The Torah relates that when Jacob was on his way to meet Esau, he encountered angels of God. The Sages explain that these angels assisted Jacob – who feared the vengeance of his brother – and intimidated Esau’s camp.

“Jacob said when he saw them: This is the camp of God” (Genesis 32:2). How many were in a camp of God? Twenty million ministering angels…. “He called the name of that place Mahanayim” (32:2) – two camps. Why? The verse teaches that Jacob was provided with forty million ministering angels, who appeared like a king’s soldiers. Among them were wearers of armor, among them cavalry, and among them charioteers. Esau encountered the wearers of armor; he said to them: Whose are you? They said to him: We are Jacob’s. Esau encountered the cavalry; he said to them: Whose are you? They said to him: We are Jacob’s. Esau encountered the charioteers; he said to them: Whose are you? They said to him: We are Jacob’s. As it is stated [that Esau said to Jacob when they met]: “He said: For whom do you intend this entire camp that I met?” (33:8). Jacob would also mention the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, to Esau, to intimidate him and to cause him to panic, as it is stated: “For therefore, I have seen your face, as the sight of the face of God” (33:10). To what can this matter be compared? It can be compared to one who invited another to a meal, and the guest recognized that the host was seeking to kill him. The guest said: The taste of this cooked dish is like the taste of that cooked dish that I ate in the king’s palace. The host said to himself: My guest knows the king. The host was afraid and did not kill his guest. Likewise, once Jacob said to Esau: “For therefore, I have seen your face, as the sight of the face of God,” Esau the wicked said: The Holy One, blessed be He, accorded him that honor [i.e., that he saw the face of God]; I can no longer prevail over him. (Bereshit Rabba 75)