The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible

by Michael S. Heiser

THE ANGEL OF YAHWEH The heart-wrenching story of Genesis 22, where Abraham was prepared to sacrifice his covenant son Isaac, is our next stop. It’s something of a transitional passage. We’ve seen that Abraham has had several encounters with Yahweh. The expression used to convey the visible, physical nature of those encounters has, to this point, been “the word of Yahweh.” Genesis 22 marks a shift in the language for a visible Yahweh figure to the “Angel of Yahweh.” Although the Angel of Yahweh appears earlier than Genesis 22 (Gen 16:7–11; 21:17), this particularly appearance begins to blur the identities of Yahweh and his angel. Genesis 22:1–9 relates how Abraham has taken Isaac, at the bizarre command of Yahweh, to Mount Moriah to offer his son as a burnt offering. We pick up the story in verse 10. 10 And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. 11 And the angel of Yahweh called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham! Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 12 And he said, “Do not stretch out your hand against the boy; do not do anything to him. For now I know that you are one who fears God, since you have not withheld your son, your only child, from me.”