Matthew 1:23 - Immanuel Means "God is With Us"

"Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son. They shall call his name Immanuel;" which is, being interpreted, "God with us." -- Matthew 1:23, World English Bible version

See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name Him Immanuel , which is translated "God is with us." -- Matthew 1:23, Holman Christian Standard Bible version 

Matthew quotes Isaiah and states that Jesus would be called "Immanuel", "God with us". (Matthew 1:23; Isaiah 7:14; 8:8) As both Biblical Hebrew and Biblical Greek do not always show copulative verbs (such as "is", "am", "are", etc.), so in the name Immauel, there is no verb, but usually such names are presented as a sentence with a copulative verb.

But is this names supposed to mean that Jesus is Jehovah? Such is reading into this an extra-Biblical concept. Jehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Exodus 3:14,15), who spoke through the prophets of old, is identified as being only one person in Hebrews 1:1,2. It is doubtful that anyone would even think such a thing from this titular name if it were not for a prevailing theory that Jesus was actually an incarnation of Jehovah himself. The scripture does not say, as many would wish it to say, that Jesus is God with us; rather it says "they shall call his name Immanuel, which is, being interpreted, 'God is with us.' " We should note that the Messiah's personal name as given to him by his Father is "Jesus" (Yahshua), not Immanuel. Immanuel is a titular "name," not his personal name. The name "Immanuel" is to be understood in the light of Acts 10:38; "How God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him." The scripture does not say that Jesus was God Almighty in the flesh, but that God Almighty was with Jesus, thus "God" who was with Jesus is being spoken of as one person; Jesus is not God Almighty who was with him. In other words, "God" in Acts 10:38 is only one person, and He is distinguished from being Jesus, whom He anointed, in agreement with Isaiah 61:1,2 and Micah 5:4.

If one chooses to use the logic of those who wish to read the scripture as saying that Jesus was God Almighty in the flesh, then consider the name "Jehu". The "Je" part of this name is a short form of the name "Jehovah". "Hu" is the third person, masculine pronoun meaning "he". Thus, in Hebrew, this name means "He Jehovah", or with the copulative verb added, "He is Jehovah" or "Jehovah is He." "Does that mean the man who bore the name Jehu is, in reality, Jehovah? Likewise, with the name Eliathath, which means "God has come". Are we to think that the man who bore the name Eliathath is God Almighty because of the name given to him? Other names could also be cited that could be interpreted in some manner that would make the bearer of the name Jehovah if one were to follow the same logic as many would apply to the name "Immanuel" in Matthew 1:23. God, being with Jesus, is with his people through Jesus. Having the titular name Immanuel, signifying that God is with his people, does not mean that Jesus is God Almighty.

By this titular name Jesus' office as Jehovah's representative is indicated -- Jesus comes in the name of and speaks on behalf of his God, Jehovah (Deuteronomy 18:15-19; Matthew 23:39; Mark 11:9,10; Luke 13:35; John 3:2,17,32-35; 4:34; 5:19,30,36,43; 6:57; 7:16,28; 8:26,28,38; 10:25; 12:49,50; 14:10; 15:15; 17:8,26; 20:17; Acts 2:22,34-36; Romans 15:6; 2 Corinthians 1:3; 8:6; 11:31; Colossians 1:3,15; 2:9-12; Hebrews 1:1-3; Revelation 1:1); this view is corroborated absolutely by the Apostle Paul, who after quoting from Old Testament prophecies and pointing to their fulfilment in the destroying of Adamic death during the Millennium says -- "Thanks be unto God who giveth us the victory [deliverance -- triumph] through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 15:57) As such a representative Jesus is the proof that God is on our side, that God will deliver his church and that God will deliver the world of mankind by him.

The following scriptures, taken from the King James Version of the Bible, give examples of this usage (The Holy Name, Jehovah, supplied by us at the appropriate places where it appears in the Hebrew):

Exodus 10:10: And he said unto them, Let [Jehovah] be so with you, as I will let you go, and your little ones: look to it; for evil is before you.

Deuteronomy 20:4 For [Jehovah] your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.

Numbers 14:9: Only rebel not ye against [Jehovah], neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and [Jehovah] is with us: fear them not.

Numbers 14:43: For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and ye shall fall by the sword: because ye are turned away from [Jehovah], therefore [Jehovah] will not be with you.

Judges 6:13: And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if [Jehovah] be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not [Jehovah] bring us up from Egypt? but now [Jehovah] hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.

Ruth 2:4: And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, [Jehovah] be with you. And they answered him, [Jehovah] bless thee.

1 Chronicles 22:17,18: David also commanded all the princes of Israel to help Solomon his son, saying, Is not [Jehovah] your God with you? and hath he not given you rest on every side? for he hath given the inhabitants of the land into mine hand; and the land is subdued before [Jehovah], and before his people.

2 Chronicles 13:12: And, behold, God himself is with us for our captain, and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against the [Jehovah] God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper.

2 Chronicles 15:2: And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; [Jehovah] is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.

2 Chronicles 20:17: Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of [Jehovah] with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for [Jehovah] will be with you.

2 Chronicles 32:8: With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is [Jehovah] our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

2 Kings 8:57: [Jehovah] our God be with us, as he was with our fathers: let him not leave us, nor forsake us:

Isaiah 8:10: Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us.

Psalm 46:7: [Jehovah] of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

Psalm 46:11: [Jehovah] of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

Jeremiah 42:11: Be not afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom ye are afraid; be not afraid of him, saith [Jehovah]: for I am with you to save you, and to deliver you from his hand.

Amos 5:14: Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so [Jehovah], the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken.

Haggai 1:13: Then spake Haggai [Jehovah]'s messenger in [Jehovah]'s message unto the people, saying, I am with you, saith [Jehovah].

Haggai 2:4: Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith [Jehovah]; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith [Jehovah], and work: for I am with you, saith [Jehovah] of hosts:

Philippians 4:9: Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

2 Thessalonians 3:16: Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.

The following are the words of P. L. Read, taken from Herald of Christ's Kingdom, November/December, 1997
http://www.heraldmag.org/1997/97nd_9.htm - words in brackets are added by us.

