We are surrounded by things unseen with human eyes. There are things God made that we cannot see. The winds cannot be seen, but we can easily see the results of them. Likewise, God created angels. Most of the time, we cannot see them, but we see the results of what they do. These angels fall into two general categories. Angels which are true and faithful to God, and the angels which rebelled against God and are commonly called devils, fallen angels, demons, and evil spirits.
Like the wind, they are present almost everywhere. Some are more intense than others, but be certain that they have an effect upon your life.
1. ANGELS HAVE AN IMPORTANT PLACE IN THE WORK OF GOD.
A. ANGELS WERE CREATED BY GOD, AND THEY WERE NEVER MEANT TO BE HIGH AS THE LORD JESUS.
There are some religions who believe angels, such as Lucifer, to be equal to Jesus but scripture tells us that Jesus is the One who is worshiped and on the throne of His kingdom.
Hebrews 1:6-8 And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.
B. GOD HAS SPECIAL TASKS FOR THE ANGELS.
–THEY CAN BE SENT FOR THE PROTECTION OF HIS PEOPLE.
Daniel 6:22 My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.
–THEY CAN BE SENT TO DELIVER A BELIEVER FROM THE JAWS OF DEATH.
Acts 12:11 And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.
C. THEY ARE SENT TO REVEAL A MESSAGE FROM GOD.
–THEY ARE SOMETIMES SENT TO PROVIDE A SPECIFIC REVELATION OF TRUTH. God sent an angel to Mary, to Joseph, to Zacharias about John the Baptist, and also in Revelation these angels were sent:
Revelation 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
–THEY MAY BE SENT TO BRING A REVELATION OF THE FUTURE.
Revelation 22:6 And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.
–THEY MAY BE SENT TO BRING INSTRUCTIONS.
Acts 8:26 And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.
Acts 10:22 And they said, Cornelius the centurion, a just man, and one that feareth God, and of good report among all the nation of the Jews, was warned from God by an holy angel to send for thee into his house, and to hear words of thee.
–SOMETIMES THEY ARE SENT TO OPEN OUR EYES TO WHAT GOD IS DOING.
Genesis 31:11 And the angel of God spake unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I.
Numbers 22:26 And the angel of the LORD went further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.
Numbers 22:27 And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she fell down under Balaam: and Balaam’s anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a staff.
Numbers 22:31-32 Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face. And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me:
–SOMETIMES THEY ARE SENT TO PROTECT US AND KEEP US SAFE AND COMFORT US.
Psalms 34:7 The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.
Zechariah 1:12-13 Then the angel of the LORD answered and said, O LORD of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years? And the LORD answered the angel that talked with me with good words and comfortable words.
Acts 27:23 For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,
—GOD SENT THEM TO BRING LOT OUT OF SODOM.
Genesis 19:15 And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.
2. ANGELS CAN BE SENT TO FULFILL A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM GOD.
A. THEY CAN BRING DOWN SPECIAL EVENTS OF HEALING.
John 5:4 For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.
–SOMETIMES THEY ARE SENT TO BRING JUDGMENT.
2 Chronicles 32:21 And the LORD sent an angel, which cut off all the mighty men of valour, and the leaders and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. And when he was come into the house of his god, they that came forth of his own bowels slew him there with the sword.
3. THE NATURE OF ANGELS MAKES THEM VERY DIFFERENT FROM HUMAN BEINGS.
A. SINCE THE MORAL FALL OF ADAM, THEY APPEAR TO HAVE A SUPERIOR INTELLIGENCE, AND CAN DO MANY THINGS HUMANS CANNOT DO.
Psalms 104:4 Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire:
B. ANGELS HAVE A DIFFERENT COMPOSITION FROM MAN.
ANGELS WERE MADE AS SPIRIT. UNIQUE SPIRITS IN THAT THEY CAN APPEAR AS MEN, AND EVEN EAT FOOD, AS THEY DID WITH ABRAHAM.
–THEY ARE NOT LIMITED BY THE LAWS OF PHYSICS WHICH APPLY TO MEN. Angels appears in sky.
Revelation 8:13 And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!
Revelation 14:6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
–THEY CAN CHANGE IN FORM AND LOOK LIKE A MAN.
Hebrews 13:2 Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
–THEY CAN CONTROL THEIR VEHICLES WITH THEIR MINDS.
Ezekiel 1:19-21 And when the living creatures went, the wheels went by them: and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up. Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went, thither was their spirit to go; and the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels. When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.
4. ANGELS DO NOT SEEM TO EXPRESS THE CARING AND COMPASSION OF THE GOD WHO MADE THEM.
A. THEY SIMPLY CARRY OUT WHAT THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO DO.
–ARE ANGELS THE SENSITIVE, LOVING CREATURES WHICH MANY ASSUME THAT THEY ARE ? They don’t understand the grace of God which brought Jesus.
1 Peter 1:12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.
–THEY SEE WHAT YOU DO. (WATCHERS)
Jeremiah 4:16 Make ye mention to the nations; behold, publish against Jerusalem, that watchers come from a far country, and give out their voice against the cities of Judah.
Daniel 4:17 This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.
Daniel 4:13 I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher and an holy one came down from heaven;
Daniel 4:23 And whereas the king saw a watcher and an holy one coming down from heaven, and saying, Hew the tree down, and destroy it; yet leave the stump of the roots thereof in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven times pass over him;
–THEY KEEP RECORDS.
Malachi 3:16 Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.
Ezekiel 9:11 And, behold, the man clothed with linen, which had the inkhorn by his side, reported the matter, saying, I have done as thou hast commanded me.
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.
5. ANGELS WILL BE JUDGED ONE DAY AFTER JESUS RETURNS TO THE EARTH.
A. SOME ANGELS SERVE THE WRONG GOD, AND WILL BE PUNISHED FOREVER.
2 Peter 2:4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
Jude 1:6 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.
B. WHEN ANGELS OR PEOPLE DO NOT FOLLOW GOD’S WILL, THAT IS CALLED SIN. WHEN THAT HAPPENS IT KNOCKS THE ENTIRE PERSON, THEIR FAMILY AND THEIR COUNTRY OFF FROM THE PERFECT PLAN WHICH GOD HAD FOR THEM.
C. IF GOD DEALT WITH ANGELS, HE WILL ALSO DEAL WITH EVERY HUMAN BEING.
2 Peter 2:4-6 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;
IF YOUR SINS ARE NOT FORGIVEN BY GOD, ONE DAY YOU WILL BE CARRIED BY THE ANGELS TO JUDGMENT WHETHER YOU WANT TO BE, OR NOT.
THE ANGELS ARE THE REAPERS. PEOPLE STILL ALIVE AT THE PHYSICAL RETURN OF THE LORD TO THIS EARTH WILL BE CAPTURED BY THE ANGELS AND BROUGHT BEFORE GOD.
Matthew 13:39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.
”Did That Angel Know ?”
A Bible Study with Dr. Ed J. MacWilliams
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