~~ Psalm 91:11-14 (NIV84) ~~ For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. “Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
by Carley Cooper
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| Photo by Carla Cooper One of many Angels in my collection All Copyrights Reserved |
This is the fifth and final article in this current series on angels. In the first post (Angels From Heaven) I talked about how people in our lives can be like angels sent by God to help us. I shared a poem I wrote to someone special in my life who has been like an angel for me. In the second post (Who Is Your Guardian Angel?) I talked about how God has given us angels, celestial beings, to protect us; to keep us from danger. Sometimes, if we are paying close enough attention, we will even get to see our angels as they’re digging us out of a pit that we got ourselves into! My friend and author, Paul Duarte, experienced this first hand; literally! As a Worship Melodies Guest Author, he shared his personal true story of being rescued by an angel from a situation that could have been fatal, on a cold winter day. In the third post (I Think I Just Saw An Angel) I talked about how God uses angels, of all types, to redirect us and keep us from getting into dangerous situations; or to keep us from wandering into a place that was never in His will for us to be. I shared my own angel story about a woman who pulled me back when I was about to go ‘over the edge’. Then, in the fourth post (The Warm and Fuzzy Side of Angels) I talked about how our angels are there to give us comfort in our time of need.
So with all of this angel talk about how they interact with us; what does the bible say about them? First of all, did you know that the bible mentions the word ‘Angel’ 290 times! Now, that’s a lot of angel talk! So, for certain, it’s not possible to go into much depth in an article or two. Many volumes can be written before we could really come to understand the full purpose that they have in our lives; and you can be sure that they are indeed important, or God would not have created them (Colossians 1:16). The list of questions that we have about angels can go on and on:
- What are angels?
- Where did they come from?
- Are our loved ones who have passed on, now angels?
- What do they look like? Do they have bodies?
- What’s the deal with wings and halo’s?
- What are their purpose?
- Are all angels members of the ‘Good Guys’ team?
Any one of these questions, and more, can be a whole study on its own. The word ‘Angel’, in the Old Testament, comes from the Hebrew word Mal’ak, meaning ‘messenger, ambassador’. In the New Testament, from the Greek word Aggelos, also meaning ‘messenger’. On a side note, I highly recommend the FREE bible study software eSword to assist in doing these types of in-depth studies. The bible talks about angels as celestial spirits, and gives us many examples of appearances from angels.
Angels are referred to as messengers (Luke 1:11-20, Luke 1:26-38, Luke 2:9-14), ambassadors (2 Chronicles 35:21, Isaiah 30:4), servants, worriers (Revelation 12:7), and they even go into battle (Daniel 10:13, 10:21, 12:1). But the list doesn’t stop there. Angels have many references:
- the Angel of the Lord
- the Angel of God
- His Angel
- An Angel
- Mine Angel
- An Angel of God
- Angel from Heaven
- Strong Angel
- Mighty Angel
- Holy Angels
- The Archangel
- Michael the Archangel
- Michael and His Angels
- Gabriel
They hold different forms; such as Seraphim (Isaiah 6:2), Cherubim (Hebrews 9:5), and Archangels (Jude 1:9).
Sometimes ordinary people (Luke 7:24), priests (Malachi 2:7), prophets (Malachi 3:1), and church leaders (Revelation 1:20) are also referred to as messengers of the Lord.
Sometimes ordinary people (Luke 7:24), priests (Malachi 2:7), prophets (Malachi 3:1), and church leaders (Revelation 1:20) are also referred to as messengers of the Lord.
People and angels are two separate groups (Matthew 22:30). Angels are celestial beings, but they can sometimes appear to be human (Genesis 19:1-22). If God wants you to be able to see them, He will open your eyes so you can see them (2 Kings 6:17). Not all angels are said to have wings. We’re told that Seraphim's and Cherubim have wings (Isaiah 6:1-3); but we are never told that they are the cute plump, babies that we see in pictures. The bible only ever refers to them as adults. Nowhere in the bible do people have the response of pinching chubby cheeks or playing with kids as their response when an angel appears to them. They are stronger than man, but not invincible (Psalm 103:20, 2 Peter 2:11). They are wiser than people, but they’re still students; they are not all-knowing like God(2 Samuel 14:20; Matthew 24:36). They are more decent, gracious, righteous and dignified than man; but not perfect like Jesus (Daniel 9:21-23, 10:10-14).
Angels have a lot of purposes. We’ve already talked about those people in our lives that are our angels. We also noted how angels can protect and guide us, deliver messages and comfort us. But that’s not all! They also teach us things (Acts 7:52-53), provide us with material things (Genesis 21:17-20, 1 Kings 19:6), encourage and take care of us (Matthew 4:11, Acts 5:19-20), be an answer to prayer (Acts 12:1-17), and be there for believers when we are about to die (Luke 16:22). They worship and praise God, and they carry out His will (Isaiah 6:1-3).
So, they sound pretty awesome; don’t they?! But don’t get too excited about all this, just yet. See, as great as they are we are not to worship them (Revelation 22:8-9). Not all angels wear a white robe and polished halo. And not all that do, are good guys. They are not perfect; they can commit sin like the rest of us (2 Peter 2:4). They can make the decision to choose God or reject Him (Jude 1:6). Even those that cheer for the dark side are referred to as angels (Matthew 25:41). As a matter of fact, Satan, being an expert in deceit, can disguise himself, or anything else he wishes to use, as something wonderful in order to trick us into sinning. He’s referred to as the angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14).
For me, all this information boils down to one thing! God loves us! So, much that He makes sure we always have the support, guidance, protection, help, instructions, and the stuff that we need in our lives; for our whole life. Our angels are with us always; from the time we are born until we are ready to walk through Heaven’s gates! When God’s hands are full; He sends His angels to help. They do so many things, fill so many purposes that I can only think of them as a Jack-of-All-Trades... perfectly trained in each and every trade by God Himself ... all because He loves us that much!
~~ Dear God ~~ You are all-knowing, invincible, and perfect. Your glory and mercy is incomprehensible to us. I have skills that can help me, and others in my life, accomplish many things; but they are but a drop in the ocean compared to all the training that You have given to the Jack-of-All-Trades workers. You have done all this, and provided me with a team of angels to get me through this journey on earth until I can come home to be with Jesus forever. Thank You for this Lord. In Jesus name, AMEN.
