The Angels of God
God’s eternal Family
Reasons to Study the Angels
1. They reveal God’s character to us
2. They are part of the “whole family of God”
3. We are training to be like them
Morally: now
4. They are
thoughts
5. They will
comes
6. They are
7. They are
how God
Physically: in the kingdom
always with us and know our
bring us to Christ when he
God’s Spirit at work today
the 1st step in understanding
manifests himself in individuals
Note: They reveal God’s character, but still
maintain their individual personalities!
Misconceptions
These misconceptions in the churches may
have influenced our community to shy away
from acknowledging the daily involvement
of angels in our lives
Members of God’s Family
Ephesians 1:10
10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of
the times He might gather together in
one all things in Christ, both which are in
heaven and which are on earth-- in Him.
Ephesians 3:14-15
14 For this reason I bow my knees to the
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
15 from whom the whole family in heaven
and earth is named,
There are lots of angels!
Matthew 26:53
"Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My
Father, and He will provide Me with more than
twelve legions of angels? (at least 60,000)
Daniel 7:10
A fiery stream issued and came forth from before
Him. A thousand thousands (a million!)
ministered to Him; ten thousand times ten
thousand (100,000,000) stood before Him. The court
was seated, and the books were opened.
“innumerable company of angels” in Heb 12:22
might be “ten thousand” as in Jude 14
These are involved in saving humans on earth.
There could be many more in other places!
Job 38:4-7
4 "Where were you when I laid the
foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you
have understanding.
5 Who determined its measurements?
Surely you know! Or who stretched the
line upon it?
6 To what were its foundations fastened? Or
who laid its cornerstone,
7 When the morning stars sang together,
and all the sons of God (angels) shouted
for joy? (New King James Version)
They were involved & interested in our creation.
Excited from the start! Sang & shouted for joy!
Angels do God’s word
Psalm 103:20-22
20 Bless the LORD, you His angels, who
excel in strength, who do His word,
heeding the voice of His word.
21 Bless the LORD, all you His hosts, you
ministers of His, who do His pleasure.
22 Bless the LORD, all His works, in all
places of His dominion. Bless the LORD,
O my soul!
Note vs 17-18: We must do the same to
receive God’s mercy and live in His kingdom
Luke 20:35-36
35 "But those who are counted worthy to
attain that age, and the resurrection from
the dead, neither marry nor are given
in marriage;
36 "nor can they die anymore, for they
are equal to the angels and are sons of
God, being sons of the resurrection.
Angels are immortal
They don’t have individual family relationships
They are now, what we hope to become
1 Timothy 6:15-16
15 which He will manifest in His own time,
He who is the blessed and only
Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of
lords,
16 who alone has immortality, dwelling in
unapproachable light, whom no man has
seen or can see, to whom be honor and
everlasting power. Amen
Angels were not always immortal.
Only God has underived immortality.
Genesis 3:5, 22
5 "For God knows that in the day you eat
of it your eyes will be opened, and you
will be like God [“elohim” – angels],
knowing good and evil."
22 Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the
man has become like one of Us
(angels), to know good and evil. And
now, lest he put out his hand and take
also of the tree of life, and eat, and live
forever"--
Angels know good and evil like us. They have
a conscience – must make moral decisions.
They are individuals, not robots.
Angels are known for wisdom
2 Samuel 14:17-20
17 Your maidservant said, 'The word of my lord
the king will now be comforting; for as the angel
of God, so is my lord the king in discerning good
and evil. And may the Lord your God be with
you.'"
20 To bring about this change of affairs your
servant Joab has done this thing; but my lord is
wise, according to the wisdom of the angel of
God, to know everything that is in the earth."
2 Samuel 19:27
27 And he (Ziba) has slandered your servant
(Mephibosheth) to my lord the king, but my lord
the king is like the angel of God. Therefore do
what is good in your eyes.
Angels have emotions!
Job 38:7 When the morning stars sang together, and all the
sons of God shouted for joy?
Luke 1:28 And having come in, the angel said to her,
"Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed
are you among women!"
Luke 2:10 Then the angel said to them, "Do not be
afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great
joy which will be to all people.
Luke 15:7 "I say to you that likewise there will be more
joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over
ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.
10 "Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence
of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
If we can bring them joy, we can also cause sadness 
Angels show compassion
Gen 21:17 And God heard the voice of the lad. Then the
angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said to her,
"What ails you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the
voice of the lad where he is.
Dan 10:19 And he said, "O man greatly beloved, fear
not! Peace be to you; be strong, yes, be strong!" So when
he spoke to me I was strengthened, and said, "Let my lord
speak, for you have strengthened me."
Matt 28:5 But the angel answered and said to the women,
"Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who
was crucified.
Luke 1:13 But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid,
Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife
Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name
John.
Luke 1:30 Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid,
Mary, for you have found favor with God.
Luke 2:10 Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid,
for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will
be to all people.
