The Angels of God

THE ANGELS OF GOD I. The Nature of Angels. A. They are invisible to unaided human eyesight. NUM 22:31; 2KI 6:17 c/w PSA 68:17 & HEB 1:7. B. They are creatures just as much as anything visible. HEB 1:7; COL 1:16. C. They are spirits. HEB 1:7. D. They are a flame of fire. HEB 1:7; 2KI 6:17; EZE 1:13-14. E. They are impervious to fire. JDG 13:20; REV 19:17. F. Their raiment is white and their countenance is brilliant. DAN 10:5-6; REV 15:6; MAT 28:2-4. G. They do NOT marry. MAT 22:30. H. They cannot die. LUK 20:36. I. They are intelligent, but not omniscient. 2SAM 14:20; MAT 24:36. J. They are interested in the salvation of sinners and rejoice when sinners repent. LUK 15:10; 1PE 1:12. 1. They desire to look into the things of the gospel. 1PE 1:12. 2. This was set forth in the design of the ark of the covenant and the mercy seat: the cherubim looked toward the blood-sprinkled mercy seat which covered the law. EXO 25:10-22 c/w LEV 16:11-16; HEB 9:5. 3. How ought saints to desire to look into the things of the gospel! K. They have names. LUK 1:26; JUDE 1:9. L. They are extremely powerful. PSA 103:20. 1. One angel slew 185,000 men in one night. 2KI 19:35. 2. They can hold the wind. REV 7:1-3. 3. They are more powerful than any earthly dignitary. 2PE 2:11. M. They can fly. DAN 9:21; REV 14:6. N. They are very swift. EZE 1:14; DAN 9:20-21. O. They are masculine. MAT 28:5 c/w MAR 16:5-6; REV 21:17. P. They sometimes appear as men. GEN 18:1-8 c/w 19:1-11. Q. They are innumerable. HEB 12:22; REV 5:11. R. They are arranged into principalities, powers and legions. COL 1:16; MAT 26:53. S. There is a hierarchy among them. DAN 10:13; JUDE 1:9; 1TI 5:21. T. They dwell in the presence of God in heaven. MAT 18:10; 22:30; LUK 1:19; 2:15; REV 3:5; 5:11. U. They can sin. JOB 4:18; 2PE 2:4. V. Sometimes they are called stars. JOB 38:7; REV 12:4. W. Sometimes they are called the sons of God. JOB 1:5-6; 2:1; 38:7; GEN 6:1-4. 1. These four occurrences are the only usages of the term “sons of God” in the O.T. 2. The sons of God in GEN 6:1-4 were evidently fornicating angels who left their first estate which forbade marriage to cohabit with human women. JUDE 1:6-7; MAT 22:30. 3. NOTE: Christ is also called the Son of God. But He is also known as the Messenger of the covenant (MAL 3:1). The same Hebrew word, malak (Strongs # 4397) which is most frequently translated as angel in the O.T. is almost as often translated as messenger(s) (as in MAL 3:1), and sometimes as ambassadors as in 2CH 35:21; ISA 30:4; 33:7; EZE 17:5. II. The Functions of Angels. A. They worship God and the Lord Jesus Christ. PSA 148:2; HEB 1:6. The Angels of God Page 1 of 2 B. They obey the word of God. PSA 103:20. C. They are instruments of judgment. GEN 19:12-13, 24 c/w 2PE 2:6; 1CH 21:14-16; PSA 35:4-6; ACT 12:21-23; REV 16:1. D. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear God and delivers them. PSA 34:7; 2KI 6:17; DAN 6:22; ACT 12:11; 27:23. 1. The primary sense of encamp is military in nature. 2. God's angels are His host or army. GEN 32:1-2. 3. Angels are employed of God to protect His saints. PSA 91:9-14. E. They fight with the devil and his angels. DAN 10:13, 20; REV 12:7. F. Angels are prophets. God has used them to reveal His word. REV 22:8-9; JDG 13:2-5; MAT 1:20-24; 2:13, 19; LUK 1:5-20, 26-38; ACT 7:53; GAL 3:19; HEB 2:2. G. They facilitate miracles. JOH 5:4. H. They carry a child of God at death into Abraham's bosom. LUK 16:22. I. They will all accompany Jesus Christ when He appears the second time. MAT 25:31; 2TH 1:7. 1. They will be the reapers of mankind severing the wicked from the just. MAT 13:39, 49. 2. They will gather together the elect. MAT 24:31. 3. They will gather together the wicked and cast them into a furnace of fire. MAT 13:41-42. III. The Relationship of the Angels to the Lord Jesus Christ. A. The angels observed Christ on earth and ministered to Him. 1TI 3:16; MAT 4:11; LUK 22:43. B. Jesus Christ is made better than the angels and has a more excellent name than they. HEB 1:3-5. C. Jesus Christ is God; angels are only creatures. HEB 1:7-8. D. Jesus Christ did not represent them in His death. HEB 2:16. E. They have been made subject to Jesus Christ. HEB 1:13; 2:5-8; 1PE 3:22. IV. The Relationship of the Angels to the Heirs of Salvation. A. By His reconciling blood, Jesus Christ has removed the estrangement between the holy angels and the elect. GEN 3:24; COL 1:20. B. The Son of Man, the only Mediator, is the means of interchange between the angels and the redeemed. JOH 1:51. C. The angels and the redeemed are now brethren and fellow-servants, members of a common family. REV 19:10; EPH 3:15; HEB 12:22-23. 1. They are now associated together in obeying the Scriptures. REV 22:9 ct/w GAL 1:8. 2. They are united in worshipping the Lamb of God. REV 5:8-14. D. God's purpose in Christ for His church instructs angels. EPH 3:9-11. E. The angels are commissioned to minister for the heirs of salvation. HEB 1:14. 1. The various forms of ministry for the heirs of salvation were detailed above under “The Functions of Angels.” 2. God's little ones have their angels. MAT 18:10. F. Angels are not to be worshipped. COL 2:18; REV 22:8-9. G. Angels are not to be provoked. EXO 23:20-22; 1CO 11:10; ECC 5:6. H. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. HEB 13:2; JDG 13:15-16. The Angels of God Page 2 of 2