BIBLE TOPICS

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path". Ps 119:105

Subjects

The Work of The Angels 

Common beliefs people have about the angels see them much as the picture shows, beings with wings and maybe playing an instrument, such as a harp or trumpet. But ask most people about the angels, what they are or what their role is and their ideas are vague. Yet the Angels play an integral part in carrying out God's will and purpose with the earth.

What are Angels?

1. representative
2. messenger
3. angel

The Greek word is AGGELOS {ang'-el-os} from aggello meaning to bring tidings. It is translated [AV] as angel or messenger. The definition of the word means: a messenger, envoy, one who is sent, an angel, a messenger from God.

So Paul writes:

"Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?" Hebrews 1:14.

Do angels look like the picture above? Well in answering this question we can think of Paul's words :

"Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it." Hebrews 13:2

So then angels are messengers and servants from God who in appearance look like you and me. Now as to the number of angels, well Daniel records "A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him. Thousands upon thousands attended him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him". Daniel 7:10  So we see that there are an innumerable number of angelic beings carrying out the will of God.   

The Work Of Angels

At Creation:

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" ......... "Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." Genesis 1:1&26-27

The Hebrew word translated as 'God' in these verses is 'Elohim' pronounced {el-o-heem'} and means: 1) rulers, judges 2) divine ones 3) angels 4) gods. We need to note however that this is a plural word and not singular.

Thus Job records, God saying to him:

"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 [ reference to angels] sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?" Job38:4-7

We learn then that God gave the word of command at creation and the angels carried out His word, bringing all things into existence by the power of God, creating all things just as God commanded.

As Messengers:

"I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of the finest gold round his waist. His body was like chrysolite, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude. I, Daniel, was the only one who saw the vision; the men with me did not see it, but such terror overwhelmed them that they fled and hid themselves" ..... " He said, "Daniel, you who are highly esteemed, consider carefully the words I am about to speak to you, and stand up, for I have now been sent to you." And when he said this to me, I stood up trembling. Then he continued, "Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them." .... "Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come." Daniel 10:5-14.

It must be noted that the description given of the angel is that of a man in form,  yet wielding the immense power of God and being immortal in nature. He is sent by God as a messenger to Daniel explaining the meaning of the visions Daniel had seen regarding what was to come in the future.

Again at another time the angel appears to Daniel in response to Daniels prayers about the restoration of his people from exile. An angel is sent by God in response to the prayer of Daniel and we read:

"while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice.  He instructed me and said to me, "Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding.  As soon as you began to pray, an answer was given, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed. Therefore, consider the message and understand the vision:" Daniel 9:21-23

In a similar manner an angel is sent to Mary and again the angels name is given. Thus we read:

"In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you." Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favour with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; his kingdom will never end." "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God." "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her." Luke 1:26-38.

Another example that can be considered of angels acting as messengers, was after the resurrection of Jesus. The disciples came seeking Jesus but found an empty tomb. They were perplexed and bewildered not knowing what to think but then we read:

"As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed." Don't be alarmed," he said. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, `He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.'" Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid." Mark 16:5-8.

Though unseen and unappreciated by man, the work of the angels has continued throughout the millennia. Jacob had a vision of a ladder with angels ascending and descending upon it. God reiterated to Jacob the promises He had made to Abraham and to Isaac his forefathers. The vision signified the angels overruling all world events, a work which still continues today, work bringing about God's purpose in fulfillment of those promises made to the Patriarchs:

"Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Haran. When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. There above it stood the LORD, and he said: "I am the LORD, he God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying." Genesis 28:10-13.

Jesus will return and set up God's Kingdom on the Earth. The angels will bring about all that God has foretold will happen, as the signs we see in the world about us heralding the return of Jesus show. But this is a subject in itself.

