Angels # 5

     We're going to continue on the subject of angels. This week or next week will be our last teaching on this subject.

     I. Last week we began to study out the appearance of angels.

              A. Sometimes they can appear as a man.

                        1. They might look so much like a man that no one would know that they are an angle, not even Christians.

                                  a. You mean that spirit filled Christians would not even pick up in the spirit that someone was an angel?

                                  b. (Hebrews 13:2) “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” (KJV)

                                           i. Paul was writing to born-again, spirit filled Christians. And he said that we might entertain an angel unaware.

              B. We also looked at angels that appeared in white garment.

                        1. Other times the angels were shinning.

                                  a. In (Luke 2) it talks about angels that appeared to some shepherds and in (V 9) it says “An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.” (NIV)

                                  b. With the presence of these angels came the glory of God shining about them.

              C. We also looked at the Seraphim. In (ISA 6) it says that they had 6 wings each.

                        1. 4 were used in reverence & worship, & 2 used for service.

              D. In (REV 4:6-8) these angelic beings had 4 faces: 1 of a Lion, 1 of an OX, 1 of a man & 1 of an eagle.

                        1. Each of these faces represents the Lord Jesus Christ.

                                  a. He is the Lion of the tribe of Judah.

                                  b. He is the greatest servant of all.

                                  c. He is the Son of Man.

                                  d. And He is the Son of God.

     II. We have looked at some of the angels in the Word of God, but what about the Cherubim.

              A. There must be different kinds of Cherubim. Some are spoken of as having 1 face, some 2 faces, & some 4 faces.

                        1. Most of the references of Cherubim that we have are what is found in the earthly temple.

                                  a. The earthly temple is a type or a shadow of the heavenly.

                        2. In the book of (EZE) Ezekiel had a vision of the temple.

                                  a. EZE 41:18-19

                                  b. Again in their faces, I see a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ.

                                           i. 1 had the face of a man & the other face was the image of a lion.

                                           ii. Jesus is the Son of Man, & He is the Lion of the tribe of Judah.

              B. We see another picture of cherubim in (1KINGS) these cherubim were also in the earthly temple.

                        1. 1 KINGS 6:23-24

                                  a. Each cubit about 18 inches long. (Some say as much as 20 inches)

                        2. These cherubim were about 15 feet tall & each wing was about 7½ feet wide.

                                  a. With both wings spread apart it would be 15 feet wide.

                        3. Ezekiel had another vision of cherubim.

                                  a. EZE 10:5

                                  b. He goes on to say something very interesting. Look at EZE 10:20-22

                                           i. What was his vision at the river called Chebar? We already looked at this angel last week, it's found in EZE 1:1, 4-7, 10, 13-14.

                                           ii. These are cherubim.

                        4. From what we know from the Word, God told Moses to carve 2 Cherubim over the Mercy Seat.

                                  a. From this we know that there are Cherubim continually in the presents of God.

              C. Now you might be saying, Pastor we've talked so much about Cherubim & Seraphim, but you haven't said much about Archangels.

                        1. How many times does the Word of God use the word Archangel? 2x

                                  a. In (JUDE 9) Michael is called an archangel, but what about Gabriel?

                                  b. Nowhere in the Word does it ever call Gabriel an archangel, that doesn't mean he isn't but we can't say that he is either.

                                  c. Gabriel seems to be a special messenger for God.

                                           i. He came to Mary to bring the message of the birth of Jesus.

                                           ii. Gabriel came to Zacharias with the message that Elisabeth was going to have a son.

                                           iii. In (DAN 8 & 9) he came with a message to Daniel.

              2. We have talked about the order of angels. We made mention that the Cherubim are the highest rank of angels, then the seraphim, then some have said the archangels are next, & then the common angels.

                        a. If were looking at who spends more time in the presence of God that might be true.

                                  i. But I'm not completely convinced that archangels are so far down on the list in the area of power or authority.

                        b. REV 12:7

                                  i. Notice that it says, “Michael & HIS angels.”

                                  ii. Michael must be of very high rank, maybe he even took Lucifer's place after his fall.

                                  iii. His name means “Who is like God.”

                                  iv. Some say that he is the Guardian Angel of Israel because of (DAN 12:1) which says, “And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people.”

     III. Sometimes the Bible uses the word “messenger” when it's talking about “angels.”

              A. 2COR 12:7

                        1. It was an angel of the devil that was sent to buffet Paul. (Not a person)

              B. Sometimes it's just the opposite, the Bible says “angel” but it would be better translated “messenger.”

                        1. REV2:1

                                  a. Why would God give John a revelation of what to write to give it to an angel?

                                           i. It would be better translated “messenger.”

                                           ii. Who is the messenger to the church at Smyrna?

                                           iii. Who is it that has the messages for that church? The pastor.

                        2. REV 2:8 Same thing

                        3. He goes on 5 more times, giving a message to the Pastors of each church.

     IV. Now, I want to go on to the ministry of angels.

              A. As we said before their primary function is to worship God.

                        1. HEB 1:6

              B. Another ministry of angels is to carry out God's orders.

                        2. PSA 103:20

              C. Angels also bring messages to man.

                        1. We already looked a Gabriel, but there are other angels that do that.

                        2. If you remember when Paul was taken captive & they were going to sent to Rome.

                                  a. After they set sail for Crete Paul finally spoke up.

                                  b. Look at ACTS 27:21-24

              D. Angels also protect God's people.

                        1. PSA 35:4-5

                                  a. Let me read it to you from the NIV translation. (Psalm 35:4-5) “May those who seek my life be disgraced and put to shame; may those who plot my ruin be turned back in dismay. (5) May they be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of the LORD driving them away.” (NIV)

                        2. (Psalm 34:7) Our text for this message says, “The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.”

                        3. HEB 1:14

                                  a. It says that the angels minister for you.

                                           i. They are warring off the enemy for you.

                                           ii. They are bringing deliverance for you.

                                            iii. They are bringing in finances for you.

                        4. And angels will minister to you just as they did for Jesus after his time in the wilderness.

              E. Soeetimes angels will bring judgement. Execute God's judgement.

                        1. GEN 19:12-13 Sodom

                        2. 1CHRON 21:15

                                  a. In the book of REV.

              F. HEB 2:6-7 We are created a little lower than the angels.

              E. Someday we'll even be judging the angels. 1COR 6:3

WOLCC Sun AM 11/28/93