ANGELS. Hebrews chapter 1.
Most people, including Christians, hardly ever think about angels. There is little preaching about angels? Why should that be, when there are 300 references to angels in the Bible? Is it because man lives in a materialistic World and concentrates his thinking on what he can see, rather than on those parts of his World where he cannot see but can only believe? Yet there is a growing interest in the non-material World - in spiritual matters. Occultic subjects fill the shelves of the bookshops. 80 per cent of people in Britain read their horoscope on a regular basis. There is an increasing number of books, films and even children's cartoons about supernatural beings. One former President of the U S A openly admitted being advised by an astrologer. So many readily accept the presence of evil but reject the idea of a good God. There is an interest to find out if there is something outside the known World, which influences a man’s life.
On one occasion, just before Jesus' death, Peter asked the Lord: "Where are you going?" Jesus answer rebuked him, as if to say - "Do you not realise that you are a spiritual being, living in a body? God is a spiritual being and angels are spiritual beings.” “Your trouble," said Jesus, "is that you live only in the physical World and think only in the material realm. Get things into perspective and think of Heavenly things. Surely you realise that you are designed to live forever and that this short life is only the beginning of eternal life." Perhaps that is why so few people think much about the presence of angels in the World.
What are angels? What are they like? What functions do they have - for God and for human beings? Where do demons fit into the scheme of things in the spiritual World?
What does the Bible have to teach about angels, the role they play and the practical help they should be and are to man? God reveals to man that God is a spiritual being. Humans too are spiritual beings, placed within a body, which ties them physically to the Earth. Apart from human beings God has created a whole range of other spiritual beings, archangels, angels, seraphims and cherubims. These are the ones God has told man about. Perhaps there are others. All have a role to play in the Universe created by God. One of the angels, called Lucifer, grew tired of praising God and rebelled, inviting other angels to follow him and to praise him. The fallen angels we now know as demons. They are opposed to God and to human beings.
Angels are ministers or servants of God to fulfil His purpose of salvation. They have power to assume physical appearance but usually they are unseen. They are nonetheless real for all that. Many of the prophets - the holy men of God - had great visions of angelic hosts. Jesus could have called on ten thousand, thousand to help Him. Believers believe in angels, not because they have seen them, but because the Bible tells them of their existence. Some have seen them. There are many instances in Scripture of angels appearing to men. Angels appeared to the shepherds at the time of the birth of Jesus. No wonder they were afraid. Mostly man encounters their presence in the realm of the spirit. The battle is not against flesh and blood but against spiritual powers and principalities.
Man is to worship the Creator and not the angels who are created beings. In the same way as man is not to worship gold or animals. They are all created by God, who alone is to be worshipped. Col ch 1 v 16 tells that there was a time when nothing existed outside of the Godhead, and that angels were created by God. Psalm 68 v 17 lets man know that there are thousands upon thousands. In Deut ch 33 v 2 10,000 came to Mount Sinai to confirm the presence of God as He gave the Law to Moses. Angels are powerful. Just one rolled away the stone from the grave of Jesus. The Roman guards saw the angel. Mat ch 28 v 4. v 11. The guards went to tell the authorities what had happened. There was no attempt to find the body of Jesus. The guards were believed. Angels are present at the death of a believer to lead the believer to the Lord. Thoughts can be planted in the mind by Satan and the demons. Similarly thoughts are blocked by the angels. The angels shut the mouths of the lions in the Lions' Den where Daniel was sent.
The angels are used to prevent Satan carrying out his worst plans for you. Billy Graham says in his book about angels that: "The enemies of Christ who attack man incessantly would often be thwarted if they could grasp God's assurance that His mighty angels are always nearby, ready to help." Many tragedies are averted for no apparent reason. Perhaps an angel has been at work. At the point of death an angel will escort the saved soul to the throne of God. Death is like a thin veil, which separates man’s natural World from the spiritual World. Death is not natural. God did not intend man to face death. It is the wages or result of sin, which brought death. Man was created to live and not to die. Meanwhile all the judgements referred to in Revelation are to be meted out by angels. Angels watch the affairs of men. 1 Cor ch 4 v 9. Man must be careful not to let Satan have a foothold in his life. Eph ch 4 v 27.
