One God Report 55) Pre-incarnate Appearances of the Son of God in the OT: Truth or Myth, PART 2, with Troy Salinger
In this second episode we continue to discuss the claim that Jesus the Son of God made pre-incarnate appearances in the Old Testament period. We focus in this episode on the angel of the LORD.
No New Testament author claimed that Jesus made pre-incarnate appearances as the angel of the Lord. The claim begins in the AD 2nd century, with Justin Martyr being the first one on record to make such a claim.
Why is it that the angel (or Messenger) of Yahweh in the Old Testament is sometimes clearly said to be an angel, but then at other times actually seems to be Yahweh God? Is Jesus the angel of the Lord who is distinct from the Father but is someone still God?
Salinger first shows that the angel of the Lord is by no means always the same person or being in every case the angel/messenger appears. In fact, there are human beings in the Old Testament who are specifically called the angel(s) of the Lord.
Salinger explains that the key to understanding the passages about the angel of the Lord being distinct from Yahweh but sometimes speaking in the 1st person as Yahweh, or whose works are attributed to Yahweh, is AGENCY. The angel/messenger carries the authority and resources of God who sent him. God is considered to be personally present in the presence of the messenger He sent.
Some examples of agency, where the agent is considered to be the one who sent him, are given from both the Old and New Testaments.
There is no need for mysterious speculation about an angel who both is and isn’t God.
Resource links for this episode:
Salinger article: Pre-incarnate appearances in the OT: Truth or Myth Part 1