Leadership OfAngelsIntroduction of Angelology

The word "angel" is derived from the Christian Latin "angelos", itself derived from the Greek "aggelos", which is a translation of the Hebrew word "mal-ach", (a messenger or worker of God).In the BIBLE the reference of the Angel is used

Angels are typically found in groups, reflecting their role in mediating the divine influence. For example, in Zorastrianism there was a belief in the AmeshaSpentas, seven holy or bounteous immortals who were functional aspects of Ahura Mazda, the Wise Lord. Angels are mentioned over 300 times in the Bible. But many people do not know much about them. Popularly we have the image of angels as ‘men with wings, dressed in white’, but really have little idea of what angels do. The purpose of this leaflet is to learn more about angels so that we may be more aware of the way God works in the world, and in our lives.

These “messengers” of God have many duties in heaven and on earth.  Angels are not the chubby little cherubs that appear in most paintings and they do not all have wings.  These are powerful spirit beings and they have specific JOBS to do.  They are messengers, they are dispatched to aid humans in need for times of emergency or for protection, and some are specifically created to worship God in heaven 24 hours a day. Many people misunderstand the nature of the order of archangels, believing them to be only a group of warrior angels. While some certainly are warriors, the title of archangel is actually given to any of the highest-ranking angels"The angels of the face and of glorification, the angels of the elements of fire, wind, and darkness, of hail and hoar frost, thunder and lightning, of cold and heat, of winter and spring, summer and fall, of the abyss and night, of light and morning, were created on the first day."

Angels are God's messengers, invisible except when they assume a shape to appear before human beings. We don't know what they "look" like, except they appear as grand, awe-inspiring beings -- not the chubby, sweet-faced infants in old artworks. People in the Bible -- and Christians of later times -- usually speak of angels as magnificent beings -- impressive figures who inspire awe but also give comfort.Angels appear in many places in the Bible, but the most familiar passages remind us that of their role asprotectors and comforters of God's people.

The angel of the LORD guards all who fear him, and he rescues them.

Chapter One

The Concept of Angels in the History

Biblical, Talmudical, and Post-Talmudical:

Angelology is that branch of theology which treats of angels. Angels (from αγγελōς = messenger, Greek equivalent of the Hebrew ) are according to the usual conception superhuman beings dwelling in heaven, who, on occasion, reveal to man God's will and execute His commands. In one form or another, the belief in angels appears in the earliest stages of Jewish history, and continues to live in the spiritual world of the Jews and those professing the religions that sprang from Judaism; namely, Christianity and Mohammedanism. It can not be denied that the belief in such beings was also held by other peoples and other religions; but here the concern is only with Jewish Angelology, which can hardly be said to have ever been reduced to a complete system, such as is maintained by the Catholic Church (Oswald, "Angelologie, die Lehre von den Guten und Bösen Engeln im Sinne der Katholischen Kirche," Paderborn, 1883). To admit of a comprehensive SURVEY of the historical development of Angelology, the subject may best be treated according to three periods: (1) the Biblical, (2) the Talmudical and Midrashic, and (3) the Medieval.

The Biblical Period:Denomination.

The Biblical name for angel, , meaning, according to derivation, simply "messenger," obtained the further signification of "angel" only through the addition of God's name, as  ("angel of the Lord," or "angel of God" Zech. xii. 8). Other appellations are , or  ("Sons of God," Gen. vi. 4; JOB, i. 6 [R. V. v. 1]; Ps. xxix. 1 [R. V. margin]); and  ("the Holy Ones" [perhaps equivalent to "fiery ones," "unapproachable".

Angels appear to man in the shape of human beings of extraordinary beauty, and are not at once recognized as angels (Gen. xviii. 2, xix. 5; Judges, vi. 17, xiii. 6; II Sam. xxix. 9); they fly through the air; they become invisible; sacrifices touched by them are consumed by fire; they disappear in sacrificial fire, like Elijah, who rode to heaven in a fiery chariot; and they appear in the flames of the thornbush (Gen. xvi. 13; Judges, vi. 21, 22; II Kings, ii. 11; EX. iii. 2). They are pure and bright as heaven; consequently they are formed of fire and are encompassed by light (JOB, xv. 15), as the Psalmist says "Who maketh winds his messengers; his ministers a flaming fire." Although they have dialogue with the daughters

of men (Gen. vi.), and eat heavenly bread (Ps. lxxviii. 25), they are immaterial, not being subject to the limitations of time and space.

Appearance of Angels.

Though superhuman, they assume human form. This is the earliest conception. Gradually, and especially in post-Biblical times, they come to be bodied forth in a form corresponding to the nature of the mission to be fulfilled—generally, however, the human form. They bear drawn swords or destroying weapons in their hands—one carries an ink-horn by his side—and ride on horses (Num. xxii. 23, Josh. v. 13, Ezek. ix. 2, Zech. i. 8 et seq.). A terrible angel is the one mentioned in I Chron. xxi. 16, 30, as standing "between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand." In the Book of Daniel, probably written 165 B.C., reference is made to an angel "clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz: his body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in color to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude" (Dan. x. 5, 6). It is an open question whether at that time angels were imagined to possess wings (Dan. ix. 21).

Angels are powerful and dreadful, endowed with wisdom and with knowledge of all earthly events, correct in their judgment, holy, but not infallible; for they strive with each other, and God has to make peace between them. When their duties are not punitive, angels are beneficent to man . The number of angels is enormous. Jacob meets a host of angels; Joshua sees the "captain of the host of the Lord"; God sits on His throne, "all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left"; the sons of God come "to present themselves before the Lord" (Gen. xxxii. 2; Josh. v. 14, 15; I Kings, xxii. 19; JOB, i. 6, ii. 1; Ps. lxxxix. 6; JOB, xxxiii. 23). The general conception is the one of Job (xxv. 3): "Is there any number of his armies?"

Though the older writings usually mention one angel of the Lord, embassies to men as a rule comprised several messengers. The inference, however, is not to be drawn that by  God Himself or one particular angel was designated: the expression was given simply to God's power to accomplish through but one angel any deed, however wonderful.

Angels are referred to in connection with their special missions; as, for instance, the "angel which hath redeemed," "an interpreter," "the angel that destroyed," "messenger of the covenant," "angel of his presence," and "a band of angels of evil" (Gen. xlviii. 16; Job, xxxiii. 23; II Sam. xxiv. 16; Mal. iii. 1; Isa. lxiii. 9; Ps. lxxviii. 49, R. V.). When, however, the heavenly host is regarded in its most comprehensive aspect, a distinction may be made between cherubim, seraphim, ḥayyot ("living creatures"), ofanim ("wheels"), and arelim (the meaning of which term is unknown). God is described as riding on the cherubim and as "the Lord of hosts, who dwelleth between the cherubim"; while the latter guard the way of the tree of life (I Sam. iv. 4, Ps. lxxx. 2, Gen. iii. 24). The seraphim are described by Isaiah (vi. 2) as having six wings; and Ezekiel describes the ḥayyot (Ezek. i. 5 et seq.) and ofanim as heavenly beings who carry God's throne.

In post-Biblical times the heavenly hosts became more highly organized (possibly as early as Zechariah [iii. 9, iv. 10]; certainly in Daniel), and there came to be various kinds of angels, some even being provided with names, as will be shown below.Angels appear to man as the medium of God's power and will and to execute His dispensations. Angels reveal themselves to individuals as well as to the whole nation, in order to announce events, either good or bad, affecting them. Angels foretell to Abraham the birth of Isaac, to Manoah the birth of Samson, and to Abraham the destruction of Sodom. Guardian angels are mentioned, but not, as was later the case, as guardian spirits of individuals and nations. God sends an angel to protect the people after their exodus from Egypt, to lead them to the promised land, and to destroy the hostile tribes in their way (Ex. xxiii. 20, Num. xx. 16). In Judges (ii. 1) an angel of the Lord—unless here and in the preceding instances (compare Isa. xlii. 19, Ḥag. i. 13, Mal. iii. 1) a human messenger of God is meant —addresses the whole people, swearing to bring them to the promised land. An angel brings Elijah meat and drink (I Kings, xix. 5); and as God watched over Jacob, so is every pious person protected by an angel that cares for him in all his ways (Ps. xxxiv. 7, xci. 11).

