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coram_deo 06-Aug-21, 13:28	Angels in the Holy Bible There’s no doubt that angels exist, based on the Holy Bible, and that their purpose is to carry out God’s will. Unlike God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Ghost (the Triune God,) angels are created beings - created by God. The pastor at a church I used to attend believed angels, when they were first created, had free will (like us.) But after Lucifer’s rebellion and the one-third of angels who followed him, God took away angels’ free will. I believe that position makes sense because angels clearly had free will when Lucifer, who was perhaps the greatest of the angels, rebelled against God and was cast out of Heaven, becoming known as Satan after that. And the third of angels who followed him became demons. I think angels existed before God created the world and the initial living species of animals and human beings. I base that on this verse from Job, which is considered to be the oldest book of the Bible. “Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof; When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?” (Job 38:4-7) The “morning stars” and “sons of God” in Job 38:7 are believed to be angels. I also believe Lucifer was cast out of Heaven (and became Satan) after God created the earth based on that passage from Job. Here is one passage from the book of Isaiah that speaks to Lucifer being cast out of Heaven and the reason God did that. “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.” (Isaiah 14:12-15) And here, Jesus Christ tells His disciples that He saw Lucifer’s fall from Heaven: “And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.” (Luke 10:17-18) And in the book of Revelation, John, one of Jesus Christ’s apostles, describes the fall of Lucifer: “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.” (Revelation 12:9-12) Anyhoo, here are some of my favorite verses in the Bible about angels: “Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.” (Psalm 91:9-12) In this next passage, Elisha, the successor to Elijah the prophet, asks the Lord to open the eyes of his servant, who is fearful of a large number of warriors arrayed against them: “And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.“ (2 Kings 6:15-17) Angels apparently can take on human form if that furthers God’s purposes: “Let brotherly love continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” (Hebrews 13:1-2) Though the spiritual realm is only rarely revealed to our five senses, the spiritual realm is the eternal realm and its effects and impacts on this world are much more visibly evident than the beings that inhabit it. “While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:18) It’s important, imo, to note that angels never receive worship (more accurately, they never should be worshipped.) “And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” (Revelation 19:9-10) Nor, do I think, should angels or saints be prayed to: “There is absolutely no scriptural basis to pray to anyone other than God alone. There is no need to, either. Jesus, our Intercessor, has it covered. No one in heaven can mediate on our behalf except for Jesus Christ. Only God can hear and answer our prayers. The temple veil was torn in two (Hebrews 10:19–20); the child of God on earth has just as much access to God’s throne of grace, in Jesus’ name, than anyone in heaven (Hebrews 4:16).” www.gotquestions.org
coram_deo 06-Aug-21, 16:48	Interesting to me that God used angels, and not prophets, to announce the impending birth of both John the Baptist, who would prepare people for the arrival of Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ Himself. In both instances, the angel was Gabriel. Here, from the Gospel of Luke, is Gabriel appearing before Zacharias to tell him that his wife, Elisabeth, who was old and thought to be barren, would give birth to a son who would turn many Israelis toward Jesus Christ. When Zacharias expresses disbelief at what Gabriel says, Zacharias is struck mute and dumb until the birth of his son. “There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years. And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course, According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense. And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years. And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings. And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season. And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple. And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless. And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house. And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying, Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.“ (Luke 1:5-25)
coram_deo 06-Aug-21, 18:33	And here is the account of Gabriel informing Mary that she will give birth to the Saviour of the World. “And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.” (Luke 1:26-38)
coram_deo 06-Aug-21, 18:47	An angel also announced the birth of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the World. And the first people from the general public to learn of His birth were not royalty or men of high estate, but shepherds in a field. “And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.“ (Luke 2:7-20)
coram_deo 06-Aug-21, 19:09	When King Herod of Judaea sought to kill Jesus (apparently out of fear He would threaten his rule in the near future,) an angel warned Joseph in a dream to flee to Egypt with Mary and Jesus: “And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son. Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.” (Matthew 2:13-18) And once Herod was dead, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream, telling him to return with his family to Israel. “But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life. And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee: And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.” (Matthew 2:19-23) Interesting that at major events - the birth of Jesus, impending birth of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ’s Resurrection, angels appear in person. But in less major events, they appear in dreams (at least so far; I haven’t done a thorough, or even cursory, search of all the times angels appear in the Holy Bible, but I know they appeared in person in the passages I’ve cited so far and also appeared in person at Jesus Christ’s Resurrection.)
