The Angel of the Lord is shrouded in mystery

WHAT IS THE MEANING OF SALVATION?

According to Dorothy Patterson,

The Angel of the Lord is shrouded in mystery. Clearly He is a messenger of the Lord appearing according to divine assignment to deliver God’s Word concerning revelation, deliverance, or judgment.

Many consider this heavenly messenger to be a Christophany or an appearance of the pre-incarnate Christ to human beings who otherwise would not have been able to look upon God and live (see Exodus 33:20).¹

Someone asked about a verse in the Bible that he had noticed. Three angels appeared to Abraham and he thought that one of them had to be God Himself from the sense of the passage. As it turns out he was right, the passage is the one beginning with Genesis 18:1. Although the giving of the Law and the testimony of the Prophets has practical application there is another element that is overlooked about the Bible from time to time. The salvation of the LORD is revealed by the Angel of the LORD in the Old Testament and salvation is a theme that follows from the beginning to the end of the whole counsel of God. The fact that the Watchers and Holy Angels played a significant role in the spiritual life of the Children of Israel is often overlooked because learning the will of God in our lives is important. Having balance in the life of a believer is important, so that the supernatural guidance of angels is not relegated to brief mention and little thought because the practical and theological implications are enough to keep us busy. Their role in the history of the world is often overlooked, but we know that God used them all throughout the history of the world and they are instrumental every step of the way. It seems easy enough to dwell on things of practical application. The healing and wholeness that the LORD brings to each of us is of the utmost importance. His salvation is the central theme of the Bible. Part of the balance is learning of the things of God that are supernatural and viewing them as normative. There can be a tendency to shy away from the miraculous or pay too much attention to it to the detriment of the whole counsel of God. Pretending that supernatural occurrences do not exist and ignoring that part of God, His Kingdom, His Angels, and the things of God or seeing them as remote or in the province of fanatical religious people is not healthy. If we see only enemies about us and wield our Bibles as blunt instruments in an indiscriminant manner or are full of what we have to say about things it is easy to spiritualize passages of scripture and miss what is really there.

Paul wrote to the Colossians imparting his sense of what the balance in our approach to daily life and its spiritual aspects in these matters might be like.

Let no one, then, pass judgment on you in matters of food and drink or with regard to a festival or new moon or sabbath.

These are shadows of things to come; the reality belongs to Christ.

Let no one disqualify you, delighting in self-abasement and worship of angels, taking his stand on visions, inflated without reason by his fleshly mind,

and not holding closely to the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and bonds, achieves the growth that comes from God.

If you died with Christ to the elemental powers of the world, why do you submit to regulations as if you were still living in the world?

"Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!"

Colossians 2:16-21

Our salvation is something that we have an active role in and by fixing our eyes on the LORD our foundation is anchored firmly. Our submission is to the Living God and it is in this context that we seek Him with balance so that Jesus remains arbiter in our hearts. If we seek to do His will and find it appearing in the things that we do the manifestation of His will can be seen by others. Rituals and observances of certain days are encompassed by His will and are to point to Him, having their being in Him, revelations of the reality of Christ that represent the things to come. They are reminders and forms of the things of God to help us recognize Him. If we have seen an angel or a vision, it is to point to Him and what it is that He would have us know. Accepting the things of God in humility we approach God in humility and share that which is from the LORD making sure that He is sovereign over that which He has given. Sometimes we are given things to know for our benefit as a warning and signpost so we may clearly choose in favor of the LORD and avoid something tragic. That does not mean something tragic will happen because it is presented to us but give us the information that we need to avoid a tragic outcome. Reason and intellect can mix together with pride, swelling our minds to the point that we take a stand on something given for our good and turn it into something else. It appears that some seek judgment and forget that God is the God of salvation. As times grow difficult in our lives or in the world around us, our solace and salvation is in God and we may seek Him through Jesus and by His Holy Spirit.

Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.

