Sunday, August 9, 2009

The Angel of the Lord

It should be basic knowledge that Jesus did not first come into existence when He was born of a virgin. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him: and without him was not anything made that was made. . .” John 1:1-3.

“The Lord God made the earth and the heavens” Genesis. 2:4. “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground” Genesis. 2:7. “And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden” vs.8. “And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree.” vs. 8. “And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden” vs. 15. “And the Lord God commanded the man. . .thou shalt not eat” vv. 16,17. “And the Lord God said, I will make him [Adam] an help meet for him” vs. 18. “And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field. . .and brought them unto Adam” vs. 19. “And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam. . .made He a woman, and brought her unto the man” vs. 21-22. “And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden. . and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God” Genesis 3:8. “And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?” vs.9. “And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done?” vs.13. “And the Lord God said unto the serpent . . .thou art cursed” vs.14. “Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins and clothed them” vs.21. “Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden” vs. 23.

Lord: Yehovah, (the) self Existent or Eternal, Jehovah. God: Elohiym, gods, in the ordinary sense; the Supreme God. The name ‘Lord God’ therefore, is “the self Existent, Eternal, Supreme God.” Jesus is the Lord God. “I AM the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” Matt.22:32. “Before Abraham was, I AM” John 8:58.

Angel of the Lord is found in sixteen books of the Bible. The question concerning these: are they speaking of an angel of the Lord? or the angel of the Lord? We shall look to those that clearly identify Christ. The angels of the Lord have well served their Creator. Their presence has been known unto men (and sometimes not known): “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares” Hebrews 13:2. Angels made appearances many times to give an announcement: (the host of angels to announce to shepherds the birth of the Son of God!) But there were times when God chose to put a personal hand in the affairs of men; those who were His children by faith. .

Any serious student of the Bible, with the Holy Spirit as his Tutor, should be familiar with the terms Theophany and Christophany. These terms speak not of an angel, a celestial creation, but identify with the Angel of the Lord, who is the Divine, Eternal God.

When Ishmael was conceived, there was conflict between Sarah and Hagar; (an on-going conflict which pictures the war between the spirit and the flesh; which lends itself to the conflict that continues in the Middle East, even unto this day.) Hagar fled. “And the angel of the Lord found her by a fountain of water. . .And he said Hagar, Sarai’s maid, whence camest thou. . .Return to thy mistress. Genesis 16:7-9. “And the angel of the Lord said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for the multitude” vs.10. “And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shall call his name Ishmael. . .And she called the name of the Lord that spake unto her, Thou God seest me:” vs. 11,13-14. “Wherefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi [the well of him that liveth and seeth me] vs.14. “I will multiply thy seed exceedingly?” The “well of Him that liveth and seeth me?” Is this an angel of the Lord who is conferring the words of the Lord God unto Hagar? Or is it the Angel of the Lord Himself, the Voice and the authority of His Father?

The offering of Isaac. His knife drawn, Abraham, in obedience to God, was about to complete faith by works! “And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven. Genesis 22:11. [might an angel have appeared; restraining Abraham’s hand? No, the restraint must be in the obedience of faith: He called out of heaven!] And the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time. “And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord. . .I will bless thee; will multiply thy seed. . .And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice” vs.18. By myself have I sworn? Thou hast obeyed my voice? Is this an angel speaking in behalf of the Lord God? Or is it the Angel of the Lord?

Moses at the burning bush. “And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush” Exodus 3:2. Acts 7:30-34. (The Angel of the Lord, the Son of God was seen by wicked king Nebuchadnezzar as He appeared in the fiery furnace with the three Hebrew children after the king had cast them into the fire.) “Moreover he said, I AM the God of thy 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 upon God. . . And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM” Exodus 3:6,14 Was this an angel, or the Angel of the Lord?

Balaam and his ornery donkey. “And when the ass saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way” Numbers 22:23. She saw the angel of the Lord; Balaam did not. Faith without works is dead. She did not know that her master was going against the will of God, she only saw the angel of the Lord standing before her with sword in hand and sensing that another route would be advisable; she moved three separate times to avoid the angel. Balaam was prevented from continuing his forbidden path. And the Lord opened the mouth of the ass! How demeaning! A witness, a testimony of a dumb? animal to a man who lacked faith, who could not see that which is substance, evidence! The Way, the Truth, and the Life will not be seen nor obeyed - without faith!

