Angels God s Secret Agents Matthew 24:29-33 95 (1) 257 310 The Angel of the North 1
Do you believe in Angels? 81 percent of United States citizens believe in angels in some form. The definition of an angel could be a kind stranger, a benefactor, a misty aberration, or someone with white wings. Los Angeles City of Angels Popular ideas about Angels Wings Can be Female Supernatural Dressed in white 2
Popular ideas about Angels Often associated with love and feelings (similar to the idea of cherubs) Guardian Angels Angels can be wicked Many major religions feature Angels Songs about Angels Abba I have a dream I believe in angels Something good in everything I see I believe in angels When I know the time is right for me I'll cross the stream - I have a dream 3
Songs about Angels Frank Sinatra A Sinner Kissed an Angel The night a sinner kissed an angel, And she believed that it was love. How was she to know that every lovely vow Was part of the game he was playing Songs about Angels Robbie Williams - Angels I sit and wait does an angel contemplate my fate and do they know the places where we go when we re grey and old 4
Movie Films about Angels Date with an Angel 1987 Michael 1996 City of Angels 1999 Facts about Angels From the Bible 5
Angels Exist Mentioned many times in the Bible About 200 times! Exodus 23:20 "Behold, I send an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared. Angels are God s Messengers Old Testament: Hebrew word malak = messenger angel 111 messenger 98 ambassadors 4 New Testament: Greek word angelos = messenger angel 179 messenger 7 6
Example Angels as Messengers In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin s name was Mary. Luke 1:26-27 Angel s Emotions Angels are God s messengers or agents They give God s laws and warnings, bringing good news and bad news They work as God s agents bringing good, and bringing about destruction of the ungodly Angels are not associated at all with human love 7
Angels appear like men Then the LORD appeared to him (Abraham) as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day. So he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him Genesis 18:1-5 The two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. Genesis 19:1 Angels are always male Angels appear like men They do not have wings Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Hebrews 13:2 8
But: what about Cherubim? the likeness of four living creatures. they had a human likeness, but each had four faces, four wings. soles of their feet were like the sole of a calf s foot. And they sparkled like burnished bronze. Ezekiel 1:5-7 Special Angels? Symbolic Creatures? Psalm 104:4 Angels are Supernatural God makes His angels spirits, His ministers a flame of fire. Angels are spirit not constrained by human nature they share God s nature 9
Angels are Supernatural And the Angel of the LORD said to him, "Why do you ask My name, seeing it is wonderful?" the Angel of the LORD went up in the flame of the altar! When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell on their faces to the ground. The angel of the Lord appeared no more to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was the angel of the Lord. Judges 13:17-21 Angels do God s Work Bless the LORD, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice of his word! Bless the LORD, all his hosts, his ministers, who do his will! Psalm 103:20-21 Angels are different to humans They cannot do wrong They obey God s voice and do His will 10
Angels are Good Angels can only be good they were created by God to do His will Angels do not have free will to choose to obey or disobey God, as humans But:- Sometimes God s good work can appear to be bad to the recipients Psalm 78:49 (KJV) He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them. [ destroying angels NKJV, ESV, NIV] Angels can represent God Exodus 3:1-6 Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-inlaw, Jethro the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, Moses, Moses! And he said, Here I am. Then he said, Do not come near And he said, I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. 11
There are multitudes of Angels And Elisha prayed, and said, "LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see." Then the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 2 Kings 6:17 There are multitudes of Angels Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands Revelation 5:11 (AV) At least 100 million angels 12
Angels exist Summary They are God s messengers They are supernatural - God s nature They use God s power and do God s work Angels often take on God s name They cannot sin They appear as men There are multitudes of angels God s Angels play an important part in the lives of believers 13
Angels work for Believers Angels Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation? Hebrews 1:14 Angels work unseen in the lives of those who believe and follow God s ways Example David was encouraged by God s Angels I will bless the LORD at all times I sought the LORD, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears. This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them. Psalm 34:1-7 14
Acts 12:1-10 Example Peter was delivered from prison So Peter was kept in prison when Herod was about to bring him out Peter was sleeping behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, Get up quickly!" And the chains fell off his hands Matthew 18:10 God cares for those who believe in Him He uses His Angels to do this Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven. 15
Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Not a promise of personal protection Angels in the Future "And He will send His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Matthew 24:31 Angels will gather the believers when Jesus returns to Earth 16
You can be better than an Angel But those who are considered worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. Luke 20:35 Jesus having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. Hebrews 1:4 Life for Evermore * 17