This post will continue identifying other names used for angels in scripture.
“sons of God” - I gave a bit of attention to this phrase in my study of Genesis regarding the “sons of God” that chose to procreate with the daughters of men and whose offspring became giants (fallen ones), mighty men of renown.
Genesis 6:1–4 “And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.”
Though many deny this interpretation, I think it is the only reasonable interpretation since there is no reasonable explanation for normal procreation between human men and women to produce children that were so distinct from their peers. I believe Jude makes reference to these rebellious angels in his letter.
Jude 1:6–7 “And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.”
Jude is making reference to angels who left their own habitation and went after “strange flesh.” The Greek for strange makes reference to flesh that is different from their own.
The first chapter of Job also gives support to the term "sons of God" referencing angels.
Job 1:6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.
It would seem that there is a time of discussion in heaven between God and His angels regarding their interactions with men. The writer of Hebrews tells us that they were created as “ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation.” (Hebrews 1:14) Satan evidently continues to present himself on these occasions to “accuse the brethren,” as stated by John in Revelation 12:10 and as the story of Job so vividly pictures.
Not until the New Testament is the phrase “sons of God” applied to men in reference to those who believe on Jesus for their salvation. I think it was Chuck Missler that I heard give a very reasonable explanation regarding the term “sons of God” referencing direct creations of God. It wasn’t until New Testament times that men could become a “new creation” in Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
Job also refers to the sons of God as witnessing the creation of the earth; this would also support this term as a reference to angels.
Job 38:4–7 “Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof; When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?”
The verse in Job above also connects the “sons of God” with the “morning stars.” There are other places in scripture that reference angels as stars.
Revelation 9:1 “And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.”
This “star” is obviously making reference to a heavenly being.
Revelation 12:3–4, 9 “And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born…. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”
This section from Revelation specifically connects “the third part of the stars of heaven” to the devil’s angels that were cast out of heaven with him.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
SERAPHIM – HOSTS – SAINTS - CHARIOTS
In this post we will continue identifying other references to “angels” in scripture.
Seraphims – Only in Isaiah’s vision of God on His throne does scripture make reference to seraphim.
Isaiah 6:1–7 “In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.”
Not much is given to allow us to make comparison to the cherubim. We know that they stood above the throne and have six wings. Ezekiel described the cherubim as having four wings.
Ezekiel 1:6 “And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings.”
If there is a distinction to be made between the seraphim and the cherubim, I think we could say that their focus is on praising God’s holiness and signifying the importance of holiness in God’s presence. The cherubim seem to have more extensive responsibilities in connection with events on earth.
hosts (of LORD/God; of heaven) – This term is first associated with angels in the book of Genesis.
Genesis 32:1–2 “And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God’s host….”
The term is also used specifically of angels in conjunction with the announcement of the birth of Jesus.
Luke 2:10–14 “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”
It is most often used in reference to the armies of the Lord—both in heaven and on earth.
Psalms 24:8–10 “Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory.”
I think the following verses are definitely referring to the angels.
1 Kings 22:19 “And he said, Hear thou therefore the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left.”
1 Chronicles 12:22 “For at that time day by day there came to David to help him, until it was a great host, like the host of God.”
Psalms 103:20–21 “Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word. Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure.”
Psalms 148:2 “Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts.”
The term saints is also used to describe the armies of the Lord.
Deuteronomy 33:2 “And he said, The LORD came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand went a fiery law for them.”
Jude 1:14–15 “And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”
The following verses connect the saints mentioned above to the angels.
Matthew 25:31 “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:”
2 Thessalonians 1:7–8 “And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:”
The angels are also depicted in battle as an army of chariots.
2 Kings 6:17 “And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.”
Psalms 68:17 “The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place.”
Isaiah 66:15–16 “For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many.”
Seraphims – Only in Isaiah’s vision of God on His throne does scripture make reference to seraphim.
Isaiah 6:1–7 “In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.”
Not much is given to allow us to make comparison to the cherubim. We know that they stood above the throne and have six wings. Ezekiel described the cherubim as having four wings.
Ezekiel 1:6 “And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings.”
If there is a distinction to be made between the seraphim and the cherubim, I think we could say that their focus is on praising God’s holiness and signifying the importance of holiness in God’s presence. The cherubim seem to have more extensive responsibilities in connection with events on earth.
hosts (of LORD/God; of heaven) – This term is first associated with angels in the book of Genesis.
Genesis 32:1–2 “And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God’s host….”
The term is also used specifically of angels in conjunction with the announcement of the birth of Jesus.
Luke 2:10–14 “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”
It is most often used in reference to the armies of the Lord—both in heaven and on earth.
Psalms 24:8–10 “Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory.”
I think the following verses are definitely referring to the angels.
1 Kings 22:19 “And he said, Hear thou therefore the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left.”
1 Chronicles 12:22 “For at that time day by day there came to David to help him, until it was a great host, like the host of God.”
Psalms 103:20–21 “Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word. Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure.”
Psalms 148:2 “Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts.”
The term saints is also used to describe the armies of the Lord.
