Summoning The Supernatural Help Of Angels “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see the heavens opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” (John 1:51) Angels are mentioned at least 108 times in the Tanakh (Old Testament) and 165 times in the Brit Chadashah (New Testament). What do angels do and are they still active in our lives today? Let’s find out. What and Who Are Angels? “Praise the LORD, you his angels [malakh is Hebrew for angel], you mighty ones who do His bidding, who obey His word.” (Psalm 36:16; see also Psalm 103:20–21) The angels we see in movies or read in books perhaps only serve to confuse us about their true nature. On the other hand, these presentations may also serve to open a dialogue so that a person has the opportunity to hear what the Bible says about angels and the Good News of Yeshua (Jesus). God created angels in a variety of forms and ranks for the purpose of serving. Because of their supernatural nature, it is easy to think that angels possess a god-like quality—yet that is not accurate. “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” (Hebrews 1:14; see also Psalm 34:7; 91:11–12; Daniel 6:22) The Guardian of Paradise (1889), by Franz Von Stuck The grandeur, power, and mystery of angels makes it tempting to worship them, even though we know that worship of anything other than God is a violation of the First Commandment. We see this, perhaps, when the most beloved Jewish disciple of Yeshua, John, had a vision of the Marriage of the Lamb and of the crystal clear water of life flowing from the throne of God in the New Heaven and Earth. When John fell at the feet of the angel that revealed these things, the angel rebuked him: “[The angel] said to me, ‘Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Yeshua; worship God. For the testimony of Yeshua is the spirit of prophecy.” (Revelation 19:10; see also Revelation 22:8–9) Let’s now look at how angels are used in God’s service for Himself and for us. John the Evangelist on Patmos, (17th c.) by Jacopo Vignali (1592-1664), depicting John receiving revelation from an angel. Angels Reveal Prophecy In the Hebrew Scriptures, angels play key roles in interpreting prophetic visions, just as we see in the Book of Revelation. The angel Gabriel, for instance, revealed the exact timing of the coming of the Messiah to the prophet Daniel (Daniel 9:20–27) as well as the work of the anti-Messiah in “the distant future” (Daniel 8:15–27). In Zechariah 1:9–5:11, angels walk the prophet through his visions, explaining and teaching him, what each vision meant. The Annunciation, by Henry Ossawa Tanner, depicting the Angel Gabriel’s announcement to Miriam (Mary) that she would conceive and become the mother of Yeshua (Jesus). Angels Deliver Messages Another duty of angels is to bring messages. In fact, in Hebrew, the word “angel” has no equivalent. The closest word for angels in modern Hebrew is malakhim (מַלְאָכִים), which means messengers. Messenger angels occupy a unique rank in that they often appear in the form of men, as opposed to winged cherubim and seraphim. Malakhim (angels) have appeared to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Moses. Isaiah mentions the Malakh Panav, the Angel of God’s Presence. The angel Gabriel gave to Miryam (Mary) this message of prophetic fulfillment: “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Yeshua. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; His kingdom will never end.” (Luke 1:29–33; see also Isaiah 7:14) Angels Minister “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” (Hebrews 1:14) Hebrews 1:14 tells us that malakhim are “ministering spirits” sent forth to minister to those “who will be heirs of salvation.” The messages that angels send on behalf of God are two-fold. Not only do they reveal His plans for their lives, they also serve to minister in times of dire distress. For instance, an angel baked bread for Elijah when he was hiding out in a cave and wanted to die (1 Kings 19:3–6). As well, when Sarah’s maidservant Hagar thought she was about to die, crying out to the Lord, she and Ishmael sat alone in the wilderness with no food or water. The angel of God (malakh Elohim) appeared to relieve her distress saying, “Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.” (Genesis 21:18) This message is also a tremendous prophecy, as Ishmael became the father of the Arab nations. Angels also ministered to Yeshua (Jesus) during his 40 days of fasting in the wilderness and subsequent temptation by Satan (Mark 1:13). Hagar and the Angel in the Desert, by James Tissot Angels Worship God Angels not only minister to humans, they minister to God through their worship of Him. Isaiah saw Seraphim above God, “each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called out to another and said, ‘Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD [YHVH] of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory.’” (Isaiah 6:3) The apostle John saw similar angelic beings around the throne of God. Day and night they never ceased praising God, saying, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!” (Revelation 4:8) When we receive our glorified bodies, we will join the angels in praising Him as we see the 24 elders doing in Revelation 4:10–11. However, we should be joining the angels right now praising Him as the Kingdom has come to us, and we know Him. How much time do you spend praising the Lord? Do you sing praises to Him daily? “The twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. …