There are angels militant, one of whom smites in one night the whole Assyrian army of 185,000 men (II Kings, xix. 35); messengers go forth from God "in ships to make the careless Ethiopians afraid" (Ezek. xxx. 9); the enemy is scattered before the angel like chaff (Ps. xxxv. 5, 6). Avenging angels are mentioned, such as the one in II Sam. xxiv. 15, who annihilates thousands. It would seem that the pestilence was personified, and that the "evil angels" mentioned in Ps. lxxviii. 49 are to be regarded as personifications of this kind. "Evil" is here to be taken in the causative sense, as "producing evil"; for, as stated above, angels are generally considered to be by nature beneficent to man. They glorify God, whence the term "glorifying angels". 2; compare Isa. vi. 2 et seq.). They constitute God's court, sitting in council with him (I Kings, xxii. 19; Job, i. 6, ii. 1); hence they are called His "council of the holy ones" ("assembly of the saints"). They accompany God as His attendants when He appears to man (Deut. xxxiii. 2; Job, xxxviii. 7). This conception was developed after the Exile; and in Zechariah angels of various shapes are delegated "to walk to and fro through the earth" in order to find out and report what happens (Zech. vi. 7). In the prophetic books angels also appear as representatives of the prophetic spirit, and bring to the prophets God's word. Thus the prophet Haggai was called God's messenger (angel); and it is known that "Malachi" is not a real name, but means "messenger" or "angel." It is noteworthy that in I Kings, xiii. 18, an angel brings the divine word to the prophet.Upon the important problem of the origin of angels Biblical writers do not touch; but it is inferred that angels existed before the Creation.

The earlier Biblical writings did not speculate about them; simply regarding them, in their relations to man, as God's agents. Consequently, they did not individualize or denominate them; and in Judges, xiii. 18, and Gen. xxxii. 30, the angels, when questioned, refuse to give their names. In Daniel, however, there already occur the names Michael and Gabriel. Michael is Israel's representative in heaven, where other nations—the Persians, for instance—were also represented by angelic princes. More than three hundred years before the Book of Daniel was written, Zechariah graded the angels according to their rank, but did not name them. The notion of the seven eyes (Zech. iii. 9, iv. 10) may have been affected by the representation of the seven archangels and also possibly by the Parsee seven amshaspands (compare Ezek. ix. 2).

Talmudical and Midrashic Literature:

The writer of the Book of Daniel was the first by whom angels were individualized and endowed with names and titles. Not long after that time Essenism came into existence. It possessed a highly developed Angelology; but knowledge of the system was confined to Essenes. The Sadducees, on the contrary, disputed the very existence of angels.

Development of Angelology.

Upon the foundations of Scripture a gigantic structure was reared at the time of the completion of the Talmud. Post-Talmudic mysticism extravagantly enlarged this structure, until it reached from earth to heaven; and the fanciful ideas of the Apocrypha and pseudepigrapha, of the Talmudic and Midrashic works, and of the mystic and cabalistic literature rush along like a wild stream that overflows its banks. From this wealth of material the assumption may be drawn that the Angelology was not systematically organized. The Judaic intellect is little inclined to systematization; and a systematic Angelology was a matter of impossibility with the vast number of haggadists, who lived and taught at different times and places, and under a manifold variety of circumstances. In this regard it is difficult to distinguish between Palestinians and Babylonians, between the Tannaim and the Amoraim; for descriptions of heaven varied according to the exegetic needs of the homily and the social condition of the audience.

Following the Bible as a model, the Maccabean warriors invoked the angel that smote Sennacherib's army (I Macc. vii. 41; II. Macc. xv. 22; Syriac Baruch Apocalypse, lxiii. 7; Book of Jubilees, xvii. 11, xxvii. 21 et seq.). But the scholars handled the material after their individual inclinations. It is impossible, in consequence, to fix the boundaries between the speculations of scholars and popular notions, between individual and general views, between transient and permanent ideas. On the whole, however, the dominant beliefs concerning Angelology may be gathered from the traditions that continued even after the extinction of the Essenes. If these traditions did not originate with the people, they were transmitted to them by the scholars, who were held in undisputed popular esteem; and they thus cameto form part of the popular belief. Since the Bible was interpreted only in the light of tradition, haggadic teachings are quite as important for the understanding of the religion and its forms as is the Bible itself.

Embellishment of Biblical Accounts.

Not infrequently the ministration of angels is inferred in Biblical narratives when no mention is made of them. For instance, when God wishes to create man, the angels ask, "Wherefore dost Thou create him?" (Gen. R. viii. 5); Sarah is protected from Pharaoh by an angel holding a whip uplifted in his hand and making it dependent on Sarah whether he should use it or not (Gen. xii. 14 et seq.); five angels appear to Hagar; an angel leads Rebekah to the well (Gen. R. xli., near beginning, xlv., lix.); when Abraham is about to sacrifice Isaac, the angels intercede, protesting to the Lord that the intended act is unnatural (Bacher, "Ag. Pal. Amor." iii. 29); angels transfer the animals of Laban's flock to that of Jacob (Gen. R. lxxiii., near end); in Gen. xxxi. 8 an angel speaks to Jacob (Tan. ed. Buber, Wayeẓe, 24); Jacob employs some of the angels who meet him as messengers to Esau (Gen. xxxii. 4, Gen. R. lxxv.); when Joseph seeks his brethren (Gen. xxxvii. 15 et seq.) three angels meet him (Gen. R. lxxv.); angels gather together the sons of Jacob (Gen. xlix. 2; Gen. R. xcviii., near beginning); an angel speaks out of the mouth of Balaam and compels him to pronounce a blessing (Sanh. 105b); the ministering angels wait on Ehud (Judges, iii. 23) in order to assist him (Gen. R. xcviii.); and an angel causes weapons to be found for Saul and Jonathan (I Sam. xiii. 22).

There are many such examples in the Talmud of the addition of angels to the Biblical narrative which give the impression that angels are merely to voice men's opinions. Where there are possible objections to the act of divine justice, these are put into the mouth of the angels who represent God's council; and His reply to them is the justification of His doings. Many other haggadot in which God and angels converse are to be similarly construed as the figurative representation of differing opinions; and quite as often such dialogue  between God and angels serves to present in a vivid and impressive form certain ethical doctrines.

Jewish tradition frequently gives distinct and unmistakable expression to God's sublime superiority over the angels. When, in order to remove the anthropomorphism from the Biblical passage, EX. xxxiii. 20, "There shall no man see me and live" (), Akiba interprets it, "Not even the holy ḥayyot who carry the throne of glory, see the glory itself," Simon improves upon this; saying, "Not even the ever-living ones, the angels" (Sifra, Lev. i. 1). God's dwelling-place is in the seventh heaven, next to which is the abode of the pious; and the angels rank after the latter.

The dignity of the pious is greater than that of the angels (Sanh. 93a, TOP). "God is first praised by Ezekiel; then by the angels" (Gen. R. lxv.). Adam reclined in paradise; and the ministering angels roasted meat for him (Sanh. 59b). When Israel recited the Shema', the angels were silent till the end, and then sang their song of praise (Gen. R. lxv.). The angelic hosts praise God during the night; for during the day, when Israel's praise is heard, they are silent (Ḥag. 12b). The pious command the angels (Bacher, "Ag. Pal. Amor." ii. 262, note 6); angels are not allowed to condone sins (Midr. Teh. xvii. 2). When Rabbi Joshua discourses concerning the throne of God, the angels gather about him in curiosity (Ḥag. 14b). In the laudation of God, Israel is given precedence. Israel praises every day; angels Every man that does not practise magic enters a department of heaven to which even the ministering angels are not allowed access (Ned. 32a).

In addition to the Biblical name  ("angel") the term  ("the upper ones") often occurs in contrast with  ("the lower ones"). The former name designates them as inhabitants of heaven (Sanh. 20b, Ket. 104a, Midr. Teh. xxv. 14, etc.). By the creation of mankind God established peace between the upper ones and the lower ones (Lev. R. ix.). The upper household ()—from familia, servants, meaning the angels forming the heavenly court—is often contrasted with Israel as God's servants on earth below () (Ber. 17a; Sifre, Num. 42; Sanh. 98b, 99b; Ḥag. 13b, below).

Variety of Angelic Forms.

Their number was considered, even by the oldest Talmudists, to be infinite. Rabbi Joshua said that the sun is only one of the many thousands that serve God (Yalḳ., Ex. 396). God caused to pass before Moses the hosts of angels that lived in His presence and served Him (Targ. YER. to Ex. xxxiii. 23). God combats evil by Himself; but in beneficent works myriads of angels assist Him (Num. R. xi. 7). Every angelic host consists of a thousand times a thousand; but, to judge from Dan. vii. 10, and Job, xxv. 2, 3, the hosts themselves were innumerable.