The angels often protect God's servants from potential enemies. 2 Kings ch 6 v 14-17. It is possible that each believer has his or her own guardian angel, assigned to watch over him or her. Angels hover protectively over a man’s life. The powers of light and darkness are locked in intense conflict round about a man. Many men are held captive in chains of depression. If the sons of God could only realise how close God's ministering angels are, what calm assurance they could have in facing the cataclysms of life. While believers do not place faith in angels, they should place it in the God who rules the angels. God wants man to trust Him in the darkness. An angel wakened Elijah to eat.
Angels are organised in terms of authority There are archangels, angels, seraphims, cherubims, principalities, powers, thrones, might and dominion. It was Gabriel who was given the special task of conveying the message to Mary about the birth of Jesus. The seraphim and cherubim have the task of praising God continually.
Satan never ceases to discredit the claims of the Word of God, and to rob mankind of the strength and comfort of faith. He often works by raising doubts and by tempting man. A man’s senses are inlets through which Satan can work, prod and inject his deadly "ifs.” "If you lead a good life: if you go to Church: if you work for the benefit of others: then you will be saved.” All lies from Satan and contrary to the Word of God.
Angels will execute judgement on those who have rejected God's love. Unknown to men, they have undoubtedly in the past helped destroy systems like Nazism. One of the angels will blow the trumpet, which announces impending judgement when God summons the nations of the World to stand before Him at the final judgement. Rev ch 14 v 15. Angels are used to warn mankind before judgement takes place, as in Sodom and Gomorrah. They also assisted Lot in escaping from the destruction. The angel of death brought death to the first born of Egypt. All the judgements referred to in Revelation are to be meted out by angels.
One thing, which angels cannot do is to preach the Gospel. They have not experienced salvation. Only a man can speak of the salvation of God from personal experience. 1 Pet ch 1 v 12. Angels can only assist those who preach and watch over them. It was an angel who led Philip to the Ethiopian Eunuch.
Angels ministered to Jesus during His Earthly ministry in many different ways. An angel rolled away the stone from the grave and those who were keeping guard saw the angel. Mary saw two angels sitting in the tomb where Jesus had lain. Angels accompanied Jesus on His return to Heaven and will also accompany Him when He comes again at the end of the World.
Where do angels fit in to the events of a war? Packer said that everything, which happens in the physical, seen World is a manifestation of what is happening in the spiritual unseen World. It may be that just as the Devil himself entered into Judas just before the death of Jesus, so either the Devil or one of his principal demons entered into a man like Saddam Hussein. In this way, he led the World into a war in order to bring about untold misery for countless people. Through him he tried his best to bring Israel into the war, with a view to the overthrow of Israel.
Paul reminds man that his battle is not against flesh and blood but against spiritual powers and principalities. Islam is a principality, controlled by Satan himself. Salman Rushdie in his book Satanic Verses put his finger on the very problem - the Quaran is a collection of Satanic verses. The forces of darkness are being exposed by the forces of light. No one likes to be exposed as an imposter. Israel, as the people chosen by God, have a great future as people of the Bible. Daniel ch 12 v 2 reminds man that in these days the archangel Michael, who has a special responsibility for the nation of Israel, will fight on her behalf. Battle has been joined. Where it will end has been foretold - Armageddon. There will be no peace between men until there is peace between man and God.
The angels will continue to serve God, even if mankind ignores them. However, it is clear that they are hindered in their work if man does not pray them into activity. They rely on the prayers of the believers and are sent by God to carry out the purposes which He has in mind and which are prayed through by believers. Man loses so much in the way of blessing by ignoring the angels.
Angels have a more important place in the Bible than demons. There are over 300 references to them.
