1/25/26 “A Biblical View of Angels”

“A Biblical View of Angels” 

Hebrews 1:1-14 

What are some things that fascinate you? 

Maybe you’re fascinated by deep scientific mysteries such as black holes...or quantum theory....or the space-time continuum 

Maybe you’re fascinated by those tiny glow-in-the-dark creatures that swim in the bottom of the ocean.... 

Maybe you’re fascinated by dreams....or how seeds just “know” when to germinate... 

...perhaps extreme weather phenomena such as tornados or hurricanes fascinate you....or how a song from your youth can transport you to another time and place... 

Or maybe you’re fascinated by how animals instinctively know how to do certain things...or how the pyramids were built....or how the Northern lights work.... 

As for me, I’m pretty easily fascinated... 

Viruses fascinate me (Are they alve...are they not alive?)  

Airplanes fascinate me (I’ll be on one tomorrow for 11 hours....prayers are appreciated for my wife - who will be sitting next to me for 11 hours – having to endure my constant idling about some theological issue....she can’t go anywhere...it’s like a hostage situation! 😊) 

GPS fascinates me.... sunsets fascinate me....Cactus bread fascinates me 

....Peanut butter ice cream fascinates me (And- by the way - WHY do we not have more peanut butter ice cream in the world?) 

There are so many things about the human existence that fascinate people 

But, perhaps the most fascinating aspect of life - for many people - has to do with the spiritual realm – and specifically, the existence of angels. 

Countless movies have been made dealing with the subject of Angels: ‘It’s a Wonderful LIfe, ‘Michael’, ‘Gabriel’, ,Angels in the Outfield’, Angels in the infield’ (Apparently Angels love playing baseball) 

Songs mention angels...such as ‘Earth Angel’ ‘Angel Baby’ ‘Fallen Angels’ ‘Wild Angels’....just to name a few. 

Thousands of books deal with the subject of angels....from non-fictional descriptions of angelic beings and real-life encounters with angels... 

.....to fictional stories involving angels in some way. 

The world is fascinated by angels.... 

A recent survey found that 75% of Americans believe in the existence of angels.... 

So – with all of this cultural interest in angels – why am I including this topic in a sermon series called ‘under the radar’? 

...it seems as though angels are definitely ON society’s radar. 

Well....similar to our discussion of heaven from last week...the topic of angels does get brought up quite frequently... 

....however.... the biblical truth about angels often goes overlooked.... 

What the bible actually says about angels...more often than not...goes ‘under the radar’.....if that makes sense. 

In our world – and even in the Church - there are so many misconceptions about angels – both holy angels & fallen angels..... 

Famous pieces of art throughout the centuries have depicted angels as these fat little cherubs shooting arrows....or sitting on clouds plucking harps. 

Oftentimes, Angels will appear in movies, tv, or paintings as fair-skinned, Elvish-looking men in white robes....with long blonde hair....basically, like Legolas from the Lord of the Rings. 

But as we will discover from multiple passages of scripture this morning...angels are actually very different from how they are depicted in pop culture. 

Our passage for today from the book of Hebrews is a good starting point for our overview of angels.... 

These 14 verses from Hebrews chapter 1 primarily speak of the supremacy of Jesus Christ – His eternal divinity, His preeminence in every way, and His superiority to the created order in general....including angels. 

But these verses also peel back the curtain a bit concerning angels....their nature, their role in God’s creation, and their mission. 

First of all, the word ‘Angel’ comes from the Greek word ‘Angelos’, meaning ‘Messenger’....or ‘Someone who delivers a message’ 

....depending on the context, it can describe a human messenger...or an angelic messenger. 

For instance, in chapters 2&3 of Revelation, you may recall that each of the churches have a letter written to them from Jesus, begin with the salutation: “To the angel of the church in....” (Ephesus...or Sardis....or Philadelphia) 

...This would be an example of ‘Angel’ describing a human messenger – the letters were meant for the human pastor of each congregation. 

But that’s the exception.... we almost always see in scripture that ‘Angelos’ is reserved for describing spirit messengers, not human messengers. 

In fact, 34 books in the Bible talk about angels – 17 in the OT, and 17 in the NT.... 

Angels are mentioned nearly 300 times in scripture, with 50 of those occurrences being from the mouth of Jesus himself.... 

Angels are real....and they are all around us...both holy angels – and fallen angels.... 

....They are beings that inhabit a spiritual dimension that also intersects with our physical dimension....and we are only very rarely given the opportunity to experience their presence in the physical world in which we live. 

First, let’s look at verse 4 of today’s passage (Hebrews 1:4) “So he (Jesus) became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.” 

This verse has sometimes been misunderstood to be saying that Jesus was – at some point in the past – inferior in His nature to the angels... 

But this has never been the case. 

We understand from scripture that Jesus has always been God from eternity past....and according to verse 8 (Hebrews 1:8) “But about the Son he says ‘Your throne, O GOD, will last forever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom.” 

We also read in verse 10 (Hebrews 1:10).....still speaking of Jesus....”In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth and the heavens are the work of your hands.” 

Jesus has always existed from eternity past....and he created the angels himself...therefore he could never be inferior to them in any way. 

