The angel that bore the name of God

When the Israelites were released from their slavery in Egypt and started their journey back to the land of promise, it was the angel of God who led the tribes of Israel (Exodus 14:19). Arriving at Mount Sinai some months later, the congregation of two million people gathered at the foot of the “holy” mountain (where Moses had seen the angel in the burning bush) and were terrified by the manifestation of divine power in the thunder and lightning, smoke, fire and earthquake. Moses was called up to Sinai to meet with God’s representative in all his glory, and the tables of stone with the famous ten commandments were “written with the finger of God”. A rebellion by the Israelites during his absence almost brought about the breaking of the covenant that God made with this nation; but Moses interceded and pleaded with the Lord God to lead the people, personally, on their journey to Canaan. The Lord replied that He would not go in person, but:

“Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name is in him.” (Exodus 23:20,21)

The angel of God’s “presence”

Observe the authority given to this angel! God had put His name into the messenger; the angel would guard them on the journey, but he must be obeyed or he would punish them. Yet the Lord Himself would “not go up in the midst of thee” but would allow His “presence” to be with them (Exodus 33:3,14). The divine power, glory and authority would be wholly vested in this angel. It does not mean that the angel would be seen by the people, but the evidence of his presence would be there in the pillar of cloud in the daytime and the pillar of fire that would be over the tabernacle at night. If they had “eyes to see” they would know that he was there, looking after their interests. Moses and the High Priest would be able to get closer than anyone else. But none of the people, only the High Priest on one day in the year (the Day of Atonement) was able to experience the brilliant glory which resided between the wings of the gold “cherubim” over the ark in the Most Holy Place in the tabernacle.

The cherubim are first mentioned when Adam and Eve were driven from Eden. They guarded the way to the tree of life (Genesis 3:24), and were modelled in gold on the Ark to represent God’s protection and care.

Again, when Moses on Mount Sinai desired to see the face of God Himself he was not permitted to do so, only to witness the glory of the Lord passing by: “Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live” (Exodus 33:20). John, in the New Testament, confirmed this when he wrote, “No man hath seen God at any time” (John 1:18). The angels therefore brought divine information to men and women, which they could not otherwise receive because of God’s holiness and man’s sinfulness.

Angels with names

Only occasionally are the angels given names. “Michael”, for instance, was “the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people (Israel)” (Daniel 12:1). Undoubtedly, among the most significant of angelic appearances were those by the angel whose name was “Gabriel”. He was sent twice to the prophet Daniel. On the second occasion Daniel was at prayer, and Gabriel, “being caused to fly swiftly, touched me … and talked with me” and proceeded to prophesy the date of the first coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ (Daniel 9:21-27). There was therefore great expectation among the Jews at the time when Jesus Christ was about to be born, and this was heightened by the personal appearance of Gabriel again, firstly to Zacharias the priest while on duty in the temple, and then to Mary, who was betrothed to Joseph. To Zacharias, the angel announced, “I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee” (Luke 1:19). We notice that angels can stand in the glorious presence of the Lord, whereas men cannot, and angels are sent to do whatever God wishes. His mission here was to announce the miraculous birth of John the Baptist.

Six months later, Gabriel appeared to Mary, who was in the royal line of King David. Her prayer, said the angel, had found favour with God, and she would be the mother of the expected Messiah. Gabriel told her that she would conceive through the power of the Holy Spirit and her son would be Jesus, the Saviour, and he would be the Son of God and would occupy the royal throne of David (Luke 1:26-33). It was an extraordinary meeting because Mary was not yet married. Nothing is impossible with God! Joseph, her husband-to-be, also received angelic messages advising him what steps to take in this unique situation.

When Jesus came to be born in Bethlehem, the birth was the signal for a glorious witness of divine approval, seen by shepherds:

“An angel of the Lord (could this have been Gabriel?) appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, ‘Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord’ … And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased!’” (Luke 2:9-14, RSV)

In this majestic event we observe first the specialised work of the one angel, appearing in the divine glory; secondly, the enormous numbers of his colleagues who are involved in the fulfilment of the promise – all, in unison, proclaiming the glory of the supreme God; and thirdly, the proclamation of the Gospel of the coming kingdom of God on earth, and peace among “them that fear him” and “who tremble at his word”. It was an exciting confirmation of how the Almighty God conveys His purpose through His messengers.

When Jesus grew up he was ever conscious of the part that angels played in his life. We read that at the end of his lonely six-weeks trial in the Judaean wilderness, when he was very hungry and suffering from the stress of his temptations, and needed support and company, “angels came and ministered unto him” (Matthew 4:11). Again, in the Garden of Gethsemane, the angel was there, a personal companion with whom Jesus could commune and share his feelings. When even his closest disciples could not bear the pressures of the situation, the angel was a friend indeed!

The angels in world affairs

When Jesus prayed, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven”, he was testifying to the efficiency of the angels’ work in the universe. It is they who, with the power generated by God, keep the stars and planets in precise order. When Christ is here again, the arrangements on earth will be like that. Meantime, as Daniel said, “The Most High rules in the kingdoms of men” (Daniel 4:17), and uses his servant-angels to bring about His will among the nations. They bear His characteristics: they are, for example, His “eyes”. An angel once described his fellow angels to the prophet Zechariah as, “they whom the Lord has sent to patrol the earth … the eyes of the Lord, which range through the whole earth” (Zechariah 1:10; 4:10, RSV). “Eyes” seems a fitting description, when these messengers are out on patrol!

Angels at the second coming of Christ

Powerful as they are, the angels do not know everything. For example, their knowledge of the precise time when Jesus will come back is limited, for Jesus said, “Of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only” (Matthew 24:36). But it is certain that they are going to be greatly involved with the events of his second coming and the setting up of the kingdom of God. Theirs will not be a passive role. Their tremendous energy and ability will be much in evidence when:

“The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ … when he shall come to be glorified in his saints.” (2 Thessalonians 1:7-10)

“The tribes of the earth shall mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” (Matthew 24:30,31)

The heavenly aides will be there with Jesus when the dead are raised:

“For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first …” (1 Thessalonians 4:16, RSV)

They will be present, as witnesses, at the great judgement, when the Son of man will confess those who confess him, “before the angels of God” (Luke 12:8). They are the “reapers” of the harvest when “the Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity” (Matthew 13:39-41).