A. “To guard you in all your ways.” Psalm 91 v 11. A guardian angel. By contrast, Satan is a fallen angel who is out to steal, rob and kill. Angels minister the grace of God to man. Heb ch 1 v 14. Angels are a different dimension of creation. God created them - Col ch 1 v 16. They are non-material but may take on physical bodies when God asks them to do so. Mark ch 12 v 25. An angel appeared to Philip in Acts ch 8 v 26. Angels appeared to the shepherds. No wonder they were afraid. They ate and drank. Gen ch 18. So did Jesus after His resurrection. They do not marry or reproduce their own kind. Mat ch 22 v 30. There are vast numbers. Psalm 68 v 17. Armies of angels will appear at Armageddon. Heb ch 12 v 22. Angels barred the way to the Garden of Eden. Gen ch 3 cv 24. Since the angels are spiritual beings, man sees them in the realm of the spirit. They are spiritual forces.
B. To worship God. Isaiah ch 6 and Rev ch 4. They were created good. Some rebelled and became demons. Jude v 6. The angel of the Lord is generally believed to be Jesus - a theophany e.g. Gen ch 18. Angels are not to be worshipped. Romans ch 1 v 25-5. Man should not pray to them. They have feelings e.g. they rejoice when a sinner repents and is saved. Luke ch 15 v 10. Dan ch 6 v 22. Mat ch 28 v 3.
Angels differ from human beings in that they have never sinned and therefore do not require to be saved and have never experienced salvation. They do not experience the presence of the indwelling God. They know a lot but not everything. 2 Sam ch 14 v 20 and Mark ch 13 v 32. They have a language and worship before the throne of God. 1 Cor ch 13 v 1.
C. They protect man from harm. Psalm 34 v 7 and Acts ch 12 v 5-11. Jesus could have called on a legion of angels.
D. They are used to judge the nations. The angel of death in Egypt. Ex ch 12 v 18-30. Acts ch 12 v 22. Mat ch 13 v 50.
E. They make special pronouncements for God. Luke ch 1 v 26. Luke ch 2 v 11. Gabriel announced the birth of Jesus.
F. They ministered to Jesus, Mat ch 4 v 11 and one rolled away the stone from the grave.
G. Angels will gather God's elect. They will come with Jesus on judgement day. Mat ch 13 v 41-2. They watch over man. Job ch 1 v 10. There are archangels - Michael and Lucifer. Arch means chief or great. Michael looks after Israel. Dan ch 12. They are engaged in conflict. Isaiah ch 14 v 12-14. Eph ch 6 v 12.
Angels are not omnipresent and can only be in one place at a time. (This includes the Devil.) They are organised in terms of authority - archangels, angels, seraphim, principalities, cherubim, powers, thrones, might, and dominion. Col ch 1 v 16. Romans ch 8 v 38.
Gabriel is primarily God's messenger of mercy and promise. God has given him the task of conveying the message from the throne room in Heaven. Gabriel informed Mary of the birth of Jesus. The seraphim and cherubim have the duty of constant praise of God, who wants man to know His glory.
Daniel dramatically reveals the constant and bitter conflict between the holy angels and the angels of darkness, allied with Satan. Sometime between the dawn of creation and the fall of Adam and Eve, Satan was expelled from Heaven. Everything was good after God created the Universe. Satan was probably the ruling angel of the Universe under God and he rebelled. War started in Heaven, which will have its climax at Armageddon. Lucifer was not satisfied with his role of praising God and he wanted to usurp the throne of God. He wanted to be worshipped. He wanted what did not belong to him. Virtually every war is fought for this reason.
In his warfare against God he uses the human race, which God created and until the leaders of the World realise this, they will continue to be the blind leaders of the blind. Satan is dedicated to the spirit of destruction. In Ezekiel ch 28 the King of Tyre became a devil incarnate and an earthly illustration of the heavenly devil. Yet the forces of darkness yield to the warfare of faith and light as angel hosts press the warfare to gain victory for man. 2 Cor ch 10 v 4-5. Satan works to bring about the downfall of nations, to corrupt moral standards and to waste human resources. Satan has great power and he is cunning and clever. He is determined to drag humans down to the prison of eternal separation from God. He coaxes men to defy the authority of God. He persuades the World to wallow in the deluding comforts of sin. This attack will continue until God brings down the curtain on this frightening drama at Armageddon.