Philippians 2:12-16

God took time to consider Hagar in the desert and appeared to her. It is easy to read the meaning of the scene in historical terms and make a mental note that it is about the brothers of the Jews, the Arabs. She was kicked out of the camp of Abraham with his son Ishmael and had given up hope of surviving and was ready to die. The Angel of the LORD that appeared to her is Jesus Christ, the second person of the Godhead. She had no hope and He came to give her hope, a blessing, and a promise. Then and there He told her that out of Ishmael would come a nation with descendants in numbers on the order of those of Isaac. Apparently Abraham had not shared this fact with her because the LORD had revealed this to him and he knew it. Consideration of this and other passages that include appearances of the preincarnate Christ are revealing on many levels. First, the salvation of the LORD is demonstrated by the caring love with which He took to deliver people from dire straits. Jesus is Salvation and He appears many times in the Old Testament fully demonstrating the fact that He was before the world began and active in the salvation of all of mankind from the first. His salvation is real, practical, and direct on a one on one basis with people in the Old Testament. Angels are known as messengers and the word translated as "angel" in Hebrew means messenger. The revelation of the knowledge of God is more than the Law and includes His acts in concert with Angels through physical revelation of Jesus Messiah to people.

The push to disengage the Old Testament from the New Testament as being distinct to the point the Old Testament is ignored has been in full swing since the 1960s in the United States. Some churches decided to supply their congregations with only the New Testament. The haggling over Creation versus Darwinian evolution and the fact that the Old Testament has the Ten Commandments in it has not helped to draw people to see what might be learned from the whole counsel of God. The world has plenty of issues with the Bible and different cultures so arrogantly believe that the particular axe that they have to grind supercedes any necessity to read it for understanding on its own merit. Some people want to prove that they are apostles or prophets and have a particular doctrine that deserves special attention. It is true that people can learn from one another and that the body of Christ has ones with particular gifts of different kinds. The point of the Bible is in large measure the revelation of God to us and the salvation that is ours leading to eternal life. Secular life has led many to believe that to have worth in the gathering of those who are His that we must have a great gift or talent to showcase and remain oblivious to the things of God and what God has to say to each of us in the here and now. We do not determine the hierarchy, which gifts that the LORD gives, or even how to be used by the LORD. In our own wisdom we might win a debate over an evolutionist for the "greater good" based on carefully reasoned arguments and many proofs. The LORD wants people drawn to Him, not us. No matter what we do, it is to Jesus that we should look and to Him that we point. We all can be capable of pride, spiritual pride, and narcissism while on some mission that seems good to execute. Whatever good is done for people who are starving or people that are sick, it is all beside the point, God is the point. His revelation to us is the reason the Bible has been carried forth through the millennia and it is for our healing and our accepting the gift of life so others may come to see Him as He Is.

^{18And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was
the priest of the most high God. ¹⁹And he blessed him, and said,
Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: ²⁰And
blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand.
And he gave him tithes of all. ²}

Genesis 14

Genesis 14:18 Melchizedek, whose name means "my king is righteousness," is described as "king of Salem" or "king of peace." Some identify him as king of nearby Jerusalem (see Psalm 76:2). As both priest and king, Melchizedek foreshadowed Christ (Psalm 110:4). Like Abram, Melchizedek worshiped the true God. His description (verse 18), his blessing of Abram (verses 19–20), and his acceptance of a tithe (verse 20) have prompted some to identify this as a Christophany, an appearance of the preincarnate Christ (see Hebrews 7:1–10).³

^{1 The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make
thine enemies thy footstool. ²The LORD shall send the rod of thy
strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. ³Thy
people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of
holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth. ⁴The
LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after
the order of Melchizedek. ⁴}

Psalm 110

^{1For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who
met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; ²To
whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King
of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace; ³Without
father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor
end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually. ⁴Now
consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham
gave the tenth of the spoils.⁵}

