Systematic Theology: Lesson 19 - The Nature and Work of Angels
THE
NATURE AND WORK OF ANGELS
Angelology - Lesson 19
The subject of angels has fascinated people since the beginning of time. The subject is still widely discussed, even in our post-Enlightenment, post-modern, naturalistic, and anti-supernatural society. However, much ignorance abounds on the subject. People tend to rely on their own experiences or the experiences of others to shape their understanding of angels.[1] This only leads to confusion; and it all-too-often results in people—even Christians—chasing after angelic experiences.
For this reason, we need to be grounded in the truth of God’s Word. We go to God’s Word to pull together (systematically) all of the information concerning angels, so that we can synthesize it into a theology of angels. This lesson will concentrate on the holy (elect) angels. Lesson 20 will focus on Satan and the demons.
1. Angel (מַלְאָךְ, αγγελος) – Messenger.
Psalm 91:11; 103:20; 148:2; Matt 1:20; John 20:12; Acts 5:19
2. Sons of God (בְנִי הָאְֶלֹהִים) – Sons of God
Job 1:6; 2:1; possibly Genesis 6:2, 4
3. Holy One (קָדוֹשׁ)
Psalm 89:5, 7; Dan 4:13,
17, 23; 8:13
4. Spirit (רוּחַ, πνευμα)
Psalm 104:4; Heb 1:7, 14
5. Minister (מַשָׁרַת, λειτουργος) – Piel participle from שָׁרַת,
a verb referring to service of an official nature.
Psalm 104:4; Heb 1:7
6. Watcher (עִיר)
Dan 4:13, 17, 23
7. Host, Army (צָבָא)
1 Kings 22:19; Neh 9:6;
Psa 103:20-21; 148:2
8. Prince (שַר) – Chieftain, chief, ruler,
official, captain
9. Principality (αρχη) – Sovereignty, rule
Eph 1:21; 6:12; Col 1:16
10. Power (εξουσια) – authority
Eph 1:21; 6:12; Col 1:16
11. Might (δυναμις) – one with inherent power
Eph 1:21
12. Throne (θρονος) – metonymy for sovereignty
Col 1:16
13. Dominion (κυριοτης) – lordship, dominion
Eph 1:21; Col 1:16
The Origin of Angels
1.
Created by God
Neh 9:6; Psa 148:2, 5; Rev
4:9-11
2.
Created by Jesus
Colossians 1:16; John 1:3
3.
Created before the 7th Day;
probably Day 1
Job 38:4-7
The Number of Angels
1. “Hosts”
Psa 46:7
2. Legions
Matt 26:53
3. Stars
Job 38:7; Psa 148:1-3; Rev
9:1-2; 12:3-4, 7-9
4. 10,000 X 10,000 and
Thousands of Thousands
Deut 33:2; Psa 68:17; Rev
5:11
5. Innumerable Company
Heb 12:22
The Purpose of Angels
1. To Glorify the Father
Rev 4:8-11; also, Psa
103:20; Heb 1:7
2. To Glorify Christ
Isa 6:3; Col 1:16; Rev
5:11-12
3. To Live in God’s Presence
Matt 18:10; Rev 4
The Original Nature
of All Angels
1.
Holy
Gen 1:31; Psa 89:5-8; Mark
8:38
2.
Worshiping God in His presence
Psa 148:1-2
3.
Appear Before Him
Job 1:6; 2:1
4.
Will
2 Pet 2:4; Jude 6
5.
Higher in Created Order Than Humans
Psa 8:5; Heb 2:7
6.
Servants of God
Psa 104:4; Heb 1:7, 13-14
7.
Confined to One Location at a Time;
Though Quick!
Dan 9:21-23; 10:10-14; Rev
7:1; 16
8.
Can Be Hindered by Other Angels
Dan 10:13-14
9.
Limited Authority
Job 1:12; 2:6
10. Do Not Marry
Matt 22:30
11. Limited in Knowledge
Matt 24:36; Mark 13:32; 1
Pet 1:11, 12
12. They Live Forever
Luke 20:36
13. They Investigate and Learn
Eph 3:10; 1 Pet 1:12
14. They Can Speak
Dan 8:13; Matt 28:5-6;
Jude 9
15. They Exercise
Self-Restraint and Wisdom
2 Pet 2:10-11; Jude 9
16. They Experience Joy
Job 38:7
17. They are Reverent
Isa 6:1-4; Luke 2:13-14;
Rev 5:11-14
18. They are Respectful
2 Pet 2:10-11
19. They Are Spirits
Psa 104:4; Luke 8:30; Col
1:16; Heb 1:7
The Organization of Angels
1. Definite Assemblies
Job 1:6; 2:1
2. Military Operations
Rev 12:7-9
3. Organizational Titles
Eph 1:21; Col 1:16
4. Rank
Dan 10:13; 1 Thess 4:16;
Jude 9
The Types of Angels
1. Cherubim – A “living creature” with the likeness
of a man. Their appearance is like burning coals of fire and torches. They have
four faces (man, lion, ox, eagle), four wings. Their legs were straight. The
soles of their feet were like burnished bronze. They had hands like a man.