After the expulsion of the Jews from their own country the number of the angelic hosts was decreased (Sifre, Num. 42). When Jacob left Laban's house, sixty times ten thousand angels danced before him (Cant. R. vii. 1; compare Gen. R. lxxiv., end). When at the revelation Israel first said "We will do it," and then "We will hear it," the same number descended and bound two crowns about the head of each Israelite; but when the Israelites sinned, one hundred and twenty thousand angels came to remove them (Shab. 88a). On Sinai God appeared with twenty-two thousand angelic hosts; though another authority holds that the number of hosts could not be computed by any mathematician (Pesiḳ. xii. 107b and parallel passages). A thousand angels constitute the following of every Israelite; one angel preceding him, to bid the demons make way. This angel's left hand, which executes but one command—the command of the tefillin (Deut. vi. 4-8)—holds a thousand angels; and the right hand, which executes a number of commands, holds ten thousand angels (Bacher, "Ag. Pal. Amor." ii. 136, 219).

Though the Bible makes no statement concerning the origin of angels, tradition emphatically declares them to have been created by God, but not until the second day of the Creation, in order that it should not be said that God had received assistance in His work, and that Michael sustained the firmament in the south, Gabriel supported it in the north, and Godstrengthened it in the middle. This is one view: another is that the angels were not created until the fifth day. They were not among the six things whose creation was decided upon before the world was made (Gen. R. i. 3). God indeed held council with angels at the creation of man, without, however, allowing them to decide against His decree in favor of his creation (Sanh. 38b, Gen. R. viii. 5). These sayings of the rabbis show a desire to preserve intact the idea of monotheism.

Angels also sit in council at the judgment of man, to decide his guilt or innocence. If nine hundred and ninety-nine vote for conviction and only one for acquittal, God decides in favor of man. The soul announces the affairs of man to the angel, the angel to the cherubim, the cherubim to God (Cant. R. i. 9; YER. Ḳid. i. 61d; Pesiḳ R. viii., beginning).

Functions of Angels.

As zealous servants of the Lord, angels act in accordance with His spirit; but not infrequently they mistake His intentions. They dispute as to who shall rescue Abraham from the furnace; but God reserves the decision to Himself. When God strove with the Egyptians at the Red sea, angels wanted to take part in the contest; when Phinehas interceded with God to save Israel from the plague, they wanted to strike him down. Micah, the idolater (Judges, xvii.), they wanted to destroy utterly; but God, remembering Micah's hospitality, had compassion on him (Tan., Teẓawweh, xii.; Midr. Teh. xviii. 13; Sanh. 103b). God harkened, however, to their representations concerning the extent of Jerusalem, which they wished to be unlimited, since God did not limit heathen cities; and He yielded to their request. They pleaded for Moses, when he was exposed on the river, that he should not be allowed to perish; it being the sixth day of Sivan, the day destined for the revelation (Soṭah, 12b). Angels interest themselves deeply in the destiny of Israel and of the pious. They take Israel's part when God proposes to punish him; they lament over the decreed destruction; they plead for Israel with the heathen; they accuse Ishmael's descendants for Israel's sake. They protect Israel, and come to his assistance at the revelation. After Moses' death an angel takes God's place in the guidance of Israel. Angels help at the construction of Solomon's Temple; they weep over its destruction; but their consolation is rejected by God.

Angels protect the pious and help them in their transactions. An angel nullifies the consequences of Esau's hunting. When Jacob trembles in approaching Isaac, two angels support him lest he fall. When Amram takes his wife again, the angels rejoice over the fact that Moses will be born; and at Moses' death they chant a funeral song. They lament over the martyred Akiba; exclaiming, "This is the Law, and this is its reward" (Soṭah, 12a; Ber. 61b; Shab. 55b). They mourn the death of Adam; they carry off the bodies of Nadab and Abihu. Every man has a special guardian angel, according to Targ. YER. Gen. xxxiii. 10: "I have seen thy face as though I had seen the face of thy angel" (compare Levi in Soṭah, 41b). These guardian spirits are identical with the two angels accompanying man (Ḥag. 16a). When going into an unclean place, one begs these accompanying angels to wait, until he comes out again (Ber. 60b). Guardian spirits are mentioned particularly in Matt. xviii. 10, and in Acts, xii. 15. They resemble the Persianfravashis, and were probably modeled after them. The spirits of the elements, like the prince of the fire, etc., also had their origin in Persia, as is shown by their names. The accompanying angels are probably not identical with the guardian spirits; for certain angels accompany Jacob in the Holy Land, and others attend him in foreign lands (Gen. R. lxviii. 12).

Accompanying angels are not permanent, but temporary, companions. Every angel wears on his breast a tablet inscribed with the name of God (Pesiḳ. xii. 108b; comp. Bacher, "Ag. Pal. Amor." i. 412, note 1). Two angels—one good and one evil—accompany man as he returns from the synagogue to his home on Sabbath eve. The souls of the pious are received by three good angels; those of the wicked, by three evil angels, who accompany them and testify for them (Tosef., Shab. xvii. 2; Shab. 119b; Ket. 104a; Ḥag. 16a). The angels associate with the pious and instruct them in certain matters. Ishmael b. Elisha says: "Three things did the angel of His presence impart to me." To Johanan ben Dahabai ministering angels gave four teachings. They frightened Sheshet. Three angels appeared to a maid serving in the house of Simon b. Yoḥai's father. If some one forsakes the community in its need, his two guardian angels lay their hands on his head saying, "May he have no SHARE in the salvation of the community." Man before his birth, being pure spirit, knows everything; but at the moment that he sees the light of day, an angel strikes him on the mouth, and he forgets the whole Torah.

Mystical Angelology.

Disregarding these fictitious names, which, though genuine to the Cabala, are not to be regarded as component parts of traditional belief, the names of angels and other angelological elements are older than the literature concerning them, especially the cabalistic works Hekalot, Otiot de-R. Akiba, Raziel, and the Zohar. It is a commonly observed feature of secret arts that they flourish in concealed and non-literary forms before venturing into the light of day and becoming literature. Since angelic names constituted the most sacred element in mysticism, they were often not written, much less printed; and, in consequence, a number of them remain unknown, and could not be given in Schwab's "Vocabulaire de l'Angélologie," Paris, 1897, a work numbering three hundred and sixty-eight pages. Curiously enough, Greek names were smuggled in and were later explained by Biblical names. Naturally, there were some authors even in the Middle Ages who condemned as foolishness these fanciful names along with gemaṭrias("numerical values of the letters"), by means of which they were created. "Neither the older Jewish mysticism nor the Spanish Cabala produced so full an Angelology, or so rich a demonological literature, as did the mysticism of the German Jews of the thirteenth century. Nor did either of them elaborate the angelic character in such detail, or adapt it so skilfully to all the needs of daily life. Consequently, German Jewish mysticism was from this point of view more closely allied to contemporary Christian mysticism than to its predecessors. According to the 'Book of the Angels,' by Eleazar of Worms, one of the most prominent pupils of Judah Ḥasid, the whole world is peopled with angels and demons; no nook or cranny is unprotected by guardian angels; and God determines on everything, and then sends an angel to execute His will. Every man has his angel of destiny [] or 'appointed one' [], who brings about all the good and evil that he experiences".

CHAPTER TWOAngels were created by God :Bible References

The word “angel” actually comes from the Greek word aggelos, which means “messenger.” The matching Hebrew word mal'akhas the same meaning.

Sometimes, the Bible uses these words for human beings:

· ordinary people who carry messages (Job 1:14; Luke7:24; 9:52)

· prophets (Isaiah 42:19;Malachi 3:1)

· priests (Malachi 2:7)

· church leaders (Rev 1:20)

Sometimes, it speaks figuratively of things or events as “messengers”…

· the pillar of cloud (Exodus 14:19)

· pestilence or plagues (2 Samuel 24:16-17)

But it usually describes the whole range of spirits whom God has created, including both good and evil angels, and special categories such as cherubim, seraphim, and the archangel.

Angels are mentioned at least 108 times in the Old Testament and 165 times in the New Testament (Chafer, Systematic Theology, II, 3). Hence, there is ample information available in Scripture to allow us to build a foundation for our knowledge of angelic beings.

While the Scriptures give no definite figures, we are told that the number of angels is very great (Daniel 7:10; Matthew 26:53; Hebrews 12:22).

It appears that all angels were created at one time. No new angels are being added to the number. Angels are not subject to death or any form of extinction; therefore they do not decrease in number.

It seems reasonable to conclude that there are at least as many spirit beings in existence as there will have been human beings in all their history on earth.