This is the great message of the New Testament to the church, and eventually to the world: Emmanuel, God with us. God was with his ancient people, and spoke to them often and unmistakably by the mouth of his angels and his prophets. He was there in the burning bush, in the Shekinah of the tabernacle, and in the pillar of cloud and fire, as well as in the angel of Jehovah, whom many believe was the pre-human Logos. But he came into new and closer relationship when he sent his Son, and when the mighty Logos became flesh. Jesus Christ was "God made manifest in the flesh (1 Tim. 3:16); he was so true and accurate a manifestation of God, so at one with the Father (in purpose and in spirit-not in person [or being]) that he could truthfully say, "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father" (John 14:9). This was a fulfillment of the prophecy, "God with us," indeed-it was the fulfillment before which the earlier one fades into relative insignificance.

"God is with us" in the life of the church, for Jesus laid its foundations in his blood, and became himself its cornerstone, and the bishop of our souls. "God is with us" in our personal experiences, or Christ Jesus is our brother and Savior, our refuge under the consciousness of sin, our strength in temptation, a very present help in trouble. Therefore with the psalmist we say, "We will not fear," whatever may be our present lot, and whatever may befall us. "God is with us" under our present burden and in the unknown events of the future. "God is with us" in life, in death, in time, and in eternity.

God is with us as represented in Jesus similar to the way God was with the faithful ones of old.

Something else we might note is that Isaiah's prophecy possibly had its first fulfillment in one of Isaiah's son, and, of course, Isaiah's son was not Jehovah. Note the following:

In the Old Testament God's presence with his people Israel was particularly evident in the tabernacle (Exod 25:8), but the glory that filled the tabernacle was surpassed by the personal presence of God the Son as he revealed the Father during his ministry on earth. Christ's glory was revealed through the miracles he performed (John 2:11).

The birth of Immanuel to the virgin Mary fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14, the sign given to Ahaz about seven hundred years earlier. At that time the wicked Ahaz ignored Isaiah's advice and appealed to the king of Assyria for help in a political crisis. Both the context of Isaiah 7 and the use of "Immanuel" two more times in chapter 8 (vv. 8, 10) raise the distinct possibility that the sign had a near fulfillment that affected Ahaz directly. Such a possibility is supported by the two verses immediately after 7:14 that tell us that the boy will still be young when Ahaz's enemies-the kings of Samaria and Damascus-will lose their power (a prediction fulfilled in 732 b.c.). The birth of a boy who would serve as a sign to Ahaz appears to be closely linked to the birth of Isaiah's son Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz in 8:1-4. Both Immanuel in 7:15-16 and Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz in 8:4 are young children when Damascus and Samaria collapse. And in 8:8 the two boys may be identified as Isaiah addresses Immanuel as if he were already present in Jerusalem. Verse 10 contains another occurrence of "Immanuel" in the words "God is with us." The prophet was challenging Ahaz to trust God, who was "with" his people just as he had promised to be with them constantly. In Numbers 14:9 Joshua and Caleb had urged the Israelites to acknowledge that the Lord was with them and to begin the conquest of Canaan, but just like Ahaz the people chose the path of unbelief with its tragic consequences. An earlier king of Judah, Abijah, believed that God was with his people as they faced the numerically superior army of Jeroboam. Abijah's faith was honored as the Lord gave him a resounding victory (2 Chron 13:12-15). 

 If "Immanuel" was another name for Isaiah's son, the use of "virgin" for Isaiah's wife refers to the time when she was his fiance. The sign of Isaiah 7:14 constitutes a blessing on an upcoming marriage, predicting that a virgin who was engaged to be married would be able to have a child early in the marriage. Unlike Mary she was not a virgin after she became pregnant. It is likely that Isaiah's marriage to a prophetess is in fact briefly described in 8:1-3. Matthew's use of this verse was extraordinarily appropriate in light of Mary's unique virginity and the incarnation of Jesus, who was God in the flesh. Matthew ends his Gospel with Jesus' own assurance to his disciples that he was Immanuel: "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (28:20).

Elwell, Walter A. (Editor). "Entry for 'Immanuel'". "Evangelical Dictionary of Theology".
https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionaries/bakers-evangelical-dictionary/immanuel.html.
1997.

Of course, we do not agree with the above description of Jesus as "God the Son", but we quote this only to show that the name Immanuel should not be understood to mean that the bearer of the name is God Almighty. There is therefore no reason to believe that the titular name, Immanuel, meaning "God with us," should be understood to mean that Jesus is God Almighty.

See Also

Isaiah 7:14 – Immanuel – God with Us

Matthew 1:23 - Does This Mean That Jesus is God?

Related:

Biblical Names that End with EL

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Zechariah 3:2 - Does Jehovah Ask Jehovah to Rebuke Satan?

Zechariah 3:1-2 - And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of Jehovah, and Satan standing at his right hand to be his adversary.[2] And Jehovah said unto Satan, Jehovah rebuke thee, O Satan; yea, Jehovah that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? -- American Standard Version.

 Deuteronomy 6:4 - Hear, O Israel: Jehovah our God is one Jehovah. -- American Standard Version.

Zechariah 3:2 is sometimes quoted as proof that Jesus is called "Jehovah" and therefore it is claimed that Jesus is a person of the trinitarian concept of three persons in God. Of course, there is nothing all here that presents any concept that the one Jehovah is more than one person, or that He is three persons, etc. Such concepts have to imagined, assumed, added to, and read into what is stated.

As it reads in the translation above, it would appear that there are two different Jehovahs, one Jehovah who speaks of another Jehovah, and that one Jehovah calls upon another Jehovah to rebuke Satan. There cannot actually be two Jehovahs, since Deuteronomy 6:4 tells that the God of Israel is only one Jehovah. We could simply leave the matter as it is without any explanation, or we could use our reasoning to come to a logical conclusion.

Many would imagine, assume, add to, and read into what is stated that the angel of Jehovah here is Jesus, who supposedly speaks to Satan and says, "Jehovah rebuke you." Some trinitarians have claimed that "Jehovah" in this context is God the Father, and they claim that the the angel is God the Son, thus it is claimed that two persons of the trinity are spoken of here.

We should first point out that the above viewpoints are more eisegesis than exegesis, for they read into the verse that the angel of Jehovah is is one whom Jehovah anointed and sent (Isaiah 61:1), and then further imagine, assume, add to and read into this verse that there is something here about the trinity. There is nothing at all in this or the rest of Zechariah that would point to the idea that the angel of Jehovah who was speaking for Jehovah was in reality Christ, and certainly nothing about the Messiah being a person of his God, Jehovah. Such ideas have to be assumed, although we concede that Jesus could have appeared as an angel of Jehovah in his prehuman existence, but we believe that it could have been Gabriel, the angel of Jehovah who appeared* as recorded in Luke. Regardless, the idea of three persons in one God would have to be read into the verse, for it certainly is not there.
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*See our studies related to:
Angel of Jehovah

Nevertheless, many trinitarians imagine, assume, add to, and read into the scriptures that the angel of Jehovah is the visible form of Jehovah as the second person of their trinity, and Numbers 12:8 and Hebrews 1:3 are given to support this idea. The idea is that the second person of Jehovah can be seen while the first person of Jehovah can be seen. They would, at least in their minds, reword Zechariah 3:2 to have it say: "And the second person of Jehovah said unto Satan, The first person Jehovah rebuke thee, O Satan; yea, the person of Jehovah that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? -- American Standard Version.

