TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL?
They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them ACTS 1:10
If you were asked to list on paper five things you know from the Bible about who angels are and what they do, would you have trouble? Most Christians would, because the doctrine of angels is one of the most neglected areas of biblical study. As a result, we tend to be oblivious to significant spiritual activity, and slight some of our best friends in the process. Angels are:
I) PROTECTORS and INHIBITORS And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. 13When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” (Matthew 2:12-13)
Our culture has a growing infatuation with angels. The interest is good, so long as the emphasis is clearly rooted in the biblical depiction of angels. Great harm can come from any other source or teaching. Any revelation that does not bring us into greater encounter only trains us to be more religious, or more dangerous… It’s all about J E S U S…The HOLY SPIRIT and OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN. What most people want to believe about angels and Hell: We become angels when we die, Dead people go to a better place because God grades on a curve, As long as we’re sincere any spiritual path works, A God of love wouldn’t send anyone to hell, There is no place called Hell, Only an ignorant bigot thinks Jesus is the only way. Biblical Facts; Created beings who don’t marry or have offspring, When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven (Mark 12:25); We don’t become angels when we die (Mark 12:25); Angels are always male in appearance in the Bible (Acts 1:10); Angels always have masculine names (Michael, Gabriel); Angels serve as messengers who minister to God’s elect, Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation (Hebrews 1:14); Angels are the newsmen of Heaven, working as eternal reporters. According to the Gospels, angels are spirit beings who serve God, particularly in connection with Jesus’ work of proclaiming and establishing the kingdom of God. They are important in significant events in Jesus’ life and work, including his birth, the temptations in the wilderness, the coming of the Son of man and the eschatological judgment, and the resurrection, and they are not always good.
Mark 1:13 and he was in the desert forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him being tempted of Satan (present tense participle speaking of continuous action). Satan tempted Messiah constantly during the forty days, as he tried to prohibit God’s work from advancing. The three temptations which Matthew records at the end of the forty day period of the temptation merely indicate the additional intensity of the temptations as the period of temptation closes. Satan was attempting his worst, seeing that he had but a short time left. Fallen Angels, And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him (Revelation 12:7, 9). The Scriptures reveal both good angels and evil angels. The evil entities are those angels who rebelled with Lucifer and were cast out of heaven with him. Their minds and understanding have been covered with the horrible darkness of deception—the same tactic Satan still uses to lead his victims astray. Angels were created in God’s original order to do His will, as those angels who continue in obedience to His throne. But these “did not keep their proper domain,” And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day (Jude 6) and are now agents of the Adversary, bound under his dark dominion and serving Satan’s rebellious enterprises.
The spiritual dynamics of how and why angels sinned remains, in many ways, a theological mystery. The highest ranking of all the angels, Lucifer, wanted to exalt himself to a position of equality with God. As depicted in the dramatic language of Revelation 12:3–9, one-third of the angels joined Lucifer’s heavenly revolt, arrogantly opposed God, and were expelled from heaven (Isaiah 14:12–21; Ezekiel 28:12–19; Luke 10:18). In 2 Peter 2:4, Peter speaks about the angels who originally fell in the already/not yet sense, since they were not immediately incarcerated in hell nor confined permanently to pits of darkness to await their final judgment, For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment. It appears that their time of incarceration is served here on the earth, as they have been banished from Heaven, and are awaiting Hell. These demons who are now loose in the world, securing Satan’s unholy purposes. The apostle Paul identified them when he wrote, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). When the Lord returns, the fallen angels (along with Satan) will be bound during Christ’s millennial reign (Isaiah 24:21–23; Revelation 20:1–3) and then cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10).
Wise Men came seeking Jesus. They sought an audience with the reigning King in order to see Him. Herod asked about the prophecy, and directed them to where they might find Jesus and to then report back to Herod following their discoveries. Herod’s motives were less than noble, as he wanted to kill the child. Enter the angelic protectors. They warned the Wise Guys to leave Judea by another route and to avoid Herod the King. Nevertheless they were led to the Child and going in, they worshiped Him. Their worship was heightened by the giving of gifts . . . gold . . . incense and . . . myrrh. Provision came due to their guidance. These were gifts worthy of a king and this act by Gentile leaders pictures the wealth of the nations which will someday be completely given to the Messiah (Isa. 60:5, 11; 61:6; 66:20; Zeph. 3:10; Hag. 2:7-8). Spiritual Realities Beyond You Jesus often encountered demons like those that possessed the men at Gadara (Matthew 8:28–34). The mention of demons affirms the reality of powerful spiritual forces in the universe. Scripture has much to say about angels and demons.
