angel gifts
angel cults
praying to angels
angel guides
angel tattoos
angel sports teams
hells angels
angels with harps
baby angels
love angels
Highway to Heaven
Angel
Touched by an Angel
Angels in the Outfield
The Prophecy
It’s a Wonderful Life
Constantine
Legion
Dogma
City of Angels
guardian angels
animal angels
Blue Angels
It seems that what most people believe about angels they have learned form popular culture:
All angels have wings (and earn them). Angels look like people. Angles fall in love with humans. Angels really want to be human. People become angels. Angels hold the fate of the world in their hands.
But what is really true about angels? What are they like? What do they do?
According to the Bible, Angles are:
-Created, not eternal (Psalm 148:1-6)
-Personal
-have emotions (Job 38:7), they worship (Psalm 148:2); they have conversations (Luke 1:13-17); make moral choices (Matt 25:31; John 8:44).
-Spirit (do not normally appear in bodily form)
-Hebrews 1:14; Matt 22:30 (don’t marry); Luke 20:36 (don’t die)
-occasionally reveal themselves in bodily form (Gen 18-19; Matt 28:5; Heb 13:2)
--2 Kings 6;17; Numbers 22:31-cannot be seen unless God opens our eyes to them.
-Appear w/ the brightness of God’s glory (Luke 2:9; Rev 18:1; Luke 1:19)-They are reflecting/manifesting the “glorious brilliance of the holy God from whose presence they have been sent.” (p296-A Theology for the Church)
-Wise but not omniscient-Matt 24:36 (don’t know the end time);
-Strong but not omnipotent
-Ps 103:20; Matt 28:2; Acts 5:19; Acts 12:7; Rev 10:1)-superhuman power (Col 1:16; Eph 6:12)
-Authority comes from God-Jude 9
"Angels derive their great power from God and remain dependent on his favorable will or permission to exercise it. They are restricted to acting within the limits of his permission.” (Millard Erickson, Christian Theology, p465)-even Satan
-Not omnipresent-Job 1:7; Dan 9:21; Dan 10:10-14; Luke 1:26
-Innumerable (Heb 12:22, Deut 33:2; Ps 68:17; Rev 5:11-12
-Ordered
-Michael, the archangel of Jude 9 “conveys some degree of authority and leadership over other holy angels. Michael exercises his authority as he leads a host of angels into battle against the great dragon, Satan, when war breaks out in heaven (Rev 12:7)”’
-Daniel 10:13-there are other princes
-Col 1:16-presumably the terms thrones, dominions, principalities and powers indicate order and ranking in the angels.
-Susceptible to evil-2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6;
Angels are amazing creatures, but as Millard Erickson says in Christian Theology:
"Every reference to angels is incidental to some other topic...When they are mentioned, it is always in order to inform us further about God, what he does and how he does it." (p459)
I find it interesting that people are often more willing to have a conversation about angels than about Jesus. People are obsessed with knowing more about angels and don't care to know more about Jesus. People give credit to angels and none to Jesus.
Hebrews 1:3-9 is very clear that Jesus is superior to the angels. Angels are created beings, and while powerful, they are not worthy of worship, praise or honor, especially when they are receiving praise and honor instead of Jesus.
As 2 Corinthians 10:5 says, we have built the study and belief of angels up against the truth of God. One particular area where this happens is in our beliefs about satan and fallen angels. While evil angels are real and Satan is surely real they are still angels. They are still subject to God. They are still limited in the same way other angels are. They cannot be everywhere. They are not all powerful. They don't know everything.
And most importantly, Jesus has already defeated them.
Angels are great ministers from God (as we’ll see next week) and are important. But do not live in awe of the angels or fear of the fallen angels. Instead live in surrender, awe and worship of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Don’t let your conversations always be about the side issues (angels and demons and such) but about the most important issue (salvation in Christ alone).
No comments:
Post a Comment