However, there is nothing in Zechariah 3:2 that shows that the Son is called  Jehovah (Yahweh). The idea that the angel of Jehovah is Jesus is but an assumption to begin with, and even if the angel of Jehovah was Jesus, at most this would only prove that he was being called Jehovah as the spokesperson for Jehovah.

We believe that the most logical reasoning it that the angel of Jehovah is speaking is left "understood" in verse 2, for it is directly stated in verse 3 that it is the "angel" of Jehovah who is speaking and not Jehovah himself. With this thought even many trinitarian translators have agreed, as we show in the translations quoted below:

And the angel of the Lord said to Satan, "May the Lord rebuke you, Satan; may the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this man a brand snatched from the fire?" -- Confraternity-Douay Version.

And the angel of the Lord said to Satan, "May the Lord rebuke you, Satan; may the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this man a brand snatched from the fire?" -- New American Bible.

The angel of Yahweh said to Satan, 'May Yahweh rebuke you, Satan! May Yahweh rebuke you, since he has made Jerusalem his choice. Is not this man a brand snatched from the fire?' -- New Jerusalem Bible.

We also wish to point out that the Syriac Peshitta text also reads "angel of Jehovah", and not just "Jehovah", in Zechariah 3:2.

Regardless, the context shows that it is the angel of Jehovah speaking for Jehovah. (Zechariah 2:3; 3:1,6) One would have to assume that the angel that speaks here was actually Jesus, which is not clearly shown from the scripture itself.

Some parallel this verse with Jude 9, and claim that these two verses show that Jesus is Jehovah. This approach to the scriptures becomes a problem for those trinitarians that do not wish to accept that Jesus is Michael the archangel.* However, many trinitarians do believe that Jesus is Michael the archangel.
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*See our short study on Jude 1:9; see also our studies on:
Michael the Archangel

If the angel of Jehovah in Zechariah 3:2 is the archangel spoken of in Jude 9, then the angel in Zechariah 3:2 would be Michael the archangel. While it is possible that the angel of Jehovah in Zechariah 3:2 could have been Jesus, we we don't think this to be true. We certainly see nothing here that says that the one Jehovah is more than one person, or that Jesus is Jehovah, and definitely nothing that says that Jesus is a person of Jehovah.

* Angel of Jehovah

(In this study, God's Holy Name is most often rendered as "Jehovah" regardless of how it appears in the translation being quoted)

It is often claimed that there is only one "angel of the Lord" in the Bible and that "angel of the Lord is Jesus as the alleged second person of the Holy Trinity.  Strictly speaking, there is no "angel of the Lord" in the Old Testament. The Bible does refer to angels of Jehovah and angels of God, but it never says "angel of the Lord." The extant Greek New Testament manuscripts do several times have the expression that could be rendered as "angel of Lord," but it should be evident that in each instance a form of the Greek word often transliterated as KURIOS (meaning, lord) is used to replace the Holy Name of God. The only angel of Jehovah that is identified by name is Gabriel. -- Luke 1:11,19.

However, we believe that the correct reasoning related to any angel of Jehovah is that the angel often speaks and acts for Jehovah, and thus is often referred to and addressed as Jehovah. There is definitely no reason to create all many assumptions that trinitarians present so as to have it appear to be two persons of Jehovah: Jehovah the Father who sent Jehovah the Son as the messenger of Jehovah the Father. It is true that certain scriptures seem to imply that Jehovah was speaking directly to humans, but a comparison of scriptures shows that Jehovah was actually speaking through or by means of his angels. -- Exodus 3:2-4 [see Acts 7:30,35; Galatians 3:19]; Genesis 16:7-11,13; 22:1,11,12,15-18.

If we need to reach a conclusion, we do have to do some reasoning in reference to the scriptures that speak of the "angel of Jehovah", for the Bible gives no direct answer to this, except the statements in Acts 7:30,35 and Galatians 3:19. Acts 7:30,35 does not record Stephen as saying that the Lord Jesus spoke to Moses. Trinitarians assume that Jehovah was an angel (messenger) and yet that the angel was the angel -- messenger "of" Jehovah, sent by Jehovah. They would imagine and assume that Jehovah is more than one person and therefore the one person of Jehovah sent another person of Jehovah as a messenger of the first person of Jehovah, etc. Therefore they view the appearances of the angel of Jehovah as so-called theophanies, not just in the sense of a divine being making appearances, but in the sense of the Supreme Being allegedly appearing as men. They seem to see no inconsistency in this whatsoever. The assumptions are made to comply with their added-on trinitarian dogma so to have it appears that Jehovah is the angel sent by Jehovah, claiming that Jehovah as the Son was sent by Jehovah as the Father. Sadly, they do not seem to realize that this concept is no where presented in the Bible, and they have to create several assumptions outside of what is written in order to "see" the concept in the scriptures.

There are trinitarians that claim that there is only one angel of Jehovah, or as many often prefer, "angel of the Lord", whom they claim is the Son of God. We do not actually know that there is only one angel of Jehovah, as both the Hebrew and the Greek are often indefinite, so that it could be rendered "an angel of Jehovah". In Luke 1:11,19,26 an angel of Jehovah is identified as Gabriel. If there is only one "angel of Jehovah", then the angel is thus identified as Gabriel, not Jesus.

 As far as Jesus appearing in the Old Testament, it very well could have been that the same chain of communication was employed in the Old Testament days as was employed in Revelation: From Jehovah to the Logos to an angel of Jehovah. (Revelation 1:1; Genesis 16:7-11; 22:11; 31:11; Exodus 3:2-5; 23:20-23; Judges 2:1-4; 6:11,12; 13:3) We can read that Jesus was there with his God and Father before the world of mankind was made, and that it was through the pre-human Jesus, spoken of as the Logos, that the world of mankind was made. -- John 1:1,3,10; 17:5.

