THE TREE OF LIFE TEACHING MINISTRY
Pastor/Teacher, Maurice H. Sykes
"SEE THAT YOU DO NOT DESPISE ONE OF THESE LITTLE ONES, FOR I SAY TO YOU, THAT THEIR ANGELS CONTINUALLY BEHOLD THE FACE OF MY FATHER WHO IS IN HEAVEN." Matthew 18:10
ANGELS
Angels are real. Angels were created by God. Angels are powerful! There are billions and billions of angels who have their residence in heaven. No one knows just how many angels exist; it is not stated in the Bible, but we know that multitudes exist.
Hebrews 12:22 "But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the Living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable company of angels."
Also note that the angels who reside in heaven, in God's kingdom, are holy angels (called elect angels). But then there are evil angels (called fallen angels who reside in the air and on earth.)
We want to focus on God's elect angels---the holy angels who provide service to God by helping us...believers in Christ.
The name "Angel," in the Old Testament Hebrew, is Mal-ak: meaning, Messenger. In the New Testament Greek, angels are called Aggelos: meaning, Messenger.
All of the angels were created at the same time, at once in eternity past, and no other new angels will be created to add to their number. Angels do not increase or reproduce like a husband and wife have children. Before the world ever existed, angels were there with God. They were in heaven with God worshipping Him, and when the Lord created the world, the angels were watching, Job 38:4-7, 1Kings 22:19, Daniel 7:10, and Psalm 68:17 "The chariots of God are myriads, thousands upon thousands; The Lord is among them as at Sinai, in holiness."
Angels are not subject to death---they never die (Matthew 22:28-30.) They have been created for eternity. These holy angels carry out the purpose of the One who created them and the One whom they serve: The Lord Jesus Christ...God.
The heavenly angels are ruled by the Lord Jesus Christ, who is called "King of kings, and Lord of lords." Revelation 19:16
Angels, as created beings, God's messengers, resemble God in their make-up. They are invisible and only took on the appearance of humans when God sent them on special missions.
Genesis 19:1 "Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening as Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground."
Matthew 28:2 "And behold there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it."
Angels are created as "spirits" and can change into the appearance of men. As spirits, angels are usually unseen. Psalm 104:4 "He makes the winds His messengers (angels)."
Even though angels are spirits, they often appear in human bodies. Genesis 18-20. John 20:12 "And she saw two angels in white sitting..." Hebrews 13:2 "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it."
Angels are watching and observing our activities all the time and they minister to people at the direction of the Lord Jesus Christ. In Hebrews 1:14, angels are called ministering spirits sent out to give service for the sake of those who will believe in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. Again, angels were created by the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Colossians 1:16 "For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities - all things have been created by Him and for Him."
Nehemiah 9:6 "Thou alone art the Lord. Thou has made the heavens, the heaven with all their host (angels), The earth and all that is on it, The seas and all that is in them. Thou dost give life to all of them, and the heavenly host (angels) bows down before Thee."
Psalm 148:2 "Praise Him all His angels." Psalm 148:5 "Let them (angels) praise the name of the Lord, For He commanded and they were created."
When necessary, God will send a multitude of angels to help and rescue His people. Matthew 26:53 "Or do you think that I cannot pray to My Father, and He will, at once give Me more than twelve legions of angels?"
We are not to worship angels, but we must look at them as servants, who serve the Lord's commands and who help us. Colossians 2:18 "Let know one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in giving judgement against you and the worship of angels."
Revelation 22:8,9 "and I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed me these things. "And the angel said to me, 'Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren the prophets and of those who heed the words of this book: worship God.'"
You have angels assigned to you, who execute all that God commands them to. You have been rescued by angels without even knowing what was going on. But many angels, in fact one third, left their first estate---they rebelled against God in eternity past and joined Satan's armies (Jude 1:6). Just as it is important to know that God's angels are for you, it is also important to know your enemy, the fallen angels. Do not doubt that angels work in your behalf...they observe and they cheer you on. God is faithful in His care for us. ---Grace to you.
---mhs
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Dr. Sykes is Pastor/Teacher at St. Luke UAME Church, Camden, NJ and General Secretary of Education for the UAME Church.