Hebrews 7

^{7And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the
wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur. ⁸And he said, Hagar,
Sarai’s maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I
flee from the face of my mistress Sarai. ⁹And the angel of the LORD
said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.
^{10And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed
exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude. ¹¹And the
angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt
bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy
affliction. ¹²And he will be a wild man; his hand will be
against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the
presence of all his brethren. ¹³And she called the name of the LORD
that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked
after him that seeth me? ¹⁴Wherefore the well was called
Beerlahairoi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.⁶}
Genesis 16
^{1And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in
the tent door in the heat of the day; ²And he lift up his eyes and
looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to
meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground.⁷}
Genesis 18

Genesis 18:1 The appearance of the Lord. Abraham took the
covenant-confirming step of circumcision. The three men could well have been God
Himself, in a theophany or Christophany (verses 13, 33), accompanied by two angels
(Genesis 19:1).⁸} ^{1And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of
Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself
with his face toward the ground; ²And he said, Behold now, my lords,
turn in, I pray you, into your servant’s house, and tarry all night, and wash
your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay;
but we will abide in the street all night. ³And he pressed upon them
greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made
them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat. ⁹}

Genesis 19

^{24And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the
breaking of the day. ²⁵And when he saw that he prevailed not against
him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was
out of joint, as he wrestled with him. ²⁶And he said, Let me go, for
the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. ²⁷And
he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. ²⁸And
he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince
hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. ²⁹And
Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he
said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he
blessed him there. ³⁰And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel:
for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved. ³¹And as
he passed over Penuel the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh.¹⁰}

Genesis 32

^{14And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon
Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh’s
head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn. ¹⁵And
he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did
walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day, ¹⁶The
Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named
on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a
multitude in the midst of the earth.¹¹}

Genesis 48

^{1In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a
throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. ²Above
it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face,
and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. ³And
one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts:
the whole earth is full of his glory. ⁴And the posts of the
door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. ¹²}

Isaiah 6

Isaiah 6:1 Isaiah apparently chose first to record the heart of his message and then to present his call to the prophetic ministry. This occurred circa 740 B. C. Isaiah experienced a theophany, i.e., an appearance of God, which is a temporary yet physical manifestation. The chief importance of the theophany is its revelation of God or its unfolding of a divine message, while its physical aspects are merely to enhance and authenticate the revelation. Isaiah did not see the physical form of God (John 1:18; I Timothy 6:16), but he experienced a manifestation of His glory in human form. Unlike a theophany, the "incarnation" was a permanent, visible manifestation of God in Jesus Christ. Other examples of theophanies include the appearances of the Angel of the Lord (Exodus 32:34; 33:14, 15), Moses’ confrontations with the Lord (Exodus 3:2–6; 19:18, 19; 33:23; 34:6, 7), and the visions of Jacob (Genesis 28:12–14; 32:22–30) and Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1:26–28).¹³

^{37But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they
believed not on him: ³⁸That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be
fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath
the arm of the Lord been revealed? ³⁹Therefore they could not
believe, because that Esaias said again, ⁴⁰He hath blinded their
eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes,
nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal
them. ⁴¹These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of
him.¹⁴}

John 12

John 12:41 The passage undoubtedly refers to the magnificent vision of Isaiah (compare with Isaiah 6), but also to the great Suffering Servant prophecy of Isaiah 53 (verse 38). Again the theme is sounded: the Messiah’s glory is revealed in His suffering. Since John declares that Isaiah saw the glory of Jesus, it is certain that this vision was a Christophany, that is, a preincarnate appearance of the living Lord¹⁵

^{26And above the firmament that was over their heads was
the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the
likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above
upon it. ²⁷And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of
fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and
from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance
of fire, and it had brightness round about. ²⁸As the appearance of
the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of
the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of
the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I
heard a voice of one that spake. ¹⁶}

Ezekiel 1

^{1And an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and 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. ²And
ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down
their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this? ³Wherefore
I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as
thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you. ⁴And
it came to pass, when the angel of the LORD spake these words unto all the
children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept. ⁵And
they called the name of that place Bochim: and they sacrificed there unto the
LORD.¹⁷}