1 Timothy 5:21
21 I charge you before God and the
Lord Jesus Christ and the elect
(eklektos) angels that you observe
these things without prejudice,
doing nothing with partiality.
Eklektos is also used of the rewarded saints of our
creation (Rom 8:33 – who will bring a charge against
God’s elect?)
If some angels are “elect”, then some were not! Not all
angels were successful during their probation. Angels
probably came from another creation, experienced a
period of probation, and some made it by faith!
The appearance of Angels
Mark 16:5
5 And entering the tomb, they (Mary, Mary and
Salome) saw a young man clothed in a long
white robe sitting on the right side; and they
were alarmed.
Genesis 18:1-2
1 Then the LORD appeared to him by the terebinth
trees of Mamre, as he was sitting in the tent door
in the heat of the day.
2 So he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold,
three men were standing by him; and when he
saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet
them, and bowed himself to the ground
Angels are restored to youth, and
appear dressed in white robes
Each angel looks different
Matthew 28:2-3
2 And behold, there was a great earthquake;
for an angel of the Lord descended
from heaven, and came and rolled back
the stone from the door, and sat on it.
3 His countenance was like lightning,
and his clothing as white as snow.
Angels can let humans see them reflecting
the glory of God – continuous brightness
Exodus 34:20-23
20 But He said, "You cannot see My face;
for no man shall see Me, and live." 21 And
the Lord said, "Here is a place by Me, and
you shall stand on the rock. 22 So it shall
be, while My glory passes by, that I will put
you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover
you with My hand while I pass by. 23 Then I
will take away My hand, and you shall see
My back; but My face shall not be seen."
The brightness of some angels is too
great for any humans to look on
Judges 13:3, 6
3 And the Angel of the LORD appeared to the
woman and said to her, "Indeed now, you are
barren and have borne no children, but you shall
conceive and bear a son.
6 So the woman came and told her husband,
saying, "A Man of God came to me, and His
countenance was like the countenance of
the Angel of God, very awesome; but I did not
ask Him where He was from, and He did not tell
me His name.
Angels appear to look like humans,
even when reflecting God’s glory
Judges 13:15-16
15 Then Manoah said to the Angel of the
LORD, "Please let us detain You, and we
will prepare a young goat for You."
16 And the Angel of the LORD said to
Manoah, "Though you detain Me, I will
not eat your food. But if you offer a burnt
offering, you must offer it to the LORD."
(For Manoah did not know He was
the Angel of the LORD.)
Angels can appear so much like humans that
some humans do not know they are angels!
They don’t want us to worship them.
Judges 13:20-21
20 it happened as the flame went up toward
heaven from the altar-- the Angel of
the LORD ascended in the flame of
the altar! When Manoah and his wife
saw this, they fell on their faces to the
ground.
21 When the Angel of the LORD appeared
no more to Manoah and his wife, then
Manoah knew that He was the Angel
of the LORD.
Angels are not bound by our laws of
physics. They are not limited by gravity
and heat energy does not affect them.
They easily move between heaven & earth.
Hebrews 13:1-2
1 Let brotherly love continue.
2 Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some
have unwittingly entertained angels.
Some of the people we meet may actually be angels!
Should teach us to be kind and loving to everyone we
encounter, and show hospitality to strangers.
Genesis 37:15-17
15 Now a certain man found him, and there he was,
wandering in the field. And the man asked him, saying,
"What are you seeking?"
16 So he said, "I am seeking my brothers. Please tell me where
they are feeding their flocks."
17 And the man said, "They have departed from here, for
I heard them say, 'Let us go to Dothan.'" So Joseph
went after his brothers and found them in Dothan.
Numbers 22:24-31
24 Then the Angel of the LORD stood in a narrow
path between the vineyards, with a wall on this
side and a wall on that side.
25 And when the donkey saw the Angel of the
LORD, she pushed herself against the wall and
crushed Balaam's foot against the wall; so he
struck her again.
31 Then the LORD opened Balaam's eyes, and
he saw the Angel of the LORD standing in the
way with His drawn sword in His hand; and he
bowed his head and fell flat on his face.
Angels have bodies, but they can determine who is
allowed to see them. The donkey saw the angel, and
Balaam didn’t – all at the same time! Jehovah
Witnesses are wrong about angels materializing a body.
2 Kings 6:15-17
15 And when the servant of the man of God (Elisha)
arose early and went out, there was an army,
surrounding the city with horses and chariots.
And his servant said to him, "Alas, my master!
What shall we do?"
16 So he answered, "Do not fear, for those who are
with us are more than those who are with them."
17 And Elisha prayed, and said, "LORD, I pray, open
his eyes that he may see." Then the LORD
opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw.
And behold, the mountain was full of horses
and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
Angels can determine the way we perceive them. In
this case they chose to be seen as horses and chariots
of fire – because they were there to protect Elisha.
