Angels
Angels What in the world are they?
Angels •Pretty Ladies? •Baby Angels? • Shirtless men with wings?
Angels in the Bible • “Messengers” (109x OT; 186x NT) – Jdg 2:1, 4; 6:12; 13:3
• “Cherubs/Cherubim” (91x OT) – Gen 3:24; Ezek 1:5-14 – Related to God’s presence-Holy of Holies in temple – Not nude babies, but powerful, supernatural beings. Satan may have been a cherub
• “Seraphs/Seraphim” (Isa 6:2, 6 only) – From the word meaning “to burn”; “fiery ones”
What are Angels Like? • Created, perfect beings (Col 1:16; Ezek 28:12-14) • Numerous (Rev 5:11) • Immortal spirits (Heb 1:14) – Not without some kind of celestial form, but invisible to us – Can appear in human or angelic form
• Not generally with wings, harps, or halos – Most angles not described as having wings – No angels are described with harps or halos (cf. Rev 15:2)
What are Angels Like? (continued..) • Personality – Intelligence, will, emotions
• Greater than humans in some respects (Ps 8:5) • Extraordinary Powers – Great wisdom (2Sa 14:20), strength (Rev 20:1-3), and sometimes used by God to perform great feats over nature and events (Rev 7:1; 16:4-5, 8, 10, 12)
What Do Angels Do? • Heavenly Worship and Service (Isa 6) • Divine Judgment (Rev 16) • Announcement, Guidance, and Instruction to Believers – The Law was said to have been given through angels (Ac 7:53; Gal 3:19; Heb 2:2). And at various points angels give revelation or explain mysteries (Rev 17:7). Note, however, *Gal 1:8, “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned.”1
• Protect and Care For Believers (Heb 1:14) – Guardian Angels? (Ps 34:7)
• Angles Unawares (Heb 13:1-2) – Angels are very real and you may run across one today 1. Dr. Scott Horrell’s notes on Angels
What Do We Do With Them? • Angels should cause us to worship God (Rev 19:9-10) – Because of His glorious creation of them – Because He is greater than them
• Angels should cause us to spread the gospel – Because they are working with us for the “testimony of Jesus” (Rev 19:10)
Angels •Pretty Ladies? •Baby Angels? • Shirtless men with wings?
Angels in the Bible • “Messengers” (109x OT; 186x NT) – Jdg 2:1, 4; 6:12; 13:3
• “Cherubs/Cherubim” (91x OT) – Gen 3:24; Ezek 1:5-14 – Related to God’s presence-Holy of Holies in temple – Not nude babies, but powerful, supernatural beings. Satan may have been a cherub
• “Seraphs/Seraphim” (Isa 6:2, 6 only) – From the word meaning “to burn”; “fiery ones”
What are Angels Like? • Created, perfect beings (Col 1:16; Ezek 28:12-14) • Numerous (Rev 5:11) • Immortal spirits (Heb 1:14) – Not without some kind of celestial form, but invisible to us – Can appear in human or angelic form
• Not generally with wings, harps, or halos – Most angles not described as having wings – No angels are described with harps or halos (cf. Rev 15:2)
What are Angels Like? (continued..) • Personality – Intelligence, will, emotions
• Greater than humans in some respects (Ps 8:5) • Extraordinary Powers – Great wisdom (2Sa 14:20), strength (Rev 20:1-3), and sometimes used by God to perform great feats over nature and events (Rev 7:1; 16:4-5, 8, 10, 12)
What Do Angels Do? • Heavenly Worship and Service (Isa 6) • Divine Judgment (Rev 16) • Announcement, Guidance, and Instruction to Believers – The Law was said to have been given through angels (Ac 7:53; Gal 3:19; Heb 2:2). And at various points angels give revelation or explain mysteries (Rev 17:7). Note, however, *Gal 1:8, “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned.”1
• Protect and Care For Believers (Heb 1:14) – Guardian Angels? (Ps 34:7)
• Angles Unawares (Heb 13:1-2) – Angels are very real and you may run across one today 1. Dr. Scott Horrell’s notes on Angels
What Do We Do With Them? • Angels should cause us to worship God (Rev 19:9-10) – Because of His glorious creation of them – Because He is greater than them
• Angels should cause us to spread the gospel – Because they are working with us for the “testimony of Jesus” (Rev 19:10)
