The Berean Workman

Fast Facts About Angels

These are notes about Angels prepared by Thomas Bruscha and does not reflect the Charismatic teachings regarding angels.

"Angel" means Messenger:

  • Angels are the servants of the Lord doing service to God - Hebrews 1:7,14
  • They have been used to deliver messages to people - Genesis 19:15
  • Holy Angels carry out God's will on earth or heaven - Genesis 28:12
  • They report to God and give account - Job 1:6; 2:1
  • They praise and worship God - Psalms 148:2; Revelation 5:11,12
  • They comprise God's army - the "Heavenly Host" - Daniel 4:35

Angels are called:

  • "Sons of God" - Job 1:6; 2:1
  • "Heavenly Host" - Luke 2:13
  • "Holy Ones" or "Holy angels" - Daniel 4:7, Matthew 25:31
  • "Evil Angels" or "Evil Spirits" - Psalms 78:49; 1 Samuel 16:14,15; 1 Kings 22:2
  • "Watchers"- Daniel 4:17

Their Being:

  • Angels are celestial (Heavenly) beings - 1 Corinthians 15:40
  • They are just one kind or race of many heavenly beings such as:
    • Seraphim - who according to Isaiah 6:2-7 have six wings and praise God's holiness.
    • Cheribum - who according to Ezekiel 10:1-15 have four wings and surround God's glory.
    • The Four Beasts - of Revelation 4:6-8 who may or may not be one of the above; they also have six wings.
    • There are many differing descriptions of demonic beings - Zechariah 5:5-9
      ---This is only one mention of winged women in the Bible and remember it is demonic!
    • There are also heavenly animals mentioned in the scripture such as horses -Revelation 19:11

Within the Angels are Ranks of Authority:

  • Archangel (meaning "Chief")
    • As is "Michael" among the Holy Angels - 1 Thessalonians 4:16; Jude 9
    • And "Beelzebub" prince among the devils - Matthew 12:24
  • Principalities - As above, an office held by a Prince, Chief among others - Ephesians 1:21
  • Thrones - An office held by one who would be a regional King - Colossians 1:16
  • Powers - An office held by one having legal jurisdiction - Ephesians 1:21
  • Might - An enforcer; as in military or police or judge - Ephesians 1:21
  • Dominions - assigned governmental authority over a territory - Ephesians 1:21

* These same offices of varying authority exist on the earth, visible to us as Kings or Presidents and Legislators and Governors and Judges and Police.
The same exists in the heavens, invisible to us but just as real - Colossians 1:16, 17
Heavenly counterparts to earth are warring in the heavens - Daniel 10:12,13,20,21

How Angels Appear:

  • They are "Spirits" - Hebrews 1:7
  • They are not made of the earth as we are - 1 Corinthians 15:48
  • They are "Invisible" - Colossains 1:16, 2 Kings 6:17
  • They are spoken of as "Men"; never as women or as children - Mark 16:5; Daniel 9:21
    They however, are not necessarily sexless:
    ---As men, fallen angels have procreated with "the daughters of men" - Genesis 6:1-4
  • They were and are created by God to be celibate:
    ---God did not create them to marry nor to be given in marriage - Matthew 22:30
  • They are powerful; exceeding man in strength and ablilty - Psalms 103:20; 2 Peter 2:11
  • They possess the ability to appear as "ordinary men" - Hebrews 13:2
    ---They sometimes appear as men and yet there is something that distinguishes them as Angels - Genesis 18:1-3; 19:1
    ---Perhaps they appeared larger that normal men - Genesis 6:4; Revelation 21:17
  • They also have the ability to appear as "supernatural men" with radiant glory - Luke 24:4
  • They are "created" beings - not born - as is said of the Cherub Lucifer - Ezekiel 28:15
  • They were created in Genesis 1:1 because they viewed the rest of creation - Job 38:6,7
  • Because they are Spirit beings they do not and cannot physically die - Luke 20:36
    ---This is why God created hell - Matthew 25:41
  • Because they are Spirit Beings they never age.
    ---This is seen by the fact that the angel Gabriel appeared to Daniel - Daniel 8:16 - then approximately 500 years later he appears unaged to Mary - Luke 1:19, 26, 27
  • As Spirit Beings they do not take up space:
    ---In Mark 5:9 there were a "Legion" = 6,000+ in one man.
  • They are always viewing the what happens on the earth - Daniel 4:17; 1 Corinthians 4:9
  • They have been wondering, trying to figure out the prophetic plan of salvation God promised mankind in the earth - 1 Peter 1:12
  • There is much joy among the Angels over God's victories - Luke 15:10; Revelation 12:12
  • Their estate is Heaven - they are called "the angels of Heaven" - Matthew 24:36
    ---and yet some of them left - Jude 6
  • They are associated with the stars - Revelation 1:20; 9:1
    ---Most likely they live and rule territorially within the stars - Amos 5:26
  • They are not to be worshipped! - Revelation 22:8,9
  • They are not to be idolized! - Exodus 20:4,5; Acts 7:43
  • They are not to be prayed to! - 2 Samuel 24:17
    ---Prayer in scripture is always directed to God - Matthew 6:6; Luke 11:2
  • They are not to be looked to for guidance!- Isaiah 47:13
    ---God's Holy Spirit, through His written Word, leads and guides us - Ephesians 5:18
  • They are not sent, nor are we to receive a gospel message from Angels today! - Galatians 1:8

