12 Important Things to Know About Angels
I'm starting a message series on Revelation, and there are a few angel references in there. And for many folks, it's easy to pass over the angels. We read like this, "blah blah blah blah angel blah blah blah."
But if we were living what we were reading, like Daniel being visited by Gabriel in Daniel 8, we might react this way, "OH MY GOODNESS!!! IT'S AN ANGEL! I THINK HE MAY CRUSH ME WITH HIS STARE! HE'S FANTASTICALLY INCREDIBLY MASSIVELY POWERFUL AND AMAZING!!!!" Then we might faint.
David, come on. Really? Are you kidding? Angels are NOT that big a deal. I googled the word "angel" and here's what I now know:
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1. Angels are always women or squishy chubby babies.
2. Angels are people who died (Clarence from It's A Wonderful Life).
3. You can attract angels with "angel treats" like candles and fragrances.
4. With the right internet guru, you can get "messages from your personal angel." And if that doesn't work for you the same website will help you with past life regressions, numerology and tin foil hats.
5. Angels always wear long robes and look like they're ready for the spa.
6. You can put a pin shaped like an angel on your lapel, and it will magically be your guardian angel.
7. You should pray to your angel. His name will be revealed through hypnosis or LSD or the purchase of a sea monkey farm.
8. Your dog has a personal angel unless of course he IS an angel.
9. If you dream you are falling and hit bottom, you actually die in real life.
10. JOKING! I made that last one up — just like some yahoo made up the other eight! Crazy stuff.
Angels are awe-inspiring and astounding, and if you ever saw one in its natural form, you'd probably fall to the ground in shock.
So that you don't go around spreading crazy angel myths, here are some things you have to know about angels:
1. Only three angels are named in the Bible — two are Gabriel and Michael. Both are excellent and uber impressive (not car ride Uber, excellent uber). The third is Lucifer — and he's also impressive but for all the wrong reasons. Satan was an angel before he rebelled against God.
2. Angels are never presented in the Bible as squishy infants or women, but always tough men or warriors. Like "bad-to-the-bone" warriors. More on this when we get to number five below.
3. Angels are created beings. Angels were never people. People will never be angels. Angels are God's servants and only carry out His will. People are created by God and if in Christ will live with God forever as … people. With glorified bodies that don't have any defects and never get hurt or get tired. But still people. Even those who reject Jesus will live forever in hell as … people.
4. You can't attract angels with fragrances or scented candles (but don't let that deter you from using deodorant "fragrances"). You can't attract angels with anything! They do what God tells them to do.
5. Angels don't show up dressed for the spa. In fact, when Elisha prays that his servant can see the army of angels in 2 Kings, the Scripture says it's an "army of angels." Not a "coffee klatch" of angels, or a, "gaggle of angels," "flock of angels," or a "sorority of angels."
God says "army." MAJOR point to remember for reading the Bible: God is never at a loss for words or tongue-tied or uses the wrong words. So when He says an "army of angels," He says that knowing that you and I will picture a group of burly warriors ready to rain down fire and destruction on the enemy's forces.
6. You should never pray to angels. Prayer is an act of worship and we only worship God. Also, Jesus was very clear about how to pray. He said to pray like this, "Our Father…." Anakin Skywalker may be Luke's father, but no angel will ever be your father. Pray to your Father. Pray like Jesus.
7. The Bible doesn't say your dog can't be an angel. I suppose an angel can show up in whatever form God wants it to. But if that's the case, it's not your dog. It's God's angel. And no … your dog does NOT have a personal angel.
8. Angels can appear as people. This happens with Abraham in Genesis 8:2.
9. Angels can bring death, but only when sent by the Lord. There is no specific "angel of death" mentioned in the Bible. In 2 Kings 19 an "Angel of the Lord" brings about death.
10. Just because something is beautiful doesn't mean it's of God. Satan, that former angel of the Lord, can masquerade as an "angel of light." Sometimes kittens are cute. But they still grow up to be cats.
11. You may have been around angels in your life and didn't even realize it.
Hebrews 13:2 says "Don't forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!"
Abraham didn't recognize when angels came to see him. Jacob sure didn't (although he didn't show hospitality — he wrestled with the angel all night!).
So there you go — 11 great things to know about angels.
SO WHAT IS THE "SO WHAT?" David?
Here's the "so what," and it does boggle the mind a bit:
God, the Creator and Master of all that exists, has armies of angels loaded for bear.
And what does He do with them? Our loving and compassionate and ridiculously wonderful God "will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways." Psalm 91:11.
Concerning me? Who am I? I'm a nothing! I'm a nobody! I'm one of seven billion on the planet.
And yet time and again in Scripture, He commands His armies to watch over His people, protect His people, and even serve His people. For those in Christ, God is always and in every way taking care of business and employing His massive resources, which includes armies of angels that may be around you right now, and He does it to "guard you in all your ways."
So take heart. God is good. And He's commanding His angels … concerning you.
Amen.
Originally posted at ilikemycoffeeblack.com.
