The Angel of the Lord: A Biblical, Historical, and Theological Study
A book review of a biblical and historical theology of the Angel of the Lord which argues the Angel of the LORD is the pre-incarnate Christ.

Introduction
The Angel of the Lord: A Biblical, Historical, and Theological Study was authored by Matt Foreman and Doug Van Dorn and published by Waters of Creation in 2020. Foreman received his M.A.R. at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia and has been the pastor at Faith Reformed Baptist Church since 2003. Van Dorn received his M.Div. from Denver Seminary and has served as the founding pastor of Reformed Baptist Church of Northern Colorado since 2001. With their significant theological training and pastoral experience, both authors were suited to write this comprehensive study on the Old Testament figure called the Angel of the Lord.
Summary
The purposes of this book are to show “that the role of the Angel of the Lord is more prominent and pronounced than many have realized” and that “an understanding of the role of the Angel of the Lord is crucial for understanding the Old Testament and the trajectory of God’s revelation in the whole Bible” (xiv). The authors argue that the Angel of the Lord is the pre-incarnate Christ and, therefore, “the most important and central figure in the Old Testament, the most frequent way God is revealed, and appears way more often than most people realize” (2).
The book is meticulously organized into four parts. Part one presents a comprehensive biblical theology of the Angel of the Lord, backed by a thorough exegetical study of the Old and New Testaments. Part two delves into the historical theology of the Angel, exploring the history of interpretation from ancient Jews to the modern day. Part three offers several implications the biblical and historical theology should have on systematic and practical theology. Part four consists of appendices on various topics related to the Angel of the Lord, ensuring every aspect is explored.
In the book’s introduction, three foundation Old Testament passages are cited to introduce the storyline of the Angel of the Lord. In Exodus 23:20–33, God promises to send the Israelites an angel to guide and guard them. This angel is given authority to pardon sin and is called “Yahweh your God” (Ex 23:25). In Judges 2:1–5, the Angel of the Lord speaks as “both the God of Israel and the Angel of the Covenant” (8). In Malachi 3:1, God promised to send two messengers (the Hebrew word is malak, which is usually translated as “angel”). The first messenger is identified in the New Testament as John the Baptist. The second messenger is called Adonai (“Lord”) and “the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight.” The authors identify this second messenger as the same Divine Angel found in Exodus 23 and Judges 2.
Part one, the biblical theology of the Angel of the Lord, consists of fifteen chapters and most of the book’s content. The first five chapters spotlight the Angel in the Pentateuch. Chapter 1 begins with the first formal appearance of the Angel of the Lord when He appears to Hagar in Genesis 16 and 21. Chapter 2 recounts the Angel appearing to Abraham in Genesis 22 and asserts that He also appears as “the word of the LORD” in Genesis 15:1. Chapter 3 argues that the “man” Jacob wrestles in Genesis 32 is the Angel who also appears as the fourth man in the furnace in Daniel 3. Chapter 4 summarizes the Angel appearing to Moses in Exodus 3 and 14, showing that “the angel of God is also just called Yahweh” (64). Chapter 5 examines Exodus 33 where Moses sees the Angel, also called “the face (paneh) of God.”
The subsequent seven chapters review the Angel of the Lord in the Prophets and the Writings. In chapter 6, the authors affirm that the Angel is called “the commander of the army of the LORD” when He appears to Joshua in Joshua 5:13–15. Chapter 7 reviews the Angel’s appearances with Gideon (Judges 6) and Manoah’s wife (Judges 13). Chapter 8 builds upon the notion that “the word of the LORD” is another title for the Angel and follows its usage in 1 Samuel 3, Jeremiah 1, and 1 Kings 19. Chapter 9 highlights the Angel as an intercessor in Job 33 and Zechariah 3:1–5. Chapter 10 identifies the Angel as “the glory (shekinah) of the LORD” in Ezekiel 1 and Isaiah 6. Chapter 11 presents the Angel as the leader of the heavenly, divine council, a concept that “is not well-known outside of OT scholarship” (152). Chapter 12 identifies the Angel as the Shepherd in Psalm 23.
The next three chapters review the biblical theology of the Angel in the New Testament. The authors concede that in the New Testament, Jesus is rarely identified as “the Angel of the Lord.” Chapter 13 surveys how Jesus connected Himself with the Old Testament in the Gospel of John. Chapter 14 focuses on the Transfiguration recorded in the Synoptic Gospels and how it parallels His pre-incarnate appearances in Daniel and his post-resurrection body in Revelation. In Chapter 15, the final chapter of part one, the authors address three problem passages (Acts 7:52–53, Gal 3:19, and Heb 2:2–3) commonly cited that raise questions about the thesis that the Angel of the Lord is Christ Jesus.
