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Angles in the Bible

ANGELS IN THE BIBLE

 

BIG IDEA:  Angels are spiritual beings, created by God to be His ministers. Like "a flame of fire," they are simply tools God uses to serve ultimately His people in Christ (Matthew 22:30; Hebrews 1:7, from Psalm 104:4).

 

KEY VERSE:  "Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?" (Hebrews 1:14).

 

SCOPE OF THIS STUDY:  Since this is not a class in "angelology," we must limit our discussion to the ultimate purpose of angels as revealed in Hebrews 1:14. They were created ultimately to be our servants in Christ.

 

ANGELIC SERVICES FOR THOSE WHO WILL INHERIT SALVATION:

 

1.     They bear away the souls of the righteous in death (Luke 16:22).

2.     They oppose the purposes and designs of Satan, not in their own names but in the name of the Lord (Jude 6, 9).

3.     They execute the punitive judgments of God upon the incorrigibly wicked (2 Kings 19:35; Acts 12:23).

4.     They exert influence over the rulers and governments of nations (Daniel 10:5, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16-21; cf. again, Acts 12:23).

5.     They aid providentially in bringing the unsaved to hear the redeeming words of the gospel (Matthew 18:10-11; Acts 10:3-5).

6.     They exercise solicitous care over little children (Matthew 18:10).

7.     They are actively employed in maintaining free course and availability of the Word of God, as indicated by a mighty angel's holding in his hand a little book "open," a book that must certainly be identified with the New Testament (Revelation 10:1-11).

 

IMPORTANT LIMITATIONS:

 

1.     Angels have never actually preached the gospel

2.     Angels do not have the power to reproduce themselves (Matt. 22:30)

3.     They are not worthy of worship (Colossians 1:18; Heb. 1)

4.     They have no mediatorial function (1 Timothy 2:5)

5.     They are not saviors or problem solvers

6.     We can know nothing about angels except what God has revealed in the Bible.




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