* Our worship, our obedience, our trust and dependence which we owe to God alone, is the desire of Satan and his Angels and is therefore the source and the reason behind all idolatry- Isaiah 14:12-14.

Assignments of the Angels:

  • They have been sent from God to bring messages to certain people - Daniel 9:20-23
  • Since Jesus Christ is called "the Word of God" - John 1:1; there were times in the Old Testamernt when He appeared himself as "The Angel of the Lord" - Exodus 3:2
  • Angels were also sent to assist certain people - Acts 12:7-10
  • They were sent to protect certain people at particular times - 2 Kings 6:15-18
  • They were also sent to inflict punishment at other times - 1 Chronicles 21:16
  • Angels were assigned to Nations - Daniel 12:1
  • Some were assigned to Children - Matthew 18:10
  • Angels will be assigned to Churches - Revelation 1:20; 2:8,12,18; 3:1,7,14
  • Angels are seen throughtout the Book of Revelation executing God's wrath - Revelation 15:1
  • They will be used at the second coming of Jesus Christ to gather Israel back to their promised land - Matthew 24:31

*The references to time in the above statements, alluding to the past and future days, such as "were" or "have been" and "will be" are deliberate. Since the Children of Israel were God's people and the heirs of Salvation; angelic ministry is especially associated with that Nation and God's Kingdom blessings promised to them upon this earth. Keep this point in mind as we consider this final question:

Do members of the "Body of Christ" have Guardian Angels?

Paul's Epistles are written to the "Body of Christ" which comprise all believers through the "Gospel of the Grace of God" (Jew or Gentile) from the beginning of his special ministry until a future day in which the "Body" (whether alseep in the grave or alive) will be called up in to the air to meet our Lord Jesus Christ in the heavens. (Acts 20:24, 1 Corinthians 12:27; 1 Timothy 1:12-16; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

This church called "The Body of Christ" is a "New Creature" distinct from God's people of Israel who were called "An Holy Nation." The church which is Christ's Body was brought into being for God's secret purpose called "The Mystery" - "Which He kept hid from ages and generations but now is made known..." as Paul writes; "To the intent that now unto the principalities and power in the heavenly places might be made known by the church the manifold wisdom of God. (Ephesians 1:22,23; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15; 1 Peter 2:9; Ephesians 3:1-10)

In other words, God's purpose in saving us today in this "the dispensation of the grace of God" is for the purpose of teaching the angels in heaven, things that even they never knew concerning the many sides of God's wisdom.

Most importantly, it teaches the Angels how God's wisdom in the Cross has defeated Satan and openly displays Satan's ignorance as God reveals the triumph of His wisdom and power over him. (1 Corinthians 2:7-9; Ephesians 1:8; Colossians 2:13-15)

In God's grace to us, He is using us to teach the Angels, and He will display us in the Heavens forever to demonstrate to the Angels "the riches of His kindness in His grace toward us" - (Ephesians 2:4-7)

Since God's program for us involves teaching the Angels, and since this truth exposes the defeat, failure and doom of the devil and his angels, this truth and those who know it are in a spiritual warfare with "spiritual beings" Ephesians 6:10-12

The armor God has given us is not "guardian Angels," but is the "truth," "righteousness," "peace," "faith" and "hope" found in our position in Christ. Furthermore, 2 Corinthians 10:4 tells us that the "weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds." They are not carnal (fleshly), but spiritual, for we do not fight against flesh and blood. Our weapon is spiritual. It is the Word of God.

