MINISTERING SPIRITS
Text: Various.
Delivered on: February 10, 2008. Streetsboro.
Introduction.
People are fascinated with angels.
Several popular television shows have “angels” as their main characters.
Movies have been made about them.
Some worship angels.
What does the Bible say about angels?
Where did they come from?
Who are they?
What have they done in the past?
What do they do now?
Body.
THE ORIGIN OF ANGELS.
Definition.
Aggelos = angelos = Messenger.
Can be used in a very ordinary sense. John the Baptist. Matthew 11:10. For this is he of whom it is written: 'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.'
Usually though, the term is used to denote an heavenly order of beings.
Angels are created beings.
Only deity possesses eternality. Therefore, angels are not eternal. 1 Timothy 6:16. Who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen.
Therefore, they had to have been created. Psalms 148:2,5. Praise Him, all His angels; Praise Him, all His hosts! 5 Let them praise the name of the Lord, For He commanded and they were created.
When were angels created?
Everything was created during the creation week. Exodus 20:11. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.
Yet we are told that they were present when the foundations of the earth were laid. Job 38:4 "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. Job 38:7. When the morning stars sang together, And all the sons of God shouted for joy?
Therefore, angels must have been created at the start of the creation week.
THE NATURE OF ANGELS.
They are neither Deity or Human.
They are superior in power and knowledge to man. Psalms 8:4-5. What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him? 5 For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor.
They are inferior to God in power and knowledge.
Psalms 103:20. Bless the Lord, you His angels, Who excel in strength, who do His word, Heeding the voice of His word.
Hebrews 1:6. But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says: "Let all the angels of God worship Him."
They are not all-knowing. 1 Peter 1:12. To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven--things which angels desire to look into.
As such, they are not to be worshiped. Revelation 22:8-9. Now I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things. 9 Then he said to me, "See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God."
They are spiritual beings. Hebrews 1:14. Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?
Spirits do not possess flesh and bone. Luke 24:39. Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have."
They also do not engage in physical relationships. Matthew 22:30. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven.
They can appear in human form. Genesis 19:1. Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them, and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground.
They can be present and we will never know it. 2 Kings 6:15-17. And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, "Alas, my master! What shall we do?" 16 So he answered, "Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them." 17 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.
They are accountable to some type of heavenly law.
We know this because some of them sinned.
2 Peter 2:4. For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment;
Jude 6. And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day;
Sin is transgression of God’s law. 1 John 3:4. Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.
Where there is no law, there is no sin. Romans 4:15. Because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression.
Consequently, we know that angels have freedom of choice to do good or evil.
It seems that there is no plan of redemption for angels. Hebrews 2:16 (ASV) For verily not to angels doth He give help, but He giveth help to the seed of Abraham.
THE WORK OF ANGELS.
Old Testament. A few examples of the kind of work that they did.
They guarded the way to the Tree of Life. Genesis 3:24. So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.
Spoke to Moses through the burning bush. Acts 7:30. And when forty years had passed, an Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire in a bush, in the wilderness of Mount Sinai.
Played a part in giving the Law. Acts 7:53. Who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it."
Served as messengers.
Announced the birth of Samson. Judges 13:3. And the Angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, "Indeed now, you are barren and have borne no children, but you shall conceive and bear a son.
Genesis 19:1,13. Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them, and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground. 13 For we will destroy this place, because the outcry against them has grown great before the face of the Lord, and the Lord has sent us to destroy it."
They minister to the righteous.
Psalms 34:7. The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them.
1 Kings 19:4-6. But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, "It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!" 5 Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel touched him, and said to him, "Arise and eat." 6 Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again.
They destroyed the wicked. 2 Kings 19:35. 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.
New Testament.
They announced the birth of Christ. Luke 1:30-31. Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus.
They warned Joseph to flee to Egypt. Matthew 2:13. Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him."
Ministered to Jesus after His temptation. Matthew 4:11. Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.
They ministered to Jesus in the Garden. Luke 22:43. Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.
They were good at breaking Christians out of prison.
Brought the apostles out of prison. Acts 5:19. But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said,
Acts 12:7-9. Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, "Arise quickly!" And his chains fell off his hands. 8 Then the angel said to him, "Gird yourself and tie on your sandals"; and so he did. And he said to him, "Put on your garment and follow me." 9 So he went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.
They punish the wicked. Acts 12:23. Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died.
Today.
They minister to those who inherit salvation. Hebrews 1:14. Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?
It is interesting to note that the participle for “sent forth” is in the present tense in the Greek.
This means that it is a continuing process.
In some way, angels are still ministering to the saints today.
While the miraculous age has ended, God still works providentially. It is possible that God’s providence is carried out by His angels.
Perhaps part of, or maybe even all of, this ministry (Hebrews 1:14) is shown in the story of the rich man and Lazarus.
Luke 16:22. So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried.
Angels carried Lazarus to Abraham’s bosom (paradise).
If they did this for Lazarus, they are undoubtedly still doing this for the righteous today.
What about Matthew 18:10. "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.
Some feel that this passage teaches the existence of “guardian angels.”
It is obvious that angels are concerned in the affairs of man.
We see this from Hebrews 1:14.
Also. Luke 15:10. Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
Notice though that the angels mentioned in Matthew 18:10 are in heaven and not on earth. This writer does not know of one instance where an angel affected earthly matters without being present on the earth!
That plainly shows that this verse is not teaching that each of us have an angel guarding over us.
However, this does not mean that angels, in their ministry to the righteous, may not from time to time protect the righteous in order to carry out God’s providential care.
What about Hebrews 13:2. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.
Some take this to mean that even today, angels appear unknowingly in the world and interact with human beings.
However, this passage is not telling us that this can happen today but that it had happened in the past.
It happened with Abraham (Genesis 18).
It happened with Lot (Genesis 19).
It happened with Gideon (Judges 6).
It happened with Manoah (Judges 13).
Hebrews 13:1 encourages us to let brotherly love continue. Verse 2 is reinforcement of that. Some in the past had shown brotherly love and unwittingly entertained angels.
It does not say that this happens today but that it happened in the past.
The Future.
In the future, the angels will accompany Christ at His return.
Matthew 25:31. "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.
2 Thessalonians 1:7. And to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels,
These angels will be used to gather the unfaithful out of God’s kingdom. Matthew 13:41. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness,
Conclusion.
Do angels exist? Absolutely.
Are they active today? Yes.
Should we worship them? No. They are fellow servants.
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