Angels and praise of God (2)

Angels worship God in his presence

Revelation 7:11 NLT

And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living beings. And they fell before the throne with their faces to the ground and worshiped God.

See also Re 3:5; Re 8:2

Angels praise God for his works

Angels praise God’s work of creation

Job 38:4–7 NLT

“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you know so much. Who determined its dimensions and stretched out the surveying line? What supports its foundations, and who laid its cornerstone as the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?

See also Ps 148:1–5; Ne 9:6

Angels praise God’s work of redemption

Lk 2:13–14 The angels are praising God for Jesus Christ’s birth.

See also Is 44:23; Is 49:13; Lk 15:10; Heb 1:6; Dt 32:43

Angels praise God’s kingdom

Psalm 103:19–21 NLT

The Lord has made the heavens his throne; from there he rules over everything. Praise the Lord, you angels, you mighty ones who carry out his plans, listening for each of his commands. Yes, praise the Lord, you armies of angels who serve him and do his will!

See also Ps 96:10–11; Ps 145:10–11; Re 11:15

Angelic beings praise God

Isaiah 6:2–4 NLT

Attending him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. They were calling out to each other, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!” Their voices shook the Temple to its foundations, and the entire building was filled with smoke.

See also Re 4:8; Re 5:8–10; Re 7:11–12

Thousands of angels worship God

Hebrews 12:22 NLT

No, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering.

See also Dt 33:2; Ps 68:17; Da 7:10; Re 5:11–12

Images of angelic beings decorate Israel’s sanctuaries

1 Kings 6:23–29 NLT

He made two cherubim of wild olive wood, each 15 feet tall, and placed them in the inner sanctuary. The wingspan of each of the cherubim was 15 feet, each wing being 7½ feet long. The two cherubim were identical in shape and size; each was 15 feet tall. He placed them side by side in the inner sanctuary of the Temple. Their outspread wings reached from wall to wall, while their inner wings touched at the center of the room. He overlaid the two cherubim with gold. He decorated all the walls of the inner sanctuary and the main room with carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers.

See also Ex 26:1; Eze 41:18–20; Eze 41:25 The images of the cherubim represent the angels who worship God in heaven.

Angels are not to be worshipped

Revelation 22:8–9 NLT

I, John, am the one who heard and saw all these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me. But he said, “No, don’t worship me. I am a servant of God, just like you and your brothers the prophets, as well as all who obey what is written in this book. Worship only God!”

See also Mt 4:9–10; Ro 1:25; Col 2:18