Angels
The purpose of this article is to bring you a deeper knowledge
and appreciation of the holy angels who help us through life’s journey
from earth to heaven. We are told in Hebrews 1:14
that angels are “ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those
who will inherit salvation.” Angels constantly surround and watch over
us. Even before we were born again these heavenly messengers protected
us and helped guide us into the ways of God.
In my personal life I well remember, at the tender age of nine, while
playing in the garden of my father, an angel appeared to me. He held a
trumpet in his hand and made me to understand that God had a purpose for
my life.
Angels are Created for Different Tasks
God the Father in His infinite wisdom created multitudes of different
angels. Each is to perform specific duties so that various tasks will
be accomplished. The Lord showed this to me a few years ago when I was
ministering in the Philippines. The Lord visibly appeared to me one
morning, surrounded by angels. Those nearest to Him were of smaller
stature and I understood that these were angels who cared for children.
As the angels were progressively further from the Lord, their height and
stature increased immeasurably. By this I understood that their
responsibilities were also much greater. In fact, those furthest away
were responsible for whole cities and nations.
Then the Lord began to tell me that an angel who had been created to
rule over a nation would hardly feel satisfied if he were placed in
charge of a child. Likewise, an angel who was created to care for a
child would certainly feel inadequate to rule over a city. Every angel
has been created for a specific purpose, and by flowing in those
particular duties for which each had been created, they are all
supremely content and satisfied.
Angels in Rulership
There are both holy angels and fallen angels that rule over countries. We are told that Israel was under angelic rulership in Exodus 23:20-21, and in Daniel 12:1 we can read that Michael is the chief prince who governs the nation of Israel. In Daniel 10:13
we are also told of the princes (referring to angels) over Persia and
Greece. I have personally seen and encountered some of these angelic
rulers in my travels to other nations. It would appear that according to
the importance of the nation, so also is the majesty of the angel who
sits in glory upon his throne high in the heavens above that particular
country. There are multitudes of angels at their command who help with
the administration of the country.
At times some countries lie at the brink of economic collapse. Their
situation seems absolutely hopeless because of their incompetent
politicians. However, when we see that same country rebound and recover,
one cannot help but believe that there has been an angelic intervention
sent from God.
In a similar way, angels also govern colleges and centers of
learning. When I was a young man desiring to go to a certain college,
the Lord showed me the spirit that governed that school. The Lord said
to me, “If you go to that school, this is the spirit that is going to be
teaching you.” It was an intellectual spirit. Therefore, it is of the
utmost importance where you are trained. The governing spiritual powers
of that institute will mold and shape you, not only for this life, but
also for all eternity.
Several years ago the Lord opened my eyes to see many colleges within
a range of several hundred miles from where I was. I saw an angel
ruling over each college. Governing each secular college was a fallen
angel, while over each Christian college was a glorious angel who varied
in size and brightness according to the degree of Gospel light and
truth that each college embraced.
Revelation 1:20
also shows us that there is an angelic ruler over each church. This
affects the preaching and spiritual depth of the church. In my younger
years I was invited to pastor an evangelical church. The former pastor
had retired and was a member of the congregation. After I had been in my
position for a few weeks he said to me, “When you are in the pulpit, do
you feel him?” I knew exactly what he was referring to. When I stood
behind the pulpit I was conscious of a godly angel coming up behind me.
The experience was so real that I actually felt his garments move my
clothes as he approached.
Sadly, I have been in some churches where sin has reigned in the
congregation. The people tolerated a certain form of sin, rather than
dealing with it, and it allowed a fallen angel to govern these churches.
When a church embraces a false doctrine, they are actually embracing
the fallen spirit that is behind that false doctrine. Unfortunately,
that spirit will eventually govern the church. Therefore it is vital
that we not only preach the gospel, but also practice it, so that our
spiritual covering comes from the Lord.
Angels also can perform lesser duties of rulership. I was in a
certain large American city standing at a major road intersection where
traffic was particularly heavy. Suddenly, my spiritual eyes were opened
and I saw a very large angel who evidently was responsible for the
traffic at the crossroads, as well as every office building in that
area.
For just a moment, I could see (as with the eyes of this angel) into
every office room in the large complexes of that surrounding area. It
was as though all the walls were transparent and everything that was
taking place in those offices was open and exposed in the sight of the
angel.
Angelic Protection and Guidance
From the earliest times in history there has been a conscious
awareness of the angelic protection given to the people of God. In the
Book of Genesis alone there are eight such accounts. King David was so
conscious of the ministry of the holy angels that he wrote,“The angel of
the Lord encamps all around about those that fear him, and delivers
them” (Psalm 34:7). Beloved, we are never alone.
In the late 1800’s in England, the members of a church were burdened
for the safety of their missionary in China. Twenty of them had a prayer
meeting. At the same time, in China, their missionary was traveling on
horseback through an area filled with robbers. Seeing the missionary,
the robbers were preparing to attack him when they saw that he was
surrounded by some 20 horsemen armed with swords! The angels of the
prayer warriors had been sent. Yes, multitudes of missionaries have
stories to tell concerning angelic intervention.
