Again, the most clear-cut example relating to our topic that we can find in sacred scripture comes from the book of Genesis, when Jacob wrestled with the Angel :
Genesis 32:29-30
… “You shall no longer be spoken of as Jacob, but as Israel, because you have contended with divine and human beings and have prevailed.”
Jacob then asked him, “Do tell me your name, please.” He answered, “Why should you want to know my name?” With that, he bade him farewell. .
In the Angel, Jacob obviously recognized some type of likeness or reflection of the attributes of God … might we say something *beyond the human *? It explains why Jacob refused to let the Angel go until the Angel blessed him. The Angel confirms this with the words, “you have contended with divine and human beings …”
That would increase exponentially the future danger of idolatry - if Jacob had been given a name … a danger which the Angel (being from God and being fully aware of that potential for idolatry) would have snuffed out before it could even give off a spark.
Old Testament names quite commonly referred directly or indirectly to what one did in life - to a function, we might say. So it also is with God’s holy Angels. Even God Himself, when asked the legitimate question by Moses , “Whom shall I say sent me”, answered,
“I Am Who Am.” And this is God. It is the very essence of God to exist because He is Almighty and eternal - everlasting to everlasting.
Apparently, the amount of Holy Angels’ names already revealed to us through sacred scripture is precisely that which God deems best for us. And without a need arising in time for God to change the name He Himself gives to our guardian Angel, it can potentially be a very arrogant thing, not only to think we would know the name God gives to our own guarian Angel, but to believe we might ever be able to understand that name , because in all liklihood, from what we know, it would describe the Angel’s function.
Instead, we are counselled to proceed cautiously when we look any further than our own human description of our guardian Angel’s function.
It brings us right back to the words of the Angel to Jacob:
“Why should you want to know my name ?”
Expand on the question now, and try to read between the lines : What good will it do you ?
What motivates you - curiosity ?
As posted previously, there are lots of ways to refer to one’s guardian Angel intimately without presuming to understand the name God Himself gave to our Angel .
