Topics The Character of Yahweh

We are told in Genesis 16:7 that someone addressed as the angel of Yahweh found the woman Hagar by a fountain of water in the wilderness:

“And the angel of Yahweh found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur,” Genesis 16:7.

This angel of Yahweh engages her in a conversation with Him in verses 8 to 12 where this angel is referred to as the angel of Yahweh three more times:

“And 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. And the angel of Yahweh said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands. And the angel of Yahweh said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude. And the angel of Yahweh said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because Yahweh hath heard thy affliction. And 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,” Genesis 16:8-12.

We find in verse 13 that she knew exactly who this angel of Yahweh is by the proper name Yahweh and the title name אֵלֶיהָ Eleha of our heavenly father she uses to address Him:

“And she called the name of Yahweh that spake unto her, Thou Eleha seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?” –Genesis 16:13

This is just the first of a number of instances in the Old Testament where the phrase the angel of Yahweh is mentioned in reference to a certain and that only angel who is directly addressed by the same proper name and title names His father Yahweh our Elohim in the heavens is self named and referred to.


The Word Angel

We should first establish, before proceeding any further, as to what is meant by the word angel. The word angel is the English shortened transliteration of the Greek word ἄγγελος ángelos, ang'-el-os. It is Greek word number 32 in Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible where we’re told that it comes “from ἀγγέλλω angéllō (probably derived from 71; compare 34) (to bring tidings); a messenger; especially an "angel"; by implication, a pastor.” It is transliterated in the King James Version of the New Testament as angel (179x) and translated as messenger (7x).

Looking at where English translators have retained the word angel (111x) in the Old Testament from the Greek translation, the Hebrew word is #4397 מַלְאָךְ mălʼâk, mal-awk'; from an unused root meaning to despatch as a deputy; a messenger; specifically, of [Elohim], i.e. an angel (also a prophet, priest or teacher). The words used in the Old Testament to translate this Hebrew word are messenger (98x), ambassadors (4x) and kings (1x).

So the phrase the angel of Yahweh using the Greek word angel or the mălʼâk of Yahweh using the Hebrew word mălʼâk, simply means the messenger of Yahweh, the ambassador of Yahweh or the representative of Yahweh which is used in relation to both non-human beings in the invisible spirit world and to human beings in the visible physical world. According to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, both the Greek word angel and the Hebrew word mălʼâk are also applicable to a pastor, a prophet, a priest or a teacher. Even to physical ruling heads of governments and countries on earth. In the King James Version of the New Testament where English translators have retained the Greek word angel in reference to each of the Bishops/Elders/Pastors of the seven assemblies mentioned in Revelation chapters two and three, is testimony to humans also being referred to as angels in the Bible. In the case of the phrase the angel of Yahweh used in the Bible, especially in the Old Testament, it is used on a number of occasions directly in reference to a created individual living in the invisible spirit world that a number of times we see in the text of Scripture being named with our heavenly father’s proper masculine name Yahweh and also with His title masculine names including Elohim as, Yahweh Elohim.


Who One among These Three Appearing To Be Men Were

Genesis chapter 18 is probably first where a mentioning of a group of individuals from the invisible spirit world making an appearance to someone on earth. Just soon after we begin reading this chapter, we’re finding out that a particular member of that visiting group to Abraham is being referred to as Yahweh. This particular individual in this group of appearing to be men just had to be the one who on a number of occasions in Scripture, is referred to as the angel of Yahweh. We are to learn later as we continue to read that it is indeed an angel in the three appearing to be men visitors to Abraham who has a proper name which is the same as our heavenly father’s proper name Yahweh.

We’re told in verse 1 that it is Yahweh who appeared to Abraham in the plains of Mamre. Abraham in verse 2 lifts up his eyes and notices three men standing at a certain distance from him. Recognizing them, he ran to meet them and prostrated himself before them. We see later down in this chapter that the one among the three appearing to be men engaging in a conversation with Abraham is that Yahweh in verse 1 who in chapter 19 verse 24 is the same Yahweh who did the raining down of brimstone and fire upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah from the Yahweh who always remains in heaven and no man has ever seen nor heard His voice (John 5:37). Two celestial, spirit individuals carrying the same proper name Yahweh at work in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, one who is an angel of the other and the supreme, creating angel who also has the power to destroy on a given order.

“Then Yahweh rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from Yahweh out of heaven,” Genesis 19:24.


Who is Such an Angel Appearing as a Flame of Fire

Let’s now move across to Moses’ direct encounter with the angel of Yahweh under such strange circumstance for the first time at a burning bush in Exodus 3:1-2:

“Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of Elohim, even to Horeb. And the angel of Yahweh appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. ”

By the time we arrive to verse 4, this angel of Yahweh appearing in the form of a flame of fire we are told is Yahweh Elohim, who identifies Himself to Moses as the Elohim of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in verse 6:

“And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. And when Yahweh saw that he turned aside to see, Elohim called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. Moreover he said, I am the Elohim of thy father, the Elohim of Abraham, the Elohim of Isaac, and the Elohim of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon Elohim,” verses 3-6.