Judges 2

^{11And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which was
in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon
threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites. ¹²And
the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is
with thee, thou mighty man of valour. ¹³And Gideon said unto him, Oh
my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be
all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us
up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the
hands of the Midianites. ¹⁴And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go
in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites:
have not I sent thee? ¹⁵And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith
shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am
the least in my father’s house. ¹⁶And the LORD said unto him,
Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man. ¹⁷And
he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then shew me a sign
that thou talkest with me. ¹⁸Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I
come unto thee, and bring forth my present, and set it before thee. And
he said, I will tarry until thou come again. ¹⁹And Gideon went in,
and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour: the flesh he
put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out unto
him under the oak, and presented it. ²⁰And the angel of God
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. ²¹Then 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. Then the angel of the LORD departed
out of his sight. ²²And when Gideon perceived that he was an
angel of the LORD, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord GOD! for because I have seen an
angel of the LORD face to face. ²³And the LORD said unto him, Peace be
unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die. ²⁴Then Gideon built an altar
there unto the LORD, and called it Jehovahshalom: unto this day it is yet
in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
^{25And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Take
thy father’s young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, and
throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is
by it: ²⁶And build an altar unto the LORD thy God upon the top of
this rock, in the ordered place, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt
sacrifice with the wood of the grove which thou shalt cut down. ²⁷Then
Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the LORD had said unto him: and so
it was, because he feared his father’s household, and the men of the city,
that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night. ²⁸And
when the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal
was cast down, and the grove was cut down that was by it, and the second
bullock was offered upon the altar that was built. ²⁹And they
said one to another, Who hath done this thing? And when they enquired and asked,
they said, Gideon the son of Joash hath done this thing. ³⁰Then the
men of the city said unto Joash, Bring out thy son, that he may die: because he
hath cast down the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the grove that was
by it. ³¹And Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will ye
plead for Baal? will ye save him? he that will plead for him, let him be put to
death whilst it is yet morning: if he be a god, let him plead for
himself, because one hath cast down his altar. ³²Therefore on
that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal plead against him, because he
hath thrown down his altar. ¹⁸}
Judges 6
^{3And the angel of the LORD appeared unto the woman, and said unto her,
Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceive,
and bear a son. ⁴Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not
wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing: ⁵For,
lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head:
for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to
deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines. ¹⁹}
Judges 13
^{24And the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson: and the child
grew, and the LORD blessed him. ²⁵And the Spirit of the LORD began to
move him at times in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.²⁰

Judges 13

^{5Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man
clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz: ⁶His
body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of
lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in
colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a
multitude. ⁷And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for the men that were
with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they
fled to hide themselves. ²¹}
Daniel 10
Christ Jesus and Moses

Exodus 6:1. The Lord said unto Moses. Statements such as this must
indicate some type of direct revelation, either by voice or complete
Christophany. God reassured Moses with Now shalt thou see what I will do to
Pharaoh. God had made no mistakes.

Exodus 6:2–4. I am the Lord, or Jehovah. God here announced that
the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had known Him with relation to His
mighty greatness indicated by the phrase God Almighty (Heb El
Shaddai). They had not known the riches of God as Jehovah, the
name now to be associated with God’s activity in keeping His covenant
with Abraham. This is not to say that they did not know the name of Yahweh
(thought by many to be the original pronunciation of the name, Jehovah); but
they would now come to know the benefits of that name as Israel’s
covenant-keeping God. See Laird Harris, "The Pronunciation of the
Tetragram," in J. Skilton (editor), The Law and the Prophets,
pp. 215–225. God’s gracious loving-kindness would be manifested to them
through a powerful deliverance.²²}
^{1Then the LORD said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to
Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand
shall he drive them out of his land. ²And God spake unto Moses, and
said unto him, I am the LORD: ³And I appeared unto Abraham,
unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name
JEHOVAH was I not known to them. ⁴And I have also established my
covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their
pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers. ⁵And I have also heard the
groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I
have remembered my covenant. ⁶Wherefore say unto the children of
Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of
the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you
with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments: ⁷And I will take
you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am
the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the
Egyptians. ⁸And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the
which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give
it you for an heritage: I am the LORD. ⁹And Moses spake so
unto the children of Israel: but they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of
spirit, and for cruel bondage. ²³}
Exodus 6:1-9

