The Doctrine of Christ - Angel of the Lord

"And the Angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness by the fountain in the way to Shur." (Genesis 16:7)
In the Old Testament, an angel identified as the "angel of the LORD", the "angel of God" (Gen. 21:17), the "angel of His presence" (Isaiah 63:9), and the "messenger of the covenant" (Malachi 3:1) appeared to individuals. A closer look at the context of His appearances reveals that He is more than another angel: He is God. The expression usually signifies a preincarnate appearance of Christ, and is sometimes called a "Christophany", meaning the visible and bodily manifestation of God the Son before His incarnation.
Illustration: That He is not merely another angel is evident in those appearances where He is called God. This was recognized by Hagar (Gen. 16:13), Abraham (Gen. 22:14), Moses (Ex. 3:14), Gideon (Judges 6:22), and Manoah (Judg. 13:18, 22). The expression is also used of men, but on such occasions is translated "the LORD's messenger" (Hag. 1:13).
Application: The Angel of the Lord no longer appears to men today, since God has commissioned Christians to be His messengers to the world.