Deuteronomy 33:2 “And he said, The LORD came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand went a fiery law for them.”
Jude 1:14–15 “And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”
The following verses connect the saints mentioned above to the angels.
Matthew 25:31 “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:”
2 Thessalonians 1:7–8 “And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:”
The angels are also depicted in battle as an army of chariots.
2 Kings 6:17 “And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.”
Psalms 68:17 “The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place.”
Isaiah 66:15–16 “For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many.”
Friday, April 23, 2010
CHERUBIM – LIVING CREATURES
In this post we will begin to identify other references to “angels” in scripture.
Cherubims – These angels are first mentioned in connection with guarding the way to the tree of life in the Garden of Eden after Adam and Eve were made to leave the Garden in consequence of their disobedience to God.
Genesis 3:24 “So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.”
Scripture indicates that Satan was created a cherub.
Ezekiel 28:12–14 “Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth….”
Though these verses from Ezekiel are addressed to the King of Tyre, the context makes it clear that the address is to the evil spirit behind the king—a spirit that is identified as having been in the Garden of Eden. Satan is the only logical conclusion in my opinion.
The cherubim are almost always depicted as surrounding the throne of God. Cherubim are prominently depicted in the patterns given to both Moses and David regarding the tabernacle and temple respectively, designated as God’s dwelling place on earth. I believe the mercy seat on the ark was intended to represent God’s throne.
Exodus 25:8-9, 18–20 “And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it….And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat. And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof. And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be.”
1 Chronicles 28:18–19 “And for the altar of incense refined gold by weight; and gold for the pattern of the chariot of the cherubims, that spread out their wings, and covered the ark of the covenant of the LORD. All this, said David, the LORD made me understand in writing by his hand upon me, even all the works of this pattern.”
The people of Israel often identified the LORD as "He that dwells between the cherubims."
1 Samuel 4:4 “So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubims: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.”
2 Kings 19:15 “And Hezekiah prayed before the LORD, and said, O LORD God of Israel, which dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; thou hast made heaven and earth.”
Ezekiel’s vision was very detailed in describing the ministry of the cherubim, also called living creatures, in association with the throne of God.
Ezekiel 1:3–5 “The word of the LORD came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the LORD was there upon him. And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire. Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures.”
Ezekiel 1:26–28 “And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it. And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about. As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.”
Ezekiel 10:1–2 “Then I looked, and, behold, in the firmament that was above the head of the cherubims there appeared over them as it were a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne. And he spake unto the man clothed with linen, and said, Go in between the wheels, even under the cherub, and fill thine hand with coals of fire from between the cherubims, and scatter them over the city. And he went in in my sight…. This is the living creature that I saw under the God of Israel by the river of Chebar; and I knew that they were the cherubims.”
I am pretty convinced that these are same beings referenced as the “four beasts around the throne” referenced by John in the book of Revelation since the description is so similar to Ezekiel’s vision.
Ezekiel 10:12–14 “And their whole body, and their backs, and their hands, and their wings, and the wheels, were full of eyes round about, even the wheels that they four had. As for the wheels, it was cried unto them in my hearing, O wheel. And every one had four faces: the first face was the face of a cherub, and the second face was the face of a man, and the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.”
Revelation 4:6–7 “And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind. And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.”
Cherubims – These angels are first mentioned in connection with guarding the way to the tree of life in the Garden of Eden after Adam and Eve were made to leave the Garden in consequence of their disobedience to God.
Genesis 3:24 “So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.”
Scripture indicates that Satan was created a cherub.
Ezekiel 28:12–14 “Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth….”
Though these verses from Ezekiel are addressed to the King of Tyre, the context makes it clear that the address is to the evil spirit behind the king—a spirit that is identified as having been in the Garden of Eden. Satan is the only logical conclusion in my opinion.
The cherubim are almost always depicted as surrounding the throne of God. Cherubim are prominently depicted in the patterns given to both Moses and David regarding the tabernacle and temple respectively, designated as God’s dwelling place on earth. I believe the mercy seat on the ark was intended to represent God’s throne.
Exodus 25:8-9, 18–20 “And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it….And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat. And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof. And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be.”
1 Chronicles 28:18–19 “And for the altar of incense refined gold by weight; and gold for the pattern of the chariot of the cherubims, that spread out their wings, and covered the ark of the covenant of the LORD. All this, said David, the LORD made me understand in writing by his hand upon me, even all the works of this pattern.”
The people of Israel often identified the LORD as "He that dwells between the cherubims."
1 Samuel 4:4 “So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubims: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.”
2 Kings 19:15 “And Hezekiah prayed before the LORD, and said, O LORD God of Israel, which dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; thou hast made heaven and earth.”
Ezekiel’s vision was very detailed in describing the ministry of the cherubim, also called living creatures, in association with the throne of God.
Ezekiel 1:3–5 “The word of the LORD came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the LORD was there upon him. And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire. Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures.”
Ezekiel 1:26–28 “And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it. And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about. As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.”
