…What does this tell us about angels? They are sent by God in answer to prayer. They are bright, luminous beings who can appear out of thin air and then vanish from sight. They are not constrained by what we know as solid matter. The enemies of God are helpless before them. Yet the Bible tells us, “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” (Heb. 1:14 NIV.) The number of angels is vast. Revelation speaks of 10,000 times 10,000 (100,000,000) and thousands upon thousands of angels.
The role assigned to angels in the last days is incredible. According to the Book of Revelation, they control the trumpets, the bowls, and the vials of the unfolding judgment of the earth. They hold off judgment and they unleash judgment. One angel is said to be powerful enough to hurl a flaming mountain into the ocean with such force that one third of the ships are sunk. Four angels are released form the river Euphrates with power to kill one third of mankind. Angels announce the doom of the Anti-Christ and the beginning of the Kingdom of our God and of His Christ.” Angels are sent to gather out of God’s kingdom all those who are evil doers.
John the Apostle, the author of the Book of Revelation, was so awestruck by the angel who had revealed the last things to him that he fell down to worship the angel, but the angel would not permit it. Here is the record of that exchange, “I, John… fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. But he said to me, ‘Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers and of all who keep the words of this book. Worship God!’” (Rev. 22:8-9 NIV).
After Jesus had fasted for forty days in the wilderness, “He was in the desert forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him” (Mark 1:13 NIV.)
When Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane just prior to His crucifixion, Jesus boldly declared to His disciples, “Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and He will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matt. 26:53 NIV.) Twelve thousand angels times the 185,000 soldiers killed in Hezekiah’s time would be enough power to kill every Roman solider and take over the government of the world by force; but love and sacrifice was the way of his kingdom, not force of arms.
Angels were with Jesus when He was tempted by Satan; angels were present when He wrestled in spiritual agony in the Garden of Gethsemane; and an angel came at His resurrection to roll the stone from the front of His tomb (Matt. 28:2-3.) “His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men” (Matt. 28:3-4 NIV.) And it was throughout the Bible the appearance of angels in their majesty and glory is so overwhelming as to bring on fear, weakness, fainting, and profound reverence.
With that in mind, what an overwhelming thought it is that, although human beings have been created “a little lower than the angels,” when the end of the age comes and the angels are sent out to take from the kingdom of God all that offends, the Christian believers will, as part of the body of Christ, be crowned with glory and honor along with the Son of God, and given a place of authority for all eternity above the angels. In this present age, we must welcome angels but never pray to them or worship them. Our worship must be to God Almighty and Him alone…
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