36 - THE WORKS OF ANGELS
Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation? Hebrews 1:14
INTRODUCTION
It is not often that a seminary dean can be challenged by a four-year-old to review his theology, but it happened while this chapter was being written. My father-in-law passed away, and it fell to me to explain the death of her great grandfather to my granddaughter. Mr. Forbes was a fine Christian and had served Christ for many years. Though he remained a layman all his life, he had served diligently with the Gideons International, then as a staff worker at a Bible institute. Though we were saddened at his loss, we were happy that his suffering was ended.
I told my granddaughter by long distance phone, "Great grandpa has gone to heaven." Her response was immediate, "Did the angels take him?" Since she is being raised in a Christian home, immediately I thought, "Where did this little four-year-old get that idea?" Of course someone taught her properly, for one of the duties of angels is described as: "And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom" (Luke 16:22).
Understanding the works of angels is not just a bunch of stories with no relevance to contemporary life. The works, angels affect the daily life of each one of us. Their work should be studied by every Christian, not just by theologians in the seminaries. Even four-year-old children have begun to think about the work of angels as it may affect their lives. THE GENERAL WORKS OF ANGELS
God has in the past used angels to accomplish a number of tasks. They were involved in delivering the revelation of the Word of God. At times, God has sent angels to protect his people. Men have been encouraged and motivated to great ness by angels. They have also been used of, God both to free captured men and to strengthen men in their service for God. When God has had to judge sin, often he has sent his angel to execute his judgment. Beyond these specific duties, angels have been the messengers of God to men on a number of occasions.
Angelic transportation at death. The Bible teaches that "to be absent from the body [is] to be present with the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:8). Apparently we are taken instantaneously to heaven at death. God uses angels to transport the souls of the saved to the presence of God. Luke recorded a story that Jesus told about the death of two men, one who went to a place of eternal paradise, the other to the place of eternal punishment. "And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom" (Luke 16:22). Though this is the only reference to this phase of the works of angels, there is no indication that anything beyond the norm happened here or that anything less than the norm can be expected today. Since every Christian has a guardian angel, it is assumed that that angel accomplishes his final duty, which is to deliver the soul of the departed saint into the presence of God.
Angelic revelation. God has used a variety of ways to make his revelation known to man (Hebrews 1:1); angels are just one means of delivering his revelation. After recording the Revelation of Jesus Christ and seeing the new heavens and new earth, John spoke of "the angel which showed me these things" (Revelation 22:8). Ezekiel described his vision of the cherubim in the first chapter of his prophecy. Also, the angel of God was sent on three occasions surrounding the birth of Christ to reveal something that God was about to do. First he appeared to the priest Zacharias, to tell him of the coming birth of his son, John (Luke 1:11). About six months later, "Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary" (Luke 1:26-27). It was probably about five or six months later, after announcing the birth of Christ to Mary, "the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary, thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost" (Matthew 1:20). God also used an angel to reveal the birth of Samson to the barren wife of Manoah (Judges 13:3) and later to teach the parents of Samson how to raise their son (Judges 13:9-21). In this role, the angels characterize the meaning of their name by delivering a message from God.
Angelic protection. Before God destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, he sent two angels to warn Lot and his family to flee the city (Genesis 19:12-13). During the evening, the safety of Lot’s family and his guests was threatened by the men of the city. The two angel visitors protected Lot and themselves when they "smote the men, that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door" (Genesis 19:11). After Daniel had spent the night in a den of lions, he was able to report to the king, "My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me, forasmuch as before him innocence was found in me" (Daniel 6:22). David, too, had learned throughout his experience as both shepherd and soldier that "the angel of the Lord encampeth round about those that fear him, and delivereth them" (Psalms 34:7).
Today, there are guardian angels to give physical protection to the people of God. Children are described as having "their angels" (Matthew 18:10) and the Christians described the knocking at their door by Peter, "It is his angel" (Acts 12:15).
Protection begins early in life and continues throughout life. The guardian angels "do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 18:20), implying that God, who knows what danger faces us, can send our angel immediately, to help us. This protection seems to extend to physical help. Our spiritual help comes from the indwelling Christ and the Holy Spirit. We should avail ourselves of the filling of the Holy Spirit and the presence of Christ to keep us from temptation and sin. Even though it is an argument from silence, there is not one verse that suggests we should pray to angel, for help. We pray to the Father and he sends angels.
Angelic emancipation. Angels not only protect people from trouble, they also on occasion provide for their deliverance Very early in the church in Jerusalem, the Sadducees arrested the apostles and threw them into prison. "But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them, forth" (Acts 5:19). It must have infuriated the Sadducees, who denied the theological existence of angels, that God should send an angel to release their prisoners. On another occasion, while the church prayed for Peter, who was in prison awaiting his execution, God sent an angel to release him from his jail cell (Acts 12:7). This was quite different from the occasion when Peter attempted to prevent the arrest of Jesus with a sword, and Jesus said, "Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently, give me more than twelve legions of angels?" (Matthew 26:53). Angelic provision. When Elijah ran from Jezebel in fear of his life, he was discouraged and tired. God sent an angel to prepare a meal while he slept. Then he was encouraged to eat. The nature of this food provided by the angel was such that "he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb, the mount of God" (1 Kings 19:8).
