Angels, God's Servants And Ours

Angels remain a favorite topic of interest around the world. I have written about them many times in this blog, e.g.

• Who are the angels? 
• The dark side of all the talk about angels 
• What is an angel anyway? 
• Jesus, Angel of the Lord 
• A glimpse of glory

The writer to the Hebrews begins his letter by reminding us that Jesus is

"as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs"(Hebr. 1:4).   

Jesus' name, LORD (YHWH), is

"the name that is above every name so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue confess that Jesus is LORD, to the glory of God the Father" (Phil. 2:9-11)

Angels, however, are great and wondrous beings. They are mentioned throughout the Bible. Already in the days of Abraham we read of two of them accompanying the LORD Himself to visit Abraham to announce that Abraham and Sarah are to finally have a son. Together with the LORD Himself they appear as three men standing at the door of Abraham's tent in the heat of the day (Gen.18:1-16).

In the referenced blogs listed above you may learn more about angels, those wondrous beings through whom the LORD governs the world. In Holy Scripture we learn that they are not mere humans who have died and gone to heaven, etc., but are powerful spirits through whom the LORD governs the world. They

• excel in strength, Ps. 103:20
• are God's ministers - Ps. 104:4 
• serve the Ancient of Days - Dan. 7:10  
• are holy and sinless - Matt. 25:31 
• surround God's throne - Rev. 5:11 

Billy Graham has written an excellent books about them, published first in 1975 and now republished as

• Angels: Ringing Assurance That We Are Not Alone

As Graham points out, angels never lost their original glory and spiritual relationship with God. They do not share our sinfulness—nor our need of redemption. One thing they cannot do: testify personally to the salvation God achieved by grace, the salvation we receive through faith in Jesus Christ.

Nor does the Holy Spirit indwell angels as He does redeemed people. The Holy Spirit lives in the hearts of all believers already on the earth to perform His unique ministry of making them inwardly holy even while they live here below, shaping and conforming them into the image of God.

Dr. Graham has much more to teach in his book. Read it yourself, but heed the warning of the writer to the Hebrews. Angels are not to be worshipped. Some have had such a tendency. Paul wrote about this in his letter to the Colossians (Col. 2:18). This is precisely what the rebel angels would have us do (Matt. 4:8-10). But the holy angels will not permit it:

And the angel said to me, "Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb." And he said to me, "These are the true words of God." Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, "You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God!" For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. - Rev 19:9-10 ESV

This week we'll take another look at the angels, as revealed in the Bible and especially in the words of the Hebrews writer. We are comforted by knowing that we are all served by these spirits. More next time.