John Wesley (1703-1791)
John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist churches, was a vessel of
revival but he also had strong opposition. One time as he was traveling,
a crowd came to stop him from entering their town. However, as they
approached him, they saw ten horsemen with swords surrounding him. They
fled in terror. John Wesley himself was unaware of the presence of these
angelic horsemen.
Another time, as John Wesley was traveling, there were two men
pursuing him who planned to attack him. Finally he came to an inn where
he registered and went upstairs to his room. The two men came in and
demanded that the innkeeper tell them which room he was in. After
rushing upstairs, they came down just as quickly with a look of terror
in their faces. Horrified, they said to the innkeeper, “You did not tell
us about his two big friends with wings standing outside his door.”
Throughout the Scriptures we can see that many of the saints were
guided by angels. This happened to a missionary lady in Central America
who wanted to go to a church but did not know the address. Unexpectedly,
a young man came out of a crowd of people and asked in perfect English
if he could help her. She told him that she was trying to find a church.
“Follow me!” he said, “I know exactly where it is!” He led her through
crowds and around the streets until they arrived at the church. As she
started to go inside she turned to thank him, only to find that he had
disappeared. The Holy Spirit spoke to her that the young man had been an
angel.
Another modern-day example of angelic guidance occurred when I was in
Switzerland, when the wife of a minister had left her little son
playing on the balcony of her apartment. She went into the living room
down the hall, but after a few minutes she was conscious of an angel who
urged her to return to the balcony. This she did, to find her little
son had climbed up and was almost over the wall of that balcony (which
was four stories high). She grabbed him just in time. Oh let us rejoice,
for the angels are ever present because we are precious in the sight of
our Lord!
Angels Bring Judgment
Angels often have a role to play in judgment. Such was the case with Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18:20-21) as well as with Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylon. In Daniel 4:13-17 we can read how Nebuchadnezzar had received a prior warning in a dream of his judgment by the command of “the holy watchers.”
I once counseled a deacon of a church in Switzerland who had received
a similar warning from an angel in a dream. This deacon had a wife who
was confined to a mental asylum. He then twisted the Scripture to
convince himself that he was free from his wife, and he had started to
live with another woman.
In his dream, he was placed in a line of men who were standing in
heaven before a throne occupied by an angel. As each one stood before
the angel their sinful lives were revealed, and they fell down in agony
and were then taken to hell. As the line became shorter, the man in
front of the deacon turned around and said, “I do not have to worry, for
I have done nothing wrong in my life.” However, when his turn came he
fell before the angel as all the others before him, and was also hurled
into hell. The dream ended and the deacon found himself awake in his bed
on earth.
When I counseled this troubled deacon I said, “The interpretation is
clear. You are facing eternal judgment unless you cease from your wicked
ways. You are presumptuous in thinking that you are free from your wife
and able to live with another woman.” He agreed and said that he would
leave her and devote himself to his wife.
The end of this story, however, is tragic. For six months his life
changed dramatically. He stopped drinking and left the other woman. But
after those six months he reverted to his old life, returned to the
woman, and in another six months he died. This church deacon, whom God
solemnly warned, had been saved, baptized in water and filled with the
Holy Spirit, but he is not in heaven today. He is in hell suffering the
pangs of eternal judgment.
Angelic Ministries and the Second Coming
Angels play an important part in the second coming of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Angels are mentioned 74 times in the Book of Revelation, more
than in any other book of the Bible. We may assume that at the end of
this age there will be much angelic activity and that the believers will
be very aware of their presence.
When I was a young Christian, I was meditating upon the Second Coming
as I was walking along the street near my home in London, England. The
bank in which I had my savings was on the opposite side of the street.
Suddenly, a very large angel started to descend with alarming swiftness
from heaven above, and I understood that he was an angel of the Second
Coming. In my ignorance I thought the angel was coming to take me into
heaven to be forever with the Lord, not realizing that other events had
to be fulfilled first. However, to my amazement, as this large angel
drew nearer to the other side of the road, he stopped and placed his
hand upon my bank. In an instant the purpose of the vision was
communicated to me. I was not going to fulfill God’s purposes, and there
would be no Second Coming for me, if I continued to rely upon my money
in the bank.
Worship Christ Alone
Let us be conscious of the heavenly angels that are around us all the
time. They inspire us. They are our guardians. They lead us. They are
entrusted by the Lord Himself for our well-being. Why? Because we are so
precious in the Lord’s sight. Because Christ gave His precious blood
for us, all around us there are the angels of God. Let us be conscious
of them, but let us not become distracted from our love for the Lord
Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul had to warn the believers in his epistle
to the Colossians, “Let no man cheat you of your reward, taking delight
in false humility and worship of angels” (Colossians 2:18).
The Colossian church fell into this problem because they were seeing
angels. At times of revival we are very conscious of angels. The
anointing was very heavy upon the Early Church and they were seeing
angels, but some were becoming deflected from the worship of Christ.
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