The Work of The Angels 
Common beliefs people have
about the angels see them much as the picture shows, beings with
wings and maybe playing an instrument, such as a harp or trumpet. But ask
most people about the angels, what they are or what their role is and
their ideas are vague. Yet the Angels play an integral part in carrying
out God's will and purpose with the earth.
What are Angels?
So what and who are the angels? If we turn to Strongs
concordance we get a definition. The Hebrew word - MAL'AK
{mal-awk'}- comes from an unused root, meaning to dispatch as a deputy. It
is translated [AV] as angel, messenger, ambassadors. The definition of the
word means:
- representative
- messenger
- angel
The Greek word is AGGELOS {ang'-el-os}
from aggello meaning to bring tidings. It is translated [AV] as angel or
messenger. The definition of the word means: a messenger, envoy, one who
is sent, an angel, a messenger from God.
So Paul writes:
"Are not all angels ministering spirits sent
to serve those who will inherit salvation?" Hebrews 1:14.
Do angels look like the picture above? Well
in answering this question we can think of Paul's words :
"Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by
so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it."
Hebrews 13:2
So then angels are messengers and servants
from God who in appearance look like you and me. Now as
to the number of angels, well Daniel records "A river of fire was
flowing, coming out from before him. Thousands upon thousands attended
him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him". Daniel
7:10 So we see that there are an innumerable number of angelic
beings carrying out the will of God.
The Work Of Angels
The next question to consider is what is the work
of the angels? Well we could look at various examples, but we will just
select one or two examples to give an overall idea.
At Creation:
The first time we come across reference to the angels
is at the time of creation. We read in Genesis:
"In the beginning God created the heavens and
the earth" ......... "Then God said, "Let us make man in
our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea
and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and
over all the creatures that move along the ground. So God created man in
his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he
created them." Genesis 1:1&26-27
The Hebrew word translated as 'God' in these verses
is 'Elohim' pronounced {el-o-heem'} and means: 1) rulers,
judges 2) divine ones 3) angels 4) gods. We need to note however that this
is a plural word and not singular.
Thus Job records, God saying to him:
"Where were you when I laid the earth's
foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions?
Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were
its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone-- while the morning stars
[ reference to angels] sang together and all the angels shouted for
joy?" Job38:4-7
We learn then that God gave the word of command at
creation and the angels carried out His word, bringing all things into
existence by the power of God, creating all things just as God commanded.
As Messengers:
It has already been noted that one of the meanings of
the Hebrew word for angels is 'messenger'. We can see an example of the
angels as messengers of God in Daniel, when an angel was sent to Daniel:
"I looked up and there before me was a man
dressed in linen, with a belt of the finest gold round his waist. His
body was like chrysolite, his face like lightning, his
eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam
of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude.
I, Daniel, was the only one who saw the vision; the men with me did not
see it, but such terror overwhelmed them that they fled and hid
themselves" ..... " He said, "Daniel, you who are highly
esteemed, consider carefully the words I am about to speak to you, and
stand up, for I have now been sent to you." And when he said
this to me, I stood up trembling. Then he continued, "Do not be
afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain
understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were
heard, and I have come in response to them." .... "Now I
have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the
future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come." Daniel
10:5-14.
It must be noted that the description given of the
angel is that of a man in form, yet wielding the immense power of
God and being immortal in nature. He is sent by God as a messenger to
Daniel explaining the meaning of the visions Daniel had seen regarding
what was to come in the future.
Again at another time the angel appears to Daniel in
response to Daniels prayers about the restoration of his people from
exile. An angel is sent by God in response to the prayer of Daniel and we
read:
"while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the
man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about
the time of the evening sacrifice. He instructed me and said to
me, "Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and
understanding. As soon as you began to pray, an answer was given,
which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed. Therefore,
consider the message and understand the vision:" Daniel 9:21-23
In a similar manner an angel is sent to Mary and
again the angels name is given. Thus we read:
"In the sixth month, God sent the angel
Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be
married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name
was Mary. The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you
who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you." Mary was greatly
troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.
But the angel said to her "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have
found favour with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son,
and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be
called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne
of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever;
his kingdom will never end." "How will this be," Mary
asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" The angel answered,
"The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High
will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son
of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old
age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For
nothing is impossible with God." "I am the Lord's
servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have
said." Then the angel left her." Luke 1:26-38.
So in these two examples we see that the angel is
speaking the words of God to these two people. Incidentally, by way of
interest and encouragement to those who are striving to follow Jesus.
Gabriel gave the prophecy to Daniel about the coming of the Messiah and
here we have him 500 yrs later still carrying out God's
instructions, speaking to Mary about the fulfillment of that prophecy
given to Daniel. Five centuries had passed, yet Gabriel was still carrying
out his job! This is a wonderful example of what eternal life will be
like!!
Another example that can be considered of angels
acting as messengers, was after the resurrection of Jesus. The disciples
came seeking Jesus but found an empty tomb. They were perplexed and
bewildered not knowing what to think but then we read:
"As they entered the tomb, they saw a young
man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were
alarmed." Don't be alarmed," he said. "You are looking
for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here.
See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter,
`He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as
he told you.'" Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and
fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were
afraid." Mark 16:5-8.
Though unseen and unappreciated by man, the work of
the angels has continued throughout the millennia. Jacob had a vision of a
ladder with angels ascending and descending upon it. God reiterated to
Jacob the promises He had made to Abraham and to Isaac his forefathers.
The vision signified the angels overruling all world events, a work which
still continues today, work bringing about God's purpose in fulfillment of
those promises made to the Patriarchs:
"Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Haran.
