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Angels
angel: spiritual being superior to man in power and intelligence; one in the
lowest ranking in the celestial hierarchy. 2: an attendant spirit or guardian. 3: a white-robed winged figure of human form
in fine art. 4: messenger, harbinger (of death). 5: a person like an angel (as in looks or behavior) 6: inspiration of God
(Christian Science)
Celestial Hierarchy: traditional hierarchy of angels ranked from highest to lowest--Seraphim,
cherubim, thrones, dominions, virtues, powers, principalities, archangels, and angels.
In this article we are going
to look at the Biblical definition of angels, what their roles have been in history, what their present roles consist of,
and what they are to do in the future. The Bible will be used extensively throughout this article, so go ahead and have one
ready, and all information that is not from Paranormal Investigators of the Carolinas (PIC) will be cited. Merriam-Webster
defines the word angel six different ways; as spiritual being, attendant or guardian, a white-robed figure in art, messenger/harbinger,
as a descriptive noun, and the Christian Science definition of an inspirational thought of God. Each of these can be proven
using scripture.
In Revelation, John is told to write letters to the angels of seven churches. This implies that any
group of believers is always being watched by a guardian angel that is responsible for them. Later in the book, Jesus is seen
walking amongst the seven churches, so while each group of believers has its own guardian angel, the Angel of the Lord is
watching all believers throughout the Age of the Church. The term "The Angel of the Lord" is often used to describe Jesus
Christ in the Old Testament.
There are many examples throughout the Old Testament of angels coming and giving messages on behalf
of God. Two angels came to warn Lot of Sodom's imminent destruction (Gen. 16:7), an angel came to tell the disciples to wait
for the Holy Spirit to enter them after Jesus' ascension (Acts 1:2), and Mary was informed by Gabriel that she was to be the
bearer of Christ Jesus (Luke 1:26). In all of these instances the angels chose a human form to present themselves to the people
in question. However, it must be noted that angels are spiritual beings; therefore they have no set physical shape.
For example, when Moses was first met by an angel, it was in the form of a burning bush (Exodus 3:2), and when Ezekiel first
met the Angel of the Lord, it appeared in the form of a mighty flying machine (Ezekiel, chapter 1).
Just because angels
often bring messages does not necessarily mean that they are always bringing good news. God regularly sends His angels to
destroy anything that is displeasing to His sight. Sodom and Gomorra are not the only examples of this. In 2 Samuel 14 God
sends an angel to punish the king for past actions by killing off part of his kingdom, but God also has constant control of
His angels, and when told to stop the angel quickly obeys. And in Revelation, almost every chapter has at least one angel
destroying, or bringing about the death and devastation of mankind and the planet, as God reshapes the surface of our planet
into the perfect paradise He has planned.
You may have been told when you were younger that you were a "perfect little angel." This phrase
is by no means a recent one. As early as the time of the Israelites, people would say this in reference to those in high authority,
such as the king (2 Sam. 14:17) and priests. Keep this in mind the next time one of your parents tells you that.
Christian
Science applies scientific truths to Biblical scripture in an attempt to find harmony between nature and religion. The Christian
Scientific definition of an angel is "God's thoughts passing to man; spiritual intuitions, pure and perfect; inspiration of
goodness, purity, and immortality, counteracting all evil, sensuality, and morality." This can be seen in Gen. 21:17 when
an angel calls from Heaven. The angel is conveying God's thoughts to man verbally, as humans cannot read minds, much less
understand the thoughts of God almighty.
So, we have seen that in the past angels have been guarding the churches,
bringing messages from God to mankind, and bringing about all sorts of calamities throughout the ages. What does that mean
to us now?
Well, for starters we must remind ourselves that angels still protect the Church. That is a big comfort
when all the current attacks on the Church from outside and within are considered. Priests manhandle the children they are
entrusted with, pastors are ordained who are living in blatant, and unrepented, sin, and church populations are overrun with
rumors and gossip, yet with all of these problems the angels of God are still amongst us, doing what they can to steer us
to the correct directions.
What can we expect in the future? Angels are the instruments by which God plays out the
tribulational period at the end of the Church Age. Jacob's Week will be orchestrated by angels, played out by angels, and
the might of God will be demonstrated through angels. Open up your Bible to any chapter in Revelation and somewhere in that
chapter an angel will do something, and 99.9% of the time it is destructive in some way. From ruining water supplies to physically
killing human beings, angels are the center of God's plans for the end days. When God raptures the Church to be with him in
the skies, people left on the Earth are not going to be very happy when they see another angel flying around up there. Christians
now can only imagine what it would be like to look up into the sky, see one of God's most beautiful creations flying in the
air, and think, crap.... time for another disaster.
For those who are fortunate enough to join Jesus Christ
in the sky for the marriage feast of the Lamb, angels will have a very different role. There will be singing, joyfulness,
and cheering as Jesus celebrates with us the return of His faithful to Him. Songs and voices that humans cannot even fathom
will be heard throughout the feast and time will seem to stand still. It will be a time to remember.
Are angels present when major earthquakes hit? Do they guide the damaging hurricanes to certain coasts?
Are they responsible for tornadoes, which seem to hit random houses on a street? These questions cannot be answered on this
physical realm, and may never be answered. In many cases, it is very possible that angels are directly responsible for many
occurrences that affect our lives in drastic ways. It would be foolish, however, to assume that they are always to blame,
or that the disaster is specifically for us. Remember, you are not the only human being on the face of the planet. It could
be that the tornado that destroyed your house and the other three houses on your street may have been intended to have an
affect on your neighbor's life. That hurricane that wiped out your house could have been intended for another's house who
lived five miles north from your location and you just had the unfortunate luck of being in the path. If you ask for a sign,
and something like that happens, then it is possible that it was intended for you. But keep in mind the shear number of prayers
God gets each day. He cares for you very, very much, but you are not the only person on Earth that He cares for.
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