Messenger

A messenger in the biblical world was any person — human or divine — sent to carry a communication, command, or covenant. The Hebrew malak and Greek angelos both mean messenger, and both are translated variously as messenger, angel, or envoy depending on context. Human messengers served as diplomatic envoys between kings (1 Kings 20:2), military liaisons (2 Samuel 11:19), and personal carriers of letters and gifts.

The theological significance of messengers is seen in the prophetic usage: the prophets frequently understood themselves as messengers of the divine council, delivering a Thus says the LORD as a royal herald delivered a king's decree. Malachi 3:1 announces the coming of my messenger who will prepare the way — a text applied in the New Testament to John the Baptist. The concept of messenger underlies the biblical theology of prophecy, angels, and apostleship.