By the way....the next time 2 well-dressed young men come to your door and try to convince you that Jesus was created at some point in eternity past...politely take them to this passage in Hebrews.... 

along with John chapter 1....that reveal the plain truth that Jesus was-is-and forever will be..... God. 

What’s being said here in verse 4 (Hebrews 1:4) when it talks about Jesus becoming superior to the angels has to do with the title of “Son” that Jesus took upon himself while in the flesh...while incarnate. 

You see, Before Jesus came to earth, he was never referred to as ‘God’s Son’... 

He had always simply been the second member of the Triune Godhead.... or ‘The Angel of the Lord’ for those of you familiar with Old Testament Theophanies & Christophanies.... 

But – since the incarnation – Jesus took on another title...the title of....Son. 

...And while on earth, Jesus willingly took on some of the limitations of humanity....and - for 33 years – It could be said of Jesus that he was under the angels in rank....because he had taken on human flesh. 

Hebrews 2:6-8 says it like this “....What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor and put everything under his feet....” 

Again Jesus – the Son of Man – was created only in the sense that he took on flesh and willingly lived his 33 years as a human in humble servitude... 

....then Jesus returned to the Father in heaven with a new title...the title of “The Son”....and it is this added title that God the Father lifted high above that of the angels... 

Well...getting back to angels. 

Who are they? 

When were they created? 

Why were they created? 

Where are they now? 

What do they do? 

What do they really look like? 

Let’s begin answering some of these questions. 

First of all....who are angels? 

Well...as was mentioned, Angels are spirit beings with spiritual bodies – created by God to primarily deliver messages...or to carry out an important mission of some kind. 

We first encounter angels in the very beginning of the Bible. 

Genesis 3:24 reads “After He drove the man out, He placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden Cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.” 

Notice that word ‘Cherubim’ 

It’s the plural form of the word ‘Cherub’....which describes a specific type – or class - of angel. 

So, there was actually more than one angel guarding the way to the tree of life....so often, we hear people say “The angel” when, in reality, there were at least 2 angels standing guard. 

Anyway....we see cherubim in other passages of scripture. 

1 Samuel 4:4 describes the Ark of the Covenant with two Cherubim – one on each side of the lid.... 

(Show picture of the Ark of the Covenant) 

If you’ve ever seen the movie ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ you have a pretty good idea of what the Ark of the Covenant probably looked like... 

We also encounter Cherubim in the book of Ezekiel.....as well as cherubim performing certain tasks in the book of Revelation. 

So...Cherub Angels (Cherubim) are described as powerful, winged angelic beings associated with guarding God’s holiness and presence. 

Then we have another class of angels referred to as ..... Seraphim. 

Seraphim are described in detail in Isaiah chapter 6....the passage in which Isaiah is commissioned to become a prophet of God. 

Listen to how Isaiah describes these angels: “....I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above Him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: ‘Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory.’ At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.” (Isaiah 6:1-4) 

The word ‘Seraphim’ literally means ‘Fiery Ones’...they are angels who fervently attend to God’s throne.... 

Seraphim are described as being in perpetual worship of God....singing ‘Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord Almighty’.... 

Much like we did just a few minutes ago...Seraphim lead the heavenly choir in worship of almighty God... 

Revelation chapter 4 also describes what appear to be Seraphim, each with 6 wings.... 

....Here, John refers to them as ‘Living Creatures’.... surrounding the throne room of God....echoing the same message as that in Isaiah.... 

....Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.” (Revelation 4:8) 

Finally, we have 3 extremely powerful Angels that are referred to by name in scripture.... 

Michael, Gabriel, and (Any Guesses?) Lucifer....who would become Satan. 

These 3 angels are referred to as Archangels...each with a specific duty to carry out.... 

Michael is a powerful warrior....protector....and leader of God’s heavenly armies. 

The name Michael means ‘Who is like God?’ and he is described in detail in Daniel chapter 10 as the great prince who protects God’s people. 

The name Gabriel literally means ‘God is Great’.....and Gabriel is seen in scripture as being God’s primary communicator.... 

He delivers extremely important messages to Daniel in the Old Testament...as well as Zechariah, Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds in the New Testament. 

Then we have....Lucifer. 

The name ‘Lucifer’ literally means ‘Light-bringer’.... 

Lucifer was a beautiful, powerful, angel....second only to God it seems....He’s described as worshipping....and protecting the Throne of God. 

But the angel Lucifer fell from His highly exalted position in heaven.... 

He fell into prideful sin....as the prophet Ezekial says “You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you. Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, O guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth.....” (Ezekiel 28:14-17) 

Lucifer was the Joseph of Heaven....the second in command, so to speak. 

But unlike Joseph – a righteous man in a wicked place – Lucifer was a wicked angel in a righteous place.... 

He was extremely gifted and beautiful....and these gifts led to the sin of pride taking root in his heart....and wickedness became his nature from that point forward... 

....You all know the rest of the story....Lucifer managed to convince a third of the angels to follow him in rebellion against God.... 