Exodus 6:9–11. A covenant meal followed the sacrifices, participated in
by Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel.
They ascended the mountain before dining. Twice it says they saw God; and
His feet are mentioned, apparently indicating a Christophany, but accompanied by
such glory, splendor, and brightness that the figure was enshrouded in
magnificence that primarily shielded Him from their view. Upon the nobles …
he laid not his hand means they were not slain, even though they saw the
God of Israel. ²⁴}^{9Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the
elders of Israel: ¹⁰And they saw the God of Israel: and there was
under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the
body of heaven in his clearness. ¹¹And upon the nobles of the
children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and
drink.
^{12And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be
there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I
have written; that thou mayest teach them. ¹³And Moses rose up, and
his minister Joshua: and Moses went up into the mount of God. ¹⁴And
he said unto the elders, Tarry ye here for us, until we come again unto you:
and, behold, Aaron and Hur are with you: if any man have any matters to
do, let him come unto them. ¹⁵And Moses went up into the mount, and a
cloud covered the mount. ¹⁶And the glory of the LORD abode upon mount
Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto
Moses out of the midst of the cloud. ¹⁷And the sight of the glory of
the LORD was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of
the children of Israel. ¹⁸And Moses went into the midst of the cloud,
and gat him up into the mount: and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty
nights.²⁵}
Exodus 24
¹⁸And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory. ¹⁹And
he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the
name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious,
and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy. ²⁰And he said, Thou
canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live. ²¹And
the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon
a rock: ²²And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that
I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I
pass by: ²³And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back
parts: but my face shall not be seen.²⁶
Exodus 33
^{1And the LORD said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of
stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words
that were in the first tables, which thou brakest. ²And be ready in
the morning, and come up in the morning unto mount Sinai, and present thyself
there to me in the top of the mount. ³And no man shall come up with
thee, neither let any man be seen throughout all the mount; neither let the
flocks nor herds feed before that mount. ⁴And he hewed two tables of
stone like unto the first; and Moses rose up early in the morning, and went up
unto mount Sinai, as the LORD had commanded him, and took in his hand the two
tables of stone.
^{5And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and
proclaimed the name of the LORD. ⁶And the LORD passed by before him,
and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering,
and abundant in goodness and truth, ⁷Keeping mercy for thousands,
forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the
guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the
children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation. ⁸And
Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped. ⁹And
he said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray
thee, go among us; for it is a stiffnecked people; and pardon our
iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance.²⁶
Exodus 34

Exodus 33:18–23. But Moses desired a further, fuller knowledge of God
and so requested show me thy glory. What follows is an account of God
coming down in the form of a man to appear gloriously and visibly before Moses.
But the glory and splendor were so great that God had to shield Moses’ view
with His hand, so that Moses would not see the fuller essence of God’s
glory as it shone from His face and would only see God’s back parts.
The Christophany was to occur upon Mount Sinai the next day.

Exodus 34:1–4. These verses form a parenthesis in the midst of the
account of the Christophany (appearance of Christ). Moses is to meet God again
upon the mountain (verse 2), alone (verse 3), and with two tables of stone like
unto the first (verse 4). God again would give a copy of the Ten Commandments.

Exodus 34:5–7. And the Lord descended … and stood (literally,
planted Himself), … and … passed by before him. God, the second
person of the Trinity, came down and walked before Moses, though shrouded in a
glorious brightness such as He had during the transfiguration (Matthew 17:2). Moses
also learned something of God’s attributes especially His mercy and
forgiveness, as well as His holiness, righteousness, and judgment.

Exodus 34:8–9. As a result, Moses bowed his head toward the earth,
and worshiped before the Lord. God was personally present as He communicated
verbally to Moses.²⁷

Zechariah 8–11. These verses present the details of the
vision. The prophet saw all eight of the visions by night. He was not dreaming,
but rather was in some kind of a trance in which the information was presented
to him and he remained fully alert. What he saw was:

(1) A man
riding upon a red horse;
(2) who stood among the myrtle trees;
(3) in the
bottom; and
(4) behind him were there red horses, speckled, and white
(verse 8).

