Sermon Central
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Angels Part 1
Contributed by Brian Menear on Mar 29, 2007 (message contributor)
Summary: Extensive notes on nature of Angels and common questions/myths. Good for Bible study night.
ANGELS
Angels. By the word “angels” (i.e., “messengers” of God) we ordinarily understand a race of spiritual beings of a nature exalted far above that of man, although infinitely removed from that of God—whose office is “to do him service in heaven, and by his appointment to succor and defend men on earth.”
Mention the word “Angel” and you get many images. A good child, people in Heaven with harps, Guardian Angels. Today we start a 2 part study on Angels.
Part 1
The Nature of Angels
Angels Duties and Order
Common Questions About Angels
The Nature of Angels
Nature of angels.—Angels are termed “spirits,” as in Hebrews 1:14;
HEB 1:14 Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?
God created the Angels, but when did he create them?
Job 38:4-7 describes the angels worshiping God as He was creating the world – “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone - while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?” (Job 38:4-7). So, although the Bible does not specifically say when God created the angels, it was sometime before the world was created. Whether this was a day before, or a thousand years before, we cannot be sure.
Their number must be very large and innumerable
HEB 12:22 But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly,
Their strength is great-descriptions from Psalm 103:20, Revelation 5:2, and
Revelation 18:21 use the term “mighty”.
their activity marvelous
2 Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory."ISA 6:4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
(Isaiahs vision of the Lord)
Their appearance varied according to circumstances, but was often brilliant and dazzling.
Revelation 10:1, 2.
REV 10:1 Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven. He was robed in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs were like fiery pillars. 2 He was holding a little scroll, which lay open in his hand. He planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land,
Angels are spirit beings (Hebrews 1:14), so they do not have any essential physical form. It definitely seems that angels have the ability to take on human form. In Genesis 18:1-19, God and two angels appeared as men and actually ate a meal with Abraham. Angels appear as men many times throughout the Bible (Joshua 5:13-14; Mark 16:5). The angelic creatures described in Isaiah 6, Ezekiel 10, and Revelation 4-5 appear quite unusual. So, angels have some form of “spiritual body” but likely we are currently incapable of truly understanding their form. Angels also have the ability to take on other forms, such as human, in order to appear to us in a manner we can understand. Whenever angels did appear to humans in the Bible, it resulted in fear, amazement, and wonder (see Daniel chapter 10).
They are
Immortal-Luke 20:36, Holy-Matt. 25:31, Wise-2 Sam. 14:17, 20
They possess emotions
10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
If they didn’t have emotions, they wouldn’t be able to be happy when somebody gets saved like we are.
Office of the angels.—Of their office in heaven we have only vague prophetic glimpses, as in 1 Kings 22:19; Isaiah 6:1-3; Daniel 7:9, 10; Revelation. 6:11,(all visions of Angels and Jesus in Heaven) that show us nothing but a never-ceasing adoration. They are represented as being, in the widest sense, agents of God’s providence, natural and supernatural, to the body and to the soul. In one word, they are Christ’s ministers of grace now, as they shall be of judgment hereafter according to Matthew 13:39, 41, 49; 16:27; 24:31.
Angels Duties and Order
Angels have duties for toward both believers and unbelievers. They are concerned in human things.
Ministry of, toward believers:
They Guide Us
Genesis. 24:7
7 "The LORD, the God of heaven, who brought me out of my father’s household and my native land and who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, `To your offspring I will give this land’--he will send his angel before you so that you can get a wife for my son from there.