Although we do leave open the possibility that Jesus could have made appearances in the OT as an angel of Jehovah, the only angel actually identified by name as an angel of Jehovah is Gabriel. (Luke 1:11,19) Nevertheless, if Jesus did appear as one of Jehovah's angels, such would still not mean that that Jesus is Jehovah, or that Jesus is one three persons all of whom are Jehovah, etc. However, we are not given any hint in the scriptures that any of the scriptures that refer to an "angel of Jehovah" has any reference to Jesus in his pre-human existence. 

We have mentioned Galatians 3:19. In this scripture, the apostle Paul speaks of "angels" [plural] used in setting up of the law. "Why, then, the law? on account of the transgressions it was added, till the seed might come to which the promise hath been made, having been set in order through messengers [angels] in the hand of a mediator." (New American Standard) The word translated "ordain" (Strong's 1299) in the KJV here means: "to arrange, appoint, ordain, prescribe, give order." The mediator referred to is Moses, who thus received the law from God through the angels, who set these laws in order to Moses so that he could write them down. Paul, however, does not identify any of the angels referred to as being Jesus.

We conclude that there were "angels" that spoke for and represented the Word of Jehovah, and thus quoted Jehovah in the first person as they spoke the words of Jehovah. Likewise, they were on occasion responded to by the term "Jehovah", since Jehovah was speaking through them.

  

Another point is that many trinitarians will deny that Jesus was an angel before coming to the earth (in opposing the idea that Jesus is Michael the archangel), yet paradoxicallymany of these same trinitarians want the angel of Jehovah spoken of here to be the prehuman Jesus. Nevertheless, there are some trinitarians who do believe that Jesus is the Michael the archangel, although these claim that Michael was uncreated.

Jesus never made any claims to be Jehovah. He claimed Jehovah as his God and Father, the one who sent him, anointed him, and gave him his authority. The holy spirit reveals through the scriptures that Jehovah (Yahweh) is the only true God, the God and Father of the Lord Jesus. Jehovah (Yahweh) is the God and Father of the Lord Jesus. Jesus has one who is the Supreme Being over him; Jesus is not his Supreme Being whom he worships, prays to, and who sent him, and whose will he carried out in willful obedience. -- Deuteronomy 18:15-19; Matthew 4:4 (Deuteronomy 8:3; Luke 4:4); Matthew 4:7 (Deuteronomy 6:16); Matthew 4:10 (Exodus 20:3-5; 34:14; Deuteronomy 6:13,14; 10:20; Luke 4:8); Matthew 22:29-40; Matthew 26:42; Matthew 27:46; Mark 10:6 (Genesis 1:27; Genesis 2:7,20-23); Mark 14:36; 15:34; Luke 22:42; John 4:3; 5:30; 6:38; 17:1,3; 20:17; Romans 15:6; 2 Corinthians 1:3; 11:31; Ephesians 1:3,17; Hebrews 1:9; 10:7; 1 Peter 1:3; Revelation 2:7; 3:2,12.

The holy spirit reveals through the scriptures that Jesus was sent by Jehovah, speaks for Jehovah, represents Jehovah. Jesus is not Jehovah whom he represents and speaks for. -- Deuteronomy 18:15-19; Matthew 23:39; Mark 11:9,10; Luke 13:35; John 3:2,17,32-35; 4:34; 5:19,30,36,43; 6:57; 7:16,28; 8:26,28,38; 10:25; 12:49,50; 14:10; 15:15; 17:8,26; 20:17; Acts 2:22,34-36; Romans 15:6; 2 Corinthians 1:3; 8:6; 11:31; Colossians 1:3,15; 2:9-12; Hebrews 1:1-3; Revelation 1:1.

With the above in mind, let us examine the scriptures where it is claimed that Jesus appeared as as the angel of Jehovah, and as supposedly as "Jehovah", in the Old Testament.

Genesis 16:7-14

The angel of [Jehovah] found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur. 8 He said, "Hagar, Sarai's handmaid, where did you come from? Where are you going?" She said, "I am fleeing from the face of my mistress Sarai." 9 The angel of [Jehovah] said to her, "Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hands." 10 The angel of Yahweh said to her, "I will greatly multiply your seed, that they will not be numbered for multitude." 11 The angel of [Jehovah] said to her, "Behold, you are with child, and will bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because {Jehovah] has heard your affliction. 12 He will be like a wild donkey among men. His hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him. He will live opposite all of his brothers." 13 She called the name of [Jehovah] who spoke to her, "You are a God who sees," for she said, "Have I even stayed alive after seeing him?" 14 Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi. Behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered. -- World English, "Jehovah" is rendered as "Yahweh" in this translation, but we have altered it to present the Holy Name as "Jehovah".

The first time that the expression, "angel of Jehovah", appears in the Bible is in Genesis 16:7. Indeed, it is the first mention of an "angel" at all in the Bible. The angel speaks to Hagar, who was fleeing from the harsh treatment of Sarai, Abraham's wife. (Genesis 16:6) It is claimed that in these verses, Hagar calls the "angel of Jehovah" by the name "Jehovah", and that therefore the "angel of Jehovah" is the same being as Jehovah. (Genesis 16:13) While we do not believe that any angel of Jehovah is actually Jehovah, at most what is actually written would only lead one to assume such and nothing more, since there is nothing here that links this "angel of Jehovah" to a supposed second person of the trinity. Nevertheless, from this it is evidently thought that Jehovah is more than one person, and that the angel of Jehovah is one of the persons of Jehovah, based on the assumption that the first person of the imagined trinity, the God and Father of Jesus, cannot been seen, while the second person of Jehovah, Jesus, can be seen, etc. All of this, of course, is not found in scripture, it has to be conjured up beyond what is actually stated, added to, and read into what is stated. Of course, it is true that Jesus' God is invisible, and thus cannot be seen by mankind. Any idea, however, that Jehovah had be more than one person because of this has to be imagined, assumed, added to, and read into the scriptures.

Without interjecting trinitarian philosophy, however, the default reasoning should be that the "angel of Jehovah" is not Jehovah who is sent the angel. The word angel means "messenger," which means that the messenger is speaking on behalf of someone else who sent him. Thus Jehovah appears, speaks through, and acts through His messenger. In other words, the expression itself tells us that the "angel" or "messenger of Jehovah" is not Jehovah, for Jehovah is the one that sent the messenger, and that thus the messenger speaks the words of Jehovah. Thus logically, we should conclude that the author of Genesis 16:13 actually refers to Jehovah, who was the one who spoke by means of his angel, and not to the angel, the messenger, himself, who was sent by Jehovah. A similar example is where angels are referred to as men. Although they appear as "men," they are not actually men; likewise, they appear on behalf of Jehovah, and thus are addressed as being "Jehovah" or "God," although they are actually not Jehovah or the Supreme Being. Additionally, the author could have been expressing the matter as it appeared to Hagar, who might have thought that the angel of Jehovah was Jehovah himself.