Origin of angels

The Scripture speaks about the creation of angels, therefore, it is clear that they have not existed from all eternity (Nehemiah 9:6; Psalm 148:2,5). Colossians 1:16-17 explains:

“For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created by Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”

The time of their creation is never definitely specified, but it is most probable that it occurred in connection with the creation of the heavens in Genesis 1:1. It may be that God created the angels immediately after He had created the heavens and before He created the earth—for according to Job 38:4-7, “the sons of God shouted for joy” when He laid the foundations of the earth.

How many angels are there?

While the Scriptures give no definite figures, we are told that the number of angels is very great (Daniel 7:10; Matthew 26:53; Hebrews 12:22).

It appears that all angels were created at one time. No new angels are being added to the number. Angels are not subject to death or any form of extinction; therefore they do not decrease in number.

It seems reasonable to conclude that there are at least as many spirit beings in existence as there will have been human beings in all their history on earth.

Do angels have bodies?

Raphael’s interpretation of a winged angel.

Angels are essentially “ministering spirits,” (Hebrews 1:14) and do not have physical bodies like humans. Jesus declared that “a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have” (Luke 24:37-39). The Bible does, however, make it clear that angels can only be in one place at a time. They must have some localized presence. Angels can take on the appearance of men when the occasion demands. How else could some “entertain angels unaware” (Hebrews 13:2)? On the other hand, their appearance is sometimes in dazzling white and blazing glory (Matthew 28:2-4).

What do angels look like?

Since angels are spirits rather than physical beings, they don’t have to be visible at all (Colossians 1:16). Elisha once prayed that his servant would see the armies of angels surrounding the city, and the young man discovered that he had overlooked a lot of invisible beings (2 Kings 6:17)! Abraham was visited by three heavenly messengers.

When angels do appear, they generally appear in the form of men. InGenesis 18, Abrahamwelcomed three angelic guests who appeared at first to be nothing more than some travellers. In the following chapter, two angels went to Sodomwhere they were assumed to be simply a pair of human visitors. With the possible exception of one debatable passage in Zechariah 5:9, angels always appear as males rather than females (Mark 16:5).

Sometimes an angel appears to be a man with unusual features. Danielsaw an angel with arms and legs resembling polished metal and precious stones, and a face like lightning (Daniel 10:5-6). The angel that rolled back the stone from Christ’s tomb was radiating dazzling light(Matthew 28:3; Luke 24:4). The book of Revelation describes some highly unusual beings who may be a variety of angel in Revelation 4:6-8.

No Biblical angels ever appeared this way.

Angels in the Bible never appear as cute, chubby infants! They are always full-grown adults.When people in the Bible saw an angel, their typical response was to fall on their faces in fear and awe, not to reach out and tickle an adorable baby.

Genesis 2:1Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. (NKJV)

Colossians 1:16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. (NIV)

 Angels were created to live for eternity:

Luke 20:36...nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. (NKJV)

Revelation 4:8Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come." (NIV)

 Angels were present when God created the world:

JOB 38:1-7Then the LORD answered JOB out of the storm. He said: "...Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? ...while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?" (NIV)

Angels do not marry:

Matthew 22:30At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. (NIV)

Angels are wise and intelligent:

2 Samuel 14:17Your maidservant said, ‘The word of my lord the king will now be comforting; for as the angel of God, so is my lord the king in discerning good and evil. And may the LORD your God be with you.’ (NKJV)

Daniel 9:21-22...while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice. He instructed me and said to me, "Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding." (NIV)

Angels have knowledge of, and interest in, the affairs of men:

Daniel 10:14"Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the FUTURE, for the vision concerns a time yet to come." (NIV)

Luke 15:10"Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." (NKJV)

Angels are faster than men:

Daniel 9:21... while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice. (NIV)

Revelation 14:6 And I saw another angel flying through the sky, carrying the eternal Good News to proclaim to the people who belong to this world—to every nation, tribe, language, and people. (NLT)

Angels are spiritual beings:

Psalm 104:4Who makes His angels spirits, His ministers a flame of fire. (NKJV)

Ephesians 3:10... to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places .

Angels are not meant to be worshiped:

Revelation 19:10And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” (NKJV)

Angels have a will:

Jude 1:6 And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. (NIV)

 Angels are subject to Christ:

1 Peter 3:22... who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him. (NKJV)

Angels express emotions like joy and longing:

JOB 38:7 ... while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy? (NIV)

1 Peter 1:12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things. (NIV)

Angels are not omnipresent, omnipotent or omniscient:

Daniel 10:12-13 Then he continued, "Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. (NIV)

Jude 1:9But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body ofMoses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!" (NIV)

 Angels are too numerous to count:

Psalm 68:17The chariots of God are tens of thousands and thousands of thousands ... (NIV)

Hebrews 12:22But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly ... (NIV)

Most angels remained faithful to God:

Revelation 5:11-12Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they sang: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!"(NIV)

Some angels are called cherubim.

If you read this description in Ezekiel 1:1-28, you will discover that these angels look nothing at all like cute, chubby babies with wings. In Ezekiel 10:20, we are told these angels are cherubim. 

 

Chapter Three Archangels, Michael & Gabriel

Only two of God's angels are directly named in the Bible, the Archangel Michael and Gabriel, God's special messenger. So these two angels must be special angels!The term or prefix 'arch' is Greek for ruling or Chief. Archangels are only mentioned twice in the Bible and only one angel is specifically called an Archangel, Michael The only other time the word Archangel appears in the Bible is [endnoteRef:2]to do with the end of time  [2:

]

Both of these cases, speak of a singular Archangel which could suggest that there is only one arch or ruler angel and that indeed is Michael.There is a strong Jewish tradition that says there are seven Archangels and many think that the seven angels mentioned in the book of Revelation could be seven Archangels 

In the Old Testament book of Daniel, Michael is called 'one of the chief princes', which might suggest that there's more than one archangel During the the middle ages, an 'angelic' hierarchy was written by an author only known as ' Pseudo-Dionysius'. In this list of nine ranks, archangels are ranked second from bottom, which seems rather strange for a 'ruling angel'![endnoteRef:3]According to Jewish tradition (but not the Bible!) the seven archangels are: [3:

]

Michael

Gabriel

Rapheal

Uriel

Raguel

Saraqael

Remiel

Out of the seven, only Michael and Gabriel are named in the Bible (Only Michael is called an archangel in the Bible.). An angel called Raphael has a major part in the book of Tobit 

The book of Tobit is part of a group of books known as the the Protestant Apocrypha [these books are a collection that are considered important, but are not in the Bible and not considered sacred by Protestants] and the Catholic and In the Occult/New Age there is a different list the seven angels, known as the 'Angels of Revelation', each of which is linked to their 'planet'. These are:

Michael - the Sun

Raphael - Mercury

Uriel - Venus

Melchizedek - Earth

Gabriel - the Earth's Moon

Samael - Mars

Zachariel - Jupiter

Orifiel - Saturn

Personally, I don't trust this list at all; it has no connection what so ever with the seven angels mentioned in the book of Revelation in the Bible! APERSON called Melchizedek is named in the Bible but not as an angel!

However, in his 'cosmic trilogy' (fiction), the Christian writer C S Lewis associates 'heavenly beings' and planets, which each planet in our solar system having its own heavenly being.So we don't really know how many archangels there are, but there's one for certain and that's Michael.

Michael

The Archangel Michael is one of only three angels that are named in the Bible (the others being Gabriel and Lucifer, the original name of Satan / The Devil). We are told that he is 'one of the chief princes', 'the great prince', 'a mighty warrior' and 'leader of other angels'. He is God's enforcer of law and judgement and is the only angel specifically called an archangel in the Bible.The name Michael means 'Who is like God?' (notice the question mark). Michael appears to have a special role in guarding the nation of Israel and the Jewish people. In Jewish tradition, Michael is the author of Psalm 85, which is a sad poem about the suffering of the nation of Israel. He has also been associated with the 'man' who spoke to Joshua at the battle of Jericho .In his role as chief warrior angel, it could well Michael's voice that announces the return of Jesus to earth .

It is thought that is was Michael who fought with, and threw out the Devil/Satan/Lucifer from Heaven (when the Satan revolted against God and tried to take God's place) and that Michael became the 'top angel' in the Satan's place.He is often depicted wearing medieval armour, ready for battle - very appropriate for his warrior role!

In some Christian traditions, Michael is said to have appeared to Mary (Jesus' mother) to tell her that she would die soon and that he carried her deceased body into heaven. (Some Catholics believe that Mary didn't die but that she was taken straight to heaven, by Michael or by Jesus.)

In Islam, Michael is known as Mikail and the Koran says that he sheds tears over the sins of the faithful and these tears become the angels known as the Cherubim.