Part two gives a historical theology of the Angel of the Lord. Chapter 16 unpacks the history of the Jewish interpretation of the Angel of the Lord. By investigating the writings by Philo, the Targums, and the writings of Jewish rabbis, the authors argue that some Jews did adopt a form of “binitarian Jewish theology” (239) and believe there are “Two Powers in Heaven” (247). Chapter 17 provides a chronological list of Church Fathers who see the Angel as Christ. It also curates a few pertinent quotations by the Church Fathers. Chapter 18 reviews the Protestant Reformers, Puritans, and modern theologians who affirm the “Angel-Christ interpretation.” Special attention is given to John Owen and Peter Felix, and quotations are cited by Martin Luther, Jonathan Edwards, B.B. Warfield, Herman Bavinck, Geerhardus Vos, J. I. Packer, and R. C. Sproul.
Part three, consisting of two chapters, explains how the Angel as Christ is relevant today. Chapter 19 shows how the Angel of the Lord touches upon various loci of systematic theology (theology proper, Christology, and soteriology). The doctrine of the Angel of the Lord affects one’s understanding of theophanies, anthropomorphism, the Trinity, Christ’s incarnation, the cosmic aspect of Christ’s work of salvation, and the interaction between heaven and earth. Chapter 20 covers how the Angel of the Lord applies to Christians practically. By seeing the Divine Angel as the Son of God, one gains a deeper understanding of the Bible and how to communicate and defend the person of Jesus Christ. It also affects his relationship with and personal worship of Christ Jesus.
Part four consists of seven appendices. The first appendix discusses the possibility that in Chronicles 21:1, “Satan,” without a definite article, may refer to the Angel. The second appendix uncovers evidence that some Church Fathers see “the LORD” as the Angel of the Lord in Genesis 19:24. The third appendix interacts with Andrew Malone, who dismisses “the Angel of the Lord” as God the Son in his book Knowing Jesus in the Old Testament? The fourth appendix gives a biography of ancient sources. The fifth appendix reviews the biblical data on whether Michael and Melchizedek are proper names for the Son of God before the incarnation. The sixth appendix is an English translation of a third-century letter that narrates how the early churches understood the Angel as Christ. The seventh appendix contains charts of the Old Testament titles for the Angel of the Lord and their parallels in the New Testament.
Evaluation
The Angel of the Lord succeeds in helping its readers understand the meaning and significance of the Divine Angel found in the Old Testament. The structure of the book is well thought out. The comprehensive biblical theology of the Angel is the most important component and comprises most of the book in part one. The next most important subject, how ancient Jews and church history viewed the angel, encompasses part two. Many theological books fail to connect the dots between propositional truth and application, but this book draws practical implications to systematic and practical theology in part three.
The Old Testament biblical theology of the Divine Angel in the book’s introduction and part one is excellent. The Hebrew term מַלְאַ֣ךְ יְהוָ֔ה, translated as “the Angel of the LORD,” is used 58 times in the Old Testament. Nearly every occurrence is referenced and addressed. They include the Angel’s encounter with Hagar (Gen 16), Abraham (Gen 22), Moses (Ex 3), Balaam (Num 22), the sons of Israel (Judg 2), Gideon (Jgs 6), Manoah (Jgs 13), David (2 Sam 24), Elijah (1 Kgs 19; 2 Kgs 1), the Assyrian camp (2 Kgs 19; Is 37), Zechariah (Zec 1), and Joshua the high priest (Zec 3). The authors assert that these appearances are Christophanies, the physical appearances of the pre-incarnate second person of the Trinity.
Every occurrence of מַלְאַ֣ךְ יְהוָ֔ה is referenced in The Angel of the Lord except three (Hg 1:13; Zec 12:8; Mal 2:7). In Zechariah 12:8, a natural reading of the verse would suggest that “the angel of the LORD” is referencing God. The other two occurrences of מַלְאַ֣ךְ יְהוָ֔ה are not used as a title of the Divine Angel. Haggai 1:13 identifies the prophet as “the messenger of the LORD.” In Malachi 2:7, an ordinary priest is identified as “the messenger of the LORD” to emphasize God’s delegated authority to the priest. In both instances, the Bible translators (ESV, NIV, NASB, NLT) translate מַלְאַ֣ךְ יְהוָ֔ה with “messenger of the LORD” instead of “Angel of the LORD” which indicates the Hebrew term מַלְאַ֣ךְ יְהוָ֔ה can be used for an ordinary man of God who functions as a prophet or priest and not the Divine Angel.