Gideon, the Lord is with thee. The Lord appeared to commission this faithful servant who thought the Lord was choosing the wrong man. (“But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty. And base things of the world, and things which are despised hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are” I Corinthians 1:27-28.) For a sign that it was the Angel of the Lord who spoke to him, Gideon prepared a meal: a kid, unleavened cakes, broth in a pot. “And the angel of the Lord said unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so. Then the angel of the Lord put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. The Lord God Himself received the offering, consumed it with fire” Judges 6:20-21. Was He an angel or a priest? Who could do such a thing, were He not the Angel of the Lord?

Manoah and his wife; the parents of Samson. The news of the forthcoming birth of Samson, a deliverer of Israel, concluded in Manoah doing as Gidgeon; he “took a kid with a meat-offering and offered it upon a rock unto the Lord: and the angel did wondrously. . .“when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that the angel of the Lord ascended in in the flame of the altar” Judges 13:19-20. What a beautiful picture! The angel of the Lord, as High Priest, receiving the offering that was offered upon the Rock, consuming it; the sweet-smelling savor ascending to heaven. Christ is the High Priest, He is the sacrifice, the offering: the angel of the Lord ascended in the flame of the altar! Our acceptance before God? Is it not in the Person of Christ Himself? Now, what angel has double duty? doing the works befitting an angel and fulfilling also the office of Priest? An angel offering a sacrifice unto God? What’s wrong with this picture? Is this not the angel of the Lord?

Zechariah, the tenth vision. “And he [an angel] showed me Joshua, the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. In the presence of the Accuser, the Angel of the Lord called for Joshua’s filthy garments to be removed. “Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with a change of raiment” Zechariah 3:4. “Thou shalt also judge my house, and keep my courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by” vs.7. Who was standing by? “Satan standing at his right hand to resist him!” What a kick in the teeth for Satan the Accuser!

Moses meeting with the Lord. Though the term ‘Angel of the Lord’ is not specifically used here, there is irrefutable evidence to support it. “as Moses entered into the tabernacle the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses. . .and the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. . .I know thee by name. . .thou hast found grace in my sight. . .my presence shall go with thee” Exodus 33. “And he [Moses] said, I beseech thee, show me thy glory.” vs. 18.

“And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him” Ex. 34:30. Shall we say that Moses’ face reflected the face, the glory of the Lord? The countenance of the Lord was as lightning. Matthew 28:3, Daniel 10:6, Revelation 10:1.

Resurrection Day! The harmony of the gospels. As a beginning, let’s review and compare the accounts given in all four.

Matthew’s account of the resurrection. “In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre” Matthew 28:1. At the next mention of them, there is an angel present: “And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said, Come, see the place where the Lord lay” vs. 5. It seems that there is a break at this point: that which is recorded in verses two through four occurring earlier: “And behold there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was as lightning, and his raiment white as snow: And for fear the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.” Matthew 28:2-4.

A great earthquake! Never would these women have set out to go to the tomb to anoint the Lord’s body in the midst of a great earthquake. It must have subsided, stopped, else they would not have felt safe to journey to the sepulchre. The time of the earthquake: after the resurrection, Matthew 27:51-53.

The angel they saw ‘answered’ the perplexed look on their faces: “where is the Lord; why is the stone rolled back?” This angel did as angels are known to do: he announced the “good news” of Christ’s resurrection. His countenance did not appear as lightning, else the women would have been terrified, perhaps in a far more fearful way than did those hardened professional soldiers who shook and became as dead men. (There is no mention as to the whereabouts of these soldiers when the women arrived.) No, in contrast, I’m sure the women were comforted and received assurance from the angel. “And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word. And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him” vs. 8-9. They feared for joy. Can it be? Yes! They believed the testimony of the angel: Jesus is risen, as he said!

Mark’s account is as follows: Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James had bought sweet spices to anoint the body of the Lord. “And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great. And entering the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted. And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; behold the place where they laid him” Mark 16:4-6.

So far we have an angel seen in Matthew; a young man sitting within the sepulchre on the right side, in Mark’s account. The witness of the angel and the young man are basically the same. Mark’s gospel differs slightly, in that he says that “Jesus appeared first to Mary Magdalene,” then she went to tell the disciples of the resurrection.