II) DIRECTORS After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt 20and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead (Matthew 2:19-20).” Angels often serve as directors, guiding God’s people in their times of need (Russians and Bolshevik Revolution). Daniel 10 is an important biblical passage dealing with angels. In it, Daniel shares a vision where the archangel Michael is described as “one of the chief princes.” He is shown defending Israel from the “princes” (probably evil angels) of Persia and Greece (Daniel 10:10–21). Later during the end times, Michael will help to set Israel free from her opponents (12:1).
God’s Line of Defense Daniel was shown by God a George Lukas type vision about the coming world events years before they happened. The word “angel” occurs over 250 times in the pages of God’s eternal revelation of the Scriptures. The Bible describes both things they have done and unfolding things angels are assigned to do in our day, not just in the past. The Bible shows us that the force of these invisible servants and warriors are brought to bear upon our present day: “Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation (Hebrews 1:14)?” The answer is “Yes,” and that means their ministry applies to us—today. Angels, Heaven, Hell: they are all real and will not disappear if we simply ignore them. Think about what the Bible actually says about angels and Hell: There is a real place called heaven and a real place called hell (Matthew 10:28; Mark 9:42-45; 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10; Revelation 20:11-15; Hebrews 10:26-27); Heaven is the abode of God and His Holy Angels. Hell was made for satan and his fallen angels (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:10); If there is a message that past angelic activities teach us, it is that God doesn’t grade on a curve (Isaiah 64:6; Romans 3:23, 6:23; John 1:12-13; 1 John 2:3-5); Jesus is the only ticket to heaven (John 14:6; Galatians 2:21). This is the reason angels have interacted with men, to help us find The Way, Jesus.
Caution: angels only do that which is in accordance with the Word of God. Let’s return to Mark 1:13, the angels ministered unto Him. “Ministered” is diakoneō (διακονεω) “to minister to, or serve,” used especially of those who execute the commands of others. The definite article is used, not merely “angels ministered,” but “the angels ministered.” No human beings were near, only the angels. They were detailed to this work by God the Father, executing His commands to care for the Son. The verb is in the imperfect tense, indicating continuous action. All during the forty days of the temptation, the angels were continually ministering to the Messiah, even as the enemy fought against Him. Since the ministry of the angels could not have included food for the body, it had to have had to do with spiritual ministry to His soul.
III) ENCOURAGERS There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it… They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven (Matthew 28:2; Acts 1:10-11).”
Have you ever noticed that in the Gospels there was only one period in the life and times of Jesus the messiah that did not see angelic activity? We know this time as the Passion. From Gethsemane to Golgotha, the continuous angelic intervention was thwarted by God. Hordes could have been summoned, but Jesus would not issue the beckon. Once Jesus had died and descended into the lower reaches, when the right time arrived, Angels resumed their activities. We next see them as announcers, proclaiming the Resurrection of the Christ! They told us about life returning to Jesus, and they told about His eminent return for His bride.
Fivefold Ministry of Angels, Praise the LORD, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who do his word. 21 Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will (Psalms 103:20-21) These verses show God’s purpose for angels. Angels exist to serve God in five ways: (1) to “bless the Lord” (in worship and service); (2) to “do His word” (concerning activities on earth); (3) to heed the voice of God’s word (as it is spoken through the saints on earth); (4) to minister on God’s behalf (as described in Hebrews 1:14); and (5) to do God’s pleasure (as His hosts are at His direction). How should we then live? Trust God with your “Yeah, but what about…” questions (Hebrews 11:6; Deuteronomy 29:29; Isaiah 55:8-9). Tell people the good news about Jesus (Matthew 28:18-20; 1 Peter 3:15).Be winsome – not combative. (2 Timothy 2:24-26).Remove every obstacle you can. (1 Corinthians 9:19-23). What about us and angelic ministry? Let’s follow the angelic lead and proclaim the great news: Jesus is alive (Matthew 28:18-20)! As Christians, we should desire to have eternal holiness and experience glory and fellowship with the Trinity as the elect angels do. But conversely the angels wonder what it is like to experience the grace and glory of salvation and God’s forgiveness from sin. In fact, Peter says, they are continually looking with fascination into salvation’s greatness.
CONCLUSION We have a shared responsibility: tell the Good News! We have unseen assistance! Welcome God’s elect angelic ministry when it is offered! Live your life like there is more than meets the eye, because there is more!