Ezekiel 10:1–2 “Then I looked, and, behold, in the firmament that was above the head of the cherubims there appeared over them as it were a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne. And he spake unto the man clothed with linen, and said, Go in between the wheels, even under the cherub, and fill thine hand with coals of fire from between the cherubims, and scatter them over the city. And he went in in my sight…. This is the living creature that I saw under the God of Israel by the river of Chebar; and I knew that they were the cherubims.”
I am pretty convinced that these are same beings referenced as the “four beasts around the throne” referenced by John in the book of Revelation since the description is so similar to Ezekiel’s vision.
Ezekiel 10:12–14 “And their whole body, and their backs, and their hands, and their wings, and the wheels, were full of eyes round about, even the wheels that they four had. As for the wheels, it was cried unto them in my hearing, O wheel. And every one had four faces: the first face was the face of a cherub, and the second face was the face of a man, and the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.”
Revelation 4:6–7 “And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind. And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.”
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
ANGELS AND PROPHECY
As I began to ponder what to cover next in this blog, my thoughts began to turn more and more to how God reveals in scripture the role that angels have in accomplishing His purposes. They are especially prominent in the passages dealing with end times prophecy.
I usually post ahead on this blog, but there are only two posts remaining; so I have decided to just take you along on my journey as I search the scripture to learn more about angels and the part they have had and continue to play in bringing about God’s plan for man. This means that I have no plan or outline in place. I am going to share with you as I gather information and, hopefully, put it together as a coherent whole in the end.
There are two main words translated angel in scripture—“malak” in the Hebrew Old Testament and “aggelos” in the Greek New Testament.
4397. mal ak, mal-awk´; from an unused root meaning to despatch as a deputy; a messenger; specifically, of God, i.e. an angel (also a prophet, priest or teacher):—ambassador, angel, king, messenger.
32. aggelos, ang´-el-os; from aggello (to bring tidings); a messenger; especially an “angel”; by implication, a pastor:—angel, messenger.
Both words clearly indicate that their primary role is that of a messenger and a perusal of the context of their use in scripture clearly identify them as messengers of God. The word angel is used more often in reference to supernatural beings, but the term is also sometimes applied to human messengers. Many examples come quickly to mind of angels communicating messages from God to humans.
• to Lot regarding Sodom and Gomorrah
• to Daniel regarding enlightenment of his dreams
• to Zechariah regarding the birth of John the Baptist
• to Mary regarding the birth of Jesus
• to the shepherds in announcing the birth of Jesus
• to Peter in releasing him from prison
Scripture is also clear in identifying some angels as holy and some as evil.
Matthew 25:31 “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:”
Psalms 78:49 “He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them.”
Holy angels are dedicated to serving God and ministering to those who trust in God. Evil angels have given their allegiance to Satan and are dedicated to attacking the faith of those who have declared allegiance to God. Scripture is clear, however, in declaring God’s sovereignty over all the angelic creation.
Luke 15:10 “Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”
Hebrews 1:13–14 “But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool? Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?”
Revelation 12:9 “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”
Ephesians 6:12 “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
1 Peter 5:8–9 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.”
In the next post we will begin looking at some of the names used in scripture in reference to angels.
I usually post ahead on this blog, but there are only two posts remaining; so I have decided to just take you along on my journey as I search the scripture to learn more about angels and the part they have had and continue to play in bringing about God’s plan for man. This means that I have no plan or outline in place. I am going to share with you as I gather information and, hopefully, put it together as a coherent whole in the end.
There are two main words translated angel in scripture—“malak” in the Hebrew Old Testament and “aggelos” in the Greek New Testament.
4397. mal ak, mal-awk´; from an unused root meaning to despatch as a deputy; a messenger; specifically, of God, i.e. an angel (also a prophet, priest or teacher):—ambassador, angel, king, messenger.
32. aggelos, ang´-el-os; from aggello (to bring tidings); a messenger; especially an “angel”; by implication, a pastor:—angel, messenger.
Both words clearly indicate that their primary role is that of a messenger and a perusal of the context of their use in scripture clearly identify them as messengers of God. The word angel is used more often in reference to supernatural beings, but the term is also sometimes applied to human messengers. Many examples come quickly to mind of angels communicating messages from God to humans.
• to Lot regarding Sodom and Gomorrah
• to Daniel regarding enlightenment of his dreams
• to Zechariah regarding the birth of John the Baptist
• to Mary regarding the birth of Jesus
• to the shepherds in announcing the birth of Jesus
• to Peter in releasing him from prison
Scripture is also clear in identifying some angels as holy and some as evil.
Matthew 25:31 “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:”
Psalms 78:49 “He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them.”
Holy angels are dedicated to serving God and ministering to those who trust in God. Evil angels have given their allegiance to Satan and are dedicated to attacking the faith of those who have declared allegiance to God. Scripture is clear, however, in declaring God’s sovereignty over all the angelic creation.
Luke 15:10 “Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”
Hebrews 1:13–14 “But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool? Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?”
Revelation 12:9 “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”
Ephesians 6:12 “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
1 Peter 5:8–9 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.”
In the next post we will begin looking at some of the names used in scripture in reference to angels.
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