2-6 THE PRESENCE OF GOD

The Angels manifesting God, it is to be expected that this phrase should at times refer directly to them:

 

- "Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God (walking in the garden)"- they hid from the Angel (Gen. 3:8). The language implies the Angel searched for them and they met face to face; which must be regarding an Angel.

 

- "Cain went out from the presence of the Lord" (Gen. 4:16)- the Angel cherubim (see later)  keeping the way to the tree of life and officiating at the altar.

 

- "If Thy presence go not with me. . . " Moses reasoned, in his request that an Angel should accompany him (Ex. 33:15 and context).

 

- "Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel" (another Angelic phrase). The Law was given at Sinai by the Angels and it was they who "came down" there to speak with Moses; Ps. 68:18.

 

- Similarly Ps. 97:5 "The hills melted like wax at the presence of the. . . Lord of the whole earth" (land- of Israel; the Angel standing for Israel).

 

- "Tremble, thou earth. . . at the presence of the God of Jacob" (Ps. 114:7)- one of the clearest Angelic phrases.

 

- "The Angel of His presence" (Is. 63:9)- saving the best until last.

 

The root meaning of "Presence" in Hebrew is 'to turn one's face'- and the ideas of faces and turning are closely linked with the Angel-cherubim, as well as with the Angels guarding the way of life in Gen. 3.

 

Exciting homework for the enthusiast lies in the possible Angelic connections of "the presence" in the following: Lev. 22:3; 1 Chron. 16:27,33; 2 Chron. 20:9; Job 1:12; 2:7; 23:15; Ps. 9:3; 16:11; 17:2; 68:2,8; 95:2; 97:5; 100:2; 114:7; 139:7; 140:13; Is. 64:1,2; Jer. 4:26; 5:22; 23:39; 52:3; Ez. 38:20; Jonah 1:3,10; Nahum 1:5; Zeph. 1:7.