We know that Hagar did not actually see the invisible Jehovah himself, although she evidently thought she had seen Jehovah. No human can see Jehovah's  mighty and invisible substance and yet live. Indeed, since he is the "invisible God", any appearance that he makes has to be in by means of some visible representation of Him. 

The World English Bible translation, and some others, makes it appear that Hagar thought she had actually seen Jehovah himself, and have made it appear that Hagar was glad that she was still alive, even after having seeing God Almighty. The King James Version translates the related words like this: "Thou God seest (Strong's #7210, yar] me: for she said, Have I also here looked [Strong's #7200, har] after him that seeth [Strong's #7210] me?" This could be read as an acknowledgment by Hagar that although Jehovah had looked after her, and had seen her plight and also seen the future of her descendants, she had failed in looking after Jehovah. "She rebukes her own dullness and acknowledges God's graces, who was present with her everywhere." (Beza, Theodore. "Commentary on Genesis 16". "The 1599 Geneva Study Bible". 
https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/mhm/exodus-33.html#ex+33:10.
1600-1645).

What we do not find in Genesis 16:7-14, or anywhere else in the Bible, is the thought that Jehovah is more than one person. What we do not find in Genesis 16:7-14, or anywhere else in the Bible, is the thought that any angel of Jehovah is Jesus, whom Jehovah also sent. -- Deuteronomy 18:15-19; Isaiah 61:1; Matthew 10:40; Mark 9:37; Luke 4:18; 9:48; 10:16; John 3:16,17; 4:34; 5:24,30,36,37; 6:38-40,44,57; 7:16,28,29,33; 8:16,26,29,42; 9:4; 11:42; 12:44,45,49; 13:20; 14:24; 15:21; 16:5; 17:3,8,18,21,23,25; 20:21; Acts 3:13-26; Galatians 4:4; 1 John 4:9,10.

Genesis 18:1,22; 19:1,17,22,23

Genesis 18:1,22; 19:1,17,22,23 are some scriptures that are often presented to supposedly show that the three angels who visited Abraham were in fact the three persons of the alleged trinity of persons in one God. Of course, not one of these scriptures ever speaks of these three angels, also referred to as "men", as three persons of Jehovah, thus such a thought has to be read into what is said. We have discussed these scriptures more fully in the study entitled, "Abraham and the Three Angels", and so will not go into more detail in this study.

Genesis 21:17-20:

Genesis 21:17 And God heard the voice of the lad. And the Angel of God called to Hagar from the heavens, and said to her, What [aileth] thee, Hagar? Fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad there, where he is.
Genesis 21:18 Arise, take the lad, and hold him in thy hand; for I will make of him a great nation.
Genesis 21:19 And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went and filled the flask with water, and gave the lad drink.
Genesis 21:20 And God was with the lad, and he grew; and he dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer. -- Darby Translation.

Here many trinitarians call upon the spirit of human imagination so as to assume that the angel (messenger) of God is God Himself; they would further imagine and assume that the angel is their alleged second person of God, and that "God" in the expression "angel of God" refers to one of the alleged "persons" of God. Thus, by reason of their imagination, they would assume that Jesus is the angel of God, and that Jesus is also God. While we highly doubt that any of the angels of God is Jesus, even if it was, all the rest of the assumptions would not follow.

We should note that we believe that the most direct way to view this is that in Genesis 21:17, when the angel speaks to Hagar, he first speaks his own words, but in Genesis 22:18, he related the words of God of whom he is a messenger. Jehovah speaks through, by means of his angels, and thus an angel of God may relay the words of God in the first person. The fact that an angel of God does this does not mean that we need to imagine and assume that any angel who does so is actually the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, nor does it give any reason to imagine and assume any of these angels are persons of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, etc. The very fact that an angel is called "angel" -- messenger -- signifies that the angel is delivering the words of the One who sent him.

Genesis 22:11-14

Genesis 22:11 The angel of Yahweh called to him out of the sky, and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" He said, "Here I am."
Genesis 22:12 He said, "Don't lay your hand on the boy, neither do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me."
Genesis 22:13 Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and saw that behind him was a ram caught in the thicket by his horns. Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering instead of his son.
Genesis 22:14 Abraham called the name of that place Yahweh-jireh. As it is said to this day, "In Yahweh's mountain it will be provided."

Some have claimed that since Abraham called the place "Jehovah-jireh" [Jehovah provides], and since it appears that it was actually the angel that actually provided that ram, that this means that Abraham was actually attributing the name "Jehovah" to the angel of Jehovah, and further it is imagined and assumed that this angel of Jehovah was actually a person of Jehovah, and further imagined and assumed that this person was the Lord Jesus in his prehuman existence. This really reads a lot into the verse that just isn't there. Whether Jehovah directly provided the ram, or whether Jehovah used the angel to provide the ram, this still does not mean that the angel [messenger] of Jehovah was actually Jehovah, as Jehovah often takes the credit for the work done by those whom he sends. (Exodus 3:10,12; 12:17; 18:10; Numbers 16:28; Judges 2:6,18; 3:9,10; 6:34; 11:29; 13:24,25; 14:6,19; 15:14,18; 16:20,28-30, 2 Kings 4:27; Isaiah 43:11, 45:1-6; etc.) Nevertheless, we cannot say definitely that Jesus did not appear in the Old Testament as an angel of his god, Jehovah, As stated earlier in this section, an angel of Jehovah in the Old Testament could have been Jesus, but more than like none of these angels were Jesus. The only angel of Jehovah identified by name in the Bible is Gabriel. (Luke 1:11,19) In many of the instances where an angel of Jehovah is spoken of in the Bible in the Old Testament, it could have been Gabriel.

Another claim some make concerning these verses is that Abraham offered the ram up to the angel as a burnt offering, thus proving that the angel of Jehovah was actually Jehovah himself, or as trinitarians claim, a "person" of Jehovah, that is Jesus in his prehuman existence. Again, nothing is said about the ram being offered to the angel, although, acting as Jehovah's representative, it would have been appropriate for the angel to receive the offering on behalf of Jehovah. This still would not make the angel of Jehovah into Jehovah himself.

Genesis 22:15-19.

