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Much is made on the topic of Angels. Below are but a few things they are. Notice the Bible makes no reference to Angels in the creation story. The words "Let us" do not imply God and Angels per se, but God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. In the creation story the Father is the originator, The Son is the creative agent, and the Holy Spirit is the inspiration passed on to man. Yet, let no one claim seperation in this as all three truely worked as One. But let it be known there was division amongst his angels in the form of satan and the fallen. While the angels did not in fact create anything they are viewing the affairs of men with keen intrest.
Origin, personhood, and nature.
Angels are created beings as part of initial creation, but not of worldly creation. They wholly existed before man and have stood in the very presence of God. They manifest personhood as beings of self awareness, moral awareness, perpetuity, and intelligence, desire, emotion, and accountability. They have the angelic nature of spirit which is not God's created essence that is spirit or anything of our human spirit, but an organization of "bodily" form. However, it is notable that they have a spirit seperate and distinct from both God and man.
Character
They are many, powerful, superior in order to man (even God brought himself lower than the angels in becoming man, this is of key note), they can learn, they are refered to in the masculine (this does not mean they have a sex, but it does imply a seperate order perhaps from man), they are indestructible (this is very notable), and they are unredeemable.
Of the last it is notable that some believe they are part of creation and point to being created beings. I submit to you the Bible is the history of the relation of God to man, not God to the angels. Before the fall of man Satan and the fallen had a choice to repent over some period of time and did not. To argue they were in creation is simply not sound. No where in Genesis does one find God created the angels. To generalize here does not hold water.
Classification
The Cherubim- the highest order of angels. Of note satan was one of these and now Michael appears to be his successor in the dispute. The idea of these angels seems to be that they bear the throne of God.
The Seraphim- this order are the ones who proclaim the glory and holiness of the Lord. Of note the purification of Isaiah.
Angels - these comprise the messengers of God. Anything God requires is their task. Worship, conveying divine revelation, inflicting divine judgements (take note here), bearing humans to their destinies, and most notably warring against the forces of Satan.
These are again generalization, but can be expanded upon. However, do not do so in a desire to confuse the distinction between angels and man. Even Jesus himself stated man would become like the angels, but not become angels.
Of note is the story of Jericho in Joshua chapter 5 verse 13. Here Joshua sees a mystery yet to be revealed and inquires of him. Yet, it also points to angels subject to the One. Notice He does not even make claim to be a friend or foe.
"And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, "Are You for us or for our adversaries?" So He said, "No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come." And Joshua fell on his face and worshiped, adn said to Him, "What does my Lord say to His servant?"
Why did Joshua worship an angel? Who was this that stood before him. We can see clearly that God does indeed have an army and comes to judge, but what of this one who is spoken of as Man, You, Him, Commander of the armies of the Lord? Hey clearly can not be an angel as no where is one commanded to worship angels. Man may fall in error to worship one, but a true angel of the Lord will not allow such worship. Let it be known this is Christ. Pre-incarnate and wholly God. To those who claim Jesus as man, this is yet more proof of his Diety and his ability to wage war. Do not be so quick to assume love as a manly quality, but know his Love.
Seen two messager Angels some ten years ago, their wings were as purer than pure white, feathers like a white dove, It just flew by and three seconds it disappeared, this happened at my home and another time in a store.....Angel have gave me many messages from The Lord God, who I did not see the Angel but the Word of God says many times that Jesus does not tell you directly a message for he will send his Angels and they will tell you.............. I have this tape of Healing Evangelist Benny Hinn who said the The Lord God has five divisions of Angels doing many Jobs
Regarding angels...The Angel of Jehovah is none other than Jehovah Himself:
Gen 22:15 And the messenger of Jehovah calleth unto Abraham a second time from the heavens,
Gen 22:16 and saith, `By Myself I have sworn--the affirmation of Jehovah--that because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only one--
Gen 22:17 that blessing I bless thee, and multiplying I multiply thy seed as stars of the heavens, and as sand which is on the sea-shore; and thy seed doth possess the gate of his enemies;
Gen 22:18 and blessed themselves in thy seed have all nations of the earth, because that thou hast hearkened to My voice.'
I've always interpreted this passage in connection with Abraham having been glad to see Jehovah (herein Jesus) within that context of His personal encounter with The Angel of Jehovah:
Joh 8:56 Abraham, your father, was glad that he might see my day; and he saw, and did rejoice.'
Joh 8:57 The Jews, therefore, said unto him, `Thou art not yet fifty years old, and Abraham hast thou seen?'
Joh 8:58 Jesus said to them, `Verily, verily, I say to you, Before Abraham's coming--I am;'
Seen two messager Angels some ten years ago, their wings were as purer than pure white, feathers like a white dove, It just flew by and three seconds it disappeared, this happened at my home and another time in a store.....Angel have gave me many messages from The Lord God, who I did not see the Angel but the Word of God says many times that Jesus does not tell you directly a message for he will send his Angels and they will tell you.............. I have this tape of Healing Evangelist Benny Hinn who said the The Lord God has five divisions of Angels doing many Jobs
In the Biblical accounts of man's encounter with angels, they always appear as men, never with wings.
