Angels

Angels

For God never said to any angel what he said to Jesus: “You are my Son. Today I have become your Father.” God also said, “I will be his Father, and he will be my Son.” And when he brought his supreme Son into the world, God said, “Let all of God’s angels worship him.” Regarding the angels, he says, “He sends his angels like the winds, his servants like flames of fire.” And God never said to any of the angels, “Sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool under your feet.” Therefore, angels are only servants — spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation. (Hebrews. 1:5-7, 13-14)

When seventeen-year-old Jake Porter ran onto the football field, both teams cheered. Odd. But in three years on the Northwest High squad, Jake had barely dirtied a game jersey. In fact, the McDermott, Ohio, fans had never seen Jake so much as carry the ball or make a tackle. They hadn’t even seen him read a book or write much more than a sentence, for that matter. Kids with Chromosomal Fragile X Syndrome, a common cause of mental retardation, seldom do. But Jake loved sports. Each day after his special-needs classes, he dashed off to some sort of practice: track, baseball, basketball, whatever. He never missed a practice. But he ever played, either. That was until the Waverly game.

Jake's coach had made the decision before kickoff. If it was a lopsided score, Jake would come in. Well, lopsided happened. With five ticks remaining on the clock, Jake’s team was down 42-0. So the coach called a time-out. He motioned to speak with the opposing coach. As his Waverly counterpart heard the plan, he began shaking his head and waving his hands. He’d disagreed with something. So, a referee intervened, and play resumed. The quarterback took the ball and handed it to Jake. And Jake knew what do: take a knee and let the clock expire. They'd practiced that play all week. But, to Jake’s surprise, the players wouldn't let him. His teammates told him to run. So he did. In the wrong direction. But the back judge stopped him and turned him around. That's when the Waverly defense did their part.

The visiting coach, as it turns out, wasn't objecting to the play. He was happy for Jake to carry the ball, but not just to run out the clock. He wanted Jake to score. So, Waverly players parted like the Red Sea and shouted for Jake to run. And run he did. Grinning and dancing and jumping all the way to the end zone. Both sidelines celebrated. Moms cried. Cheerleaders whooped. And Jake smiled as if he'd won the lottery without buying a ticket. How often do those kinds of things happen? According to the Bible, more often than you might think.

In fact, what Jake's team did for him, the Lord of the universe does for you every day of your life. And you ought to see the team he coaches. With over three hundred scriptural references, God’s players – the angels – occupy an unquestioned role in the Bible. And if you believe in God's Word, you’ve got to believe in angels. But believing aside, they’re a little puzzling, too. Angel study is like Biblical whale watching. Angels surface just long enough to give us a glimpse and raise a question, and then they disappear before we have a full view. One thing is certain, though – Biblical and contemporary portrayals of angels don't match up very well.

Tabloids present angels as Thumbelina-like fairies with see-through wings. They exist to do us favors – heaven’s version of the genie in the bottle who finds parking places, lost keys, and missing cats. Snap your finger and, "poof," they appear. Snap again and they vanish. That’s not the Biblical image, however. Two adjectives capture the greater truth about angels: the words “many” and “mighty.” Multitudes of angels populate the world. Hebrews 12:22 speaks of "thousands of angels in joyful assembly." Jude declared, "The Lord is coming with thousands and thousands of holy angels to judge everyone." (vv. 14-15) An inspired King David wrote, "The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place." (Ps. 68:17)

When referring to Mt. Sinai, David was referring to the time when ten thousand angels descended on the mountain as God gave the law to Moses. "God came down from Sinai . . . coming with ten thousand holy angels." (Deut. 33:2) And thousands of angels awaited the call of Christ on the day of his crucifixion. "Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and He will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?" (Matt. 26:53) In that day, one legion was equal to six thousand soldiers. So, a little quick math tells you that’s seventy-two thousand hosts of heaven – enough to fill Qualcomm Stadium. 72,000 angels stood poised to rescue their Master – half the population of Escondido.

The book of Revelation refers to angels around the heavenly throne: "And the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands." (Rev. 5:11) That’s 100 million, or about 1/3 of the United States’ population. And don't forget the vision given to Elisha's servant. When an army threatened to take the lives of them both, Elisha asked God to open the eyes of the boy. "Then 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." (2 Kings 6:17)

If God opened our eyes, what would we see? Moms and dads? You'd see angels escorting your child to school. Travelers? You'd see angels encircling the aircraft. Patients? You'd see angels monitoring the moves of the surgeon. Teenagers? You'd see angels overseeing your sleep. Lots and lots of angels. Hundreds of years ago John Milton wrote, "Millions of spiritual creatures walk the Earth unseen, both when we wake, and when we sleep." So, do you need an adjective to describe angels? Well then, start with “many,” and continue with “mighty.” Chiffon wings and meringue sweetness? Maybe for the angels in the gift stores and specialty shops, but God's angels are marked by indescribable strength. Paul says Christ "will come with his mighty angels." (2 Thess. 1:7). From the word translated “mighty,” we have the English word “dynamic.” Angels pack dynamic force. It took only one angel to slay every firstborn in Egypt, and only one angel to close the mouths of the lions to protect Daniel. David called angels "mighty creatures who carry out his plans, listening for each of his commands." (Ps. 103:20)

No need for you to talk to angels, however; they won't listen. Their ears incline only to God's voice. They are "spirits who serve God" (Heb. 1:14), responding to his command and following only his directions. Jesus said they "always see the face of my Father in heaven." (Matt. 18:10) Only one sound matters to the angels – God’s voice. Only one sight enthralls angels – God’s face. They know that he is Lord of all. And as a result, they worship him. Whether in the temple with Isaiah, or the pasture with the Bethlehem shepherds, angels worship. "When he presented his honored Son to the world, God said, 'Let all the angels of God worship him.'" (Heb. 1:6) They did, and they still do.

