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- Preaching
the Living WORD through the Written WORD - 2 Tim 4:2 - |
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ANGEL OF THE LORD THEOPHANIES (excerpt from Chafer’s
Systematic Theology, pg 31-33) One
of the most compelling and indisputable proofs that Christ preexisted is found
in the truth that He is the Angel of Jehovah whose various appearances are
recorded in the Old Testament. On this doctrine Dr. John F. Walvoord has
written an analysis which may well be included in this text: I.
Definition. A. A theophany is a manifestation
of God in visible and bodily form before the incarnation. Usually the term
theophany is limited to appearances of God in the form of man or angels,
other phenomena such as the Shekinah glory not being considered a theophany. B. The theophanies are chiefly
appearances of the Angel of Jehovah, who is clearly distinct from angelic
beings. II. The Angel of Jehovah
Identified as Jehovah. A. A study of the references
to the Angel of Jehovah in the Old Testament will reveal that He is
frequently identified as Jehovah Himself. When the Angel of Jehovah spoke to
Hagar (Gen. 16:7-13), He is identified as Jehovah (vs. 13). B. The account of the
sacrifice of Isaac (Gen. 22:11-18) affords the same identification of the
Angel of Jehovah and Jehovah Himself. C. Other passages confirm
this interpretation (Gen. 31:11-13; 48:15-16; cf. 45:5; Ex. 3:1 ff.; cf. Acts
7:30-35; Ex. 13:21;:19; Judg. 6:11-23; 13:9-20). . III. The Angel of Jehovah as a
Distinct Person from Jehovah. A. While many passages
identify the Angel of Jehovah as Jehovah, other passages almost equal in
number distinguish the Angel of Jehovah as a distinct Person. In Gen. 24: 7,
for instance, Jehovah is pictured as sending "his angel." The
servant of Abraham testifies to the reality of this in Gen. 24:40. Moses
speaks of Jehovah sending an angel to lead them (Num. 20:16). B. A clear instance is found
in Zech. 1: 12-13 where the Angel of the Lord speaks to Jehovah, "Then
the angel of the LORD answered and said, 0 LORD of hosts, how long wilt thou
not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou
hast had indignation these threescore and ten years? And the LORD answered
the angel that talked with me with good words and comfortable words."
Other passages make a similar distinction (Ex. 23:20; 32:34; 1 Chron.
21:15-18; Isa. 63:9; Dan. 3:25-28). C. There are some passages
which affirm the deity of the Angel of Jehovah, but do not specifically
identify Him as Jehovah or as a person distinct from Jehovah (Judg. 2:1-5; 2
Kings 19:35). IV. The Angel of Jehovah is
the Second Person of the Trinity. A. While to the natural mind
the seeming disparity in terminology and usage of the term Angel of Jehovah
is irreconcilable, the difficulty is easily dissolved when it is realized
that Christ is the Angel of Jehovah. As such, Christ is Jehovah, and at the
same time, as a Person He is distinct from the Trinity, being the Second
Person. Thus when the Angel of Jehovah is identified as Jehovah, it is a
declaration of His deity. B. When the Angel of Jehovah
is distinguished from Jehovah, it is the distinction of the Persons of the
Godhead, in all probability the Father in distinction to the Son. This
solution is in keeping with the doctrine of the Trinity as unfolded in the
entire Scriptures. Granting that the Angel of Jehovah is God, it is a minor
problem, relatively, to prove that He is the Second Person, not the Father
nor the Holy Spirit. V. The proof that Christ is
the Angel of Jehovah is supported by four lines of evidence: A. The Second Person is the
Visible God of the New Testament. 1.
When we turn to the New Testament, the Second Person is found to be
the incarnate God, possessing a human body and being visible to all. While
the Father's voice is heard from heaven, and the Holy Spirit is seen
descending in the form of a dove, Christ, the Second Person, is the full
manifestation of God in visible form. 2.
It would be logical that the same Person of the Godhead who is
visible in the New Testament should also be the chosen One to appear in the
form of the Angel of Jehovah in the Old Testament. B. The Angel of Jehovah of
the Old Testament No Longer Appears after the Incarnation of Christ. 1.
The Angel of Jehovah is exceedingly active throughout the Old
Testament period, appearing to many people in widely separated periods. 2.
In the New Testament, while there are references to angels as such,
not a single instance is found where the Angel of Jehovah appears. It is a
natural inference that He now appears as the incarnate Christ. C. Both the Angel of Jehovah
and Christ Are Sent by the Father. 1.
The Old Testament reveals the Angel of Jehovah as sent by Jehovah to
reveal truth, to lead 2.
In the nature of the Trinity, it is the Father who sends the Son and
the Spirit, the First Person never being sent Himself. The similar character
of ministry of the Angel of Jehovah and Christ would serve to identify them. D. The Angel of Jehovah Could
Not Be Either the Father Or the Holy Spirit. 1.
By process of elimination, it can be demonstrated that the Angel of
Jehovah must be the Second Person. According to John 1: 18, "No man hath
seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the
Father, he hath declared him." This verse in effect states that only
Christ was visible to man, no one being able to see God the Father or the
Holy Spirit in their glory. As the Angel of Jehovah is the Sent One, He could
not be the Father, the First Person. As the Angel of Jehovah is God in bodily
form, He could not be the Holy Spirit, as the attribute of immateriality is
always possessed by the Holy Spirit, and His ministry is never characterized
by physical attributes. 2.
There is not a single valid reason to deny that the Angel of Jehovah
is the Second Person, every known fact pointing to His identification as the
Christ of the New Testament. VI. Appearances of Christ
Other Than As the Angel of Jehovah. A. A number of illustrations
are afforded in the Old Testament of appearances of Christ in form other than
the Angel of Jehovah. In Gen. 18: 1-33, Jehovah appears as a man, accompanied
by two other men who are probably angels. Jacob's experience of wrestling
with God also involves in all probability the appearance of Christ to him in
the form of 'a man (Gen. 32:24-32). B. The appearance to the
elders of VII. The Theophanies a Proof of
the Pre-existence of Christ. A. The theophanies of the Old
Testament, being the manifestation of Christ, the Second Person, in visible
form constitute an argument for pre-existence in history, as contrasted to
the direct statement of the New Testament. The abundant witness to the vital
ministry of Christ in the Old Testament period and His evident relationship
to so many scenes of revelation in the Old Testament are a convincing proof
of His pre-existence. An examination of the character of His ministry as the
Angel of Jehovah and His manifestation in other forms will not only reveal
His pre-existence but will also demand recognition of His deity. B. As the Angel of Jehovah,
He is God, and the revelation of Him in the Old Testament while sometimes
devoid of His inherent glory even as He is found during His life on earth
after incarnation is nevertheless clearly a display of the attributes of
God.-Op. cit., pp. 6-8 |
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