Unseen Realities: A Biblical Survey of the Spirit Realm May 22, 2024
Session 4

The Angel of the Lord

mal’ak YHWH –

· This unique messenger appears in the Old Testament, from the days of Abraham to the time of Zechariah, following the Babylonian exile.
o His appearances span a 1500-year timeframe.
o There is no record of this unique angelic entity appearing in the New Testament.

· Abraham addresses this angel as “the Judge of all the earth” (Genesis 18:25, 33).

· This angel speaks in 1st person as Yahweh himself
o Hagar in the wilderness

10 The angel of the Lord also said to her, “I will surely multiply your offspring so that they cannot be numbered for multitude” (Genesis 16:12).

o Moses before the burning bush

2 And the angel of the in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed (Exodus 3:2).
4 When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” 5 Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” 6 And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God (Exodus 3:4).
56 Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” 57 So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” 58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” 59 So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple (John 8:56-59).

o Not, “before Abraham was I was”
o Egō eimi – “I AM”Septuagint
o Jesus clearly identifies himself as the timeless one who appeared to Moses in the burning bush.
o A natural parallel may be drawn between mal’ak YHWH and Jesus, the eternal Word.
§ Jesus is presented as the preexistent, eternal, and incarnate Word (John 1:1).
§ “The Word” expresses divine self-expression and speech.

· This Old Testament entity is believed to be God himself manifested to his people
o These manifestations are sometimes physical, as well as spiritual.
§ Gideon – (Judges 6:11-12)
§ Samson’s parents (Judges 13)

· The angel of Yahweh is central to the theological Godhead concept development (Heiser).

· Theophany – A theophany is defined as an appearance of God.
o It is derived from a compound Greek word, Theos- God and phaneroo, to make visible and manifest that which has been unknown.

· This angel received intercession from Abraham and is identified as the Lord.
o Abraham interceding for Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18:22-33)

· The Angel of the Lord bears God’s covenant name
o Ha-shem – scripturally is another way of referring to God Himself.
o In some instances, “Ha-Shem” is personified, and used a substitute for “Yahweh” (Isaiah 30:27-28).
20 “Behold, I send an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared. 21 Pay careful attention to him and obey his voice; do not rebel against him, for he will not pardon your transgression, for my name is in him.22 “But if you carefully obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries (Exodus 23:20-22)
· This angel has authority to withhold the forgiveness of sin
o Pharisees objection to Jesus – “Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (Matthew 9:1-8; Mark 2:7).
· God explains to Moses that His very presence is with this angel.
o He represents the visible form of Yahweh Himself.
o This angel is associated with the glory cloud in the wilderness.
21 And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. 22 The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people (Exodus 13:20-21).

· The angel of YHWH received worship

13 When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” 14 And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshipedand said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?” 15 And the commander of the Lord's army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so (Joshua 5:13-15).

· This angel is sometimes distinguished from Yahweh in Heaven
o He is presented as interceding to Yahweh for Jerusalem (Zechariah 1:12-13).
o He appeals to “another Yahweh” when rebuking Satan

2 And the said to Satan, “The rebuke you, O Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire” (Zechariah 3:2).

Cherubim – “Approachers” – Keruvim “one who blesses”

Cherubim are created divine beings who serve as proclaimers and protectors of God’s glorious presence, transcendence, and holiness (Genesis 3:24; Ezekiel 1:5-21, 10:9-22).

· Cherubim are first mentioned in the Garden of Eden following the fall of man

24 He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life (Genesis 3:24).

· Cherubim are symbolically envisaged in connection with God’s manifest glory in the tabernacle and Solomon’s temple (Exodus 25:17-22).
o The mercy seat of the ark of the covenant
o “Between the cherubim” became synonymous with God’s manifested glory on earth (1 Samuel 4:4; 2 Samuel 6:2; 2 Kings 19:15; 1 Chronicles 13:6; Psalms 80:1; Psalms 99:1; Isaiah 37:16).

