What About Angels? Over 270 references to angels are found in the Bible.  The term angel is rightly so defined as a messenger.  An angel is a spirit being which can be a servant either of God or of the devil (Matt. 25:41).  For the most part they are not visible to us but we do believe they are present around us.  God’s angels are used by Him for the wellbeing of our souls.  How God does this we are not told.  We are assured and comforted just to know that God cares this much about us and that He has truly provided for all our known and unknown needs. Angels are created spirit beings that apparently have the ability to appear to man when God so wills.  God’s angels have the work of Praising God individually and collectively as a great host (Psalm 148:2).  Their number is so large that they can not be numbered (Heb. 12:22).  If you want to try to consider a number consider a thousand thousands (one million ministered) or ten thousand times ten thousand (one hundred million stood) (Dan. 7:10).  We have never seen or imagined that many beings together in one place. At the birth of Jesus there was a multitude of angels that the shepherds observed in the heavens as a host praising God and declaring “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” (Lk. 2:13-14).  The authority of Jesus while in the flesh included his ability to exercise the authority of His Father in bringing twelve legions of angels to rescue Him if He had so desired (Matt. 26:53).  We often sing a song with the line, “He could have called ten thousand angels.”  For rhyming purposes that imagery fits fine, but the truth of the matter is that Jesus in calling twelve legions of angels could have called thirty-six thousand angels if He had so chosen to rescue Himself from the death of the cross.   Angels are powerful.  How powerful are angel messengers who bring a message from God?  Consider the angels that helped in the rescue of Elisha in (Continued on page 2) (Continued from page 1) 2 Kings 6:13-18).  The message for the Syrians was blindness and sight and even deliverance.  Elisha had faith in his God to deliver him and Elisha’s servant did not have faith without seeing things for himself.   Now consider the power of one angel in 2 Kings 19 where King Hezekiah King of Judah ruled from Jerusalem.  King Hezekiah prayed for deliverance from a mighty physical army of the Assyrians lead by Sennacherib.  Jerusalem was surrounded and the Assyrian army had conquered many peoples.  “And it came to pass on a certain night that the angel of the Lord went out, and killed in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty five thousand, and when people arose early in the morning, there were the corpses all dead.” (2 Kings 19:35).  One angel could in one night kill at God’s command 185 thousand enemies.  Remember Jesus could have called upon 36,000 such angels for deliverance if He had wanted to.   An angel was able to open a prison door for the (twelve) apostles (5:29) in Acts 5:19.  On another occasion Peter is in prison (Acts 12:5f) and an angel released him from his chains and set him free.  In Acts 12:23 we see it was God’s messenger angel who struck Herod where he was eaten by worms.  Angels are powerful and are often used by God to do his bidding to bless and help His people.   Remember when ever you use the word “Angel” immediately think of and look for a messenger who has a message from God.  Mary had a messenger (angel) called Gabriel who told her that she being a virgin would give birth to a son (Luke 1:26f).  Michael the only other angel mentioned by name in the Bible had a message for Daniel in Daniel 10: 13.  Observe here that Michael is seen as one of the chief princes who came to help Daniel.  Michael has more to say in Daniel 12:1-3.   In times past God used John the Baptist to be the forerunner and announcer that Jesus the Messiah has come to be in the midst of man.  In the future God will use an archangel to announce the return of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 4:16).  His message will be a shout to let the living and the dead know that the King of Kings has returned. The angel (man) Gabriel delivered God’s message to Daniel (Dan. 9:20-27).  This same Gabriel remember also appeared to Zacharias to tell this man he would father a son that was to be named John (Lk. 1:19).  We have already mentioned that Gabriel also spoke to Mary in Luke 1:26-35).  An unnamed angel spoke to Joseph Mary’s “to be” husband in a dream (Matt. 1:18-25).   Many things about angels are mysterious to us.  We need to know that we do not need to pray to, for, or through angels.  If we need angels for whatever reason it is God who will provide them to satisfy our needs.  Michael the archangel argued with the devil regarding the disposition of Moses’ body.  I don’t fully understand what that is all about but I do know that angels are used by God to provide whatever we need after we die. When our Lord returns to bring to himself the righteous dead and living he shall be accompanied by his mighty angels (2 Thess. 1:7).  Christ in His return will come in His glory, and with all the holy angels (Matt. 25:31). God’s word in the past has been spoken through messengers (angels) and it has been proven reliable and credible (Heb. 2:2).  God’s holy messengers still speak thorough the word declared in its power and fullness.  Are you listening to the messengers?  Are you listening to the message?