Accompanying the scene was an interpreting angel whom he addresses as my lord
and describes as the angel that talked with me. Other than this, the angel is
not introduced; he is merely a functionary who describes his purpose in the
words I will show thee what these be (verse 9). The interpreting angel, however,
does not speak further. The explanation is given by the man that stood among the
myrtle trees who explained, These are they whom the Lord hath sent to walk to
and fro through the earth (vs. 10). In verse 8 it was revealed that there were
horses behind the man riding upon a red horse. Nothing was said about any other
riders. Verse 11, however, reveals that the other horses also had riders; for
they report to the man riding upon a red horse (here revealed to be none other
than the angel of the Lord): We have walked to and fro through the earth, and,
behold, all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest (vs. 11).
Before proceeding further, the following observations need to be made:
the man riding upon a red horse (verse 8), identified as the angel of the Lord
(verse 11), is a Christophany—a preincarnate appearance of the Second Person of
the Trinity, the Son of God²⁸
⁸I saw by night, and behold a man riding upon a red horse, and he
stood among the myrtle trees that were in the bottom; and behind him were
there red horses, speckled, and white. ⁹Then said I, O my lord,
what are these? And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will
shew thee what these be. ¹⁰And the man that stood among the
myrtle trees answered and said, These are they whom the LORD hath sent to
walk to and fro through the earth. ¹¹And they answered the angel of
the LORD that stood among the myrtle trees, and said, We have walked to and fro
through the earth, and, behold, all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest. ¹²Then
the angel of the LORD answered and said, O 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? ¹³And the LORD answered
the angel that talked with me with good words and comfortable
words. ¹⁴So the angel that communed with me said unto me, Cry thou,
saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion
with a great jealousy. ¹⁵And I am very sore displeased with the
heathen that are at ease: for I was but a little displeased, and they
helped forward the affliction. ¹⁶Therefore thus saith the LORD; I am
returned to Jerusalem with mercies: my house shall be built in it, saith the
LORD of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem. ¹⁷Cry
yet, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; My cities through prosperity shall
yet be spread abroad; and the LORD shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose
Jerusalem.²⁹
Zechariah 1

DAMASCUS ROAD

Armed with official papers from the High Priest, Saul set out
for Damascus to bring back the refugees from Jerusalem and Judaea who had fled
by dint of persecution. He almost made it to the captital of the Syrian Empire
when one of the most phenomenal events recorded anywhere on the pages of history
occurred. Although it was midday (compare with Acts 22:6; 26:13), a light shined out of heaven
that completely engulfed the light of the sun. So awesome was this light that
Saul fell to the ground recognizing his inferiority to the One generating the
light. In addition, he heard a voice, a phenomenon the rabbis call "the
daughter of the voice (of God)."³⁰
^{1 Now Saul, still breathing murderous threats against the disciples of
the Lord, went to the high priest
^{2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, that, if he
should find any men or women who belonged to the Way, he might bring them back
to Jerusalem in chains.
^{3 On his journey, as he was nearing Damascus, a light from the sky
suddenly flashed around him.
^{4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul,
Saul, why are you persecuting me?"
^{5 He said, "Who are you, sir?" The reply came, "I am
Jesus, whom you are persecuting.
^{6 Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must
do."
^{7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, for they heard
the voice but could see no one.
^{8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see
nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him to Damascus.
^{9 For three days he was unable to see, and he neither ate nor drank.
^{10 There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias, and the Lord said to
him in a vision, "Ananias." He answered, "Here I am, Lord."
^{11 The Lord said to him, "Get up and go to the street called
Straight and ask at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is
there praying,
^{12 and (in a vision) he has seen a man named Ananias come in and lay
(his) hands on him, that he may regain his sight."
^{13 But Ananias replied, "Lord, I have heard from many sources
about this man, what evil things he has done to your holy ones in Jerusalem.
^{14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to imprison all who
call upon your name."
^{15 But the Lord said to him, "Go, for this man is a chosen
instrument of mine to carry my name before Gentiles, kings, and Israelites,
^{16 and I will show him what he will have to suffer for my name."
^{17 So Ananias went and entered the house; laying his hands on him, he
said, "Saul, my brother, the Lord has sent me, Jesus who appeared to you on
the way by which you came, that you may regain your sight and be filled with the
holy Spirit."
^{18 Immediately things like scales fell from his eyes and he regained
his sight. He got up and was baptized,
^{19 and when he had eaten, he recovered his strength. He stayed some
days with the disciples in Damascus,
^{20 and he began at once to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, that he is
the Son of God.
^{21 All who heard him were astounded and said, "Is not this the man
who in Jerusalem ravaged those who call upon this name, and came here expressly
to take them back in chains to the chief priests?"
^{22 But Saul grew all the stronger and confounded (the) Jews who lived
in Damascus, proving that this is the Messiah.³¹