Luke’s account: “they [verse 10 identifies them: “It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them.”] came bringing prepared spices, and certain others with them” Luke 24:1. “And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments” vs.3-4. The testimonies of the two men was as the witness of the angel in Matthew and the young man in Mark: “He is not here; He is risen!”

John’s account. It is some what more involved than the others: Mary Magdalene came to the sepulchre; and seeing the stone rolled away ran to tell Peter and John: “They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him” vs. 3. Next we have Peter and John entering the sepulchre and something new is added to the witness. Neither angel nor young man nor two men are to be seen at this time, but the grave clothes that Jesus had been wrapped in, were lying, apparently as though the person of whom they held had just vanished from within them, leaving the shell of grave clothes lying unto themselves. Not only could the grave not hold him; neither could the grave clothes. The ‘loose him and let him go’ as applied to Lazarus did not apply here!

The disciples having departed, Mary was left alone at the sepulchre weeping. “And as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, And seeth two angels in white, sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain” vs.11-12. These angels asked, Woman why weepest thou? Turning, she beheld another man, who likewise repeated the question just asked by the angels: “Woman, why weepest thou?” Mary did not recognize Jesus until He spoke her name; “Mary.” This time the message was not from an angel, not from a young man, not from two men, but from the Lord Himself. The others had said that the disciples should go before them into Galilee; but His message concerns His ascension into heaven. (“I go to prepare a place for you, And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” John 14:2b,3.) The clarification of the Lord: this has not happened yet, “I am not yet ascended to my Father” vs.17.

Now, let us examine the mysterious and perplexing account found in Matthew’s gospel; the part that should be taken separately, set apart from the rest, as it must have happened prior to the other accounts.

“And behold there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. (He sat upon the rock. Is this not a proclamation of Christ’s victory over death?) His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow” Matthew 28:3. Cf. Daniel 10:6, Revelation 10:1. What was in the grave? Jesus’ body. Just before He gave up the ghost, He said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit. Earlier Jesus had said to the thief, To day, shalt thou be with me in Paradise. (That Christ should descend from heaven and roll back the stone from his own grave? Ludicrous! Or is it?) Who rolled back the stone? Was it an angel of the Lord? Was our Lord held captive? Was he hopelessly imprisoned until an angel be dispatched to free Him from the bondage of the grave? Did an angel roll back the stone to allow His release? Did an angel call loudly unto Him, Jesus, come forth? Did an angel say to the women who came to the sepulchre, Release Him and let Him go? The priests and scribes had said: “He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross” Matthew 27:42. What would they now say? He raised others from the dead? He himself he cannot raise. If he be the King of Israel let him come up from the grave?

“And behold there was a great earthquake” Matthew 28:2. A parallel account is given in the previous chapter: “The earth did quake, and the rocks rent; and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many” Matthew 27:51-53. Did an angel cause all that? Or was it the work of I AM the Resurrection? The prophesy of Ezekiel, chapter thirty-seven and verses twelve and thirteen: “Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. And ye shall know that I AM the Lord, when I have opened your graves. O my people, and brought you up out of your graves.” The opening of the graves of saints after the resurrection; a picture/promise of God’s covenant with Israel!

Here in chapter twenty-seven we have the earthquakes, also the resurrection of saints coming out of the grave. When did this happen? After His resurrection. vs.53. Then in chapter twenty-eight we have the women coming to the sepulchre. We are given different views, and they are not necessarily in chronological order! In Matthew twenty eight we have the women coming to the sepulchre. Without notice verses two through four are inserted; then verse five takes up where we left off in verse one. (Scofield’s notes do not mention the Angel rolling back the stone, nor of his countenance being as lightning.)

In Judges chapter sixteen we find this account of Samson: the Gazarites lay in wait to kill Samson. “And Samson lay till midnight, and arose at midnight, and took the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and went away with them, bar and all, and put them upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of an hill that is before Hebron.” What a beautiful picture of the resurrection of Christ! The gates of hell could not prevail: He came forth in victory carrying them as it were, upon His shoulders! “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” I Corinthians 15:54b,55.

