Bible Connections 37: Angel of the Lord

At the bush, the angel of the Lord appears in flame - and then God calls to Moses out of the bush. The angel was apparently visible; if he had not been, it would make little sense for the writer to mention him at all. The language tightly identifies the angel of Yahweh and Yahweh.
Judges does the same. Manoah asks the visitor his name and is refused - why do you ask my name, seeing it is wonderful. When the figure ascends in the flame, Manoah says to his wife: we shall surely die, for we have seen Elohim.
Three different Israelites in three different centuries interpret their encounter with the Angel the same way. That is not confusion. It is a pattern being laid down.
Scripture links:
- Exodus 3:2-6 - the angel in the flame, and God calling from the bush.
- Judges 13:17-22 - the withheld name, and Manoah's reaction.
By the time God appears in a body in the Gospels, the Old Testament has been preparing readers for centuries.