Therefore, Jesus Christ through Paul, His Apostle to us, warns us over and over not to be decieved; nor lured into the worship of Angels; nor to be spoiled of our rewards through Angels appearing to teach us another gospel or any other doctrine not found in Paul's Epistles for us. (Colossians 2:18; Galatians 1:8; 2 Corinthians 11:13-15; 1 Timothy 4:1,2)

Interestingly, Colossians 2:18 implies that those who would have you believe a message from an angel or to adore the Angels in worship, have never seen an Angel, though they may testify that they have seen an Angel.

* To the contrary, the Apostle Paul says much about Angels observing, listening and learning of God's grace from us:

  • "We are made spectacles to the Angels..."1 Corinthians 4:9
  • "We shall judge the Angels" -1 Corinthians 6:3
  • We ought to obey the authority God has established "because of the Angels" - (perhaps because they are watching our obedience) - 1 Corinthians 11:10
  • Our position "in Christ in heavenly places" is a show of the kindness and grace of God to the Angels who never had seen such grace - Ephesians 2:4-7
  • And it was God's intent in forming the Body of Christ to teach the Angelic Host about His "manifest wisdom" - Ephesians 3:10
  • Paul acknowledges that his words are heard before "the Elect Angels" - 1 Timothy 5:21

Today, we have the privelege and the ministry of using "the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God" (particularity "the Word of His grace" to us;) and by using it we can assist in "spoiling principalities and powers" by the preaching of the Cross and thereby, through faith, save those (Jews or Gentiles) who were a part of the kingdom of Satan - "the power of darkness" and "translate them into the Kingdom of God's dear Son." - (Ephesians 6:17; Acts 20:32; Colossians 2:15; Ephesians 2:8,9; Colossians 1:12-14)

As God's purpose for Israel centers around His kingdom in the earth, so God's purpose for us - the Body of Christ - centers around His kingdom in the heavens. Angels were used to help Israel by informing them and protecting them as a nation, in fulfillment of God's intent for the earth. However, today God is using the church, which is His Body, to help the Angels by informing them and warring against the spiritual wickedness in high places in fulfillment of God's intent for the heavens.

The more one understands the uniqueness of the age in which we live and how it is that we battle in a spritual warfare for the heavenly places the more insight is gained as to the ministry of Angels today. We, the Body of Christ, are teaching and warring in the heavenly places. We accomplish unseen victories as we "stand fast in the Lord and in the power of His might" using as the weapons of our warfare "the sword of the Spirit" and "praying always" for "boldness" to proclaim "the mystery of the gospel." From that point of view, why would we have guardian Angels?

Rather than Angels helping us, God has given unto us something much more comforting and powerful. He has given to us His Holy Spirit who strengthens us with "power" and "might in the inner man" and "seals" us as God's possession unto the day of our redemption; all to His glory. - (Ephesians 3:14-21; Ephesians 1:13-14)

Instead of protecting us from all the evils that may befall us in life we are instructed to be "filled with the Spirit" and to learn that God's grace is sufficient. In fact, we begin to understand that in our weakness God is made strong in us so that while we may suffer need, go hungry, be afflicted with pain, or suffer loss; we "can do all things through Christ who strengthens us!" What a testimony this is to the power of God's grace in us, both unto man and the Angels. (Ephesians 5:18; Galatians 5:22,23; 2 Corthinians 12:7-10; Philippians 4:11-13)

There is an amazing truth which can only be received by faith. We are told in scripture that our afflictions in this life are working for us. As we walk by faith, motivated by grace, strengthened by God's Spirit, guided by His Word through all the difficulties of life we willl be rewarded "a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." If guardian Angels prevented such afflictions, they would be working against you, robbing you of rewards, and the glory God receives through His working in your life. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18; Romans 8:16-18; 2 Timothy 2:9-13; 4:6-8)

By Thomas Bruscha

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