After Jesus had fasted forty days in the wilderness and the devil had failed in his attempt to cause Jesus to sin, "Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him" (Matthew 4:11). Part of that ministry of angels to Jesus may have included providing nourishment and physical sustenance.
Angelic encouragement. God has sent angels to encourage servants of God who were discouraged. The Book of Revelation was written in part to encourage those being persecuted by the Roman authorities. The reader is reminded in the final book of the Bible that God is still on the throne, no matter how bad things may appear. When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon (Judges 16:12), he was a discouraged young man. After the angel commissioned him, Gideon was used of God to remove the idols from his father’s house and deliver Israel from the Midianites.
Angelic administration. Because God is holy, his nature demands that he judge sin. On several occasions, God used his angels to administer justice, and one angel in particular to judge sin-the angel of death. When David numbered the people of Israel, God decided to judge it as sin. "So the Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed: and there died of the people, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, seventy thousand men. And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord repented of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough: stay now thine hand" (2 Samuel 24:15-18). There is coming at least one more occasion when God will use angels to administer judgment. "The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them who do iniquity, And shall cast them into a furnace of fire" (Matthew 13:41-42). THE SPECIFIC WORKS OF ANGELS The Bible describes more specifically some of the works of angels. Angels served God throughout the life of Christ, at times prepared to do more than they were called on to perform. In some aspects of their work in relationship to the work of Christ, the angels were waiting for service. Currently, much of the work of angels in this age affects the church and various political states. Even the lost are not exempt from the work of angels today.
Angels and Christ. From the prediction of his birth through the judgments by Christ at his return, the angels are engaged in working with Jesus. Not only did they predict his birth to Mary (Luke 1:30) and Joseph (Matthew 1:20), they were on hand at that historic birth to announce it to the shepherds (Luke 2:10). When Herod heard about the Messiah’s birth an planned to destroy Jesus, God warned Joseph and Mary through angels to go to Egypt (Matthew 2:19). The angels ministered to Jesus at the beginning of his public ministry in the wilderness (Matthew 4:11) and at the end in the garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:43). They were on hand to defend Jesus during his arrest if he should have asked for them (Matthew 26:53), and one was present to roll back the stone on the resurrection morning (Matthew 28:2). Two angels were the first to officially announce Jesus’ resurrection to the world (Matthew 28:6). They were nearby at the ascension of Christ into heaven and predicted his second coming (Acts 1:11). Jesus taught he would return accompanied by his angels (Matthew 25:31). At the judgment of Christ, angels will be on hand to carry out the judgment pronounced by Christ (Matthew 13:39-40).
ANGELS IN THE MINISTRY OF CHRIST
1. Predicted his birth- Luke 1:30-80. Announced his birth- Luke 2:10-52. Warned his parents of Herod’s plot- Matthew 2:19-23. Ministry after the temptation- Matthew 4:11 5. Ministry before the betrayal- Luke 22:43 6. On call at the arrest of Jesus- Matthew 26:53 7. Rolled back the stone from the tomb- Matthew 28:2 8. First announcement of the resurrection- Matthew 28:6 9. Ascension of Christ- Acts 1:11 10. Return of Christ- Matthew 25:31 11. Execute the judgment of Christ- Matthew 13:39-40
Angels and the church. Much of the general works of angels discussed in the first section of this chapter relates specifically to the church and its members. The Bible tells us that angels may attend the services of the church as spectators of church worship, order, and ministry. The angels are present to observe and presumably report to God concerning the order in our corporate worship (1 Corinthians 11:10; Ephesians 3:10; 1 Timothy 5:21). Some commentators suggest that the Book of Hebrews may have referred to angels: "Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us" (Hebrews 12:1). If the witnesses that observed the race of Christians were angels, Christians would be motivated by their observation.
Angels and the nations. The prophet Daniel wrote of a time when Michael the archangel would help protect the nation Israel. "And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time; and at that time thy people shall be delivered, everyone that shall be found written in the book" (Daniel 12:1). As Israel passes through the Great Tribulation, they will have a national guardian angel.
Angels and the lost. In many instances when angels appeared to men, one of the first things they said was, "Fear not." Obviously, the lost should fear angels because they are sometimes used as agents of judgment. God used an angel to kill Herod when he accepted the worship of the people. "And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him because he gave not God the glory; and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost" (Acts 12:23). God may also do the same thing today. He will use angels to warn of the judgment of the world at Armageddon (Revelation 19:17) as he did in Sodom (Genesis 18:12-13). They will also be involved in gathering and casting the lost into their assigned place of punishment at the end of the age (Matthew 13:39-40).
CONCLUSION
Yes, Tammy was right. The angels did take Great-grandpa to heaven. This little four-year-old theologian has a better understanding of the theology of angels than many who know more facts but have never been able to relate them to their own lives. Also, like other children in the world, Tammy {; a guardian angel in heaven who constantly has access to the Father (Matthew 18:10). But the work of angels goes far yond these two incidents. Every day angels are at work helping us accomplish God’s will for our life. Their presence and assistance ought to lead us to do far more for Jesus than we have ever done before.
DAILY READINGS Monday: Genesis 16:1-13 Tuesday: 1 Kings 6:23-29 Wednesday: Genesis 22:1-14 Thursday: 2 Samuel 24:1-18 Friday: Matthew 18:1-10 Saturday: Isaiah 6:1-13 Sunday: Hebrews 12:1-22