Awesome Thoughts About Angels
Picture, if you will, a dozen guards surrounding a magnificent throne. Bronzed muscles tensed and swords at their sides, twenty-four piercing eyes sweep the area non-stop. The heart beneath each breastplate of armor beats for one purpose alone: to protect their king.
Close at hand are clusters of servants in simple white tunics. Their purpose is to carry out the king's wishes. Perhaps a tray of food, a fan to keep him cool? Does the king desire to entertain visitors, or would he prefer solitude? They can arrange that. After all, they are anxious to serve the one they call Master.
Around the throne room's perimeter, musicians are always at the ready. Silver trumpets always precede the king's entourage and accompany important announcements. Harps, flutes, drums, tambourines and other instruments are present. Their players entertain visiting dignitaries, accompany celebrations and, on a daily basis, provide the melodies that delight their master.
All these are servants of various forms, and they respond to "His Majesty" with prompt obedience. There is no hesitation, no speculation; they simply do his bidding without question. Because he is king and they are his subjects, they serve.
This may be a simplified interpretation on the subject, but it might be a good lead-in to introduce those dedicated servants of God called "angels." According to the Bible, God created angels to serve as ministering spirits and to carry out His commands. We don't know how many there were, but there are references to "legions" of angels.
In Roman times, one legion consisted of 3,000 - 9,000 foot soldiers. Now multiply that number many times over. In Matthew 26:53, Jesus said to Peter, (who was trying to defend Him in the garden), "Put up thy sword again into thy place. Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and He shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?"
In Revelation 5:11, we find, "And I beheld and heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, 'Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches and wisdom and strength, and honor and glory and blessing'." If you do the math, this tallies up to over 100 million angels!
While God created millions of angels, only three are actually identified by name in the Bible. Consider Gabriel, who is often mentioned as bringing messages from God to man. In Daniel 9:22, it was Gabriel who "talked with me (Daniel) and said, 'I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding'." In the book of Luke, Gabriel speaks to Zacharias the priest and identifies himself as, "Gabriel, that stands in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee." It was also Gabriel who told Mary, "Blessed art thou among women. Thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus."
Michael, the archangel, is depicted as one who defends God's people and leads warrior angels to battle against evil powers. In the book of Daniel, chapter 10, he is mentioned as one of the "chief princes who came to help" Daniel. "And he said, 'O man, fear not, peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong'." When war in heaven is mentioned in Revelation 12:9, it is Michael and his angels who "fought against the dragon, the old serpent, the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world."
Lucifer, who was also an angel and called "son of the morning," seems to have been the one who was given an opportunity to stand before God's throne as worship leader. Later, according to Isaiah 14, Lucifer was lifted up with pride and said in his heart, "I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will be like the most High." It also tells us that this rebellion resulted in the following curse: "O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou fallen from heaven and cut down to the ground. And he was cast out into the earth, and his angels (possibly one third, according to Revelation 12)were cast out with him." Today, Satan's followers are known as fallen angels or demons.
If people question the truth of God's Word, it naturally follows they do not accept Biblical teaching with reference to angels. Because I belong to God and have put my complete trust Him, I also respect and accept His Word as truth. I believe what the Bible tells us about angels, and I believe they are real creatures who serve their Master.
I am grateful they have a part in watching over me, one of His children! I am also overwhelmed to think about angels being present when we meet to praise God in a corporate worship experience. The Bible says they "desire to look into those things" that pertain to our redemption and salvation.
Believing angels truly exist is not difficult for me. What I do find hard to believe is that some people want to reduce them to fairy-like forms or baby cherubs that are cute but powerless. The current fascination with angelic beings often means they are shaped into something we can hold or "own." To many, angels are simply pieces of clay or metal that decorate our gardens; iridescent sun-catchers that dangle from rear-view mirrors; artistic renderings on oil canvas, bejeweled figures we sport as fashionable pins.
Angels are not helplessly floating in the atmosphere. They aren't waiting for us to snap our fingers and "make a wish." Angels aren't our servants and don't belong to us. They belong to their Maker, and they worship Him! They are powerful servants! I'm glad my Father's angels can't be confined to a canvas or the inside of a jewelry box.