The concept of the "Angel of Death" is not explicitly named in the Bible, but the idea is derived from various passages where an angel or divine messenger is associated with bringing death or executing God's judgment. This figure is often understood as an agent of God, carrying out His will in matters of life and death.

Old Testament References

One of the most notable instances associated with the Angel of Death is the Passover event in Exodus 12. Here, God sends a plague to strike down the firstborn of Egypt. Exodus 12:23 states, "For the LORD will pass through to strike down the Egyptians, and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you down." The "destroyer" is often interpreted as an angelic being tasked with carrying out this judgment.

In 2 Samuel 24:15-16, an angel is sent to bring a plague upon Israel as a consequence of David's census: "So the LORD sent a plague upon Israel from that morning until the appointed time, and seventy thousand men of the people died, from Dan to Beersheba. But when the angel stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the LORD relented from the calamity and said to the angel who was destroying the people, 'Enough! Withdraw your hand now!' At that time the angel of the LORD was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite." Here, the angel acts as an executor of divine judgment, yet is subject to God's command to cease.

New Testament References

In the New Testament, the concept of an angelic being associated with death is less explicit but can be inferred in certain passages. In Acts 12:23 , an angel of the Lord strikes down Herod Agrippa: "Immediately, because Herod did not give glory to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died." This passage reflects the role of an angel as an instrument of divine retribution.

Theological Interpretations

The Angel of Death is often viewed as a symbolic representation of God's sovereignty over life and death. In Jewish tradition, this figure is sometimes identified with Samael or Azrael, though these names do not appear in the canonical texts of the Bible. In Christian theology, the Angel of Death is not a separate entity but rather an aspect of God's providential control over the world.

The Angel of Death serves as a reminder of the seriousness of sin and the reality of divine judgment. It underscores the belief that life and death are ultimately in God's hands, and that His justice is both righteous and merciful. The Passover event, in particular, highlights the protective power of God for those who are faithful, as the blood of the lamb spared the Israelites from the destroyer's hand, prefiguring the sacrificial death of Christ as the Lamb of God.

Conclusion

While the Bible does not provide a detailed description of the Angel of Death, the concept emerges through various narratives where angels execute God's judgment. These accounts emphasize God's ultimate authority over life and death and His ability to protect and deliver His people according to His divine will.Revelation 12:7-9
And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
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Revelation 12:7
And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
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Revelation 20:14
And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
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Revelation 19:20
And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that worked miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
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The Angel of Death
... CHAPTER XLI THE ANGEL OF DEATH. Kenkenes had spent two weeks in Goshen in systematic
search for Rachel. The labor had been time-consuming and fruitless. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/miller/the yoke/chapter xli the angel of.htm

The Angel's Touch
... It could only bring blessing to the one who was the friend of the angel's Lord,
and it could bring only death to the other, who was His enemy. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture the acts/the angels touch.htm

Madness and Death.
... hold him. He was reaping what he had sown. When the Angel of Death came
and laid his cold hand on him, oh how he cried for mercy. ...
/.../moody/moodys anecdotes and illustrations/madness and death.htm

The Angel in the Tomb
... is to God. The Resurrection of the Prince of Life was no mystery to the
angel. To him the mystery was in His death. To us the death ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture d/the angel in the tomb.htm

Salvation Nearer
... his black garment, there is revealed God's last, sweetest, most triumphant
angel-messenger to Christian souls, the great, strong, silent Angel of Death, and ...
/.../maclaren/romans corinthians to ii corinthians chap v/salvation nearer.htm

Man, Endued with Liberty, Superior to the Angels, Overcomes Even ...
... a state of death; and this, too, neither through infirmity nor through ignorance,
so that no blame can be imputed to the Creator. No doubt it was an angel who ...
/.../the five books against marcion/chapter viii man endued with liberty.htm

The Eternal Home in Heaven Beautiful Exposition by Tertullian of ...
... body and to be present with the Lord," [5760] and so to be ready to meet even death
with joy ... [5773] If "Satan himself, too, is transformed into an angel of light ...
/.../tertullian/the five books against marcion/chapter xii the eternal home in.htm

The Impending Judgment
... for each soul, dissolution has been the preliminary advent of Him who has promised
to come again and receive us unto Himself, and the Angel of Death is indeed ...
/.../chadwick/the gospel of st mark/chapter 13 8-16 the impending judgment.htm

The Redeemer's Return is Necessitated by the Lamentation of all ...
... When the Angel of Death passed through the land of the Nile, he slew all the
first-born of beasts as well as the first-born of the Egyptians (Ex.12:12). ...
/.../pink/the redeemers return/viii the redeemers return is.htm

How the Soul Amidst These Interior Anguishes Knows not the Love ...
... said he, I know in very deed that the Lord hath sent his Angel, and hath ... For so this
Divine Saviour, near unto his death, and giving up his last breath with a ...
/.../francis/treatise on the love of god/chapter xii how the soul.htm

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