When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the
sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head
and lay down to sleep. He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting
on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God
were ascending and descending on it. There above it stood the LORD,
and he said: "I am the LORD, he God of your father Abraham and the
God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you
are lying." Genesis 28:10-13.
Jesus will return and set up God's Kingdom on the
Earth. The angels will bring about all that God has foretold will happen,
as the signs we see in the world about us heralding the return of Jesus
show. But this is a subject in itself.
But we can now come to consider one of the most
important aspects of the work of the angels, namely that of manifesting
God. We read in Exodus that Moses requested to see the glory of God:
"Then Moses said, "Now show me your
glory." And the LORD said, "I will cause all my goodness to
pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in
your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will
have compassion on whom I will have compassion. But," he said, "you
cannot see my face, for no-one may see me and live." Exodus
33:18-20
So the first point to consider is that God's glory
is His character, which is perfect. The second point to consider is that
Moses was clearly told he could not see God, for no man was permitted to
see God and live. We are imperfect beings and are unfit to enter into the
presence of God because of our uncleanness due to sin. Now Jesus said very
plainly that "No-one has seen God at any time, the Only
begotten Son who is in the bosom of the father, he has declared him."
John 1:18 The Apostle John writes "No-one has ever seen God;
but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete
in us." 1John 4:12
So it is abundantly clear that nobody has ever seen
God, yet of Moses we read:
"He said, "Listen to my words:
"When a prophet of the LORD is among you, I reveal myself to him in
visions, I speak to him in dreams. But this is not true of my servant
Moses; he is faithful in all my house. With him I speak face to face,
clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the LORD. Why
then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?"
Numbers 12:6-8.
So, was Jesus wrong? Was John wrong? No, of course
not. But what does it mean then, when we read that Moses saw God, when
Jesus said that no one has seen God? Well the clue comes in the part of
our quote which reads Moses saw "the form of the LORD".
Thus we come on to another function of the angels,
that of representing God. God had made it plain very
early in the wilderness wanderings of the nation of Israel, that a
specially appointed angel would be His (God's) representative to the
nation:
"See, I am sending an angel ahead of
you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have
prepared. Pay attention to him and listen to what he says. Do not rebel
against him; he will not forgive your rebellion, since my Name is in
him. If you listen carefully to what he says and do all that I say,
I will be an enemy to your enemies and will oppose those who oppose you.
My angel will go ahead of you and bring you into the land of the
Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites and Jebusites, and I
will wipe them out." Exodus 23:20-23
Certain angels then represent God, speaking words on
his behalf, just as He commands them. For example we read that Abraham was
approached by 3 men [Please see Genesis 18:2,16-17 & 20-22.]
Two of these 'men' travel to Sodom, the third stayed and talked with
Abraham, being referred to as 'the Lord said" thus and so. So God
spoke through the angel to Abraham, yet the angel speaks in the first
person, as if he were God. Therefore we get an idea of what scripture
means when it records God saying of the angel leading Israel: 'my
name is in him'. [Exodus 23v21]
Another example of 'God manifestation' is where we
read of Manoah and his wife who offered sacrifice to God:
"As the flame blazed up from the altar
towards heaven, the Angel of the LORD ascended in the flame.
Seeing this, Manoah and his wife fell with their faces to the ground.
When the angel of the LORD did not show himself again to Manoah
and his wife, Manoah realised that it was the angel of the LORD.
"We are doomed to die!" he said to his wife. "We
have seen God!" Judges 13:20-22
Why did Manoah fear that death would follow seeing
the angel? Well surely he knew what God had said to Moses "No man
shall see me and live" and knew also that the angels represent and
carry the full authority of God.
Many times in scripture we read "The Lord
said" this or that, but we must realise that it is not God directly
speaking to man, but rather an angel representing him, speaking as
if he were God. An analogy could be taken from that of a High Court judge
in England who acts on behalf of the crown or government. He pronounces
judgment, not with his own authority, but the authority invested in him on
behalf of the Crown.
Jesus of course is the greatest example of God
manifestation. Jesus could say:
"He who has seen me has seen the
Father"
and of him we read:
"In him dwelt all the fullness of the
godhead bodily."
As we have already seen, God's glory is His
character as revealed to Moses. [Exodus 34:5-8] The angels exhibit God's
glory now. Yet despite the power and nature of the angels, God's purpose
does not lie only with them. We read that they are ministering spirits
sent to help the heirs to God's salvation, that is those who believe
the word of God and strive to serve Him now, despite their imperfections.
We are told that Christ is higher than the angels. It is he who
reflects God's glorious character perfectly. [ See Hebrews 2:5-10]
God's plan and purpose is to fill the earth with his
glory. God intends the world to be populated by immortalised men and
women, perfected and who truly reflect the glorious character of God,
their Creator.
So the promise to those who trust God, believe his
word, try to obey it and strive to serve him faithfully, is that :
"The angel of the LORD encamps around those
who fear him, and he delivers them". Psalm 34:7
We read in scripture that all things work for the
good of those who fear God. The angels are unseen, but through them God
overrules our lives. Jesus gave the reassurance to all who believe on him
[ typified by a little child he called and set in front of the disciples]
saying:
"Their angels do always behold the face of my
Father which is in heaven."
If we truly believe, if we have faith now, we are
promised that we shall be made like the angels:
"At the resurrection people will neither
marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in
heaven." Luke 20:36 "and they can no longer die; for
they are like the angels. They are God's children, since they are
children of the resurrection." Matt 22:30
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