Asses and Angels
Rabbi Yehudah ben Shomeyr
Num. 22:23a And the ass saw the angel of the LORD…
As I read this passage recently to my daughter, about the account of Balaam and his trusted donkey, I froze, gasped and said “Woah!” As it struck me for the first time who this Donkey and eventually Balaam really saw.
Num. 22:23a And the ass saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand:
Rev. 1:16, 2:16, 19:15, 21 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance [was] as the sun shineth in his strength… Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth… And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God… And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which [sword] proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.
The “Angel of the LORD” in some Jewish sects is the highest ranking angel Metatron which some believe is an expression of a divine messenger which emanated from YHWH and in Natsari, Messianic and even some Christian circles, this Angel of YHWH or Metatron is none other than Yeshua Messiah in pre-incarnate form. We are not saying Yeshua was an angel, but the word in Hebrew for angel also means messenger. We see this same “Angel of YHWH” appear to Abraham, Joshua, Gideon, Samson’s parents, the Prophets and many others and they deemed this as equivalent of seeing YHWH Himself and feared death as a result.
So this ass and pagan prophet Balaam seen what the pagan opposition to YHWH in the Battle of Armageddon will see before they are destroyed; Yeshua the Messiah in all His Kingly Power!
I know what some maybe thinking, that the Angel in the Balaam story held the sword in his hand much like the Cherubim assigned to Eden after the Fall.
Gen. 3:24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
But this verse in Genesis clearly says they were Cherubim (plural) and not the “Angel of the L-RD” (singular). And yes, in the account of Balaam the sword is in the hand and in Revelation it is in the mouth. We must recognize that the Balaam account is as a dictated story, plain and straight forward, where as Revelation is written mostly in allegorical and symbolic language.
The bottom line is that it was the Angel of the L-RD recognized as Yeshua in pre-incarnate form and the sword is present in both passages. It does not matter if it be in hand or “mouth.” Hand in Hebew is “yad” and means power and authority which is the same meaning of the allegorical use of mouth in the passages in Revelation.
We have all heard that the “pen is mightier that the sword.” Why? Because it deals with the power of words.
Prov. 18:21a Death and life [are] in the power of the tongue.
Yeshua created life with His words (Gen.1, John 1) and He can equally destroy with His words (Rev. 1:16, 2:16, 19:15, 21).
Num. 22:23a And the ass saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand:
The sword in hand symbolizes that the words to kill or give life was at the ready. The ass and Balaam may not have seen a literal sword, but saw the spiritual in a physical manifestation in such a way as they could understand and comprehend. Remember, He is Infinite and we are finite and thus He must communicate with us in ways we can ready understand. How can the finite comprehend the Infinite unless He makes it so as we can understand?
It never ceases to amaze me that as long as I have been ready the Torah that YHWH will show me something that has been there all along but I just didn’t get it. I have read it hundreds of time, but didn’t really see it until He turns the spot light upon it.