Gabriel

The name Gabriel means 'God's Hero' and he is God's special messenger angel. On several occasions in the Bible he is given the JOB of coming to earth to give important announcements and tell of special events .So it was Gabriel who had the amazing JOB of telling Mary that she would be the mother of Jesus, the king of the universe! It's also highly likely that it was Gabriel who spoke to Joesph and told him that Mary would have a special baby called Jesus .

Nowhere in the Bible is Gabriel called an archangel, although in Jewish folklore he is one of the seven archangels. In Daniel 9:21 it says that Gabriel arrives in 'swift flight', but it doesn't mention wings! Swift flight could just mean quickly!

The Angels of God

I believe that guide angles have been around us since the beginning of time. You have the Angels powers of God in your life, from the moment you born. God Angels are around us to guide, guard and force us to spiritual advancing in our life. From the moment of creation Angels (powers) are influancing each of us.  

Angels commonly thought of us as messengers and communicators between humans and God, and are what we all often refer as the Guardians angels, or Guide angels. By many spiritual teachings the angels connect us to the energies of the Divine, by using the metaphor of the step down transformer-an electrical device (the angels) that decreases a high voltage source (the divine or God energy) so that it can be plugged into a lower voltage receptor (humans energy), on the other side, when we invoke, pray or appeal to the divine, the angels serve as kind of amplifiers to transmit our small and finite communication to the vast and infinite universal divine.

Angels do not want to be worshipped, 

They do not want us to pray to them as we pray to God, but we can't expect guidance from them unless we ask for it. God has given all of us free will and Angels are not interfere with that, yet these energy around us is pushing us to do things all the time, to fulfill God wish for advance and push upper our souls. To contact Angels, all you need to do is talk ( real talking or just inside your head ). It's as simple as that. There is nothing you can't discuss with Angels. They know everything, so you're able to discuss anything with them. Nothing is too small or trivial for Angels; they're here to guide and help you.

If you really want, it is very simple to contact your Angels.  All you need to do is call them.  Many people choose to construct an altar, meditate, read from the bible, light candles, burn incense... there's as many ways to contact angels, as there are people.  It's all personal preference.  Even though these techniques may set the stage, make you more comfortable and make the Angels feel welcomed, this is not necessary.  All you need to do is call out to them.  It doesn't have to be in words, all it needs to be is a thought "Angel, I need your help."  They always come if you open yourself up to their energy, you will feel their presence.

Once you feel your Angels, ask them questions.  Let your mind go blank and allow anything to flow, don't try to make it happen.  You may want to keep a journal and write down anything that comes to mind.  There are many ways to communicate with Angels, no way is better than the other.  It depends on what is comfortable for you.  Some people meditate, while others choose to communicate through dreams.  Some people actually hear the Angels talking to them, while others "feel" what the Angels are saying.  Experiment and find what works best for you.

You'll be able to identify your Guide Angels by the way they "feel".  Each Guide Angel has a different energy, just like humans.  You may be able to feel their size or color, you may be able to tell how they smell, or how they sound.  Again, no one way is better than the other, its how the Angels choose to communicate with you and what's easiest for you to comprehend.  With time you'll know which Guide Angel is helping you and from there you'll know what your individual Guides Angels "specialize" in. 

Guardian or Guide Angels are like all other angels, with one exception - they've been assigned to stand by us throughout our life, through good and bad.  Everyone is given at least two Guardian Angels, most have much more.Your Guardian Angels know everything you've said, done or thought since the day you were born.  They are non-judgmental and they look forward to helping you when requested.

Many religions believe in Angels - Christianity, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam all have their Angels and hierarchy.  Although I acknowledge the angels from all the religions, the focus of this site is on the Judeo-Christian Angels.

The sources of the angels used in Kabbalah and ceremonial magic are primarily Jewish. The canonical Old Testament books mention only Michael and Gabriel, but apocryphal and Talmudic literature provide richer sources, and there is a suspicion that this was a result of contact with Zoroastrianism during the period of the Babylonian Exile (6th-5th centuries BC). However as we can see, almost all the religions of the old and new world have kind of angel Gods forms, it can point that, many people from all over the world had unique contact and experience with angels, there for they have so many deferent names, yet they can present the same spiritual entities. In next chapters I present some angels examples from all over the world, during deferent times in the human history.

The Worship of AngelsHowever we must be careful not to lose balance in our appreciation of this subject. People’s natural curiosity concerning these beings has sometimes led them into complicated fantasies about the hierarchies of the heavens, into inventing names for angels who are never mentioned in the Bible, and stories about them. Some have even gone as far as to claim visions of angels. Paul warned the early church against this kind of unhealthy interest in angels:"Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a PERSON goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up". (Colossians 2:18). As Paul says, we must not worship angels. An example of an angel saying the same thing was recorded by John:"And when I (John) had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. But he said unto me, ‘Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers the prophets and of all who keep the words of this book. Worship God." (Revelation 22:8-9).Angels doing God’s workAngels have played an important role in revealing God’s purpose. They have often been closely involved with important events in His plan to save mankind and the earth. For example,The angel Gabriel told Mary that she would give birth to the Christ (Luke 1:26-38).Angels also informed the shepherds about his birth (Luke 2:8-14).Angels told people about the resurrection of Jesus (Matt. 28:2-7).When Jesus went up to heaven, angels told the disciples that Jesus would come again in the same way. (Acts 1:11)The birth, resurrection, and return of Jesus, are among the most important events in God’s dealings with man. So angels were chosen to announce them.The Appearance of AngelsOften, angels appear to have looked like people. In Genesis 19:5 we read that two angels came to Sodom, and, that later that night, the men of Sodom called to Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight...?", making it clear that those men thought that the angels were ordinary men. Likewise we read:"Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by doing so some people have entertained angels without knowing it." (Hebrews 13:2) This shows that those angels appeared as people.Similarly, when Daniel’s friends were thrown into the fiery furnace and were saved by an angel, Nebuchadnezzar said, "Look! I see four men walking around in the fire." (Daniel 3:25). Nebuchadnezzar goes on to say that the fourth "looks like a son of the gods", but his appearance was otherwise as a man.Sometimes, as in the case of the angel above, angels look like people, but with shining faces or shining clothes, or something else quite distinctive. At the resurrection of Jesus, for example, there was an angel like this: "his appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow." (Matthew 28:2-3).However this glory is not unique to the angels. For example the Bible says of Moses that: "his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord." (Exodus 34:29)And in the New Testament, when Stephen saw Christ in heaven at the right hand of God, those who looked on saw that Stephen’s face "was like the face of an angel." (Acts 6:15).In Revelation 19:8 there is reference to the Bride of Christ - meaning those believers found worthy at the day of judgement - wearing "fine linen, bright and clean". So a shining appearance is not only given to the angels. As well as appearing like men, whether shining or not, angels sometimes appeared in other forms too.In Exodus an angel appeared to Moses "in flames of fire from within a bush" (Exodus 3:2). Later, an angel was seen in a pillar of cloud which could be light on one side but dark on the other. (Exodus 14:19).Indeed, angels can choose whether to be seen or to be invisible; there was an occasion when a donkey was able to see the angel, but a man, Baalam, could not. (Numbers 22:21-30)Angels with wings?Some people may be wondering where the traditional picture of angels with wings comes from. It probably originates with artists who painted angels in pictures for the church.The Bible never says that angels have wings. In Daniel 9:21 we read about an angel "coming in swift flight", but that doesn’t mean that an angel must have wings to be able to fly.Alternatively, there are creatures called cherubim, which do have wings (see Ezekiel chapter 1 for a description). But the Bible never says that cherubim are angels. They appear to be symbolic beasts which are vehicles of God’s glory. The cherubim never appear physically, unlike angels.Other heavenly beings which appear only in visions are the Seraphim (Isaiah 6:2,6). These appear as winged serpents, but again they are symbolic creatures, reflecting God’s glory, and do not appear within the Bible in the historical record.Numbers of AngelsHow many angels are there? The only sure answer is "a lot". Jesus said:"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)That is 72,000 angels. Also in Daniel we read that:"Thousands upon thousands attended him, then a thousand times ten thousand stood before him." (Daniel 7:10)As this may well be poetic, it does not prove that there are at least 100,000,000 angels! All the same, it strongly suggests that there are a lot of angels.

