ANGELS
ANGELS “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation” (Heb. 1:14)
Let us begin this brief study by remembering that angels ministered to Jesus:
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Angels announced the birth of Jesus to Mary, the shepherds, and Joseph (Lk. 1:26-38; Lk. 2:8- 20; Matt. 1:18-25).
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Angels ministered to Jesus when he was tempted in the wilderness. “At once the Spirit sent him out into the desert and he was in the desert forty days being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him” (Mk. 1:12-13).
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An angel strengthened Jesus when he was praying in Gethsemane: “He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, ‘Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me, yet not my will, but yours be done’. An angel appeared to him and strengthened him.” (Lk. 22:41-43).
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Angels could easily have delivered Jesus from crucifixion. When Peter drew his sword to protect Jesus, the Scriptures explain: “‘Put your sword back in its place’, Jesus said to him, ‘for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot call on my Father. And he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen this way’” (Matt. 26:52-54). (For your information, one angel killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in a single night – Is. 37:36).
REMEMBER! JESUS WAS TEMPTED IN EVERY WAY LIKE WE ARE
“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet without sin” (Heb. 4:15).
THE FACT THAT JESUS HAD ANGELS HELP HIM PROVES WE ALSO HAVE ANGELS TO HELP US! JESUS WAS TEMPTED IN EVERY WAY JUST AS WE ARE! ANGELS ARE MINISTERING SPIRITS CREATED TO SERVE THOSE WHO WILL INHERIT SALVATION.
While angels have continually ministered since they were created, let us focus on the ministry of angels in New Testament times. Here is a brief overview:
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An angel announced the birth of John the Baptist (Lk. 1:11-20).
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The angel Gabriel told the virgin Mary that she would be the mother of Jesus (Lk. 1:26-38). •
An angel told Joseph that Mary’s baby was conceived by the Holy Spirit (Matt. 1:20-25). •
Angels announced the birth of Jesus to the shepherds (Lk. 2:8-15).
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An angel told Joseph to take the baby Jesus and flee to Egypt (Matt. 2:13).
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As we have said, angels ministered to Jesus and strengthened him (Mk. 1:12-13; Lk. 22:41-43). •
Satan tried to get Jesus to throw himself down from the temple by quoting from Psalm 91 - “He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone” (Matt. 4:6)
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Jesus told Nathanael: “I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man” (Jn. 1:51).
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Jesus referred to angels in his parables (Matt. 13:39, 41, 49).
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As we have said, angels could easily have delivered Jesus from crucifixion (Matt. 26:52-54).
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An angel rolled away the stone from the tomb of Jesus (Matt. 28:5).
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The angel told the women that Jesus was raised from the dead. He showed them the empty tomb and then told the women to go quickly and tell his disciples (Matt. 28:1-7).
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When Jesus ascended into heaven, two men dressed in white (who were obviously angels), said to the apostles: “Men of Galilee’; they said, ‘why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven’” (Acts 1:11).
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When Jesus returns he will come in his glory and all the holy angels will be with him (Matt. 25:31).
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In the end of the world the angels will separate the wicked from the righteous (Matt. 13:49). •
Jesus will return from heaven “In blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus” (2 Thess. 1:7- 8).
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An angel released the apostles from prison and told them to go preach in the temple courts (Acts 5:17-20).
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Before Stephen was killed “All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel” (Acts 6:15).
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An angel directed Philip to preach to the Ethopian eunuch (Acts 8:26).
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An angel directed Cornelius to send for the Apostle Peter (Acts 10:1-8).
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An angel delivered Peter from prison (Acts 12:7-11).
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When Herod refused to give praise to God an angel of the Lord struck him down and he was eaten of worms and died (Acts 12:23).
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An angel appeared to Paul in the midst of a storm. The angel assured Paul that he would stand before Caesar and that no one on the ship would die (Acts 27:21-16).
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Paul said that the apostles were made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to men (1 Cor. 4:9).
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Christians will judge angels (1 Cor. 6:3).
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Women ought to have a sign of authority on their heads because of the angels (1 Cor. 11:10). •
The Law was put into effect through angels by a mediator (Gal. 3:19).
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It is a mistake to worship angels (Col. 2:18).
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Jesus is superior to the angels (Heb. 1:4-5).
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All of God’s angels are to worship Jesus (Heb. 1:6).
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As we have already said: “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation” (Heb. 1:14).
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The Scriptures warn: “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it” (Heb. 13:2).
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Angels desired to understand the salvation spoken of by the prophets (1 Pet. 1:10-12). •
Angels, authorities, and powers are submissive to Jesus (1 Pet. 3:22).
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God did not spare the angels that sinned but sent them to hell (2 Pet. 2:4).
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Some bold and arrogant men slander celestial beings. Even though angels are stronger and more powerful than men, this is something that even the angels will not do (2 Pet. 2:9-12). •
An angel gave to John his visions that are recorded in the book of Revelation (Rev. 1:1). •
There are 23 references to angels in the book of Revelation.
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There are 250 references to angels in the Bible.
ANGELS TODAY
There is no reason to believe that the ministry of angels has changed. There is no reason to believe that angels cannot minister now just as they have always done! Billy Graham wrote the book “Angels – God’s Secret Agents”. Graham states: “Angels have a much more important place in the Bible than the devil and his demons”. Sadly, some are more inclined to believe in demons than they are in angels. In Dr. Graham’s classic book he combines personal testimonies about angels with what the Bible says about angels. Evidence, both in the Bible and human experience, assures us that we are not alone. Not only has Christ promised never to leave us or forsake us (Heb. 13:5), but he has also promised us supernatural help through the ministry of angels. As we have mentioned, we should not neglect to entertain strangers for when we do so we might be entertaining angels without realizing it.
The Hebrew word for “angel” is “malach”. It means “messenger”. It does not always refer to a supernatural messenger. In Gen. 32:3, for example, Jacob sent “angels” or “messengers” before him to Esau his brother. Malachi wrote the last book of the Old Testament Scriptures. His name means “messenger of God”.
The Greek word for “angel” is “angelos”. Sometimes the word “angelos” also refers to human messengers. John the Baptist, for example, is called a “messenger” or “angel” whom God sent to prepare the way for Jesus (Matt. 11:10).
When we have a need, God can help us any way He wants to. He can send us “spiritual” messengers or “human” messengers, or both.
The primary focus of Christian worship, however, is spiritual. The church is different from human organizations in that it focuses on spiritual reality. Please consider this contrast between Jewish worship and Christian worship in the book of Hebrews. Jewish worship at Sinai involved physical realities. It involved a mountain you could touch, an earthquake you could feel, and a trumpet you could hear. Christian worship, by contrast, involved a spiritual mountain and spiritual realities that are invisible to the human eye. Please consider:
JEWISH WORSHIP
“You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, because they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.” The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.”
CHRISTIAN WORSHIP
“But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.” (Heb. 12:18-24).
Jesus created all things in heaven and earth. Some of the things He created are “visible” and some are “invisible”. Please consider: “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and things on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things and in him all things hold together” (Col. 1:15-17). The “invisible” world is equal to or greater than the “visible” world. Remember! “We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Cor. 4:18).
Along with many other spiritual realities, we need to “fix our eyes” on angels for “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation” (Heb. 1:14)