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Jesus' pre-incarnate ministry has two aspects as it relates to mankind:
First, His activity prior to and during the creation. John, in the
passage quoted earlier and here again, proclaims that creation exists
because of the work of Jesus:
John 1:1-4 – In the beginning was
the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He
was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him,
and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life,
and the life was the light of men.
Peter not only asserts that Jesus was "planned" since
before creation:
1 Peter 1:18-20 – Knowing that you
were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold,
from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers,
19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish
and without spot. 20 He indeed was foreordained before the foundation
of the world…
But goes on to say that when we place our faith in Jesus we place
our faith in God Himself:
1 Peter 1:20-21 – …but was
manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe in
God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your
faith and hope are in God.
Second, His activity after creation and before His incarnation.
Fifty-two times in the Old Testament (NKJV) reference is made to
"the Angel of the Lord." Many commentators agree that
the Angel of the Lord is a pre-incarnate manifestation of Jesus
Christ for the Angel appears to have power and authority beyond
what is normally ascribed to the messengers of God. Some examples
of this authority are:
1) The Angel of the Lord allows Himself
to be worshipped when all other instances of man worshipping angels
is emphatically discouraged
Judges 13:17-22 – Then Manoah said
to the Angel of the LORD, "What is Your name, that when Your
words come to pass we may honor You?" 18 And the Angel of the
LORD said to him, "Why do you ask My name, seeing it is wonderful?"
19 So Manoah took the young goat with the grain offering, and offered
it upon the rock to the LORD. And He did a wondrous thing while
Manoah and his wife looked on— 20 it happened as the flame
went up toward heaven from the altar—the Angel of the LORD
ascended in the flame of the altar! When Manoah and his wife saw
this, they fell on their faces to the ground. 21 When the Angel
of the LORD appeared no more to Manoah and his wife, then Manoah
knew that He was the Angel of the LORD. 22 And Manoah said to his
wife, "We shall surely die, because we have seen God!"
Revelation 22:6-9 – Then he said
to me, "These words are faithful and true." And the Lord
God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the
things which must shortly take place. 7 "Behold, I am coming
quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this
book." 8 Now I, John, saw and heard these things. And when
I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel
who showed me these things. 9 Then he said to me, "See that
you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren
the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship
God."
2) The Angel of the Lord forgave sins
Exodus 23:20-21 – "Behold,
I send an Angel before you to keep you in the way and to bring you
into the place which I have prepared. 21 "Beware of Him and
obey His voice; do not provoke Him, for He will not pardon your
transgressions; for My name is in Him."
3) The Angel of the Lord acted as an independent agent having authority
both bestowed upon Him by God and also inherent within Himself
Genesis 21:17-19 – And God heard
the voice of the lad. Then the angel of God called to Hagar out
of heaven, and said to her, "What ails you, Hagar? Fear not,
for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is. 18 "Arise,
lift up the lad and hold him with your hand, for I will make him
a great nation." 19 Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a
well of water.
Genesis 22:9-18 – Then they came
to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar
there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and
laid him on the altar, upon the wood. 10 And Abraham stretched out
his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 ¶ But the Angel
of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!"
So he said, "Here I am." 12 And He said, "Do not
lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know
that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only
son, from Me." 13 Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked,
and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns.
So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt
offering instead of his son. 14 And Abraham called the name of the
place, The-LORD-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, "In
the Mount of The LORD it shall be provided." 15 ¶ Then
the Angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time out of heaven,
16 and said: "By Myself I have sworn, says the LORD, because
you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only
son — 17 "blessing I will bless you, and multiplying
I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and
as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall
possess the gate of their enemies. 18 "In your seed all the
nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My
voice."
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