(Some theologians believe it was because they were jealous of God deciding to create human beings in His own image – but we don’t know for sure why so many angels chose to rebel) 

....the rebellious angels were all cast out of heaven – and now, Lucifer (known as Satan) and his legion of fallen angels (Known as demons) wage war against – not only God and His holy angels – but human beings as well... 

....especially human beings who have found salvation in Jesus Christ! 

....Because salvation is something that Satan and the fallen angels will never experience....they will forever be punished for their act of betrayal against God. 

So, what else do angels do besides glorify God, battle against evil, and deliver messages? 

They also minister to believers....us! 

We see angels come to comfort Jesus after his 40 days of temptation in the wilderness – and when He is praying in the garden of Gethsemane - prior to his arrest and crucifixion. 

Verse 14 (Hebrews 1:14) of today’s passage says “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” 

I love listening to testimonies of God’s providence and deliverance by way of angelic intervention.... 

Many of you have relayed to me times in your life when you were literally saved by an angel....someone pulled you out of a burning car, then disappeared....or a stranger delayed you just long enough that you weren’t involved in that car crash that happened a minute or two before you came upon it.... 

When I was in grade school, I remember our car sliding off an isolated town road in northern Illinois during a blizzard...It was very cold – a day like today – and we were already low on fuel.... 

Suddenly, a snow plow came up behind us...the driver never got out...with his blade, he gently nudged our vehicle out of the ditch so we could continue down the road....strange thing was....he didn’t go on ahead of us....and when we thought to look behind us to wave ‘thank you’....he was gone.... 

Folks...angels are real. 

...and many of you have stories similar that one.... 

Scripture describes times when angels – who are spirit beings – can become visible to men.... 

There are – of course – the well-known appearances of angels to Abraham, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, Peter, John, etc. 

But I just love the Old Testament story of the prophet Elisha and his servant. 

One morning they wake up to find they are surrounded by enemies on all sides... 

Elisha’s servant is freaking out thinking they’re doomed... 

But Elisha says this to him in 2 Kings 6 “Don’t be afraid, the prophet answered. Those who are with us are more than those who are with them. And Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes so he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” (2 Kings 6:16-17) 

Angels protected Elisha and his prophet....angels protected Daniel in the Lion’s Den....angels protected Peter in prison....and angels still protect God’s people today... 

Sometimes, the question comes up: “When did God create angels?” 

We don’t exactly know....but I believe that it had to be sometime before God created the earth.... 

Job 38:7 tells us that all the angels joined in praise when the earth was created.... Insinuating that they were already present when creation began to unfold.... 

How powerful are angels?....including Satan? 

This is an important question....and many people are confused as to the exact nature of angels and demons. 

First of all, angels are not omniscient. 

They are not all-knowing....only God is omniscient. 

Therefore, angels – including Satan – cannot read your mind. 

Can demons introduce worldly and tempting thoughts onto your path...yes. 

But they cannot know what you are thinking. 

This is why Paul reminds us that we have the free will to ‘Take every thought captive’ and resist demonic influence in this way. 

Also, angels are not omnipresent – they are not at numerous places at the same time....again, only God is omnipresent. 

Angels are not omnipotent....only God is all-powerful. 

This means that when people claim that Satan is doing this or doing that in their life....that’s most likely an inaccurate statement.... 

What they mean to say is that Satan’s legions of demonic representatives are trying to throw temptation, or stumbling blocks, in their way.... 

Temptation, however, can also come from the evil world system itself... 

....or it can come from our sinful desires that well up within our own heart....what the Bible refers to as ‘the flesh’. 

In fact....many times people place the blame onto Satan for falling into temptation when it was simply an unsuppressed desire of the flesh from within their own heart. 

Don’t get me wrong...Satan and his legion of fallen angels are powerful adversaries...they are more powerful than we are in our own strength... 

.....but let’s not forget that we wage a spiritual war against our own sinful desires.... just as much as we engage in spiritual battle against the principalities and powers of darkness and evil. 

Scripture also tells us that – because angles are not all-knowing – they are fascinated with.....us! 

When describing the gospel message of salvation to mankind, Peter says that “angels long to look into these things.” (1 Peter 1:12) 

So – apparently – not only are we fascinated by angels....but angels seem to be fascinated by the human experience as well....especially as it relates to our salvation in Christ. 

Lastly, people often ask: “do angels still have free will....at least to the extent that they had when a third of them freely chose to rebel against God. 

This is a difficult question to answer, as we simply are not told a great deal about the nature of angels regarding their own self-determination. 

Personally, I believe scripture indicates the angels that stayed faithful to God when Lucifer fell....will always remain faithful.. 

.....just as the fallen angels apparently no longer have the volition to repent and come back to God. 

This is a good point if application for us to end on today. 

Even though fallen angels cannot repent and seek forgiveness....if there is breath in your lungs...you CAN repent and turn to Christ 

Jesus calls it being ‘born again’ 

To develop a relationship through belief and obedience in the one who created you. 

If you have yet to surrender your life....ALL of your life...to Christ. 

Today needs to be that day........don’t wait until your final breath has passed and it’s too late.... 

Come to Jesus....He’s waiting for you.....and the angels are too!!