Their wings touch each other and sound like many waters when they fly. They
move straight forward like flashes of lightning (Ezek 1:5-24).
a. Guarded the Garden of Eden
so that fallen humans could not enter
Gen 3:24
b. Images of Cherubim were
above the mercy seat on the ark of the covenant
Exod 25:17-22; 37:7-9
c. Images of Cherubim were
woven on the curtains of the Tabernacle, including the veil between the Holy
Place and the Holy of Holies
Exod 26:1, 31; 36:8, 35
d. The Cherubim carry the
throne of God.
Ezek 1:4-28; 10:1-22
2. Seraphim – Angels with six wings who stand above
God’s throne and proclaim His holiness and glory with voices that cause the
heavenly temple to shake (Isa 6:1-7).
3. Living Creatures – These living
creatures that John saw in Revelation 4:7-8 may be either cherubim or seraphim.
Or they could be another class of angels altogether.
a. Likeness to cherubim: 4
faces (lion, calf, man, eagle).
b. Likeness to seraphim: 6
wings
c. Other features: eyes in
front, in back, around and within. (Ezekiel describes the eyes of the cherubim
as being in the wheels.”
Specified Angels
1. Michael (Who is like God?)
– An archangel (Dan 10:13;
Jude 9; Rev 12:7) who is depicted as protecting Israel against Satan and the
demons.
Dan 10:13, 21; 12:1; Jude 9; Rev 12:7-9
2. Gabriel (God is Mighty OR
Mighty One of God) –
A deliverer of important messages concerning key events.
Dan 8:15-26; 9:21-27; Luke 1:11-20, 26-38
The Function of
Angels
1.
Constant Worship
Isa 6:3; Rev 4:6-11;
5:8-13; 7:11-12; 19:4; 22:9
2.
Service
Heb 1:13-14; Rev 22:9
3.
Messengers
Gen 19:1-22; Dan 7:15-27;
8:13-26; 9:21-27; 10:10-12:13; Luke 1:26-33; Acts 1:10-11; 5:19-20; 8:26;
10:3-6; 11:13-14; 12:7-8
4.
Execution of Divine Providence
Gen 19:1, 12-13, 24-25; 1
Chron 21:15; Psa 78:43-51; Acts 12:23; Matt 4:11; 13:41-43; 28:1-2; Gal 3:19;
Heb 2:2; Rev 16:10-11
A Mysterious
Character: The Angel of the LORD
1.
His Appearances
a. To Hagar
Gen 16:7-11
b. To Abraham
Gen 22:11-15
c. To Jacob
Gen 32:30; cf. Hos 12:4
d. To Moses
Exod 3:2-6
e. To The Israelite Camp
Exod 13:21; 14:19; [My Angel] 23:20-23; 32:34; [The Angel of His presence] Isa
63:8-9
f. To Balaam
Num 22:22-35
g. To Israel
Judg 2:1-4
h. In Deborah’s Song
Judg 5:23
i. To Gideon
Judg 6:11-22
j. To Samson’s Mother
Judg 13:3-6
k. To Samson’s Parents
Judg 13:13-21
l. To David
2 Sam 24:16; 1 Chron 21:12-30
m. To Elijah
1 Kings 19:7; 2 Kings 1:3, 15
n. Against the 185,000
Assyrians
2 Kings 19:35
o. In the Psalms
Psa 34:7; 35:5-6
p. To Zechariah
Zech 1:11-12; 3:1-6; 12:8
2.
The Mystery
a. He speaks for God AS God
Gen 16:10; 22:12, 16; Exod
3:6; Judg 2:1-3
b. The text calls Him Yahweh
Gen 16:13; Exod 3:2,4;
Judg 6:14, 16
c. People refer to Him as
Yahweh
Gen 16:13-14; Exod 3:6;
Judg 6:22; Judg 13:22
d. He is distinguished from
Yahweh
Exod 23:20-23; 32:34; Num
20:16; 2 Sam 24:16; Psa 34:7; Zech 1:11-13
e. He never appears in the
New Testament
3.
His Name is Wonderful
(Judg 13:18). Compare with Isa 9:6.
4.
Many Theologians Understand This to Be
a Theophany or Christophany.
a. Justin Martyr, Irenaeus,
Tertullian, Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Cyprian, Hilary of Poitiers, Basil
of Caesarea.
b. Calvin – “Though he were
not clothed with flesh, yet he descended as in an intermediate form, that he
might have more familiar access to the faithful. This closer intercourse
procured for him the name of the angel; still, however, he retained the
character which justly belonged to him, that of the God of ineffable glory.
[2]
c. Grudem - “Several passages
of Scripture, especially in the Old Testament, speak of the angel of the Lord
in a way that suggests that he is God himself taking on a human form to appear
briefly to variously people in the Old Testament…perhaps more specifically as God
the Son taking on a human body for a short time in order to appear to human
beings.”[3]
d. Frame - “In many cases,
the angel is God.”[4]
5.
THEREFORE, when we encounter THE angel of the
Lord in the text, it most likely refers to a physical manifestation of God
(probably the Son). However, whenever we encounter AN angel or multiple angels,
the text is definitely referring to created angelic beings.
In Conclusion, the Bible is clear that angels are
created beings who serve God and His saints in a myriad of ways. While angels
are fascinating to think about, we need to beware of any overemphasis. They
mostly operate behind the scenes, so that our attention can remain properly
focused on God.
[1] This is actually pretty true in
regard to ALL sections of theology!
[2] Calvin, Institutes of the
Christian Religion, 1.13.10.
[3] Grudem, Systematic Theology,
401.
[4] Frame, The Doctrine of God,
434.
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