I'm speechless....
Posted on 04/22/2016 5:07:01 AM PDT by Gamecock
“At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book.” - Daniel 12:1
God’s people in every generation have had to be careful lest their views on spiritual matters conform to the culture around them and not the Word of God. Today, we are no less immune to the influence of nonbiblical thinking, particularly in the study of angelology and demonology. Between artistic depictions of chubby childlike cherubs, television shows about guardian angels, and movies wherein demons are fought back with arcane rituals or even the protagonists’ bare hands, it is easier than we think it is to have our views of angels and demons shaped by the popular culture.
Angels must be seen under the general heading of God’s providence. The Lord created the world, but He also sustains and directs creation so that all things work out “according to the counsel of his will” (Eph. 1:11; Heb. 1:1–4). Yet He is not the sole cause of everything that happens; rather, He employs created agents—both their wills and actions—as subordinate, secondary causes within His providential rule. This includes angels, who themselves are not divine beings but creatures with an origin in space and time. God “created all things,” including angelic spirits (Rev. 4:11; see Gen. 1:1).
Scripture shows us that angels play vital roles in the outworking of God’s plans. They are essential players in many miracles. For example, an angel rolled away the stone from Jesus’ tomb (Matt. 28:1–10). Angels also seem to have some kind of role in directing the course of ordinary human history, including the rise and fall of nations and empires. The book of Daniel, for instance, refers to Michael as the “great prince” with charge over the people of Israel (Dan. 12:1). Elsewhere in Scripture, Michael is identified as an archangel, indicating some kind of hierarchy in the angelic host (Jude 1:9). Daniel 10:12–14 explains that Michael had to help another being, presumably another angel, fight back an enemy, the prince of Persia, so that the angel carrying the interpretation of Daniel’s vision could reach the prophet. It would not be too speculative to suggest that this prince of Persia was an evil angelic being—a demon—because he opposed the Lord and His people.
Angels, we shall see, are ministers to God’s people (Heb. 1:13–14), but they are not cute little creatures who wait on us hand and foot. They are enforcers, a hierarchical army that advances the purposes of our Creator.
Coram Deo
Angels make up a mighty army dedicated to advancing God’s purposes. This is good news for the believer, since if we are on God’s side—or better, God is on our side—the angels are on our side. Knowing this gives us added confidence that no enemy who stands against the Lord and His people can ultimately stand. When we pray for God’s will to be done, we are “unleashing” a vast host to conquer in His name.
Passages for Further Study
2 Kings 6:8Once when the king of Syria was warring against Israel, he took counsel with his servants, saying, “At such and such a place shall be my camp.” 9 But the man of God sent word to the king of Israel, “Beware that you do not pass this place, for the Syrians are going down there.” 10 And the king of Israel sent to the place about which the man of God told him. Thus he used to warn him, so that he saved himself there more than once or twice.
11 And the mind of the king of Syria was greatly troubled because of this thing, and he called his servants and said to them, “Will you not show me who of us is for the king of Israel?” 12 And one of his servants said, “None, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.” 13 And he said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send and seize him.” It was told him, “Behold, he is in Dothan.” 14 So he sent there horses and chariots and a great army, and they came by night and surrounded the city.
15 When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” 16 He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17 Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So 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. 18 And when the Syrians came down against him, Elisha prayed to the Lord and said, “Please strike this people with blindness.” So he struck them with blindness in accordance with the prayer of Elisha. 19 And Elisha said to them, “This is not the way, and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek.” And he led them to Samaria.
20 As soon as they entered Samaria, Elisha said, “O Lord, open the eyes of these men, that they may see.” So the Lord opened their eyes and they saw, and behold, they were in the midst of Samaria. 21 As soon as the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, “My father, shall I strike them down? Shall I strike them down?” 22 He answered, “You shall not strike them down. Would you strike down those whom you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink and go to their master.” 23 So he prepared for them a great feast, and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. And the Syrians did not come again on raids into the land of Israel.
Revelation 9:13 Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar before God, 14 saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” 15 So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour, the day, the month, and the year, were released to kill a third of mankind. 16 The number of mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand; I heard their number. 17 And this is how I saw the horses in my vision and those who rode them: they wore breastplates the color of fire and of sapphire3 and of sulfur, and the heads of the horses were like lions’ heads, and fire and smoke and sulfur came out of their mouths. 18 By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed, by the fire and smoke and sulfur coming out of their mouths. 19 For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails, for their tails are like serpents with heads, and by means of them they wound.
20 The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons wand idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, 21 nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.
Ping.
That’s it for this week, see y’all on Monday!
I remember an interesting article some years back by Dr SteveJ on whether angels have “free will”. They carry out the orders of God without question. We will someday be like the angels.
As far as cute little cubby babies with wings, just about every case where an angel appears people fall down terrified.
I'm speechless....
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