In part one, the authors do not limit their attention to the title “Angel of the LORD.” They broaden their thesis by arguing that the pre-incarnate Christ appears in many other parts of the Old Testament under different names. This expanded discussion begins in Chapter 2 concerning Abraham. The authors suggest that “the word of the LORD” in Genesis 15:1 is another divine title of the pre-incarnate Christ, and it “is a foundational verse in the OT for John’s subsequent theology of the logos” (40). The identification of “the word of the LORD” as the second person of the Trinity is repeatedly applied to the passages in 1 Samuel 3, Jeremiah 1, and 1 Kings 19. While this suggestion is interesting, the biblical evidence that Genesis 15:1 describes a Christophany seems scant, for no evidence in church history is cited that supports this novel hypothesis. Historical theology reveals orthodox exegetical options, and none is provided.
Chapter 3 offers a helpful summary of Christ’s appearance to Jacob as a ladder (Gen 28), the “angel of God” (Gen 31), and the unnamed man whom Jacob wrestled with (Gen 32). Jesus affirms His appearance in the form of Jacob’s ladder in John 1:51. The title “angel of God” is attributed to the Divine Angel earlier in Genesis 21:17. There is consensus in Church history that the unnamed man whom Jacob wrestled is God. These three examples substantiate the notion that Christ’s pre-incarnate appearances are not limited to the given title “Angel of the LORD,” and they strengthen the case that when Jacob calls the coming Messiah “the angel who has redeemed me from all evil” (Gen 48:16), he is using the Angel’s abbreviated title.
Some of the other terms identified as synonyms for the “Angel of the LORD” include the face or presence (paneh) of God, the commander of the hosts, the man of war, God’s right hand, the arm of the Lord, the glory of the Lord, head of the “divine council,” and the shepherd. In church history, some of these terms have been identified as Christophanies, like the “commander of the army of the LORD” in Joshua 5. However, many of these proposals appear unsubstantiated without precedent in church history. Hence, while these terms may appear to be titles of God, the task of restricting these titles to the second person of the Trinity is dubious.
This book's unexpected yet intriguing part is the discussion on “binitarian Jewish theology” and how it supports the case that the Jews saw the Angel of the Lord as the pre-incarnate Christ. In the Targums (Aramaic paraphrases of the Hebrew Old Testament), the Aramaic word Memra (meaning word like the Greek word logos) has been viewed by some Jews as a divine person. One Targum says, “And the Lord regretted in his Memra that he had made man on earth, and he debated in his Memra about them” (Gen 6:6 TgPsJon). Citing M.J. Edwards, the authors state, “The Memra has a place above the angels as that agent of the Deity who sustains the course of nature and personifies the Law” (246). This suggests that the Jews were “not monolithic regarding divine personhood.” Establishing that some Jews interpreted passages like Exodus 23:20–23 and Daniel 7:9 as evidence of two divine figures in heaven supports the possibility that original readers of the Old Testament could have accepted the Angel of the Lord as a second person of the Triune God.
The summary table of Church Fathers and Reformers that affirm the Angel of the Lord as the Christ is helpful. Besides Augustine and Thomas Aquinas, one can readily appreciate that most pre-Nicene, post-Nicene, medieval, and post-Reformation theologians affirm the Christological view of the Angel of the Lord. Some of the most substantial quotations from church history are meticulously curated, adding detail to what has been written in centuries past. There is also a list of references so readers can go directly to the primary sources for further research and investigation.
The final chapter that addresses practical implications and applications to the doctrine of the Angel of the Lord effectively closes the book. In particular, the authors suggest that this doctrine can apply to pre-evangelism and apologetic witness to Jews, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Mormons. Properly understood, this doctrine also makes the revealed God in the Old Testament more personal. It sheds more light on the presence and activity of the pre-incarnate Christ in the Old Testament. Moreover, it helps readers grasp and understand more fully what Jesus likely did when He interpreted to the two men on the road to Emmaus “the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures” (Lk 24:27b). Michael Barrett’s book, Beginning at Moses: A Guide to Finding Christ in the Old Testament, merely proposes a methodology to find Christ in the Old Testament. The Angel of the Lord applies the methods and shows Christ to its readers through its exhaustive biblical theology of the Angel.
Conclusion
Overall, The Angel of the Lord is a well-written, well-researched biblical and historical theology on the Old Testament figure called the Angel of the Lord. Matt Foreman and Doug Van Dorn should be commended for writing a full-length book devoted to an exhaustive study of the Angel. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It has enhanced my understanding of the presence and activity of the second person of the Triune God from Genesis to Malachi. While I was not persuaded that titles like “The Word of the LORD” should be on equal footing with “The Angel of the LORD,” it does not diminish the profound clarity this book has fostered in my understanding of the Old Testament. I recommend this book to any Christian who desires to know Christ more through a deeper understanding of His Word.