THE POWER OF ANGELS

(Part III)

Deeper into Angels

INTRO:

There are at least 100 trillion angels.

Revelation 5:2, 11-12

²Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?... ¹¹ Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, ¹² saying with a loud voice: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!”

I.               SPIRIT BEINGS LISTED IN SCRIPTURE

A.  Angelic beings known as Seraphim

Isaiah 6:1-3, 6-7

¹In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. ²Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. ³And one cried to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!”…⁶ Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. ⁷ And he touched my mouth with it, and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your iniquity is taken away, and your sin purged.”

Seraphim (plural for seraph), the Burning Ones—to show forth the holiness of God

Description:

Seraphim...

·         Are of pure light

·         Resonate fire of love

·         Are copper color as burning fire

·         Fly as lightning

·         Roar like lions when aroused

·         Have six wings (two cover face, two cover feet, two for flight)

·         Cry one to another, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory”

 B.  Angelic beings called Cherubim

 Genesis 3:24

²⁴ So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.

Ezekiel 10:1-22

Cherubim (plural for cherub): Protect God’s glory; ministering spirits manifesting God’s invisible presence and symbolizing His action (E.F. Harris, Baker’s Dictionary of Theology)

Description:

·         Exotic

·         Beautiful

·         Covered with precious stones

·         Ezekiel refers to them 19 different times in chapters 1 and 10

·         They are believed to be synonymous with the “living creatures” of Revelation 4

·         Four wheels by them

·         Beryl color (transparent whitish, yellowish, bluish) and fire between the wheels

·         Appear as burning coals of fire and lightning (Ezekiel 1:1-21, 10:6)

·         Whirling, rolling as a whirlwind

·         Mount up from the earth (Ezekiel 10:20-22)

·         Full of eyes representing wisdom, knowing

·         Four-sided faces (man, angel, lion, eagle)

·         Four wings that when extended sound as voice of God

·         Wings joined one to another and they fly straight forward

·         Sole of their feet as sole of a calf’s foot, sparkled as burnished brass

·         Hands of man under their wings

Lucifer is described as the cherub that covers—with overshadowing wings. (Amplified); living orchestra within (Isaiah 14:11, Ezekiel 28:13); every precious stone his covering, beautiful, full of brightness (Ezekiel 28:12-16).

Solomon had cherubim carved of olivewood, overlaid with gold over the Ark of the Covenant as part of the mercy seat and placed in the holy of holies in the temple (I Kings 6:23-28).

 C.  Angelic beings referred to as Beasts (Living Creatures)

 Revelation 4:6-9

 ⁶ Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the  throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in  back. ⁷ The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a  calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature  was like a flying eagle. ⁸ The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying. “Holy, holy,  holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!”

   Note: Some theologians believe the living creatures of Ezekiel 1 and the angelic beings referred to as beasts in Revelation 4 are synonymous.

      Description:

·         Appearance of burning coals of fire

·         As lamps bright as lightning

·         Full of eyes before and behind and within

·         Fly straight forward as flash of lightning and are lifted up from the earth as a whirlwind (Ezekiel 1:19, 24, 26)

·         Six wings joined one to another

·         Sound of the wings as a roar of great waters (Ezekiel 1:5-25).

·         Four faces—faces of a lion, calf, man, and eagle similar to that which Ezekiel records of the cherubim which have faces of a man, lion, ox, and eagle (Ezekiel 1:10)

·         Voice  as  noise  of  a  host  and  they  rest  not  saying,  “Holy,  holy  Lord  God  Almighty…” (Revelation 4:8)

 D.  Spirit Animals

   1.  Horses of fire with a chariot of fire that accompanied Elijah into                   heaven (II Kings 2:11,6:17)

 2.  Red and white speckled (flame colored) horses following the Angel of the Lord riding upon a red horse seen by Zechariah in a vision (Zechariah 1:8-16, 6:1-5)

 3.  Grizzled and bay horses described as spirits of the heavens

(Zechariah 6:3)

³ And in the third chariot white horses; and in the fourth chariot grisled and bay horses KJV

 4.  White, black, red, pale horses and four chariots representing spirits of the heavens (Zechariah 6:2-3, Psalms 104:4, Matthew 24:31, Revelation 6:2-8)

 5.  John saw in a vision Jesus returning on a white horse to release judgment for the last great battle of Armageddon (Revelation 19:11)

         6.  Heavenly armies follow Jesus on white horses (Revelation 19:14, Jude 14)

 E.  Archangel (I Thessalonians 4:16; Jude 9)

 Archangel or Chief Angel

   1.  Michael: mentioned on four different occasions in Scripture; chief warring                angel; name means “Who is like God”

   2.  Called one of the chief [celestial] princes] he stands in defense of the children of Israel and God’s people (Daniel 10:13, 12:1)

   3.  Referred to as “he” and “him” giving the indication that Michael’s appearance is that of a man. Other angels are subject to him (Revelation 12:7-9)

   4.  Gabriel: never designated as an archangel, but considered a chief                             messenger, but considered a chief messenger angel who stands in                          the presence of God (Luke 1:13, 19); name means “The Mighty One.”

Description:

·         Having the appearance of a man with a man’s voice

·         Ability to fly swiftly—no mention of wings (Daniel 8:16, 9:21; Luke 1:11, 26).

·         Overwhelming Presence (Daniel in fear and fell on his face as if in deep sleep (stunned to the point of unconsciousness) and great fear came upon Zechariah and Mary when he appeared to them.

      F.  Angels—good and fallen

(Daniel 6:22, Revelation 1:1, 5:2, 14:6, 8; 19:10; Jude 6)

   G.  Unnamed spirit princes (angels) over Persia and Grecia (nations)                (Daniel 10:13)

 H.  Demons, demon locust (Matthew 12:43-45)

 Revelation 9:1-3

 ¹Then the fifth angel sounded: And I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To  him was given the key to the bottomless pit. ² And he opened the bottomless pit,  and smoke arose out of the pit like the smoke of a great furnace. So the sun and  the air were darkened because of the smoke of the pit. ³ Then out of the smoke  locusts came upon the earth. And to them was given power, as the scorpions of  the earth have power.

  I.  Demon horsemen

Revelation 9:17-19

¹⁷And thus I saw the horses in the vision: those who sat on them had breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths came fire, smoke, and brimstone. ¹⁸ By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed—by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which came out of their mouths. ¹⁹ For their power is in their mouth and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents, having heads; and with them they do harm.

II.           ANGELS THROUGHOUT HISTORY

 In today’s historical events, there is still angelic activity:

        A.  George Washington’s angel appeared and told him of three wars.

  B.  There are recorded stories of angelic appearances in World War I and II to protect the British and American soldiers.

  C.  Evangelist Oral Roberts told of feeling the presence of angels as he prayed for the sick.

  D.  Evangelist William Branham in the 1960’s told of seeing an angel which               stood by him, giving him information and performing healings in his ministry.

III.           HOW DO ANGELS APPEAR TO MEN?

        A.  Unaware as human beings

Hebrews 13:1-2

¹Let brotherly love continue. ² Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

B.  Visions: to shepherds

Luke 2:8-9

⁸ And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them....

C.  Dreams: appeared to Jacob and Joseph

Genesis 28:12, Matthew 1:20

D.  Invisible: sense their presence

Hebrews 1:7, 14