Judaism, God as an Angel & Malachi 3:1
According to the Talmud, it was God himself who appeared as the Angel in the pillar of cloud/fire in Exodus 13:21:
Another matter: “Behold, I am sending an angel” – the Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: Had you merited, I, Myself, would have become a messenger for you just as I did for you in the wilderness, as it is stated: “The Lord was going before them by day” (Exodus 13:21). Now that you did not merit, I am passing you to a messenger, as it is stated: “Behold, I am sending an angel.” (Shemot Rabbah 32:2; emphasis mine)
The Talmud further teaches that it was one and the same Angel who appeared all throughout the Pentateuch to the patriarchs and Moses. What makes this all the more remarkable is that it goes so far as to say that Malachi 3:1 is an actual prophecy that this same Angel will appear once again in the future for the purpose of saving Israel!
הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי שֹׁלֵחַ מַלְאָךְ, אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמשֶׁה, מִי שֶׁשָּׁמַר אֶת הָאָבוֹת הוּא יִשְׁמֹר אֶת הַבָּנִים, וְכֵן אַתָּה מוֹצֵא בְּאַבְרָהָם כְּשֶׁבֵּרַךְ אֶת יִצְחָק בְּנוֹ, אָמַר לוֹ (בראשית כד, ז): ה’ אֱלֹהֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם וגו’ הוּא יִשְׁלַח מַלְאָכוֹ לְפָנֶיךָ, וְיַעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ מָה אָמַר לְבָנָיו (בראשית מח, טז): הַמַּלְאָךְ הַגֹּאֵל אֹתִי וגו’ אָמַר לָהֶם הוּא גְאָלַנִי מִיַּד עֵשָׂו, הוּא הִצִּילַנִי מִיַּד לָבָן, הוּא זָנַנִי וּפִרְנְסַנִי בִּשְׁנֵי רְעָבוֹן. אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמשֶׁה אַף עַכְשָׁו מִי שֶׁשָּׁמַר אֶת הָאָבוֹת יִשְׁמֹר אֶת הַבָּנִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי. בְּכָל מָקוֹם שֶׁהַמַּלְאָךְ נִרְאֶה הַשְּׁכִינָה נִרְאֵית, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות ג, ב): וַיֵּרָא מַלְאַךְ ה’ אֵלָיו בְּלַבַּת אֵשׁ, וּמִיָּד (שמות ג, ד): וַיִּקְרָא אֵלָיו אֱלֹהִים, וְלֹא עוֹד אֶלָּא בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁצּוֹעֲקִים יִשְׂרָאֵל לְפָנָיו תָּבוֹא לָהֶם תְּשׁוּעָה, כָּךְ בַּסְּנֶה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות ג, ט): הִנֵּה צַעֲקַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּאָה אֵלַי, וְכֵן בְּגִדְעוֹן (שופטים ו, יא יב): וַיָּבֹא מַלְאָךְ וגו’ וַיֵּרָא אֵלָיו מַלְאַךְ ה’ וגו’ (שופטים ו, יד): וַיֹּאמֶר לֵךְ בְּכֹחֲךָ זֶה וְהוֹשַׁעְתָּ אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְכֵן לֶעָתִיד לָבוֹא בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁיִּגָּלֶה הַגְּאֻלָּה בָּא עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (מלאכי ג, א): הִנְנִי שֹׁלֵחַ מַלְאָכִי וּפִנָּה דֶרֶךְ לְפָנָי.
“Behold, I am sending an angel” (Exodus 23:20) – the Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: The one who protected the patriarchs will protect the descendants. Likewise, you find with Abraham, when he blessed his son Isaac, he said to him: “The Lord, God of the heavens…He will send His angel before you” (Genesis 24:7). Jacob our patriarch, what did he say to his children?
“The angel who redeems me [from all evil]” (Genesis 48:16). He said to them: ‘He redeemed me from Esau, he redeemed me from Laban, he fed me and supported me during the years of famine.’ The Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: ‘Now, too, the one who protected the patriarchs will protect the descendants, as it is stated: “Behold, I am [sending an angel].”’
Every place that an angel is seen, the Divine Presence is seen, as it is stated: “An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire” (Exodus 3:2), and immediately, “God called to him” (Exodus 3:4). Moreover, when Israel cries out before Him, salvation will come to them. So it was at the bush, as it is stated: “Now, behold, the outcry of the children of Israel has come to Me” (Exodus 3:9). Likewise with Gideon, “An angel [of the Lord] came.… The angel of the Lord appeared to him…” (Judges 6:11–12). *Following this, in verse 13, Gideon complains to the angel about Israel’s oppression at the hands of Midian. The midrash will now cite the angel’s response to Gideon. “He said: Go with this strength of yours and save Israel” (Judges 6:14). Likewise, in the future, WHEN HE WILL REVEAL HIMSELF, redemption will come to Israel, as it is stated: “Behold, I am sending My messenger, and he will clear a way before Me” (Malachi 3:1). (Shemot Rabbah 32:9; emphasis mine)
Here is the prophecy from Malachi:
“Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord (ha adon), whom you seek, will suddenly come to HIS temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming,” says Yahweh of hosts.” Malachi 3:1
And here is the English translation of the Greek version, commonly known as the Septuagint (LXX):
“Behold, I send forth my messenger (ton angelon mou), and he shall survey the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come into his temple, even the angel of the covenant (ho angelos tes diathekes), whom ye take pleasure in: behold, he is coming, saith the Lord Almighty.”
The Hebrew phrase which has been translated as “Messenger” is malak, which is the very word commonly translated as angel. The same is the case with the Greek term angelos, which is translated either as angel or messenger.
The reason why this rabbinic interpretation is so remarkable is because the New Testament applies Malachi’s prophecy to John being sent ahead of Jesus in order to herald his coming!
“The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: ‘Behold, I send My messenger ahead of You, Who will prepare Your way;’” Mark 1:1-2
“And when the messengers of John had left, He began to speak to the crowds about John, ‘What did you go out into the wilderness to behold? A reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft garments? Behold, those who are splendidly clothed and live in luxury are found in royal palaces! But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and even more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written, “Behold, I send My messenger ahead of You, Who will prepare Your way before You.”’ Luke 7:24-27
Jesus is, therefore, being identified as the human incarnation of that very same Divine Angel who appeared throughout the OT appeared!
That this prophecy is referring to a fully Divine Person that will appear, and not a mere creature, can be easily proven from the fact that the Angel of the Covenant is said to be THE Lord (ha adon) who is coming to HIS very own Temple. The phrase ha adon is always used in reference to YHWH (Cf. Isa. 1:24; 3:1; 10:16, 33; 19:4; Mic 4:13), and the Temple was built for God alone and not for any man (Cf. 1 Chronicles 29:1).
Hence, the only way that Jesus could be the Lord of the Jerusalem Temple is if he is YHWH Almighty who became a flesh and blood human being.
We, therefore, have an explicit prophecy identifying Jesus as YHWH Almighty since he is the Lord of the Temple and that very Divine Angel of God who appeared to the OT saints and prophets.
Unless stated otherwise, scriptural references taken from Legacy Standard Bible (LSB).
Further Reading
THE RABBIS’ DILEMMA: WORSHIPING GOD’S ANGEL
The Watchtower Society Admits that Jesus is Jehovah God… Sort of!