In his letter to the Galatians, Paul insists that
his gospel was not taught to him by the apostles or any other human being. Prior
to his conversion Paul had received the best theological education available in
his day. However, the gospel came to him directly from God (Acts 9:1–22).
Subsequent to his conversion and baptism, Paul departed to Arabia (Galatians 1:7). It
was probably during this time that a Christological understanding of the Old
Testament, as well as the meaning of what had happened to him when he was
confronted by Jesus on the Damascus Road, was revealed to him. God removed the
veil from his eyes and revealed certain truths to Paul directly. Since this
revelation proceeded directly from God, it was completely trustworthy. At least
a portion of these truths which God revealed to Paul has been preserved for the
churches in his writings in the Bible. Although the personality of the apostle
is certainly seen in his 13 epistles, the message is infallible and inerrant
because it is God’s Word.³²

1Dorothy Kelley Patterson, general editor; Rhonda Harrington Kelley, managing
editor, Woman’s study Bible [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library
System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, ©1995.
2The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.
3Dorothy Kelley Patterson, general editor; Rhonda Harrington Kelley, managing
editor, Woman’s study Bible [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library
System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, ©1995.
4The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.
5The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.
6The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.
7The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.
8Dorothy Kelley Patterson, general editor; Rhonda Harrington Kelley, managing
editor, Woman’s study Bible [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library
System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, ©1995.
9The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.
10The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.
11The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.
2The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.
3W.A. Criswell, Believer’s study Bible [computer file], electronic ed. ,
Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, ©1991 by the
Criswell Center for Biblical Studies.
14The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.
15W. A. Criswell, Believer’s study Bible [computer file], electronic ed.
, Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, ©1991 by the
Criswell Center for Biblical Studies.
16The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.
17The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.
18The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.
19The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.
20The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.
21The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.
22Jerry Falwell, executive editor; Edward E. Hinson and Michael Kroll
Woodrow, general editors, KJV Bible commentary [computer file], electronic
ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, ©1994.
23The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.
24Jerry Falwell, executive editor; Edward E. Hinson and Michael Kroll
Woodrow, general editors, KJV Bible commentary [computer file], electronic
ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, ©1994.
25The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.
26The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.
27Jerry Falwell, executive editor; Edward E. Hinson and Michael Kroll
Woodrow, general editors, KJV Bible commentary [computer file], electronic
ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, ©1994.
28Jerry Falwell, executive editor; Edward E. Hinson and Michael Kroll
Woodrow, general editors, KJV Bible commentary [computer file], electronic
ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, ©1994.
29The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.
30Jerry Falwell, executive editor; Edward E. Hinson and Michael Kroll
Woodrow, general editors, KJV Bible commentary [computer file], electronic
ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, ©1994.
³¹The Holy Bible, The New American Bible,
(Nashville, Tennessee: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine) 1997.
32Jerry Falwell, executive editor; Edward E. Hinson and Michael Kroll
Woodrow, general editors, KJV Bible commentary [computer file], electronic
ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, ©1994.}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}