Angels - Part I

For the next three weeks I am going to give you some of the interesting facts I have found about angels. Though many have written books about them, I find that God's Word is the best source of knowledge.

A lot has been said about angels in recent years from TV shows to movies, to figurines both cute and majestic. Is an 'angel' just a figment of our imagination, or are angels real beings? To better define an 'angel' we turn to the Word of God in which we find angels mentioned quite frequently. We also find that angels are 'spirits', yet are often given a form of man to perform specific services. Angels are referred to in the masculine gender, as 'he', though a male or female sex in the human sense is never given to angels. Neither are angels given in marriage according to Matthew 22:30 and Mark 12:25. Their power is greater than that of any man, and their place of being is around the throne of God. In Revelation 5:11 it states "And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne..." and "And all the angels stood round about the throne."

As to their relation to the believers, they are said to be ministering spirits, and to give us physical safety and well being for the children of God. These guardian angels have constant access to "see the face of God" (Matthew 18:10).

We find that angels are given for our protection, to fight for us, to comfort us, as messengers sent by God, and that the angels watch man--they observe what we do. Psalm 34:7 states "The angel of the Lord encamps round about those who fear him, and delivers them." Psalm 91:11 tells us "For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways." We also find in Daniel 6:22 that Daniel told the king "My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths...". In Daniel 3:28 the king acknowledges that God had "sent his angel and delivered his servants who trusted in him." Psalm 35:5 & 6 tells us "the angel of the Lord chase them"...and "the angel of the Lord persecutes them" (meaning our enemies), and in II Kings 19:35 the angel slew a whole army.

In Acts we find the angel is sent often to the early saints. In Acts 12:7-10 the angel woke Peter up, loosed his chains and led him out of the prison. Once he was safely in the street the angel departed. In Acts 5:19 we have another time with the apostles were brought out of prison by the angel.

(Next week more on angels as God's messengers.)
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