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What is your conception of Angels, I'm just curious.
I see them as warriors in the Eternal War of good and evil and hence both protectors and leaders of humanity (though not often overtly)
Welcome,
“Angel” is the same word as “messenger” so that confuses some people. They are asexual , neither male and female[Mt 22.30]. They do not die but can sin. They serve God and us and form a fighting army[Heb 1.14. Rev 19.14] Some are personal as with the children whom Jesus said had angels in heaven constantly behold the Father's face [Mt 18.10]. Also when Peter escaped from prison with the help of an angel and visited friends they thought it was his angel.[Acts 12 .15]They have the ability to appear and disappear suddenly as with Peter's escape above. Some rebelled and are imprisoned awaiting punishment. Satan, an archangel, is their ruler as well as ruler of demons and those who have not been saved.[Eph 2 .2]
Archangel adds a greek root meaning to rule or begin. These are angels with special abilities and have names or are known as “The angel of the Lord”. Also known as sons of God in Gen 6 ,Job 1-2 and Zech 3 these beings are great and powerful leaders who enjoy privileges -such as meeting with God [Job 1-2], responsibilities in warfare [Daniel] and conveying messages on earth. They deserve great respect.[2Pet 2.10]They may have sexual abilities [Gen 6] and be mistaken for humans as with Lot and in Heb 13.2.
Seraphim are not defined as angels as far as I know but they have a special design with 6 wings [or more]and hands afeet and faces and they attend God.[Is 6.2] There are also other living creatures described in Rev 4.6F.
The book of Enoch suggests that one of the roles of Angels is as Watchers. These watch and record the words and activities of men for the time of Judgement presumably in books such as the Book of Remembrance in Mal 3.16..Again they are often seen measuring temples etc but this may be an allegory for assessing godliness among men.
No guarantees of these gleanings so would welcome other views.
Hi
Are angels the eyes of the Lord? They are mentioned often in scripture e.g.2Chr 16.9, Ps 34.15, Jer 16.17, Zech 4.10, Ps 33.18,Heb 4.13 etc?Could well be. Some think that they record everything that goes on here into books. Some people claim to have had visions of this activity.
Revelation 20:12
And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.Daniel 7:9-10
9 “As I looked,
“thrones were set in place,
and the Ancient of Days took his seat.
His clothing was as white as snow;
the hair of his head was white like wool.
His throne was flaming with fire,
and its wheels were all ablaze.
10 A river of fire was flowing,
coming out from before him.
Thousands upon thousands attended him;
ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.
The court was seated,
and the books were opened.Hi t8,
Heb 12.1
“Therefore ,since we for our part are surrounded by this cloud of WITNESSES, let us lay aside every encumbrance of sin which clings to us and persevere in running the race which lies ahead.”That is a lot of witnesses so this verse cannot relate to our human associates. Neither is it the dead who sleep in the earth. It seems to only possibly relate to the angels-the messengers of God?
Lk 15.10 ” I tell you there will be the same kind of joy before the angels of God over one repentant sinner.”
So they are able to see the behaviours of men on earth. If they are also recorders of those actions then of their nature they would have to be entirely reliable and fair representing God's nature in that way or all could be disadvantaged at the judgement?
Daniel 4:17
This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.Not sure if the angels are referenced here as the watchers, holy ones or both.
Yes t8 an interesting verse and worth reading many versions.
There appears to be angel watchers and a higher level called “holy ones” who make decisions. I expect these will be the sons of God, the Archangels, subject to the Son of God and God himself.It was definitely an angel appearing to Moses in the burning thornbush, confirmed twice in the NT in Acts 7.30 and 35, when the voice of the Lord was heard.[though some have imagined it was Jesus].
In Acts 7 53 Stephen says “You who received the law through the ministry of angels have not observed it”
So they act as agents for God in every work relating to men apart from the highest work of bringing salvation, done by the Son of God himself.
Do angels eat in heaven?
Ps 78.23f ” Yet He commanded the clouds above and opened the doors of heaven. And He rained down manna upon them to eat,and gave them food from heaven. Man did eat the bread of angels:”Hi ,
We differ from angels in that they are complete beings surely and we are not. We are incomplete because we lack flesh taken from us to create woman.That perhaps is why we need a sexual nature to regain that situation and angels do not.Jesus said that when a man leaves his family and joins with his wife they become one. It explains why Jesus opposed divorce. Paul said we should love our wives as we do our own body and said in
1 cor 7
” Wife, how do you know that you will not save your husband; or you husband , how do you know you will not save your wife?”.Again if any person has an opportunity to show support for Christ by blessing his followers or not opposing the spreading of the gospel, thus making them sheep rather than goats, then it is the members of your own family, especially your wife.