· Cherubim as defined in Ezekiel’s vision.
o They have human likeness, yet they have four faces and four wings (1:6).
o Ezekiel describes their four faces as the face of a human, lion, ox, and eagle (1:10)
§ What if these faces are not symbolic.
§ Majesty, fierceness, strength, regal appearance, speed, and keen sight.
o They have straight legs, with feet that look like calf hooves (1:7).
o Their appearance is described as sparkling, burnished bronze – bronze melted with silver to form a brilliant luster, and burning coals of fire (1:7; 13).
o They have human looking hands and presumably arms under all four wings (v:8).
o Their wings are closely situated and touch one another (v.9).
o Their movement is described as “darting to and fro,” like a “flash of lightning” (1:14).
o The movement of their wings is likened to the noise of many waterfalls and the turbulence of an army (1:24)

· Ezekiel describes two pairs of intersecting wheels beside the creatures.
o Although we can’t be sure, the wheels may be gyroscopic in appearance (1:16).
o They move in any direction with the creatures (1:17).
o Something like eyes and gemstones surrounds the rims of the wheels (1:18)

· What do we learn from the Cherubim’s interaction with the Almighty?
o Cherubim are jealously consumed with the Lord’s glory
§ Do we honor, treasure, and value the Lord’s glory?
§ Do we guard the glory of the Lord in our lives, actions, and service?
o Cherubim cause us to consider the price of our privileged access to the throne.

16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16).

o Cherubim remind us of the severity, transcendence, and awesomeness of God.
o They remind us that revering and fearing the Lord are still necessary.

4 Living Creatures of Revelation (Revelation 4:6-9; 5:6-14; 6:1-8)

· These creatures are stationed in the very presence of God’s throne (4:6-9)
· They are similar, but somewhat distinct from the cherubim in Ezekiel’s vision
o They have six wings instead of four.
o These beings are apparently covered with eyes.
o They are engaged in unceasing worship (4:8; 5:11-14).
o These creatures may be involved in declaring the times of apocalyptic judgements (6:1-7)

Seraphim - “burning ones,” “fiery ones,” “flaming ones”

Seraphim are described as worshipping beings who proclaim the Lord’s beauty and holiness

· Seraphim are only seen here in Isaiah chapter six.
In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;the whole earth is full of his glory!” 4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for” (Isaiah 6:1-7).
· These creatures are above the expanse, where the cherubim dwell beneath the throne.
· They perhaps occupy the highest station of celestial worship, by hovering over the throne of God (6:2).
· These burning ones are described as having six wings.
· Although created as perfect beings, the seraphim display reverence and humility before God.
o With covered faces, they are unable to bear the full radiance of God’s glory.
o They cover untainted, unsoiled feet in respectful humility.
o The threefold repetition of Yahweh’s holiness in Hebrew intensifies the superlative “holy.”
§ Supremely, unparalleled, matchless, unequalled, indescribably magnified, beyond description, you are Holy!
o Their loud, exuberant cry shook the foundations of the throne room (6:4).
o Their worship seemed to elicit an intensification of the manifest glory of God (6:4).
· What we may derive from Isaiah’s vision of the seraphim
o Every celestial and angelic vision reinforces the fact that God is supremely holy.
§ We must recognize this inherent quality of Lord’s nature.
§ We are called to live holy lives as His representatives on earth.
15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy” (I Peter 1:15-16).

o Reverential fear and respect should permeate our relationship with God.
§ We not only relate to him as brother, savior, friend, and Father.
o With hearts washed clean by Jesus’ blood, we too should relate to the Lord in humble deference and humility.
o God honoring worship may offend the senses. It might be boisterous, loud, and contrary to our liking at times.
§ Heaven is often portrayed as a loud place because of worship and countless thousands of creatures engaged in worship.
o Jesus has taken our guilt away by presenting his perfect atoning blood on the altar.