Remember the earlier reference to the ten thousand times ten thousand angels encircling the throne of heaven? Guess what they’re doing? "All the angels stood around the throne . . . saying: 'Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen.'" (Rev. 7:11-12) Doesn't their worship speak volumes about God's beauty? Angels could gaze at the Grand Tetons or the Grand Canyon, at Picasso paintings or the Sistine Chapel, but they choose, instead, to fix their eyes on the glory of God. They can't see enough of him, and they can't be silent about what they see. At this very moment, God's sinless servants offer unceasing worship to their Maker. He is, remember, their Creator.

At one time no angels existed. And then, by God's decree, they did. "He made the things we can see and the things we can't see – kings, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities. Everything has been created through him and for him." (Col. 1:16) Angels fill God's invisible creation. They worship him, and – here’s some comfort – they protect us. "All the angels are spirits who serve God and are sent to help those who will receive salvation." (Heb. 1:14)

Some time ago, a missionary and two companions set out to smuggle Bibles and money to Christians in Vietnam. Upon landing, however, the missionary became separated from his companions. He spoke no Vietnamese, and had never traveled to Hanoi. Imagine his thoughts, then, as he stood in front of the airport, holding a bag of Bibles, wearing a belt of cash, and knowing nothing more than the name of his hotel. Taxi driver after taxi driver offered their services, but the missionary waited and prayed. Finally, knowing he needed to do something, he climbed into a taxi and spoke the name of the hotel. After an hour and a thousand turns, he found himself deposited at the designated place. He paid his drivers, and they went on their way. Right. "They" drove off.

The front seat of his taxi had been occupied by two men. Only later did the uniqueness of this fact begin to sink in. The missionary had seen hundreds of taxis during his days in Vietnam, but not another one of them had two drivers. Meaningless detail? Possibly. Affirming clue? Equally possible. Perhaps he was safely delivered, not by Vietnamese motorists, but by a tandem of heavenly couriers. Later, the missionary’s companions arrived, but only after they'd been scammed by another taxi driver. Did God command a dynamic duo to protect the missionary? You can draw your own conclusions.

But God sent a powerful protector to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. King Nebuchadnezzar had commanded that the furnace be cranked up to seven times its normal heat and that the boys be thrown into it. Once the victims were dispatched, the king looked in, expecting to see a trio of misery; instead, the men were in fine company. A visitor stood next to them amid the flames. "'Look!' Nebuchadnezzar shouted. 'I see four men, unbound, walking around in the fire. They aren't even hurt by the flames! And the fourth looks like a divine being!'" (Dan. 3:25) An angel ministering to God's people.

And look at Peter, sleeping on a pallet in a Jerusalem prison's death row. One word from Herod and his head would roll. All earthly efforts to save him had been exhausted. But heavenly efforts had not. An angel not only woke Peter up, but walked him out of his cell, too. The fisherman enjoyed a Jake Porter-type escort. (Acts 12:7) Angels minister to God's people. "[God] has put his angels in charge of you to watch over you wherever you go." (Ps. 91:11)

But what if you’re not a believer? Do angels offer equal surveillance to God's enemies? No, they don't. The promise of angelic protection is limited to those who trust God. "All the angels are spirits who serve God and are sent to help those who will receive salvation." David speaks of this restricted coverage: "For the angel of the LORD guards all who fear him, and he rescues them." (Ps. 34:7) Refuse God at the risk of an unguarded back. But receive his lordship, and be assured that many mighty angels will guard you in all your ways. "The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them." (v. 7) The angel of the Lord doesn't wave as he flies past; he camps, he lingers, he keeps vigilance over you. You traffic beneath the care of celestial beings. The wealthiest of the world don't have the protection God's servants give to you. And angels love to give it.

Because angels not only serve you, they’re stunned by you. "Do you realize how fortunate you are? Angels would have given anything to be in on this." (1 Pet. 1:12) Amazed angels behold the gifts God has given you. Does the Holy Spirit indwell angels? No. But he dwells in you. Do angels thank God for salvation? No, they've never been lost. But you have. Did Christ become an angel? No. But he became a human, and angels stood in awe when he did. Worshiping angels attended his birth. Awaiting angels witnessed his death. Excited angels announced his resurrection. Attentive angels watch the work of the church. "Through Christians like yourselves gathered in churches, this extraordinary plan of God is becoming known and talked about even among the angels!" (Eph. 3:10)

God's work in you leaves angels wide-eyed and applauding. Jesus said, "There is joy in the presence of God's angels when even one sinner repents." (Luke 15:10). When angels gather in the break room, they talk about church. "Have you seen what’s happening in Kenya?" Or, "The Aussie’s are making great strides." Maybe, "Hey, I just returned from Escondido. Let me tell you about those believers at Oak Hill." The Hebrew writer describes a "great cloud of witnesses." (Heb. 12:1) Certainly angels are numbered among them. God sends his best troops to oversee your life. Imagine the president assigning his Secret Service to protect you, telling his agents to motorcade your car through traffic and safeguard you through crowds. How would you sleep if you knew Washington’s finest guarded your door?

So, how will you sleep knowing heaven's finest are doing just that for you now? You’re not alone. Receive God's lordship over your life. Heaven's many, mighty angels watch over you. And when you cross the goal line, like Jake did, they'll be the first to applaud you at the finish.

Grace,

Randy