.  There can only be one explanation. 

There seems to be a clear abundance of evidence that the Angel of the Lord in the OT is indeed a preincarnate form of Christ who wold later permanently take on flesh.  Remember Christ said he was before Abraham. 

Jesus was the WORD sent that ties together the Angel, Messenger or Sent One into an OT theology of Christophanies, appearances of God in human form.

We never see this Angel of the Lord after the birth of Christ again.