The word angel literally means “messenger.” Although there is a sense in which Jesus could be seen as God’s ultimate “Messenger,” He was not an angel. Jesus was the Son of God incarnate. He created the angels.

Angels are ministering spirits sent forth to serve those who will inherit salvation (Hebrews 1:14). These “sons of god” appear regularly throughout the patriarchal age of the Old Testament (see Job 38:7; Genesis 6:1–4; 19:1–22; 24:7, 40). They appear to Moses (Exodus 3:1–2; 14:19) and to Israel (Numbers 22:22–35; Joshua 5:13–15). They are seen during the time of the judges (Judges 5:23; 6:11–24), during the time of the kings (1 Kings 19:5–7; Isaiah 37:36), and during the Babylonian captivity (Ezekiel 1; Daniel 3:28). They figure into the visions of Zechariah and are mentioned in the songs of Israel (e.g., Psalm 8:5; 34:7; 78:25; 91:11).

Pertinent to the question of whether Jesus was an angel is a curious distinction made in the Old Testament. Whereas an angel is often introduced as “an angel” of the Lord, a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ Himself, or a Christophany, is introduced by the phrase “the Angel of the Lord.” A few examples of a Christophany or theophany are as follows:

Most people miss the glory of Christ in the Old Testament because they miss that He’s been revealing Himself throughout history. But His appearances as “the Angel of the Lord” do not make Him a typical angel. Scripture speaks altogether differently about Jesus than it does about angels. For example, in Hebrews 1:3 the author writes,

Notice three things in this verse. First, Jesus is the “exact imprint” of God’s being. We get the idea of photography, stamps, and carvings from the Greek concept of an “imprint.” Jesus is set apart from any other being as He represents God with exactitude. Those who have seen Jesus have seen the Father (John 14:9). Second, the author declares that Jesus is the sole sacrifice provided for the forgiveness of sins. The accomplished task of perfectly displaying God’s likeness and perfectly paying for human vice is never attributed to an angel. Third, Jesus sits at the right hand of God. The declaration makes Jesus more than an angel because the right hand of God is a place of honor, power, and authority (Psalm 74:11; 110:1).

Jesus isn’t an angel, as the author of Hebrews makes explicit as he continues: “The Son is far greater than the angels, just as the name God gave him is greater than their names” (Hebrews 1:4, NLT). The text goes on to offer proof of Jesus’ superiority and divine nature: