SEVEN FACTS CONCERNING ANGELS
1. Angels were created by God before this planet came into existence.
Let me call your attention to an important passage of Scripture found in the book of Job. God is asking, “Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if thou hast understanding. Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? Or who hath stretched the line upon it?” (Job 34:4-5).Then the Almighty continues, “Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? Or who laid the corner stone thereof; when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for
joy?” (verses 5-6).
There can be no other explanation than “the sons of God” are angels. Why? Because this speaks of a time before the earth was created. So these could not be human beings. In addition, the word for God in this portion of Scripture is Elohim. As humans, we were never called “sons of Elohim,” rather “sons of Jehovah.”
As further proof that angels were brought into being by the Lord, the psalmist writes, “Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts. Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise ye him, all ye stars of light. Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens. Let them praise the name of the LORD; for he commanded, and they were created” (Psalm 148:2-5).
Angels being part of creation is confirmed in the New Testament as the apostle Paul tells us, “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in the earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers:all things were created by him, and for him” (Colossians 1:16).
2. Angels are not to be worshiped.
We are commanded in Scripture, “Let no man, therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or the new moon, or of the sabbath days: which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of.angels”(Colossians 2:16-18).
When John had his great revelation, he made this statement: “I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things” (Revelation 22:6). But the angel was quick to tell John,
“See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book:.worship God (verse 9).
Even though angels were God-formed and have specific. purposes, we are not to pray to them, only to the Creator of both heaven and earth.
3. Angels are organized into principalities and powers.
Later we will discuss the five divisions of angels and their 10functions. We will also learn that there is more than one type of angelic host, but remember, “whether... principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him” (Colossians 1:16). In certain instances they appear and operate as an organized army.
4. Angels are without number.
The Bible tells us, “But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels” (Hebrews 12:22).
In the words of the prophet Jeremiah, “As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured: so will I multiply the seed of David my servant, and the Levites that minister unto me” (Jeremiah 33:22).
When Jesus was on the cross He said He could have called“twelve legions of angels” to come to His aid (Matthew 26:53). A legion at that time referred to a Roman contingent of troops that numbered about 6,000. Twelve legions would be 72,000 angels!
To reinforce this point, John saw and heard “the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands” (Revelation 5:11). They were praising with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain” (verse 12).
What a choir that must have been!
5. Angels dwell in heaven and stand before God continually.
While it is true that angels visit the earth, they are permanent residents of heaven. Scripture records, “Again he said, Therefore hear the word of the LORD; I saw the LORD sitting upon his throne, and all the host of heaven standing on his right hand and on his left”
(2 Chronicles 18:18).
They never stop worshiping the Creator. In the words of God’s Son, “Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 18:10).
6. The majority of angels have the appearance of men.
As far back as Abraham, angels have appeared on earth in the form of men. As Abraham sat in the door of his tent one hot day on the plains of Mamre, he looked up and “lo, three men stood by him:
11 and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground, and said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thyservant: Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree” (Genesis 18:24).
Without question, these men were angels sent by God.
Later, in Joshua’s day, an angel appeared to him as a soldier.
While Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and standing right in front of him was “a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand” (Joshua 5:13).
The prophet asked him, “Whose side are you on? Ours or the enemy’s?”
The man told Joshua he wasn’t on either side, “but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come” (verse 14). Immediately, Joshua fell down and worshiped the angel and wanted to know,
“What word do you have for me?
The angel told him to take off his shoes because he was standing on holy ground (verse 15). The prophet praised God and obeyed.
In the New Testament, just after the Resurrection, the angel seen by the women at the tomb was in the form of a young man. “And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted”
(Mark 16:5).We also find angels appearing as earthly men at the time Jesus ascended back to the Father. As the apostles “looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:10-11).
These “two men” were God’s messengers—angels—and they had the appearance of normal men on earth.
7. Angels wear clothing.
How were the angels we just mentioned dressed? They wore “white apparel” (Acts 1:10). We find the same description after the Resurrection when Mary stood at the tomb weeping. As she grieved for her Son, she stooped down and looked into the sepulcher. There she saw “two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain” (John 20:12).
ANGELS AND DEMONS by Pastor Benny Hinn.