coram_deo 13-Aug-21, 08:59	“Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matthew 26:53) In this verse, Jesus Christ says He went to His death willingly - that He could have avoided it if He wanted to, and He mentions angels as a way He could have avoided His upcoming death: Here are additional verses to put that verse into context: “Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast. And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him. And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus and took him. And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest's, and smote off his ear. Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be? In that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me. But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.” (Matthew 26:48-56) Here’s a good commentary on the latter verses in that passage: From enduringword.com: b. He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels: Had Jesus wanted Divine help at this moment, He could have had it. There were more than twelve legions of angels ready to come to His aid. i. “A legion is judged to be six thousand foot and seven hundred horse. And this great army of angels is by prayer despatched from heaven in an instant.” (Trapp) The number is impressive, especially considering that one angel killed up to 185,000 soldiers in one night (2 Kings 19:35). ii. With one sword, Peter was willing to take on a small army of men, yet he couldn’t pray with Jesus for one hour. Prayer is the best work we can do, and often the most difficult. iii. With his sword, Peter accomplished very little. He only cut off one ear, and really just made a mess that Jesus had to clean up by healing the severed ear (Luke 22:51). When Peter moved in the power of the world, he only cut off ears. But when he was filled with the Spirit, using the Word of God, Peter pierced hearts for God’s glory (Acts 2:37). iv. “Our Lord had thus the means of self-defense; something far more powerful than a sword hung at his girdle; but he refused to employ the power within his reach. His servants could not bear this test; they had no self-restraint, the hand of Peter is on his sword at once. The failure of the Servants in this matter seems to me to illustrate the grand self-possession of their Master.” (Spurgeon) v. At the moment when it seemed that Jesus had nothing and no advantage, He knew that He still had a Father in heaven, and access to His Father and all His resources through prayer. c. All this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled: With all power at His disposal, Jesus was in total command. He was not the victim of circumstance, but He managed circumstances for the fulfillment of prophecy. d. Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled: At this point, all the disciples scattered, running for their own safety. A few (Peter and John, at least) followed back to see what would happen at a distance. None of them stood beside Jesus and said, “I have given my life to this Man. What you accuse Him of, you may accuse me of also.” Instead, it was fulfilled what Jesus said: All of you will be made to stumble because of Me (Matthew 26:31). i. “We never know our hearts upon the prospect of great trials, until we come to grapple with them, and to be engaged in them. These disciples had all said they would not forsake him; when it comes to the push, not one of them stands by him.” (Poole) enduringword.com BTW, the disciples fleeing from Jesus as He’s arrested is the fulfillment of a Messianic prophecy from the book of Zechariah, which was written about 475 years earlier: “Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.” (Zechariah 13:7) While the first part of this Messianic prophecy is pretty easy to understand - Jesus is the Shepherd and when He is smote (arrested,) His sheep (disciples) scatter - there is not agreement among Biblical commentators on what the last part of the prophesy means (“…and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.”) Most commentaries I read think it’s a benevolent hand - that God the Father will care for Jesus’ disciples and followers while Jesus is undergoing His “trial” and crucifixion. (I put “trial” in quotes because it was anything but a fair and legal trial.)
coram_deo 15-Aug-21, 10:58	Angels appear after Jesus Christ’s confrontation with Satan at the beginning of Jesus’ earthly .ministry. Note how Jesus responds to Satan - with the Word of God. Here is the confrontation and afterward the appearance of angels: “Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.” (Matthew 4:1-11) I think we should respond in the same way. If, for example, we are concerned about lack, we should proclaim (out loud,) “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” (Psalm 23:1) If we are concerned about health challenges, there are numerous verses that can be proclaimed out loud, such as: “Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise.” (Jeremiah 17:14) “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” (Romans 8:11) “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5) “…Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.” (Matthew 8:17) “O Lord my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me.” (Psalm 30:2) “Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.” (1 John 4:17) And I think good verses for any kind of fear or worrying is: “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength:” (Isaiah 26:3-4)
coram_deo 13-Oct-21, 10:57	From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham Q: Are angels real or are they only a figment of imagination? – A.S. A: In the late 1800s, a German composer and his sister wrote a musical version of the fairy tale “Hansel and Gretel.” Early in the opera, Hansel and Gretel become lost one night in a dangerous forest. Before they finally fall asleep, they sing their evening prayers, and 14 angels come to surround them and keep them safe throughout the night. Fairy tales come from fanciful imaginations — but angels themselves are God’s secret servants and never fail at the tasks God gives them. Often when people talk or write about angels, they don’t base their beliefs on what the Bible says about angels. But angels are real and God has commanded them to watch over us. They are usually unseen and unrecognized, and only in Heaven will we know everything they did to keep us safe. Angels crisscross the Old and New Testaments, being mentioned directly or indirectly nearly 300 times. We face dangers every day of which we are not even aware. Often God intervenes on our behalf through the ministry of His angels. The Bible says, “Bless the Lord, you His angels, who excel in strength, who do His word” (Psalm 103:20). But we are not to worship angels; for it is God who empowers them, and they worship and glorify Him and stand ready to do His will. We can be glad about their presence, and thank God for the ways He loves and protects through His angels. Just as millions of angels participated in the dazzling show when the morning stars sang together at creation, so will the innumerable hosts of Heaven help bring to pass God’s prophetic declarations throughout time and into eternity.

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