The Activities of the AngelsAngels bearing the name of GodWe know from the Bible that no man has seen, or can see, God (1Timothy 6:15-16). Yet when three angels appeared to Abraham it says:"The LORD appeared to Abraham." (Genesis18:1)And when his grandson, Jacob, wrestled with the angel he was able to say:"I saw God face to face" (Genesis 32:30).When "the angel of the LORD" spoke to Moses from the burning bush it reads as if it was God himself:"When the LORD saw that he (Moses) had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush" (Exodus 3:4, compare vs.2) What this means is that God was working through the angel and the angel was giving God’s message. The angel was speaking with God’s authority and in God’s name, so he was called "God". (Other examples can be found in Matthew 4:11 and 1 Kings 19:5-7).Angels rejoicingJesus said this about the angels: "I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." (Luke 15:10, cf vs.7) So angels rejoice when sinners repent. Now if we rejoice over something, we try to make it happen; so we would expect angels to try to help people to repentance.In Acts 8:26 we learn of how an angel sent Philip to meet the Ethiopian eunuch and of how the man was subsequently baptised. In the same way, in Acts 10:3 there is the record of how Cornelius was told by an angel to send for Peter. Cornelius was later baptised.Angels may also call people out to serve God even before their birth. The angel Gabriel, who appeared to Mary before Jesus was born, also appeared to Zechariah before the birth of John the Baptist (Luke 1:11-20). Similar events are recorded in the Old Testament. (Judges 6:11-24 and chapter 13).God’s Word was sometimes revealed to men by angels. Stephen, speaking of Moses says,"He was with the assembly in the desert, with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers; and he received living words to pass on to us." (Acts 7:38, cf.vs.53)This shows that the Law was revealed to Moses by an angel.The angels also revealed FUTURE events to the prophets (see Ezekiel 40:3, Daniel 8:16, Zechariah 1:9)However, angels did not reveal the entire Bible, because Hebrews 2:2-3 explicitly contrasts the Law given by angels, with the Gospel given by Christ.Strength and GuidanceAngels sometimes strengthen and guide those who have already chosen to follow God. Many examples can be given. Abraham was blessed by an angel because he had obeyed God (Genesis 22:15-18). Similarly, an angel was with Jacob (Genesis 31:11-13).Saving AngelsWhen necessary angels can save people from death.A good example of this is the time when Peter had been arrested, and was being threatened with death, but an angel enabled him to escape from the prison. (see Acts 12:6-11).Another example is to be found when angels saved Lot and his daughters from the destruction of Sodom:"With the coming of dawn the angels urged Lot, saying, "Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished". When he hesitated, the men (the two angels) grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the LORD was merciful to them." (Genesis 19:15-16)Again, in the days of the prophet Ezekiel, an angel was commanded to:"Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it." (Ezekiel 9:4)So, when other angels were sent to "kill without showing pity or compassion" (vs.5), they would also be commanded not to touch anyone who has the mark. Therefore, the first angel was saving some people from the other angels, so that they would not be killed.As these last two examples show, the angels are also sometimes commanded to destroy people.Destroying AngelsIn the incident mentioned above, where Lot was rescued, we read how angels destroyed a whole town. Genesis 19:13 clearly states that angels would do the destroying. But then in verse 24 it says that the LORD did the destroying. We should understand this to mean that the LORD destroyed the city by His angels.Again when the people of Israel were released from captivity in Egypt it was an angel, or angels, which struck the Egyptians with plagues - until the king of Egypt agreed to release the Israelites."He unleashed against them his hot anger, his wrath, his indignation and hostility - a band of destroying angels" (Psalm 78:49)In some older Bible versions this verse reads "a band of evil angels", which is an accurate literal translation, but the angels were only ‘evil’ in that they caused ‘evil’ - meaning disaster - to come on the Egyptians. These angels were not morally ‘evil’, but obedient servants of God, doing his will."When the angel stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem the Lord was grieved because of the calamity and said to the angel who was afflicting the people ‘Enough! Withdraw your hand’." (2 Samuel 24:16)On a later occasion when Jerusalem was threatened by a foreign army we read that:"That night the angel of the LORD went out and put to death a hundred and eighty five thousand men in the Assyrian camp." (2 Kings 19:35).Good angels and bad angels?These "destroying angels" and "saving angels" are not two separate groups of angels, but rather the same angels who perform God’s work whatever it might be, depending on the orders of the day. As we have seen the "destroying angels" who struck the Egyptians were at the same time "saving angels" as far as the Israelites were concerned.The same is true in Revelation 21:9 where an angel having had a bowl of the last plagues (which killed people, Rev. 16), is told to present the Bride of Christ - the church - a very encouraging role.There are all kinds of traditions about ‘wicked angels’ and ‘fallen angels’ in popular legend. But in the Bible, there are no bad angels. No bad angels, without exception:"Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?" (Hebrews 1:14)God makes light and darknessThis may surprise many readers, because ideas about ‘fallen angels’ are so popular. But the Bible never allows such ideas, because if angels can rebel against God, then God is not ‘Almighty’ as the Bible teaches.God himself has contradicted these ideas:"I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster, I, the LORD, do all these things." (Isaiah 45:7)Again, as we saw with the "band of evil angels" that God sent upon Egypt, the word ‘disaster’ here literally means ‘evil’, but it is not evil in the moral sense.That same word ‘evil’ is found again at the conclusion of the book of JOB, a man who experienced more ‘evil’ than anyone:"all the trouble (evil) that the LORD had brought on him" (JOB 42:11)Did JOB blame ‘bad angels’? No. Instead he recognized that his troubles came from God, and only God (Job 2:10).Angels at the JudgmentSo, if angels can both save and destroy, we would expect that they will be closely involved with judging people in the last day. Jesus confirms this:"He will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from the one end of the heavens to the other." (Matthew 24:31)This verse concerns those judged to be worthy, but there is also this:"The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that that causes sin and all who are evil." (Matthew 13:41).This shows that the angels are equally involved with the removal of the wicked. There are other passages too which show that the angels will be with Jesus in the Day of Judgement.And finally, the angels praise God, along with those who are found worthy in the judgement."Praise the LORD. Praise the LORD from the heavens, praise Him in the heights above. Praise Him all His angels, praise Him all His heavenly host." (Psalm 148:1-2).And again:"Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honour and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!" (Revelation 7:12)Like the AngelsThe angels and the redeemed praising God together is not as strange as it might sound, because, after the judgement, those who are found worthy will be "like angels":"Jesus replied, ‘The people of this age marry and are given in marriage. But those who are considered worthy of taking part in that age (i.e. the Kingdom age) and in the resurrection from the dead, will neither marry nor be given in marriage, and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels." (Luke 20:34-36)These verses show that when believers are resurrected from the dead they will be like the angels.It also tells us something about the angels now. Angels cannot marry. And if angels cannot die, that means that angels cannot sin, because death comes as a result of sin (Romans 6:23).Personal Angels?Now is a good time to ask; ‘Do we have PERSONAL angels?’. Unfortunately the Bible is not clear on this, however it seems likely that we do. The evidence is this:Jacob, in Genesis 48:16 seems to recognise that an angel has been with him throughout his life since he refers to "... the Angel who has delivered me from harm."The early believers seem to have believed in PERSONAL angels. When Peter escaped from prison, and came at night to the house, the other disciples mistook him for his personal angel: "it must be his angel" (Acts 12:15).Finally, Jesus, when speaking about children referred to "their angels in heaven" (Matthew 18:10).So, although these passages are not conclusive, perhaps we do, each of us, have an angel appointed to look after us individually.In any case we can be confident that the angels are watching over us:"The angel of the LORD encamps around those that fear him, and delivers them." (Psalm 34:7)ConclusionWe have been looking at angels, now perhaps it is right to conclude with looking at ourselves. We have seen how the angels are all, without exception, "sent to serve those who will inherit salvation".But what about us?We saw how an angel described himself as a "fellow-servant", with John and all believers. We have seen how angels serve God. So let us try to do likewise."Jesus answered, "Worship the Lord your God and serve him only"." (Luke 4:8)Then, incredible as it may seem to us now, we will, one day, be made "like the angels" when Christ returns.What is the role of angels in heaven?  What is the role of angels on earth?  What is their JOB description?

CHAPTER FOURWhat Do Angels do on Earth?The Word Angel’s MeaningThe Greek word for angels is “aggelos” and in English is “engel.“   Either way, the name angel means “messenger of God.”  That is one of the chief duties on angels.  Remember the angel that was sent to Daniel.  This was “Michael, one of the chief princes” which means that He was of a high rank of the angels (Daniel 10:13).  Chief could be considered a general but we must remember that all angels are under the direct reign and sovereignty of God.  Michael is also called an “archangel Michael” (Jude 1:9).  Michael must be in charge of at least some angels, even though still under God overall, because when “there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back” (Revelation 12:7). Note that this verse said, his angels.What Do Angels do on Earth?Angels are given to us, as directed by God, to protect and defend His chosen ones.  Michael told Daniel that he was “the great prince who protects your people” (Daniel 12:1). So we see that angels are messengers and also are protectors of God’s people.  God dispatched angels to Christ after His temptation in the Wilderness and “attended him” (Matthew 4:11).  In the Garden of Gethsemane, just before Calvary, He prayed for God to remove this cup if possible and was in excruciating agony when (Luke 22:43).We have angels around us as the author of Hebrews wrote, “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation” (Hebrews 1:14)?  Those who will inherit salvation are clearly the believers.  Many of us may have been visited by angels and not even known it as the writer of Hebrews says to “not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels” (Hebrews 13:2).What Do Angels do in Heaven?

