MINISTRY OF ANGELS

At the end of our lives there will be angels, whether at death or at the coming of Christ.

First...angels are not to be worshipped.

Today's society uses angels...and even sells angel paraphernalia to proclaim angels as being very reverent and highly favored for either worship or held in high esteem. Not all angels are reverent or even on God's side...some are part of the scheme of the head angel who rebelled against God...Satan. They are Satan's workers of iniquity.

What tells us that angels are not to be worshipped?

Revelation 22:8,9 "I, John, am the one who heard 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. But he said to me, "No, don't do anything like that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers the prophets and of all who keep the words of this book. Worship God alone!"

We are not to worship anyone except the God head...not angels, not Mary, nor saints. Worship God...and Him alone.

Angels (God's angels) are ministering spirits sent to help us and give us direction.
Hebrews 1:6, 7, 13, 14.

1. They are to worship God's firstborn...Jesus (verse 6)
2. They are spirits...verse 7.
3. They are "ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation." (verse 14)
4. We are unaware of their presence at times..."entertaining angels unawares." Hebrews 13:2.
5. We are aware of their presence at times...(i.e. Peter led out of prison, angels warning Lot, Mary at the tomb of Jesus, the shepherds in the field).

WHAT ELSE DO WE KNOW ABOUT ANGELS?

1. THEY ARE GREAT IN NUMBER.
   • Luke 2:13: "And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and...."
   • Hebrews 12:22: "...An innumerable company of angels."
   • Matthew 26:53: "...Twelve legions of angels."...legion = 3,000 to 6,000 soldiers...army.
   • Psalm 68:17: "The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: The Lord is among them..."
   
   
2. THEY ARE HEAVENLY AND GLORIOUS IN APPEARANCE
   • Luke 2:9: "And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them..."
   • Matthew 28:1-3:
               At the resurrection there was a great earthquake, and the angel of the Lord
               descended from heaven and rolled back the stone and sat upon it. Verse 3
               states, "His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow."
   • An angel delivered Peter from prison. Acts 12:7: "And behold, an angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison..."
   
   
3. THEY HAVE A MINISTRY OF JUDGMENT AND DESTRUCTION.
   • 2 King 19:35-37 states that an angel of the Lord slew 185,000 men.
   • The King of Assyria laid siege against Jerusalem. Hezeziah was not afraid and said "for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him." 2 Chronicles 32:7,8 Verse 8: "With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God to help us, and to fight our battles." Verses 20-22: Hezekiah prayed. God sent an angel. "The angel cut off all the mighty men of valor and the leaders and captains in...So he (The King of Assyria) returned with shame of face to his own land."
   • Acts 12:23: "...the angel of God smote [Herod] because he gave not God the glory..."
               Those who fight against God or those who neglect
               or reject Him are in danger of judgment and destruction.
   • Psalm 35:5,6: "Let the angel of the Lord chase them...let the angel of the Lord persecute them." Proverbs 29:1: "He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy."
     
     Could it be that some things that seem to be accidents are the results of angels chasing the wicked, persecuting them, and at times destroying them?
     
   
   
4. THEY HAVE A MINISTRY OF PROTECTION.
   • Psalm 91:11,12. "...he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone."
   • The devil quoted this scripture to Jesus in Matthew 4:6. He tried to get Him to tempt God. But Jesus said, "It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." His angel will protect us, BUT we must not tempt God by unwise actions.
   • Daniel 6:22: "My God hath sent his angel and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me...."
   • Psalm 34:7: "The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them..."
   
   
5. THEY HAVE A MINISTRY OF INSTRUCTION.
   • Acts 10:3, 22: Cornelius, a devout man, was seeking God, and God sent an angel to give him instructions. The angel advised him to send for Simon Peter.
   • Acts 8:26, 29: An angel of the Lord told Philip to go toward the south into a desert. When he got there, the Spirit said, "Join thyself to the chariot." He did. Then he proceeded to instruct the eunuch in the right way of the Lord.
   • Matthew 2:13 says, "The angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt..."
   
   
6. THEY HAVE A MINISTRY OF STRENGTHENING.
   • Luke 22:43: And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him."
   • Matthew 4:11: "The devil left him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him."
   • Acts 27:23, 24: "For there stood by me this night an angel of God...saying...Do not be afraid..."
   
   
7. THEY HAVE A MINISTRY OF ENCOURAGEMENT.
   • Matthew 28:5, "And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye, for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified."
   • Genesis 21:17, 18: "The angel of God called to Hagar...fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad..."
               She was waiting for the child to die. The angel encouraged
               her by saying..."I will make him a great nation." V. 18.
   • Genesis 22: 11, 12: "And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham:...Lay not they hand upon the lad..."
   
   
8. THEY HAVE A MINISTRY OF WARNING.
   • Matthew 2:13: An angel warned Joseph to flee into Egypt.
   • Genesis 19:15: "The angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters...lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city."
   • Sometimes when we feel we shouldn't do certain things; maybe it's an angel warning us.
   
   
9. THEY HAVE A MINISTRY OF DELIVERANCE.
   • Psalm 34:7: "The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them."
   • Acts 12:7: An angel delivered Peter out of prison. He smote Peter on the side and said, "Arise up quickly." The chains fell off. He followed the angel. They gate swung open, and he was free.
   • Acts 5:19, 20: "But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, Go stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life."
   
   

CONCLUSION:
At the end of our lives there will be angels, whether at death or at the coming of Christ. Luke 16:22: Lazarus died and was "carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom." Matthew 24:31: "He shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heaven to another." Have you ever felt you were in the present of an angel or angels?

Do you know of any circumstance that you believe angels intervened and changed an outcome of an event...?

And two (2) to grow on:

1. Contrary to popular opinion, all angels (according to the Bible) are male (masculine gender). Only humans want angels to be beautiful females with wings, etc. There are cherubs that are female...not angels.
2. When someone dies (contrary to popular opinion) they don't become angels. Angels were created and will be with us around the throne room worshipping the One and Only God.

Remember, everything needs to be checked out in the Word of God. We don't need to take things for granted.
However,"...Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."