HEAVEN’S PERSONAL DELIVERY SERVICE

A STUDY OF ANGELS FROM THE BIBLE

Charles B. Hodges

1.Exploding Old Wives’ Tales2.A Dossier on Angels3.Angels in the Old Testament4.Angels in the New Testament5.Jesus Christ and Angels6.Odds, Ends, and Other Things7.The Milk in the Coconut8.Problems, Problems, Have We Got Problems ?!?9.Problems, Problems, Continued10.Grand Finale

LESSONS:

BELIEVE IN ANGELS!ANGELS! The very sound of the word thrills even the man on the street.It is a sentimental word- a word of endearment- a precious word

Perhaps no one Biblical word is used and cherished more! Yet, paradoxically, the users of this word know little or nothing about angels.

Books about angels abound. Our fascination with these creatures goes beyond books to trinkets, television, and the movies.

We must study and increase both our knowledge and utility of angels.

Angels have been misunderstood for too long.

The purpose of this study is not to exhaust the subject, but to provoke biblical study and understanding in a sane, scriptural, simple way.

The word angel comes from the Greek word Angelos which means messenger

EXPLODING OLD WIVES’ TALES

1 Tim. 4:7 7 Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly.

Said tales involve biblical subjects but apparently even the more concerning angels, More “wrong” is thought and taught on angels than “right”. Before a scriptural study of angels can be made, these terrible tales must be exposed

1. “Nothing can be known”This has become a syndrome that affects many people. Few preachers have preached on this subject; there are no significant books from scholars. Books in general concerning angels are usually dated prior to 1900. What do you biblically and thoughtfully know about angels? Are you deeply interested or simply curious? Is your mind open? Will you accept a provocative study?

There is more about angels in Scripture than about the demonical. We can know what the Bible teaches! Angels are mentioned in 34 of the 66 biblical books. Seventeen both in the Old and New Testament. If we can understand baptism, we can equally understand angels! We not only CAN but MUST understand angels. They are “Heaven’s Personal Delivery Service”.

2. Angelology is an Old Testament—not a New Testament Study

People have quite a time knowing what to do with the Old Testament. Since the “Old Law” has been nailed to the cross (Col :14), many have concluded that the “Old Testament” was! The Old Testament is part of the inspired Word of God (2 Peter 1:20-21 20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 1Cor 10:11 11 Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

However, Angelology is BOTH an OT and NT subject. Angels are mentioned 108 times in the Old and 186 in the New! The idea that angels ceased working at Golgotha is not consistent with the biblical facts.

This means that some people are more like the Saducees than the Pharisees .Acts 23:6-9 6 Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, “My brothers, I am a Pharisee, descended from Pharisees. I stand on trial because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead.” 7 When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 8 (The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees believe all these things.)9 There was a great uproar, and some of the teachers of the law who were Pharisees stood up and argued vigorously. “We find nothing wrong with this man,” they said. “What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?”

To avoid the miraculous providence involving angels is suspect.Yet the Bible says they minister to the heirs of salvation. Heb 1:14 14 Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?The Bible is unapologetically supernatural! A profound belief in angels is indispensable to the faith of a believer. Angelology is a New Testament subject!

3.Angels are womenThis is usually a romantic title given to women. Yet,

the only angels named have the names of men (Gabriel, Michael) When Angels appear the men they are men. (Gen 18 Sodom/Gomorrah; Mark 16:5 Empty tomb)

Actually angels are sexless (Matt 22:29-32 29 Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. 30 At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. 31 But about the resurrection of the dead—have you not read what God said to you, 32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’[a]? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.”

Lk 20:35-37 34 Jesus replied, “The people of this age marry and are given in marriage. 35 But those who are considered worthy of taking part in the age to come and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage, 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. 37 But in the account of the burning bush, even Moses showed that the dead rise, for he calls the Lord ‘the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’[b] 38 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive.”

Later the significance of this will be discussed

However, this does explode another “old wives’ tale” involving Genesis 6. This fact eliminates the ancient Jewish concept that angels mated with humans. Marriage implies procreation; procreation implies survival. Angels do not have additions from themselves.

4.Angels have wings and play harpsThis error simply says artists have influenced

men more than Scripture.Angels in Scripture have neither wings, nor

harps, nor halos. It is true that the cherubim symbols have wings, but otherwise there is nothing to indicate that angels have wings

There is another interesting and shocking observation– there is no angelic choir! Angels have a tongue (language){1Cor 13} but the Bible never says angels sing, sang, or will sing.

5. Angels are without bodiesAngels are incorporeal (without human body), but this does not mean they are without some form of body! For expediency they have assumed accommodative human forms. There are both terrestrial and celestial bodies (1Cor 15:40 40 There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another

Both God and Christ are with form Phil 2:5-7 5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:6 Who, being in very nature {[a] the form of} God,    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;7 rather, he made himself nothing    by taking the very nature {[b] form} of a servant,    being made in human likenessPhil 3:21 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

Heb 1:1-3 1 In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. 3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.Col 2:8-98 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces[a] of this world rather than on Christ.9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form

Angels have a heavenly body!

6.Angels are dead saints in heavenDuring funerals, especially for babies, many

suggest the departed are now “another of God’s angels”. Saints may be angelic (picturesque language) but never angels.

The Bible teaches “resurrection” – not

“reincarnation”.

7.Angels are to be worshipped.Some religions openly worship angels as “patron

saints”. The Bible specifically condemns this practice. (Col 2:18 18 Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind.

The Ten Commandments specify that God and God alone is to be worshipped.

Rev 19:10 10 At this I fell at his feet to worship him {an angel}. But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.”

Rev 22:8-9 8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. 9 But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and with all who keep the words of this scroll. Worship God!”

8.Angels are without personal feelingsAngels not only have a form, they equally

have a “heart”. They are never pictured as heavenly robots. They have curiosity (1Pet 1:12 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.

They rejoice when sinners repent (Lk 15)This amazes me! Have you ever worried

about – cried over – prayed for and angel. Yet they care about men!! They are ministering to us in ways we do not work for them!

Even more impressive—since they biblically do not have a Savior, they could resent our having one!