United Methodist pastor, professor and author Ben Witherington III writes in
The Living Word of God: Rethinking the Theology of the Bible,
“The Trinity is not really mentioned in the Old Testament. The angel of the Lord is just that - an angel. The angel of the Lord is a special representative or messenger of God to God’s people, and according to the ancient concept of agency, he could be considered to be the Lord who sent them, and was to be treated as if he were the the one who sent them.”
(p. 224)
https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Living_Word_of_God.html?id=xEvXKTG9Mf4C
Remember Mattathias I ask you the following question? Is the angel of the Lord as Genesis 16 who multiplied Hagars descendants the same being who multiplied Abrham's descendants at Genesis 17:1-2? You said, "Maybe" which to me shows your honest enough to admit your not sure. Maybe I can change your mind on that. I say it is the same being/God.
At Genesis 17:1-2 it specifically states, "the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am God Almighty etc." This cannot be the person of God the Father because even according to Jesus Christ the Father cannot be seen. (John 1:18, John 5:37, John 6:46, 1 Timothy6:6). The reason I know that this is a "physical" appearance is from Genesis 17:22, "And when He/God finished talking with him/Abram, God went up from Abraham." Also at Genesis 21:2, "So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time of which GOD HAD SPOKEN TO HIM."
I will sum up Genesis 18 by saying three men appeared to Abraham. Two of the men were actual angels and the other was the Lord. Genesis 1:1, "Now the Lord appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre while he was sitting at the tent door in the heat of the day." Abraham offers the three men food. Then a long discussion ensues where God and Abraham have a dialogue about Sodom and Gomorrah and its destruction. Notice Genesis 18:33, "And as soon as He/the Lord had finished speaking to Abraham the Lord departed; and Abraham returned to his place. At Genesis 19:1 the two angels go on to Sodom and meet up with Lot.
Now comes the good part and the proof I was talking about. It is true, (like it was said above, "he could be considered to be the Lord who sent them, and was to be treated as if he were the the one who sent them.”) This is known as the Jewish Law of Agency. The "Shaliach" principal where a person is known as the agent acting by direction of another, the pricipal. In our case the angel Lord is acting for the principal who is God.
At Genesis 22:1 it says, "that God tested Abraham." At vs10, "And Abraham stretched out his hand, and took th eknife to slay hsi son." Vs11, "But the angel fo the Lord called to him from heaven, and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." Vs12, Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me." Skipping to vs15, "Then the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven, vs16, and said, By Myself I have sworn, declares the Lord because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son,
vs17, "indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens, and as the sand which is on the seashort; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies. Vs18, And in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed becaus you have obeyed My voice."
Now, there are some questions that immediatly pop up? Why does the angel of the Lord call out to Abraham two times from heaven? God Himself called out from heaven at Exodus 20:22, "Then the Lord said to Moses, Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, You yourselves have seen that I have spoken to you from heaven." He also called out from heaven at Mark 1:11, "and a voice came out of the heavens; "Thou are My beloved Son, in Thee I am well-pleased."
What about at Genesis 22:12 where the angel of the Lord says, "and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God." In this case the Lord often speaks in the first person as well as in the third person. The same construction can be found at Job 2:3, "And the Lord said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job? for there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man FEARING GOD, and turning awaay from evil." Or at Numbers 14:28, 1 Samuel 2:30 and others.
So, according to the "Jewish Virtual Library" an agent that represents a principal "CANNOT" swear an oath for the principal. "According to the Tosefta (kid. 4:1), Bet Shammai and Bet Hillel agreed that a person appointed to carry out a specific mandate is DISQUALIFIED from acting as a witness in a case involving such mandate, and the talmudic halakhah was decided accordingly. Moreover, the swearing of an oath or affirmation for another, this act being a personal commitment of conscience.
If you are a witness to a crime you cannot send someone like your Uncle Harry in your place to swear an oath unless he happens to have seen the crime himself. Even if you cannot go to courst yourself the Judge will have someone "depose" you as a witness. Now, here is the final nail in the coffin so to speak. Hebrews 6:13,14,
"For when God made the promise to Abraham, SINCE HE COULD SWEAR BY NO ONE GREATER, HE SWORE BY HIMSELF, vs14, saying, I WILL SURELY BLESS YOU, AND I WILL SURELY MULTIPLY YOU." This proves that the angel of the Lord is God Almighty and not an actual angel. I almost forgot but remember I told you that there is a definition difference between the word "the" and the words, "an/a" The chief grammatical functkion of "an" or "a" is to connote a thing not previously noted or recognized. "The" connotes a thing previously noted or recognized. I'll be happy to address any questions from anybody on these boards.
IN THE ANGEL OF THE LORD,
bluto