These “messengers” of God have many duties in heaven and on earth.Angels are worshipping God every second, of every minute, of every day and night. They worship Jesus (Hebrews 1:6) and they surround God‘s throne as it says in Revelation 4:8, “Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying: “‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’ who was, and is, and is to come.” The angels declare God’s glory and some were created just for this reason.  At Jesus’ second coming, “He will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other” (Matthew24:31).  But this duty of the holy angels will be foreboding for those who have not put their trust in Christ because “This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 13:49-50).

Releasing Your Angels to Work for YouMark Buntain was a missionary in India. He built an orphanage, church and needed hospital in Calcutta. But tragedy struck the region. Torrents of rain came down, forcing the government to evacuate much of the city. Mark reluctantly boarded the evacuation plane.Questions whirled through his mind, "Will this flood wipe out all of his work for the poor?" He felt dejected. He did the only thing he knew to do--which was to pray. A man sat next to him in the plane, and began to encourage Mark. He told him that everything was going to be all right. He even outlined several steps that Mark could implement that would make his ministry even more effective. After talking with this man, Mark was greatly encouraged.The stewardess came by and asked Mark what he would like to drink. Mark gave his order and then turned to see what the man would order, but to his amazement, the man was gone. He vanished! Mark searched all over the small plane looking for the man, but he was not in there. Mark realized he had been visited by an angel.There are so many different ideas people have about angels, but the only authoritative guide we have in understanding angels is the Bible, God's Word. Some think that angels are little, chubby babies flying around holding a little toy disguised as a bow and arrow. But the Bible describes angels as great, big warriors that are here to guide, protect and deliver us. Some also think that angels are people who have died. But the Bible makes a clear distinction between saints and angels. Angels are a different class of beings than humans.What are angels? Hebrews chapter 1 verse 14 tells us: "Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?" Three important facts about angels are mentioned in this verse. Number one, angels are spirits, therefore they are not usually seen. Just because you don't see an angel does not mean one is not there. The second fact reveals that the duty of angels is to minister and serve humans. Humans do not serve angels, angels serve humans. And the third truth about angels is that their ministry is limited primarily to those who are or will be saved. They are not required to serve the unsaved; though, because of God's mercy to all, they do help nearly everyone. Only heaven will tell how often angels have helped us.ANGELS UNDER THE NEW COVENANTHebrews 8:6 says that we have a better covenant based on better promises than people had under the Old Covenant. This is true concerning the ministry of angels.Under the Old Covenant, the saints did not have authority over the angels, therefore they had to wait on them for help. Today, angels wait on us because now we can use the name of Jesus, which is a greater name than angels, to dispatch angels to do their work. Prior to the cross, the scriptures taught that Jesus was "made a little lower than the angels." But the scriptures teach that now he is "crowned with glory and honor" so that angels submit to Him and His name (see Hebrews 2:9, 1 Peter 3:22 and Philippians 2:10).1 Corinthians 6:3 says that we will judge angels. The judge is always greater than those who are judged. The scriptures inform us that believers have authority to dispatch angels to minister on their behalf.Have you been dispatching your angels? Or have they been sitting idle waiting for you to put them to work?LOOSING YOUR ANGELSIn Matthew 18:18, Jesus gave the Church the keys of the kingdom of heaven. He said, "Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." Most of us have heard this scripture used to "bind" the devil and demons. And the Bible does tell us that we can "bind the strong man", and that a mighty angel will "bind the devil for a thousand years". The word "bind" is a term to describe our power to "tie up" Satan.However, Jesus also said that we have the power to "loose". And what do we loose? Certainly, not Satan. Then who? Angels of course. A voice said, "Loose the four angels which are bound...And the four angels were loosed" (Revelation 9:14-15 KJV). You can readily see that angels are meant to be loosed. And who has the power to loose angels? Jesus said that we do. We have the keys of the kingdom!You might ask the question, "How do we loose angels?"I think it would help us to answer this question by going to Psalm 103 and reading verse 20. It says, "Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the VOICE of his word." (KJV)Notice that angels hearken--listen and act upon--the VOICE of God's Word. We know that the Bible is God's Word. But angels don't hearken just to God's Word, but they hearken to the voice of His Word. Try this profound experiment: Take your Bible and place it next to your ear. Stop! Listen! What do you hear? NOTHING! Why? Because the Bible does not have a voice unless we give it a voice.In other words, angels act on God's Word that we speak out of our mouths. They listen to us speaking God's Word. And when we speak God's Word, angels rush to perform it in our lives.Can you see how we have hindered angels in performing their duties for us? We bind angels when we speak contrary to God's Word, and say things such as "Nothing ever works out for me." "If I didn't have bad luck, I wouldn't have any luck at all." "I'm so clumsy." "I live by Murphy's Law." "I can't seem TO GET OUT OF DEBT."ANGELS LISTEN TO OUR WORDSJesus said, "Whoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God" (Luke 12:8, KJV). Jesus declares to the angels what we declare. When we confessed that Jesus was our Lord, Jesus confessed to the angels that He was our Lord. Angels are aware of what we confess here on earth. Jesus echo's our words to the angels, and depending on what we say, they bring to pass our words.There's an interesting story in the Bible which illustrates this truth. You know the story. Jesus was tempted by the devil for forty days, and while being tempted Jesus did only one thing: He spoke the Word of God. He kept saying, "It is written...It is written...It is written." After Jesus kept quoting God's Word, the Bible says, "Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him" (Matthew 4:11). Do you suppose the reason why the angels came to Jesus was because He kept speaking God's Word? I think so! Angels hearken unto the voice of God's Word. Jesus gave voice to the Word, and angels came to minister to Him. Angels will do the same for you if you will do what Jesus did--and that is speak God's Word!MAKE GOD YOUR DWELLINGOne of the believers favorite Psalm says, "If you make the Most High your dwelling--even the Lord, who is my refuge--then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone" (91:9-12).God promises complete protection for the PERSON who makes the Most High his dwelling. The secret to tapping into the power of this Psalm is to make the Most High your dwelling. That is the key. God promises protection, so long as you make the Most High your dwelling.So how do you make God your dwelling? The answer is at the beginning of this Psalm. It says, "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I WILL SAY OF THE LORD, `He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.'" You make the Most High your dwelling the same way that David did--by SAYING OF THE LORD that He is your dwelling! Your confession that He is your refuge and fortress is what makes God become your refuge and fortress.And what does God do when you confess that He is your refuge and fortress? He commands His angels to guard you in all your ways so that no harm befalls you nor any disaster overtake you. Angels work for you because you confess who God is to you and what He will do for you.This is what Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego did before they were thrown into the fiery furnace. They boldly declared, "The God we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O King!" They stood their ground in faith. And what was the outcome? God sent an angel to keep them from burning. The angel heard God's Word coming from the lips of these courageous saints--and he harkened unto their words.FEAR GODThere is one final scripture that I want to show you that will prove that angels are greatly affected by our words. It is Psalm 34:7: "The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them." The angel of the Lord delivers those who fear God, not who fear tragedy.And what does it mean to fear God? Verse 11 and 12 begins by telling us, "Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days." Angels definitely are involved in prolonging our lives and making our days good. But what is the fear of the Lord? The next verse says that if you want many good days, then "keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies."The fear of the Lord is manifested in restraining the tongue. If you fear God, then you will speak the truth. And what is truth? Jesus said, "Thy word is truth!" God's Word is the highest form of truth in the universe.By speaking God's Word, you are keeping your tongue from evil and from speaking lies. And when you do, the angel of the Lord will encamp around you to deliver you in times of trouble. This angel will do this because you show the fear of the Lord by speaking His Word!What is the job description for an angel?

We don’t know whether every angel carries out the same tasks, or whether some of them specialize in certain areas. The Bible does speak about classes of angelic beings like cherubim (Ezekiel 1) and seraphim(Isaiah 6). We also know the names of two notable angels: Michael(Daniel 10:13; Jude 9) and Gabriel (Daniel 9:21; Luke 1:19,26).