“They are no longer two but one ” [mt 19. 6] and that concept seems to go through into salvation and also relate to Christ and the church..
Eph 5.33 ” This is a great foreshadowing; I mean that it refers to Christ and the church”Quote (Nick Hassan @ Nov. 16 2004,16:14) Do angels eat in heaven?
Ps 78.23f ” Yet He commanded the clouds above and opened the doors of heaven. And He rained down manna upon them to eat,and gave them food from heaven. Man did eat the bread of angels:”
There is also the tree of life which we will eat from and the river of life which we will drink.Just as physical food refreshes our flesh and gives us energy, so it is with spirtual food that refreshes our spirit and spiritual body.
That is why Jesus said I am the bread of life. He also said to the woman of the well the following:
John 4:10
Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”Jesus himself sustains our life. All things were created through him. Even the tree of life was created through him.
If we become like the angels and we will eat from the tree of life, then I suppose that angels also eat.
Hi ,
What about this angel in Rev 18.1
” After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven. His authority was so great that all the earth was lighted up by his glory”
We don't know of any angel greater than Michael. Is this him?Whoever he is we do not seem to have been aware of the extent of his glory. Has Michael ever been recorded as coming to earth? If an angel comes with this glory what will it be like when Jesus comes?
A lot of scriptures say we will see Jesus coming-perhaps that coming takes some time before he arrives on Mt Zion? Also the sign of the Son of Man is seen in the sky. Does anyone know what this means?Hi,
Here is an excerpt from Ps 89
” 'My kindness is established forever;in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness. I have made a covenant with my chosen one . I have sworn to David, my servant; forever will i confirm your posterity and establish your throne for all generations.'
The heavens proclaim your wonders, O Lord, and your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones.For who in the sky can rank with the Lord? Who is like the Lord among the sons of God. God is terrible in the council of the holy ones , he is great and awesome beyond all around Him..”So is the council of the holy ones the same as the assembly of the sons of God?
Are they the elders as in Rev 4etc?
Are they then the archangels?I am seeking information about the different types of angels for the purposes of understanding scriptures that refer to them.
So far I have determined that there are at least 2 types (tribes?). i.e., Seraphs and Cherubs.
Ezekiel 28:14
You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones.So it appears that our Adversary was the or a chief Cherub. He could have been an Archangel?
Also, Is Michael a Cheribim, Seraphim? Does anyone know?
Isaiah 6:2
Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.Ezekiel 10:20-21
20 These were the living creatures I had seen beneath the God of Israel by the Kebar River, and I realized that they were cherubim.
21 Each had four faces and four wings, and under their wings was what looked like the hands of a man.It appears that Cherub and Seraph have differing amount of wings, (in these descriptions at least).
More information is appreciated.
Hi t8,
Comparing Is 6 with Rev 4 the sixwinged creatures are, in both cases, around the throne. In both cases they are praising God. In these ways they are similar and in my view they are probably all Seraphim.
In Is 6 they are identified as Seraphim and described as having feet, hands and a face and only two of the wings are used for flying. Their faces are obscured by wings. There are at least two of them
In Rev 4 there are 4 with different faces and they are covered in eyes.
My feeling is this is their role, to attend God, and the Cherubim make up the living throne. Neither of them are archangels or cherubs.Hi FYI,
You may find interest here. Angels are a group including simple messengers and great beings.Hi,
Angels are fascinating and I would like more input in this forum.
Angels are messengers and servants and soldiers of the Lord of Hosts.I would have thought they are invisible spiritual beings without bodies and so not requiring sustenance. There are exceptions but I believe these are higher orders of angels.
What do others think?It is also interesting to read of the prince of Tyre and the King of Tyre in the book of Ezekiel chapter 28.
Of the prince it says he is a man (verse 2) and that he shall be a man (verse 9) The boasts of this one sound very much like those found in 2 thessalonians 2:3-4 and also Isaiah 14:12-14 the latter speaking of Lucifer – who we know now as Satan or the Devil.
Of the King of Tyre it says among other things that he is the anointed cherub that covers. So he is a cehrub (whatever they are) and what I find also interesting is that he IS not was the anointed cherub… which Paul confirms – if Satan himself tranforms himself into an angel of light then it is no surprise if his ministers also do the same. They are called in by Jesus false christs, or false anointed ones.
So it would seem that even as God has his angels earthly and angels heavenly, Satan, unable to create and therefore have any original thought of his own, copies this pattern in his attempt to provide an alternative or antichrist system.
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