Commissioning Moses to Egypt with the task to bring out the children of Israel from the oppressing brutality they’re being subjected to in that country, he Moses needed to know from this angel of Yahweh by what name he is to identify this speaking flame of fire identifying Himself as the Elohim of their forefathers who’ve sent Him Moses to them the children of Israel.

“And Moses said unto Elohim, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The Elohim of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? ” –verse 13

In reply, this speaking flame of fire identifying Himself as the Elohim of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob first explains concerning Himself that I AM THAT I AM and then goes on to say to Moses to say to the children of Israel that it is I AM that has sent him Moses to them.

“And Elohim said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you,” verse 14.

As a matter of fact He says to Moses in verse 15, making clear to him what His proper name and His title name of majestic supremacy is:

“...Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, Yahweh Elohim of your fathers, the Elohim of Abraham, the Elohim of Isaac, and the Elohim of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.”


The Jews Who Hearing, Didn’t Believe

Where we find a repeating of this same phrase I AM with the same heavenly majestic tone of voice, as He inclusively described Himself back then, is in the New Testament from the mouth of Yahshua our Saviour telling the Jews in the form of a human being that He has been in existence before deceased Abraham’s lifetime.

“Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? Yahshua said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am,” John 8:56-58.

What this is telling us is that, the same one who was the angel of Yahweh speaking from that flame of fire in the bush to Moses as I AM and carrying Yahweh as His proper name in the Old Testament just as our heavenly father Yahweh, is exactly that same flaming fire angel of Yahweh who came or was sent to earth as a human being through a virgin birth for the saving of humanity. Therefore, truly, He existed in heaven with His father, from everlasting; long before He had ignited not only Abraham but the entire universe into existence.

“Yahweh possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth: While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth: When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep: When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth: Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him; Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men,” Proverbs 8:22-31.

“In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible Elohim, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist,” Colossians 1:14-17.

Informing the Jews that I AM have been His nature of existence before deceased Abraham existed, they just couldn’t understand this first time breaking news from Him as a human being that He was that celestial flaming fire angel (ambassador, messenger, representative) of Yahweh they have been reading about in the Sacred Scriptures and, at that time, is even right there among them on an angelic mission on earth as Yahshua to bring eternal salvation into effect for mankind through His death, burial and resurrection. And so, they picked up stones to stone Him, on hearing this sort of a claim from Him a human being.

“Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Yahshua hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by,” John 8:59.

In the same way some do today not understand and would even refuse to accept that Yahshua our Saviour was and is still the angel named with His heavenly father’s same proper name Yahweh in which He had come in the flesh, as reflected in the contracted/abbreviated/shortened/poetic form Yah (Psalm 68:4 KJV) that we see is heavenly incorporated as the first syllable of His saving proper name Yahshua (Luke 1:30-33; Matthew 1:18-21), meaning Yahweh saves, Yahweh delivers, Yahweh is salvation. In our Saviour’s case, the proper name of His father Yahweh in heaven in which our Saviour represents Him on heavenly missions as His deputizing big boss ruling angel, has always been the name by which He is addressed, including the saving (shua) mission on which He was humanly sent to earth being also represented in His saving proper name Yah-shua.

“I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive,” John 5:43.

Just as He had the power as an angel back in the Old Testament times to forgive or not to forgive sin just as His father in heaven, it is still no different with Him up till this day even when He walked this earth as the Son of man.

“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. But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries. For mine Angel shall go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: and I will cut them off,” Exodus 23:20-23.

“And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four. And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay. When Yahshua saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee. But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but Elohim only? And immediately when Yahshua perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts? Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house. And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified Elohim, saying, We never saw it on this fashion,” Mark 2:3-12.

Gesenius’ Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon notes concerning angel that it is a messenger who is sent, which falls in total harmony with our Saviour’s repeated testimony to His listening audience that He is sent, which, in reality, is telling them that He’s an angel (ambassador, messenger, representative) by way of being sent.

“The Spirit of Yahweh is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the good news to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,” Luke 4:18.

“And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of Elohim to other cities also: for therefore am I sent,” Luke 4:43.

Not believing into refuting that Yahshua our Saviour, the only begotten Son of Yahweh, is an angel and the chief and creating one at that, could be technically similar to denying that He was sent, based on the fact that angels are literally ambassadors, messengers, representatives who are sent as was our Saviour to this earth in the form of a human being through a virgin birth.

And so, by carefully studying the Sacred Scriptures in all practicality with the understanding in the spirit, we sure can find ourselves not being like the Jews who hearing, didn’t understand nor believed the Sacred Scriptures that Yahshua our redeeming Saviour is truly the created and creating head angel (ambassador, messenger, representative) of Yahweh from everlasting down to their day and forevermore.


Augustus Paul Andrew
25 Emergency Housing Scheme
Balisier Lane, Bath Estate, Roseau
Commonwealth of Dominica
(767) 245-8369/316-1525
AugustusPaulAndrew@yahoo.com
www.facebook.com/BarakYahweh
August 2017 (Elul 5778)

The Way of Yahweh (Article) In the Bible, the way to God is described as a journey, a path leading to a destination.

What kind of relationship did Moses have with Yahweh? (Article) When Deuteronomy 5 is read very carefully, an interesting perspective about the relationship between YHWH and Moses is revealed.

The Nature of God (Article) The Hebraic perspective of God is a balance within the attributes of God.