Hope and Prophecy

Who Is the Angel of the Lord?

The “Angel of the LORD” appears throughout the Old Testament and sometimes speaks and acts with God's own authority. In several passages, the distinction between the Angel and God is mysterious.

Published 2026-09-13 · Updated 2026-09-27

Written and reviewed by the Word Oasis Editorial Team. Read our editorial policy.

0 views
Bible StudyFaith

Biblical explanation

In , “the angel of the LORD” appears to Moses in the burning bush. Yet the passage then says: “God called unto him out of the midst of the bush” (). The Angel speaks as God: “I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” (). Other passages show the Angel of the LORD acting as God's messenger and protector. provides another striking example. Manoah asks the Angel's name, and the Angel responds: “Why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it is secret?” (). Manoah then says: “We have seen God” (). Some Christians understand these appearances as pre-incarnate appearances of Christ. Scripture provides strong reasons for that interpretation in certain passages, but it does not explicitly say in every occurrence that the Angel of the LORD is Jesus.

In brief

In , “the angel of the LORD” appears to Moses in the burning bush.

Bible references

Go deeper into this topic Can We Trust the Bible? Start the study

Editorial note

This answer is written and reviewed by the Word Oasis Editorial Team, and is presented with supporting references so you can examine each passage in context. If you notice an error or unclear statement, please suggest a correction.