15 The angel of [Jehovah] called to Abraham a second time out of the sky, 16 and said, "I have sworn by myself, says [Jehovah], because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 that in blessing I will bless you, and in multiplying I will multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens, and as the sand which is on the seashore. Your seed will possess the gate of his enemies. 18 In your seed will all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice." -- World English.

Here the angel of Jehovah quotes Jehovah, thus this should show that the angel of Jehovah is not Jehovah. It certainly does not call for use of extra-Biblical imagination so as to assume that Jehovah is more than one person, and that the angel is one of the persons of Jehovah, etc. Without injecting trinitarian assumption into what is said, the logical conclusion is that the angel speaks and acts on behalf on the one whom he represents.

Genesis 31:11,13; 32:1,24,28,30

Another episode that many refer to is in Genesis 31:11,13; 32:1,24,28,30. It is claimed that the angel with whom Jacob wrestled was in reality Jesus, and in turn, it is claimed from this that Jesus is God Almighty. At most one could read into the verses that the angel is God, or a god. There are no scriptures that link the angel with Jesus, although it is possible that it could have been.

Numbers 12:8: Ezekiel 33:11

Some point to Numbers 12:8, which reads: "with him will I speak mouth to mouth, even manifestly, and not in dark speeches; and the form of [Jehovah] shall he see: why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant, against Moses?" (World English) It is claimed that this is proof positive that the "angel of Jehovah" is Jehovah. We need to point out that this "proof positive" is based upon the assumption that Jehovah is more than one person, and the assumption that the "angel of Jehovah" is actually Jesus. Also it based on the assumption that "face to face" means that  Moses actually looked upon the face of Jehovah, the Almighty Most Powerful Supreme Being of the Universe. Scripturally, we find this idea to be absurd, especially in view of the fact that Jehovah directly told Moses: "You cannot see my face, for man may not see me and live." -- Exodus 33:20.

However, we can let scripture interpret scripture here and come to a conclusion. Let us look at Exodus 33:11: "[Jehovah] spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend." Here we learn what this term "face to face" is meant to convey: "as a man speaks to his friend." Matthew Henry* states concerning Exodus 33:20: "God talked with Moses (v. 9), spoke to him face to face, as a man speaks to his friend (v. 11), which intimates that God revealed himself to Moses, not only with greater clearness and evidence of divine light than to any other of the prophets, but also with greater expressions of particular kindness and grace. He spoke, not as a prince to a subject, but as a man to his friend, whom he loves, and with whom he takes sweet counsel." -- Henry, Matthew. "Commentary on Exodus 33".

"Matthew Henry Complete Commentary on the Whole Bible".
https://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/matthew-henry-complete/exodus/33.html
1706.

Additionally, we can see that this is also confirmed by the statement in Geneva Study Bible notes for Exodus 33:11. There we find:

33:11 And the LORD spake unto Mosesd face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.

(d) Most clearly and familiarly of all others, (Numbers 12:7,8; Deuteronomy 34:10)

We definitely find nothing in Numbers 12:8 that would show that Jesus is Jehovah, or that Jehovah is more than one person, etc.

It is claimed by some that to call the angel of Jehovah by the name "Jehovah", and to bow down to this angel as though he was Jehovah, is a "clear" violation of the second commandment. If bowing down to angel is to be considered to be a clear violation of the second commandment, then we must assume that many who bowed downed to kings, elders, judges, etc., all through the Old Testament were breaking the second commandment. Of course, this is ridiculous. (See our study: The Worship Due to Jesus) It is true that if one should actually give to the angel the exclusive worship that only belongs to the Most High, that this would be setting such an one up in the station of Jehovah himself, and thus would be a violation of the second commandment.

What we never find any of the scriptures related to any "angel of Jehovah", or anywhere else in the Bible, is the thought that Jesus is Jehovah, or that Jehovah is more than one person. Such ideas have to be imagined beyond what is actually written, and assumptions have to be formulated, added to, and read into, the scriptures so as to make the scriptures conform to what is being imagined.

See also our resource page on:

Angel(s) of Jehovah

Trinitarians and Michael the Archangel

By Ronald R. Day (I need to update this; many links may not work; I intend to add more references.)

The claim is often presented that the idea that Jesus is Michael the Archangel originated with Charles Taze Russell. An author on one site claims: "Not only was the very idea unheard of before Charles Taze Russell (the founder of the WTS), but the Bible explicitly rejects the possibility of it." We believe that we have shown below that this statement is false on all points. The idea was definitely not unheard before Charles Taze Russell, as we will show that many before him believed that Michael is Jesus. Regarding the idea that "the Bible explicitly rejects, the possibility of it," we believe that we have elsewhere shown that the Bible does support that Jesus is the archangel, Michael.

Some others falsely claim that the idea originated from the Seventh Day Adventists, and that. Charles Taze Russell got this idea from the Seventh Day Adventists.  By what we present below, we also show that this idea is false.

Regarding Michael the archangel, we read:

"The earlier Protestant scholars usually identified Michael with the pre-incarnate Christ, finding support for their view, not only in the juxtaposition of the 'child' and the archangel in Rev 12, but also in the attributes ascribed to him in D[a]n[iel]l ." -- John A. Lees, The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, 1930, Vol. 3, page 2048.
http://bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Def.show/RTD/ISBE/ID/6015/Michael.htm

Some have claimed that Lees simply made an assertion above without proof. Of course, the real proof is in the writings of these "earlier Protestant scholars," and we are sure that Lees was familiar with those writings and what the "earler Protestant scholars" actually stated about Jesus as being Michael the Archangel.

Philip Melanchthon (1497–1560) stated regarding Michael in Daniel 10::

The prince, Michael, whom here and below is called the prince of the people of God, was present wth the good angel. I understand him to be the very Son of God, the Logos, as he is named by John.

Andrew Willet (1562–1621) wrote of several who believe that Jesus is Michael in his 1610 Sixfold Commentary:

Po∣lan. Melancth. Genevens. H. Br. Iun. all consent, that Michael is not here a created Angel, but Christ Iesus the Sonne of God, the Prince of the Angels. 

