DID JESUS ANNOUNCE HIS OWN BIRTH?

THE ANGEL OF THE LORD SAYS HE WILL DO WHAT ONLY GOD CAN DO!

Genesis 16:7, 10, 13 - "And The Angel of the LORD found (Hagar) by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur....And The Angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude....And she called the name of the LORD that spoke unto her, Thou God seest me...."

THE ANGEL OF THE LORD IS MISIDENTIFIED AS BEING GOD HIMSELF!

Genesis 32:1, 30 - "And Jacob went on his way, and The *Angel(s) of God met him....And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel:  for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved."

*  [Note:  The word "angels" is translated from the exact same Hebrew word:  "מַלְאָךְ (mal'ak)," as "Angel" in Genesis 16:7 above, and Judges 13:21 below.]

Judges 13:20-22 - "For it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that The Angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the altar.  And Manoah and his wife looked on it, and fell on their faces to the ground.  But *The Angel of the LORD did no more appear to Manoah and to his wife.  Then Manoah knew that he was *(The) Angel of the LORD.  And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God."

*  [Note:  The text is translated "The" and "An" from the same Hebrew word:  "מַלְאָךְ (mal'ak)," in verses 20 and 21.]

JOHN'S WRITINGS DECLARE NO MAN HAS SEEN GOD HIMSELF!

John 1:18 - "No man hath seen God at any time; the Only Begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him."

1 John 4:12 - "No man hath seen God at any time.  If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and His love is perfected in us."

THEN WHO EXACTLY IS "THE ANGEL OF THE LORD?"

I believe that those who recognized "The Angel of the Lord," were experiencing a "Christophany," which is defined as:  "pre-incarnate appearances of Jesus Christ in the Old Testament."

IS IT POSSIBLE THAT CHRIST FORETOLD HIS OWN BIRTH?

He appeared to Joseph (Mt. 1:20, 24; 2:13, 19); and to the Shepherds (Lk. 2:9)!

 REFERENCES

Ron Rhodes in his book What Does the Bible Say About, 2007, p. 125 - "I believe that theophanies in the Old Testament were actually preincarnate appearances of Christ.  The principal theophany of the Old Testament is the Angel of the Lord (or, more literally, Angel of Yahweh)"

The new Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge: Vol 11, 1912 - "the practise of the Greek Fathers from Justin Martyr, who identified the "angel of the Lord " with the Logos, furnish excuse for conceiving also the theophanies of the Old Testament as Christophanies."