The Angel of the Lord

This is the fourth in a brief series of posts on angels.

There is in Scripture one “angel” who is above all others. He is not created. His name appears more than 40 times in the Old Testament, but never in the New Testament. He is called “the Angel of the Lord,” “the Angel of His Presence,” “the Captain of the Lord’s Hosts,” and “ I AM WHO I AM” — a name reserved only for the one true and living God.

Who is this awesome messenger?

Ancient Israelites believed him to be a special angel, the highest revelation of the unseen God. Similarly, Roman Catholics generally regard the Angel of the Lord as an angelic representative of God. 

Evangelicals, on the other hand, regard Him either as a theophany, a manifestation of God that is tangible to the human senses, or as a Christophany, an appearance of the preincarnate Son of God.

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The Eternal Fire

This is another in a series of excerpts from What Every Christian Should Know About the Return of Jesus, released by High Street Press and available at Amazon. 

In Matthew 24-25, Jesus is on the Mount of Olives with his disciples, responding to their questions about the future destruction of the temple and the end of the age. He closes out the Olivet Discourse with the parable of the sheep and goats, revealing the preparation of a final place of judgment for Satan, evil spirits, and unbelievers. 

A key verse reads: “Then he [the Son of Man] will also say to those on the left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels!’” (Matt. 25:41).

The central theme of this parable is that Christ separates believers from unbelievers at his return. Jesus also makes it clear that all angelic and human rebels are banished from his presence. This passage deals with human works, not as a condition of salvation, but as evidence of one’s regard for the Son of Man. 

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The Ministry of Holy Angels

This is the third in a brief series of posts on angels.

Most of the work of holy angels is performed in heaven, where angels minister to God with praise and worship (Ps. 148:2; Rev. 5:11-12). At the same time, angels carry out important duties on earth. In Angels Dark and Light, Gary Kinnaman says this earthly ministry falls into at least eight broad categories.

Angels are messengers

Angels deliver good news, such as the birth of Christ (Luke 2:9-14). They bring prophetic messages, such as the unlikely birth of John the Baptist (Luke 1:5-25). Angels also bring commendation and condemnation, as in the messages to the seven churches in Asia Minor (Revelation 2-3). “Herald angels” announce spectacular and significant events, like the resurrection of Christ (Matt. 28:5-7) and the resurrection of the just (1 Thess. 4:16-17). Last, angels provide instruction and direction (Matt. 2:13). 

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Names and Ranks of Holy Angels

This is the second in a brief series of posts on angels.

If God calls the stars by name (Isa. 40:26), do all angels and demons have names? Are some more important than others? Do they have different responsibilities? Various levels of authority? Is God’s angelic host a true heavenly army – with each soldier assigned a name, rank, and serial number? Our study this week focuses on how angels are named and organized.

Angelic names

Angels are called by many names in Scripture. General names include:

Angel. The Greek word angelos and the Hebrew word malak mean messenger. These words are used of angels, men, demons – even occasionally of the pre-incarnate Christ.

Minister. The Greek word leitourgos means servant or minister, especially in connection with religious duties. The Hebrew word mishrathim is used in much the same way.

Host. The Hebrew word sava encompasses all of God’s heavenly army (Ps. 103:21).

Chariots. This term applies to angels in the sense that they are part of God’s army (2 Kings 6:16-17; Ps. 68:17).

Watchers. This term denotes angels as supervisors and agents under God, employed by Him in the control of world government (Dan. 4:13, 17).

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A Brief Introduction to Angels

The Bible provides specific references to angels in 34 of its 66 books, and the word “angel” appears nearly 300 times in Scripture. The Bible classifies angels as either good (“elect” or “holy”) or evil. Good angels worship God and serve him faithfully. Evil angels include Satan and demons, who oppose God and his servants. 

In Angels Elect & Evil, C. Fred Dickason writes, “These two armies engage in a great warfare that exceeds human thought and affects the course of nations and the world.”

This brief study of angels focuses, not on subjective human experience or the popular media, but on the Word of God — the only truly reliable source of information on angels and demons.

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