Is the Divine Love truly the Essence of our Father? The strongest Biblical proof for this can be found in Romans 8:37-39.
Here Paul tells us, that once a person has received the Divine Love, from a Pentecostal Fire to the smallest scintilla, it can never ever be taken away from him, "In all things we are more than conquerors, through Him that loved us. Neither life or death, nor angels, nor principalities or powers nor things present or things to come (...) shall separate us from the Love of God, which is in Christ Jesus."
This is an interesting passage. Paul does not generally state that we are loved by God, but he talks about the Gift of receiving the Divine Love in terms of personal possession. And that is understating it; for not only does he attach the attribute of personal ownership to the Divine Love, but he speaks of It as a true thing of Substance, that merges with our soul, and in such a way that "neither life or death, nor angels, nor principalities or powers nor things present or things to come" shall be able to separate us from the Divine Love. And to underline that the Divine Love is not a mere God-owned Divine sentiment of feeling Love towards His Children, but instead the real Essence of the Father, Paul gives the "Love of God" locality too: "which is in Christ Jesus".
Regarding angels...The Angel of Jehovah is none other than Jehovah Himself:
Gen 22:15 And the messenger of Jehovah calleth unto Abraham a second time from the heavens,
Gen 22:16 and saith, `By Myself I have sworn--the affirmation of Jehovah--that because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only one--
Gen 22:17 that blessing I bless thee, and multiplying I multiply thy seed as stars of the heavens, and as sand which is on the sea-shore; and thy seed doth possess the gate of his enemies;
Gen 22:18 and blessed themselves in thy seed have all nations of the earth, because that thou hast hearkened to My voice.'
I've always interpreted this passage in connection with Abraham having been glad to see Jehovah (herein Jesus) within that context of His personal encounter with The Angel of Jehovah:
Joh 8:56 Abraham, your father, was glad that he might see my day; and he saw, and did rejoice.'
Joh 8:57 The Jews, therefore, said unto him, `Thou art not yet fifty years old, and Abraham hast thou seen?'
Joh 8:58 Jesus said to them, `Verily, verily, I say to you, Before Abraham's coming--I am;'
Sir you are rightly correct in your interpretation and I truely thank you for your post. I had thought of using it, but I am a lover of the book of Joshua. Joshua translated means Jesus. I used to have a book on this too, but couldnt find it. Truely didn't Joshua who saw the Pre Incarnate Christ worship him and clearly state, "As for me and my house we will serve the Lord?"
I wanted to use yours, but Joshua always wins out in my train of thought.
In the Biblical accounts of man's encounter with angels, they always appear as men, never with wings.
I concur with your word. Yet I think some see references to creatures with wings when truth is revealed to a prophet. I think this is more so in heaven than on earth, but not to be discounted. I am generalzing here, but I could see it being so.
Is the Divine Love truly the Essence of our Father? The strongest Biblical proof for this can be found in Romans 8:37-39.
Here Paul tells us, that once a person has received the Divine Love, from a Pentecostal Fire to the smallest scintilla, it can never ever be taken away from him, "In all things we are more than conquerors, through Him that loved us. Neither life or death, nor angels, nor principalities or powers nor things present or things to come (...) shall separate us from the Love of God, which is in Christ Jesus."
This is an interesting passage. Paul does not generally state that we are loved by God, but he talks about the Gift of receiving the Divine Love in terms of personal possession. And that is understating it; for not only does he attach the attribute of personal ownership to the Divine Love, but he speaks of It as a true thing of Substance, that merges with our soul, and in such a way that "neither life or death, nor angels, nor principalities or powers nor things present or things to come" shall be able to separate us from the Divine Love. And to underline that the Divine Love is not a mere God-owned Divine sentiment of feeling Love towards His Children, but instead the real Essence of the Father, Paul gives the "Love of God" locality too: "which is in Christ Jesus".
Miss Kat I am confused. What are you asserting? I truely wanted to move away from Christ debate. He is God. What I am doing here is establishing facts on angels. I agree with your assessment in that Divine Love, God became man who is Christ and died on the cross for our sins. By him and not without him can we receive The Holy Spirit which is of God and Christ. But is this not of angels?
Of course I pointed to Jesus being the Commander of the armies of the Lord. Is this what you are speaking to?
I concur with your word. Yet I think some see references to creatures with wings when truth is revealed to a prophet. I think this is more so in heaven than on earth, but not to be discounted. I am generalzing here, but I could see it being so.
I think you may be right in your thought that angels with wings are more so an occurrence in heaven, than on earth.
There are two classes (ranks) of angels listed in the Bible that do have wings: cherubim, and seraphim. (there may be more, but that's all I know about)
Exodus 25:20
"And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be."
Isaiah 6
2Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.
I'm inclined to think that most people encounter the "regular" kind of angels that don't have wings, and, in fact, look quite human. The Bible makes it plain that some people have met angels, and have not known it:
Hebrews 13:1
"Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares"
I don't think it's impossible for winged angels to appear on earth, but rather just more rare.
Interesting topic!
Bud
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