The Bible is full of angels. From Abraham to Revelation they keep appearing and speaking and doing things. Sometimes people see them. Sometimes they appear in dreams. Sometimes only a voice is heard, and on one famous occasion an angel appeared to a donkey but not at first to the prophet who was riding it.
Among all these “ministering spirits” a couple of angels stand out. Some have names, Michael, Gabriel, and one is called the Angel of the LORD.
The Angel of the LORD quite often seems to be the LORD himself. He speaks to Hagar, appears when Abraham is about to sacrifice Isaac, speaks from the burning bush to Moses, and stops Balaam’s donkey. More cryptically the Angel of the LORD speaks to the Israelites after they have entered the land (Joshua 2) and tells them they have not done as they were told. Zechariah sees a vision of Joshua the High Priest standing before the Angel of the LORD with Satan alongside to accuse him.
The New Testament does not have these appearance of the Angel of the LORD, mainly because God is present in the person of Jesus and afterwards through the Holy Spirit who speaks and acts in ways that sometimes resemble the OT appearances.
What are we to make of this Angel of the LORD? It does appear that many times it is the LORD himself appearing for the benefit of those he speaks to. It reminds us that God dwells with his people and speaks to them personally. When Jacob returned from Laban to meet Esau, he camped where he met a company of angels, at Mahanaim, the camp of God (Gen 32). Where God was (who wrestled with him all night).
David knew he was in the camp of God:
This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. Ps 34:6-7.
We are not in a camp but in the permanent dwelling place of God.
And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. Eph 2:22 (NIV)
Dale