Carl Beckworth wrote the following:

A similar issue arises with the identity of Michael (Dan. 10:13; 12:1). Although some commentators are more reserved than others in their judgment of this question, nearly all acknowledge that Michael is the Son of God. Mayer and, to some extent, Calvin are the lone disenters. Again, the reformers' conclusions arise from a close reading of the test and a theological consideration fo the "work" assigned Michael. Since our commentators assume that "person" and "work" go together, when they read that Michael is the prince of the people, and office belonging only to Christ, they conclude that "Michael" is not to be  understood as the angel but rather rather translated and understood as the one who is like God. -- Ezekiel, Daniel, edited by Carl L. Beckworth.

https://tinyurl.com/6jzand5x

Beckworth, evidently after studying the works of the reformers, concludes that they all accepted that the archangel is Jesus except two, that is, "Mayer and, to some extent, Calvin."  However, did Calvin reject the idea that Michael is Jesus? Some, in reading his comments on Daniel 11, seem to have reached such a conclusion although he did not in those comments actualy reject the idea that Michael is Jesus. In his comments on Daniel 12, however, Calvin was, we believe, very clear:

Concerning Michael as related to Daniel 12:1 John Calvin (1509-1564) stated:

"I embrace the opinion of those who refer this to the person of Christ, because it suits the subject best to represent him as standing forward for the defense of his elect people." -- J. Calvin, COMMENTARIES ON THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET DANIEL, trans. T. Myers (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1979), vol. 2 p. 369.
https://ccel.org/ccel/calvin/calcom25.vii.iii.html

This would seem to be a very clear claim of Calvin that he did indeed embrace the belief that Michael is Christ. 

Theodore Beza:

Daniel 10:13- Even though God could by one angel destroy all the world, yet to assure his children of his love he sends forth double power, even Michael, that is, Christ Jesus the head of angels.
http://bible.crosswalk.com/Commentaries/GenevaStudyBible/gen.cgi?book=da&chapter=010.
Daniel 12:1 - The angel here notes two things: first that the Church will be in great affliction and trouble at Christ's coming, and next that God will send his angel to deliver it, whom he here calls Michael, meaning Christ, who is proclaimed by the preaching of the Gospel.
http://bible.crosswalk.com/Commentaries/GenevaStudyBible/gen.cgi?book=da&chapter=012

Note: the Bible nowhere presents the Archangel as being an "angel".

John Wesley:

Daniel 10:13  Withstood me - God suffered the wicked counsels of Cambyses to take place awhile; but Daniel by his prayers, and the angel by his power, overcame him at last: and this very thing laid a foundation of the ruin of the Persian monarchies. Michael - Michael here is commonly supposed to mean Christ. I remained - To counter - work their designs against the people of God.
Daniel 10:21 - Michael - Christ alone is the protector of his church, when all the princes of the earth desert or oppose it.
http://bible.crosswalk.com/Commentaries/WesleysExplanatoryNotes/wes.cgi?book=da&chapter=010.
Daniel 12:1 -   For the children - The meaning seems to be, as after the death of Antiochus the Jews had some deliverance, so there will be yet a greater deliverance to the people of God, when Michael your prince, the Messiah shall appear for your salvation.
http://bible.crosswalk.com/Commentaries/WesleysExplanatoryNotes/wes.cgi?book=da&chapter=012

Adam Clarke:

Daniel 10:13 - Gabriel, who speaks, did not leave Cyrus till Michael came to take his place. Michael, he who is like God, sometimes appears to signify the Messiah, at other times the highest or chief archangel. Indeed there is no archangel mentioned in the whole Scripture but this one. See Jude 1:9; Revelation 12:7.
http://www.studylight.org/com/acc/view.cgi?book=da&chapter=10&verse=13#Da10_13

Adam Clarke did not appear to fully accept that Michael is Jesus, but he did seem to believe that in some instances Michael signified the Messiah. 

John Gill:

Daniel 10:13 - but, lo, Michael one of the chief Princes, came to help me; called in the New Testament an Archangel, the Prince of angels, the Head of all principality and power; and is no other than Christ the Son of God, an uncreated Angel; who is "one", or "the first of the chief Princes" {x}, superior to angels, in nature, name, and office.
http://www.studylight.org/com/geb/view.cgi?book=da&chapter=10&verse=13
Daniel 10:21 - and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your Prince; Christ the Prince of the kings of the earth, he was the Prince, Protector, and Guardian of the people of the Jews; he is the Angel that went before them in the wilderness, and guarded them in it, and guided them into the land of Canaan
http://www.studylight.org/com/geb/view.cgi?book=da&chapter=010&verse=021
Daniel 12:1 - The Archangel, who has all the angels of heaven under him, and at his command, the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ; who is as God
http://www.studylight.org/com/geb/view.cgi?book=da&chapter=012&verse=001

Matthew Henry:

Daniel 12:1 - The angel had told Daniel what a firm friend Michael was to the church, ch. 10:21. He all along showed this friendship in the upper world; the angels knew it; but now Michael shall stand up in his providence, and work deliverance for the Jews, when he sees that their power is gone, Deu. 32:3. 6. Christ is that great prince, for he is the prince of the kings of the earth, Rev. 1:5.
http://bible.crosswalk.com/Commentaries/MatthewHenryComplete/mhc-com.cgi?book=da&chapter=012

"There seems good reason for regarding Michael as the Messiah. Such was the opinion of the best among the ancient Jews.... With this all the Bible representations of Michael agree. He appears as the Great Prince who standeth for Israel (Dan. xii. I), and he is called "the Prince of Israel" (Dan. x. 21)
-- William L. Alexander, ed., A CYCLOPEDIA OF BIBLICAL LITERATURE, originally edited by John Kitto, 3d ed. (Edinburgh: A & C Black, 1886). vol. 3, p. 158

From some trinitarian sites:

Michael must be Jesus and that He is of the Godhead. Jesus is Michael the Archangel, the chief of the angels, and the captain of the host of the Lord. He is the one who leads the angels to victory!
http://www.creation-science-prophecy.com/michael.htm

There is no mystery here--Jesus, the Lifegiver, is Michael, the Archangel. Christians who accept this Bible-based teaching are neither heretics nor poor scholars, but faithful believers who love and eagerly await the coming of their Lord.
http://www.geocities.com/biblerevelations_org/christ/is_jesus_michael.htm

I present below some well-known trinitarian scholars (most who wrote their works long before Russell was born) who believed that Jesus is Michael the archangel.

Adam Clarke (1760-1832)
Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892)
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg (1802-1869)
Isaac Watts (1674-1748)
John Gill (Baptist - 1697-1771)
John Calvin (1509-1564)
John Wesley (1703-1791)
Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758)
Joseph Benson (Methodist (1748?-1821)
J.P. Lange (1802-1884)
Matthew Henry (1662-1714)
Martin Luther (1483-1546)
Matthew Pool (1624-1679)
Samuel Horsley (1733-1806)
Theodore Beza (1519-1605)

If anyone knows of more, please present their names in the comments.