But we can now come to consider one of the most important aspects of the work of the angels, namely that of manifesting God. We read in Exodus that Moses requested to see the glory of God:

"Then Moses said, "Now show me your glory." And the LORD said, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. But," he said, "you cannot see my face, for no-one may see me and live." Exodus 33:18-20

So the first point to consider is that God's glory is His character, which is perfect. The second point to consider is that Moses was clearly told he could not see God, for no man was permitted to see God and live. We are imperfect beings and are unfit to enter into the presence of God because of our uncleanness due to sin. Now Jesus said very plainly that "No-one has seen God at any time, the Only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the father, he has declared him." John 1:18 The Apostle John writes "No-one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us." 1John 4:12 

"He said, "Listen to my words: "When a prophet of the LORD is among you, I reveal myself to him in visions, I speak to him in dreams. But this is not true of my servant Moses; he is faithful in all my house. With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the LORD. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?" Numbers 12:6-8.

So, was Jesus wrong? Was John wrong? No, of course not. But what does it mean then, when we read that Moses saw God, when Jesus said that no one has seen God? Well the clue comes in the part of our quote which reads Moses saw "the form of the LORD".

Thus we come on to another function of the angels, that of representing God. God had made it plain very early in the wilderness wanderings of the nation of Israel, that a specially appointed angel would be His (God's) representative to the nation:

"See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. Pay attention to him and listen to what he says. Do not rebel against him; he will not forgive your rebellion, since my Name is in him. If you listen carefully to what he says and do all that I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and will oppose those who oppose you. My angel will go ahead of you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites and Jebusites, and I will wipe them out." Exodus 23:20-23

Certain angels then represent God, speaking words on his behalf, just as He commands them. For example we read that Abraham was approached by 3 men [Please see Genesis 18:2,16-17 & 20-22.] Two of these 'men' travel to Sodom, the third stayed and talked with Abraham, being referred to as 'the Lord said" thus and so. So God spoke through the angel to Abraham, yet the angel speaks in the first person, as if he were God. Therefore we get an idea of what scripture means when it records God saying of the angel leading Israel: 'my name is in him'. [Exodus 23v21]

Another example of 'God manifestation' is where we read of Manoah and his wife who offered sacrifice to God:

"As the flame blazed up from the altar towards heaven, the Angel of the LORD ascended in the flame. Seeing this, Manoah and his wife fell with their faces to the ground. When the angel of the LORD did not show himself again to Manoah and his wife, Manoah realised that it was the angel of the LORD. "We are doomed to die!" he said to his wife. "We have seen God!" Judges 13:20-22

Why did Manoah fear that death would follow seeing the angel? Well surely he knew what God had said to Moses "No man shall see me and live" and knew also that the angels represent and carry the full authority of God.

Many times in scripture we read "The Lord said" this or that, but we must realise that it is not God directly speaking  to man, but rather an angel representing him, speaking as if he were God. An analogy could be taken from that of a High Court judge in England who acts on behalf of the crown or government. He pronounces judgment, not with his own authority, but the authority invested in him on behalf of the Crown.

Jesus of course is the greatest example of God manifestation. Jesus could say:

"He who has seen me has seen the Father"

and of him we read:

"In him dwelt all the fullness of the godhead bodily."

As we have already seen, God's glory is His character as revealed to Moses. [Exodus 34:5-8] The angels exhibit God's glory now. Yet despite the power and nature of the angels, God's purpose does not lie only with them. We read that they are ministering spirits sent to help the heirs to God's salvation,  that is those who believe the word of God and strive to serve Him now, despite their imperfections. We are told that Christ  is higher than the angels. It is he who reflects God's glorious character perfectly. [ See Hebrews 2:5-10]

God's plan and purpose is to fill the earth with his glory.  God intends the world to be populated by immortalised men and women, perfected and who truly reflect the glorious character of God, their Creator.

So the promise to those who trust God, believe his word, try to obey it and strive to serve him faithfully, is that :

"The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them". Psalm 34:7

We read in scripture that all things work for the good of those who fear God. The angels are unseen, but through them God overrules our lives. Jesus gave the reassurance to all who believe on him [ typified by a little child he called and set in front of the disciples] saying:

"Their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven."

If we truly believe, if we have faith now, we are promised that we shall be made like the angels:

"At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven." Luke 20:36 "and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God's children, since they are children of the resurrection." Matt 22:30