“The angel of the Lord descended. . .his countenance was like lightening, and his raiment white as snow: And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men” vs. 2,3. John describes his encounter with the Lord on Patmos: “and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead” Revelation 1:16b,17. Daniel gives this account: a certain man clothed in linen. . .his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire. . .the men that were with me. . . a great quaking fell upon them so that they fled to hide themselves” Daniel 10:5-8. Compare scripture with scripture. Are these descriptions not of the same Man? What angelic being ever had a face whose brightness was as lightning?

The Transfiguration and the Resurrection. “And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into a high mountain apart. And was transfigured before them; and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light” Matthew 17:1-2. “behold a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold, a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him” vs. 5. “And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead” Matthew 17: 9.

What the women saw was the resurrected Son of God. Before that, The Angel of the Lord descended from heaven and was reunited with His body in resurrection. After the resurrection He is found sitting upon the stone in His glorified body, no longer identified, as He was previously, The Angel of the Lord. He is once again the God/man, glorified by the Father, as He said.

The key to the matter. What if some One would lay some thing into a vault for safe keeping; close the vault; put it under lock and key (there being only one key.) When he returns he finds the vault is unopened: it cannot be opened save by Him who has the key in His possession. “I AM he that liveth, and was dead; and behold, I AM alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death” Revelation 1:18. Who is able to upon the vault? Only He who has the key. Who can take up the possession stored in the vault? Only He who holds the key. The angel of the Lord who rolled back the stone; was he an angel? or was He the angel?

“God hath raised him from the dead!” Yes! But also: “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father” John 10:17-18. His body lay in the tomb. How is He to “take it up?” By rolling back the stone? By resurrecting His own body; by taking up that which He had laid down of His own volition unto Himself? In perfect agreement; the resurrection of Christ and those that are His: “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him” I Thessalonians 4:14.

“will God bring with Him.” Is God to bring about our resurrection; or is Christ? It is both, of course! Those having gone to sleep in Jesus, will return with him to be united with their bodies: not the old body of the flesh; but new bodies - like unto His glorified body! The Lord has the keys of hell and of death. He alone can unlock the vault; He has the power and the authority to take up that which was laid down in death. . .

Let this be firmly fixed in our minds and hearts” Jesus Christ does not only have authority over Resurrection; He said, “I AM the Resurrection!” Well, at the resurrection the “trump shall sound!” Yes! But the trumpeter is not going to open the graves!

Seeing that which is not seen. “And now O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was” John 17:5. This, Jesus prayed before entering Gethsemane. In three days the Father would fulfill that petition. (“The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us. . .” Deuteronomy 29:29.) My dear friend, let take off our shoes for we stand upon holy ground.

Consider the Tabernacle in the wilderness and The Most Holy Place. There was certainly no mention of, neither was there found any place for an angel! The High Priest entered by himself into the presence of God to offer the blood upon the Mercy Seat. (He had no angel to pull back the Veil that he might gain entrance, much less enter with him into the Most Holy to aid in the sprinkling of blood!) In fulfillment of the type, when Christ offered His own blood upon the Mercy Seat before the Father - this was executed strictly between Father and Son: no other need apply!

The resurrection of the body of Christ from the dead? For what purpose now, might an angel be employed? Picture this in your mind: God the Father who was present at the birth of His Son is present at His rebirth or resurrection. God hath raised Him from the dead! Acts 3:5, Acts 4:10, Acts 13:30, Romans 10:9, I Corinthians 15:15, Galatians 1:1, Colossians 2:2, I Thessalonians 1:9, I Peter 1:21.

It is now that God would answer the petition made three days before: “And now O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.” “Behold the risen, glorified Christ! His countenance was like lightning, and His raiment white as snow.”

My dear friend, this was a private gathering of the Triune Godhead: the pinnacle; the consummation; the sealing and witnessing of the Eternal Covenant. God the Father, God the Son, God the Spirit. What other witnesses are required?

The Angel of the Lord, the Son of Resurrection, had rolled away the stone. One might ask: How did He get out of the sepulchre without first removing the stone? I will answer with yet another question: How did He get out of the grave clothes without disturbing their rest?

“And came and rolled back the stone and sat upon it.” The Rock of Ages, sitting upon the stone of Death and Hell: and making it His Throne! Hallelujah! Death? Where is thy sting? Grave? Where is thy victory?

“Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead” Romans 1:3-4.

For further study, read “From the Cross to the Resurrection”, “Gleanings Beyond the Resurrection”, “I AM the Resurrection”, The Resurrection, Looking Inside the Tomb.”

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