More quotes could be presented from trinitarians who believe that Jesus is Michael the archangel. Please note that we do not agree with all the conclusions given by these trinitarian authors. Trinitarian authors often present the idea that that Michael the archangel is uncreated, which we certainly disagree with. We are simply pointing out that these trinitarians did/do believe that Jesus is Michael the archangel. And yet,  a trinitarian wrote that no Christian believes that Jesus is Michael the Archangel, evidently with the thought that anyone who so believes is not actually a Christian. We wonder if this would mean that those trinitarians who have and do proclaim that Jesus is Michael the archangel are not considered true Christians by other trinitarians because of their belief?

The following is to a link on a site not owned by us:

Scholars Quotes Concerning Jesus as Michael

Jesus is Michael (editing)

Is Jesus the Archangel? Part 2 (Daniel 12:1; Jude 1:9; 1 Thessalonians 4:16; Revelation 12:7)

Is Jesus the Archangel? Part 1 (Daniel 8:25; 9:25,26; 10:13,21; Jude 1:9; 1 Thessalonians 4:16) (Editing)

Genesis 12:7 - Jehovah's Appearances in Genesis

All scriptures are quoted from the

American Standard Version of the Bible

unless otherwise stated. 

And Jehovah appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto Jehovah, who appeared unto him. - (Genesis 12:7)

And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, Jehovah appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be thou perfect. - (Genesis 17:1)

And Jehovah appeared unto him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; - (Genesis 18:1)

And Jehovah appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt. Dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of. - (Genesis 26:2)

And Jehovah appeared unto him the same night, and said, I am the God of Abraham thy father. Fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham's sake. - (Genesis 26:24)

And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Beth-el, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, who appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother. - (Genesis 35:1)

And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came from Paddan-aram, and blessed him. - (Genesis 35:9)

Genesis 48:3 - And Jacob said unto Joseph, God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me,

The scriptures above (and a few more) are often presented by trinitarians as proof that their idea of a trinune God is found in the book of Genesis. 

Obviously, however, there is nothing in any of these verses about a triune God. Indeed, it is never stated anywhere in either the Old Testament or the New Testament that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is more than one person, What is often imagined, assumed, added, and read into, these scriptures, however, is that the God of Abraham is more than one person, and it is being further imagined and assumed that it is only one of those persons that cannot be seen, and it is thus further being imagined and assumed that the alleged second person of their imagined and assumed triune God can be seen, and thus it is being further imagined and assumed that "Jehovah" in the above scriptures must be the imagined and assumed second person of Jehovah. And thus all of this that is imagined and assumed is added to and read into what is stated.

Actually, no scripture at all identifies Jesus as being any of the angels that appeared to the patriarchs. The idea is added to the Bible to accommodate the trinity preconception. The scriptures do tell us that it was God and Father of Jesus who spoke to and through the prophets of old. -- Hebrews 1:1,2.

The scriptures do not directly tell us HOW God appeared to the patriarchs, nor is it actually necessary that we know how he made each appearance. We do know that no one saw the actual invisible substance of Jehovah, the God and Father of Jesus. (Micah 5:4; Ephesians 1:4; Colossians 1:15) By comparing spiritual revealing with spiritual revealing when can draw some reasonable conclusions, at least in a general sense, without setting forth our conclusions in a dogmatic sense.

And he said, Hear now my words: if there be a prophet among you, I Jehovah will make myself known unto him in a vision, I will speak with him in a dream. - (Numbers 12:6)

Scriptures show that there are three general ways that Jehovah appeared or spoke to his prophets. 1) by means of one or more of His angels (Genesis 16, 18, 19); 2) in a vision (Genesis 15); 3) in a dream. -- Genesis 28:20-19.

When Jehovah appears by mean of one or more of his angels, often the angel, speaking for the one who sent him, may speak as though he himself is Jehovah, and may be addressed as such. Because of this, many have drawn to the conclusion that an angel of Jehovah is Jehovah, or at least one of the alleged persons of Jehovah. One need not draw the conclusion that the angel sent by Jehovah is Jehovah. Similarly, these angels often appeared as men, and the scriptures spoke of them as though they were men. If one insists that their being spoken of as Jehovah means that they are Jehovah, then, if one is consistent, their being referred as men would mean that they are actually men, and if they are actually Jehovah, then, if consistent, it would mean that Jehovah is "man". In reality an angel of Jehovah is sent by Jehovah is not actually Jehovah, nor is he actually a man. Furthermore, the Bible is fully at harmony with itself without creating all that has to be assumed in order to "see" trinity in the Bible.

One objects that when the Bible says that Jehovah appeared to someone, it refers to a Hebrew term that means a visible manifestation, not a feeling, not a dream, not a vision, nor something spiritual, but something objective that could be historically recognized. What is the Hebrew term being referred to? It is forms of the word that Strong gives the number 7200, often transliterated as "raah". What does it mean? The Brown-Driver-Briggs' definition is:

1) to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to see
1a2) to see, perceive
1a3) to see, have vision
1a4) to look at, see, regard, look after, see after, learn about, observe, watch, look upon, look out, find out
1a5) to see, observe, consider, look at, give attention to, discern, distinguish
1a6) to look at, gaze at
1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to appear, present oneself
1b2) to be seen
1b3) to be visible
1c) (Pual) to be seen
1d) (Hiphil)
1d1) to cause to see, show
1d2) to cause to look intently at, behold, cause to gaze at
1e) (Hophal)
1e1) to be caused to see, be shown
1e2) to be exhibited to
1f) (Hithpael) to look at each other, face

It is true that the word does not directly convey the idea of seeing by means of a vision, nor seeing by means of a dream. However, it would be incorrect to think that the word is used exclusively as seeing something physically with fleshly eyes. Indeed, in Isaiah 30:10 one would have a difficult time trying not to apply it as meaning seeing a vision. It is often used in the sense of experience or learning to know something. (Genesis 20:10; Deuteronomy 1:19,31; 11:2; 33:9; Job 11:11; Psalm 16:10; 49:10; 89:49; Ecclesiates 5:17; Jeremiah 5:12; 14:13; 20:18; 42:14; Zephaniah 3:16) It is used of "seeing" -- recognizing -- by outward signs. (Genesis 42:21) It is used of spiritually seeing in Deuteronomy 29:3; Isaiah 6:10; 29:18; 42:18. No, there is nothing in the Hebrew term that would forbid its use as discerning or seeing  by means of a vision, or through a dream.