The Judeo-Christian Scriptures often mention the angel of the Lord. In the earliest passages in the Bible, this is often simply a phrase referring to the presence of God. At other times, the angel of the Lord is a specific angel, such as Michael, Metatron, or Gabriel.

In the Old Testament the term angel of the Lord or angel of God appears in such accounts as Genesis 22, the sacrifice of Isaac; Exodus 3 when Moses is faced with the burning bush; and Numbers 22, the story of Balaam. In the New Testament, Herod is struck down by the angel of the Lord in Acts 12:23, where, in this case, the angel could be construed as an angel of death.

REFERENCES:

• Davidson, Gustav. A Dictionary of Angels: Including the Fallen Angels. 1967. Reprint. New York: Free Press, 1971.
• Ronner, John. Know Your Angels: The Angel Almanac with Biographies of 100 Prominent Angels in Legend and Folklore, and Much More. Murfreesboro, Tenn.: Mamre Press, 1993.

SOURCE:

Angels A to Z 2nd Edition – Written by Evelyn Dorothy Oliver & James R. Lewis – Copyright © 2008 by Visible Ink Press