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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.comFausset Bible Dictionary: Angels
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("messengers".) Often with "of God" or "Jehovah" added. Sometimes called the "holy ones," "saints." The "Angel of God" often means the Divide Word, "the Image of the invisible God," God Himself manifested (; -12; ; ; ; ; -16; ; compare ; ; ; ; -22; -24, compare ; -32-35); accepting as His due the worship which angels reject as mere creatures (; ); this manifestation was as man, an anticipation of the incarnation (; ; ; ; ; ; ; ).
"Angel," "Son of God," "Gods" (Elohim), "Holy One," in the fullest sense, are names of the divine Word alone. His incarnation is the center by reference to which all angelic ministration is best understood. Compare , Greek (aparti), "from this time forth ye shall see heaven open" (heretofore shut, against man by sin: ; -20) "and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man," as the antitypical Jacob's ladder, the center of communication between men and God, the redeemed and the angelic world; Jesus' miracles, of which mention immediately follows (John 2), are firstfruit of this newly opened communion of earth and heaven (-17). Secondarily, God's created messengers; as Israel (), Haggai (), John (; ), the priesthood, ministers (), the rulers or angels of the Christian churches (), as Elohim, "gods" is applied to judges (); compare Jesus' application, -37.
As to the nature of "angels" in the limited sense, they are "spirits" (; ), of wind-like velocity, subtle nature, capable of close communion with God; sharers in His truth, purity, and love, since they ever behold His face (), even as the redeemed shall (); not necessarily incorporeal; (compare ), , seemingly but not certainly imply their having bodies. Their glorious appearance (), like our Lord's when transfigured and afterward as the ascended Savior (-16), and their human form (; ), favor the same view. Close kindred of nature between angels and men is implied in both being alike called "sons of God" (; ; ; ) and "gods" (Elohim) (; Hebrew Elohim "angels," ; ).
Finite, but ever progressing in the participation of God's infinite perfection (; ; ). Our fellow servants, "sent forth unto ministry for the sake of them who shall be heirs of salvation" (), i.e., on ministrations appointed by God and Christ for the good of them who shall be heirs of salvation. Worship and service are their twofold function; priests in the heavenly temple (-3; ; -10; ), and sent forth thence on God's missions of love and justice. As finite, and having liberty, they were capable of temptation. Some "kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation" (; ). "The elect angels" fell not; they take part, by act and sympathy, in our affairs, and shall witness the Judgment (; ).
The fallen are not yet actually confined in the bottomless pit, but are doomed to it, "reserved unto judgment," and though seeming free, and ranging in our air, under the prince of the powers of the air (), are really in "chains of darkness" already, able only to hurt to the length of their chain. Satan is their prince, a liar, murderer, slanderer; and such are they (). The probation of the elect angels is over; their crown is won, they are the "holy ones" now (), under the blessed necessity of sinning no more. "Watchers" of men, jealous for God's honor (; ). Bad angels are permitted to try believers now, as Job; good angels are God's ministers of vengeance on the bad (-9; -2). Such shall the saints be at last, "equal to the angels," holy, made perfect, judges of angels and the world, ministering mediators of blessing to subject creatures (; -3; ).
In the natural world angels minister, as in directing wind and flame (according to one translation of ; ): "the angel of Jehovah" wrought in the plague on the Egyptian firstborn (; ), and on the rebels in the wilderness (), on Israel under David (; ), on Sennacherib's army (), on Herod (). An angel troubled the pool of Bethesda (the Alex. manuscript supports the verse, the Sin. and the Vat. manuscripts reject it), giving it a healing power, as in our mineral springs (): They act, in an unknown way, in and through "nature's laws." In the spiritual world too: by their ministration the Sinaitic law was given, "ordained by angels" (), "spoken" by them (), by their "disposition" or appointment (; compare ; ).
From the first creation of our world they took the liveliest interest in the earth (). When man fell by evil angels, with beautiful propriety it was ordered that other angels, holy and unfallen, should minister for God in His reparation of the evil caused to man by their fallen fellow spirits. They rescued at Jehovah's command righteous Lot from doomed Sodom, Jacob from his murderous brother (Genesis 19; 32). "Manna" is called "angels' food," "the grain of heaven"; not that angels eat it, but it came from above whence angels come, and through their ministry (). When Elisha was in Dothan, surrounded by Syrian hosts, and his servant cried, "Alas! how shall we do?" the Lord opened his eyes to see the mount full of chariots and horses of fire round about (; , compare ). By God's angel Daniel was saved in the lions' den (); compare as to the fiery furnace.
Michael (whom some questionably identify with the Son of God) is represented as Israel's champion against Israel's (the literal and the spiritual) accuser, Satan (, compare -10). Daniel 10 unfolds the mysterious truth that there are angel princes in the spirit world, answering to the God-opposed leaders of kingdoms in the political world, the prince of Persia and the prince of Grecia standing in antagonism to Michael. In patriarchal times their ministry is more familiar, and less awful, than in after times. Compare ; (the angelic guidance of Abraham's servant in choosing a wife for Isaac, and encouraging Jacob in his loneliness at Bethel on first leaving home, Genesis 28) with -22; ; . They appear, like the prophets and kings in subsequent times, in the character of God's ministers, carrying out God's purposes in relation to Israel and the pagan world powers (Zechariah 1; 2; 3; 4, etc.).
When the Lord of angels became flesh, they ministered before and at His birth (Luke 1; 2; ), after the temptation (), in the agony of Gethsemane (), at His resurrection and ascension (; ; ; -11). Their previous and subsequent ministrations to men (; ; ; , Peter's deliverance, ) all hinge on their intimate connection with and ministry to Him, redeemed man's divine Head (; ), Hence they are the guardians of Christ's little ones, not thinking it beneath their dignity to minister to them (); not attached singly to single individuals, but all or one ready at God's bidding to minister to each. (In Acts 12, the remark, "it is his Peter's angel," receives no countenance from Peter or the inspired writer of Acts, Luke; but is the uninspired guess of those in Mary's house.)
Rejoice over each recovered penitent (); are present in Christian congregations (); exercising some function in presenting the saints' prayers, incensed by Christ's merits, the one Mediator, before God (; ); not to be prayed to, which is thrice forbidden (; ; ): when we send an offering to the King, the King's messenger durst not appropriate the King's exclusive due. Ministers of grace now, and at the dying hour carrying the believer's soul to paradise (), but ministers of judgment, and gathering the elect, in the great day (; ; ; ; ). Their number is counted by myriad's (; Greek "to myriads, namely the festal assembly of angels") (; ; ; ).
There are various ranks, thrones, principalities, powers in the angelic kingdom of light, as there are also in Satan's kingdom of darkness (; ; ; ; ; ). (See SERAPHIM; CHERUBIM; MICHAEL; GABRIEL.) Some conjecture that angels had originally natural bodies, which have been developed into spiritual bodies, as the saints' bodies shall (-46); for they in Scripture accept material food (Genesis 18) and appear in human form, and never dwell in men's bodies as the demons, who, naked and homeless, seek human bodies as their habitation (see , "equal unto the angels": -21).
Many of the momentous issues of life are seen often to hinge upon seemingly slight incidents. Doubtless, besides the material instruments and visible agents, the invisible angels work in a marvelous way, under God's providence, guiding events at the crisis so as to carry out the foreordained end. They "desire to look into" the mysteries of redemption, and they learn "by the church the manifold wisdom of God" (; ). The saints (the living creatures and 24 elders) occupy the inner circle, the angels the outer circle, round the throne of the Lamb ().