The unnamed angels who appear most often in Scripture carry out a variety of tasks—all designed to serve God…

· Worship and praise—This is the main activity portrayed inheaven (Isaiah 6:1-3; Revelation 4-5).

· Messengers—They serve as messengers to communicate God’s will to men. They helped reveal the law to Moses (Acts 7:52-53), and served as the carriers of much of the material in Daniel, andRevelation.

· Guiding—Angels gave instructions to Joseph about the birth of Jesus (Matthew 1-2), to the WOMEN at the tomb, to Philip(Acts 8:26), and to Cornelius (Acts 10:1-8).

· Providing—God has used angels to provide physical needs such as food for Hagar (Genesis 21:17-20), Elijah (1 Kings 19:6), and Christ after His temptation (Matthew 4:11).

· Protecting—Keeping God’s people out of physical danger, as in the cases of Daniel and the lions, and his three friends in the fieryfurnace (Daniel 3 and 6).

· Delivering—Getting God’s people out of danger once they’re in it. Angels released the apostles from prison in Acts 5, and repeated the process for Peter in Acts 12.

· Strengthening and encouraging—Angels strengthened Jesusafter His temptation (Matt 4:11), encouraged the apostles to keep preaching after releasing them from prison (Acts 5:19-20), and told Paul that everyone on his ship would survive the impending shipwreck (Acts 27:23-25).

· Answering prayer—God often uses angels as His means of answering the prayers of His people (Daniel 9:20-24; 10:10-12;Acts 12:1-17).

· Caring for believers at the moment of death—In the story of Lazarus and the rich man, we read that angels carried the spiritof Lazarus to “Abraham’s bosom” when he died (Luke 16:22).

ture, we have not been left to speculate, for every great truth has been recorded in some form in that wondrous book, the Bible. The apostle in his letter to the Hebrews said:

"But ye are come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable hosts of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant."

Here the apostle, either by vision or by revelation, is given to understand the order of the heavens and announces it by speaking of "just men made perfect," and of the "church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven."

It has been given us to know—and reason substantiates the fact—that according to the grade of development is the nearness of the soul to the throne of the everlasting Father, so that there are in the spirit-world at the present time not only the wondrous body of Yahveh Elohim, but there are angel-spirits ranking in gradatory order from the highest sphere down to the border-land between the mundane and the spiritual.

Therefore when Yahveh Elohim has a message to send to the sons of earth, it is sent through the angel messengers, through "the spirits of just men made perfect;" and we have reason to believe that it is sent from one to another until a messenger is reached whose potentiality enables him to meet the capacity of man who is to receive the message, for there are angels so highly developed that their words would be to man a consuming fire. Therefore the word of Yahveh Elohim must be passed down through the mind-organs of those who are nearer to man in order that he may be enabled to receive it without injury. The Lord Jesus said, "In my Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so I would have told you." (John xiv. 2.)

In Jacob's vision

"He dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the TOP of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And, behold, Yahveh stood above it." (Gen. xxviii. 12, 13.)

Thus this gradation is, as it were, a ladder set up on the earth (man), whose TOP reaches to heaven, Yahveh being at the head of the ladder, and each rung of the ladder from Yahveh down to man a stage of unfoldment, of spirit-life, and all the angels upon these varied planes are, as the Apostle Paul said, "ministering spirits, sent forth to do service for the sake of them that shall inherit salvation." These ministering spirits minister to man according to his unfoldment.

The ministering spirits—ministering to those among men who are sufficiently developed to receive heavenly truths and to put them into practice—have overcome, and entered the realm of immortality; in other words, they are souls that are not bound to the earth-sphere but live from the heavens. There are, however, multitudes of souls that are earth-bound, that know nothing of the realities of a spirit-existence; these are they that spiritualists—so-called—are dealing with, and among these earth-bound souls there are as many malignant, evil-designed PERSONALITIES, as there are in the physical body among men—yea, more.

For when we come to deal with souls that are earth-bound, we come in contact with that quality of human consciousness that is no longer restrained by culture or society; we are in touch with the impulses and passions that arise from the lower nature or a lower organism. Because of this, these earth-bound souls were called by the Lord Christ "demons," devils, for, as it is written, "the mind of the flesh is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be." These earth-bound souls are at enmity with the law of God, and when a PERSON enters into covenant relation with God to seek God and righteousness with all his heart, and has decided to overcome generation and to live henceforth in the regeneration that he may attain immortality, these souls at once become to him pestiferous enemies to hinder, to deceive, to mislead and to destroy.

Thus we find ourselves on the earth-plane surrounded by dark and malignant spirits; yet these dark forces have no power at all except what is derived from the spirit of the mundane or the earthly spirit. And so far as the children of God ally themselves to the Spirit of God in covenant relation, and place their hand, as it were, in the hand of God's angel, overcoming fear and following the leadings of that divine messenger wholly, to that degree they are safe.

But if one desires power, honor, wealth, the GRATIFICATION of the lower nature, or any of the things that attract the men of the world, and attempts to gain them through unity with these mundane souls, the angel of God will leave him at once to the unmerciful influences of the dark world, who will promise and in part fulfil their promise to gratify the desires of the PERSON and to give him the condition on earth that he desires; but with every benefit derived from that source will come many, many evils, sorrows and perplexities, until the soul is hopelessly bound and drawn out of the body to become an associate of the dark and malignant forces to which it has yielded itself.

This is a dark picture, but this fact is the cause of the old idea of a tempting Devil. Remember, however, that God rules the universe and that there is no power but that which is derived from the name Yahveh, or from Universal Mind and Will. Because of this it is said, "The name Yahveh is a strong tower; the righteous runneth into it, and is safe."

While we bring to light this dark side of the picture, we hope that you will not dwell upon it. We know that the world is full of darkness, temptation, deception, and all that is evil—evil because antagonistic to our hope and desire to be one with the Father; but it remains for us to hold closely to the original Christian principles, that is, consecration of our life to God and confiding trust in him, like the trust of a little child in the arms of its parent. It is this condition of mind that has preserved the church, notwithstanding its errors, its false doctrines. These principles have preserved its people through all the centuries down to the present. Because of their failure to maintain these principles the angel in the Revelation said to God's people:

"But I have this against thee, that thou didst leave thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I come to thee, and will move thy candlestick out of its place, except thou repent." (Rev. ii. 4.)

Here we meet, not new doctrine, not new theories, but are brought back to the "rock of ages," to the foundation laid by the Christ 1900 years ago; "For other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ." (I. Cor. iii. 11.) He is the only door. On the contrary, instead of presenting new doctrine, we are obeying the injunction of the Spirit by the apostle: "Wherefore let us cease to speak of the first principles of Christ, and press on unto perfection." For, as the Christ said, "I have many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now."

As the fulness of times has come and the souls of men have ripened and matured, the period when men are to come into the image and the likeness of God is at hand, and in order to bring about this image and likeness an advance in knowledge is necessary.

To be told "plainly of the Father" and of his son—of the object of his coming and the methods by which we may come into unity, oneness, harmony, with him—is an absolute prerequisite. It is also just as necessary to expunge the errors from our thought and to realize that we have a loving, merciful and kind Father, who is our Father by virtue of creation, by virtue of regeneration and by virtue of having been begotten from above, so that it is possible for us to enter that bosom of love and to become partakers of that mind, wisdom, knowledge and power. Being partakers of him, of his great nature, our souls are fed with immortal food, and by that food they grow, unfold; and the consciousness of God the Father, daily becomes more vivid, the realization more perfect, which enables the soul to look up as a little child into the face of its loving mother or father, and to say, '"Our Father." If this work enables you to do this with a more vivid realization, it will have accomplished much.

To leave the thought here, however, may leave an open door for some dear souls to be misled for a time, for, from the picture that we have presented, as the mind takes hold of the great truth that God's angels are not a separate creation, but, as the apostle Paul declared, are "souls of just men made perfect," some may imagine in some vague way that these souls occupy certain spaces, one above another, as if in suspension in the heavens, from the abode of the Elohim to the earth; but the facts are these: Spirit consciousness is consciousness of him who is the "fulness that filleth all things," for Yahveh is Spirit and interpervades all space. To the soul that is awakened to a spiritual consciousness, there is no sense of distance; that is to say, time and space are virtually obliterated and the soul is conscious only of the presence of the center of that quality that it has come in touch with; so that if we should attempt to locate spirit-heavens, it would be only relative to the sphere of consciousness of the soul and would have no relation to distance or to locality.

Yahveh, the God of the universe, embodies all qualities that exist, and the beginning of spirit-consciousness is an awakening to certain qualities. The higher the soul, the more comprehensive its ability to grasp the multifario