The angels have the power to affect our vision.
Angels have good memories
Luke 18:32-34
32 For He will be delivered to the Gentiles and will be
mocked and insulted and spit upon. 33 They will
scourge Him and kill Him. And the third day He will
rise again.” 34 But they understood none of these
things; this saying was hidden from them, and
they did not know the things which were spoken.
Luke 24:4-7 (months later)
4 And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed
about this, that behold, two men stood by them
in shining garments. 5 Then, as they were afraid
and bowed their faces to the earth, they (angels)
said to them, "Why do you seek the living among
the dead? 6 He is not here, but is risen!
Remember how He spoke to you when He was
still in Galilee, 7 saying, 'The Son of Man must be
delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be
crucified, and the third day rise again.'"
Angels are limited
Zechariah 1:12-13
12 Then the Angel of the LORD answered
and said, "O LORD of hosts, how long
will You not have mercy on Jerusalem
and on the cities of Judah, against which
You were angry these seventy years?"
13 And the LORD answered the angel who
talked to me, with good and comforting
words.
Since they don’t know everything,
at times they ask God questions
about His plan
Matthew 24:36
"But of that day and hour no one knows, not
even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.
1 Peter 1:12
To them (prophets) it was revealed that, not to
themselves, but to us they were ministering the
things which now have been reported to you
through those who have preached the gospel to
you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven-- things
which angels desire to look into.
Angels don’t know everything. They do inquire &
try to understand. They probably don’t know
whether or not we will be in the kingdom. God
keeps life interesting and challenging for them.
Note the link of elohim and angels
Psalm 8:4-5 (RSV)
4
5
what is man that thou art mindful of him, and the
son of man that thou dost care for him?
Yet thou hast made him little less than God
(Elohim), and dost crown him with glory and
honor.
Psalm 8:5 (NKJV)
5
For You have made him a little lower than the
angels, and You have crowned him with glory and
honor.
Heb 2:7 (NKJV)
7
You have made him a little lower than the
angels; you have crowned him with glory and
honor, and set him over the works of Your hands.
Psalm 97:7
7 Let all be put to shame who serve
carved images, who boast of idols.
Worship Him, all you gods (elohim).
Hebrews 1:6
6 But when He again brings the firstborn
into the world, He says: "Let all the
angels of God worship Him."
Exodus 20:1-2
1 And God spoke all these words,
saying:
2 "I am the LORD your God, who brought
you out of the land of Egypt, out of the
house of bondage.
Acts 7:38
38 "This is he who was in the congregation
in the wilderness with the Angel who
spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and
with our fathers, the one who received
the living oracles to give to us
Genesis 18:1-2
1 Then the LORD appeared to him by the terebinth trees of
Mamre, as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day.
2 So he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were
standing by him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent
door to meet them, and bowed himself to the ground,
4 "Please let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and
rest yourselves under the tree.
5 "And I will bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh
your hearts. After that you may pass by, inasmuch as you have
come to your servant." They said, "Do as you have said."
8 So he took butter and milk and the calf which he had
prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the
tree as they ate.
See how angels accommodated Abraham
Genesis 18:12-13
12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, "After I
have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?"
13 And the LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh,
saying, 'Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?‘
1 Peter 3:5-6
5 For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who
trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their
own husbands,
6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose
daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any
terror.
We can’t fool angels. They read our
thoughts. They know our motives.
Genesis 18:17-19
17 And the LORD said, "Shall I hide from
Abraham what I am doing,
18 "since Abraham shall surely become a great and
mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be
blessed in him?
19 "For I have known him, in order that he may
command his children and his household after him, that
they keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness
and justice, that the LORD may bring to Abraham what
He has spoken to him."
Note the discussion and decision-making of the
angels, as they work together in God’s service!
Genesis 18:20-22
20 And the LORD said, "Because the outcry against
Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is
very grave,
21 "I will go down now and see whether they have
done altogether according to the outcry against it that
has come to Me; and if not, I will know."
22 Then the men turned away from there and went
toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the
LORD.
Angels are not omniscient – they need to
be present to see what is happening. That’s
why they are with us all the time!
Genesis 18:23-26
23 And Abraham came near and said, "Would You
also destroy the righteous with the wicked?
24 "Suppose there were fifty righteous within the
city; would You also destroy the place and not spare it
for the fifty righteous that were in it?
25 "Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to
slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous
should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not
the Judge of all the earth do right?"
26 So the LORD said, "If I find in Sodom fifty
righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place
for their sakes."
Look at the power of prayer! Angels respond
to our desires to save our family and friends!
Genesis 19:1-2
1 Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening,
and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw
them, he rose to meet them, and he bowed himself with
his face toward the ground.
2 And he said, "Here now, my lords, please turn in to
your servant's house and spend the night, and wash your
feet; then you may rise early and go on your way." And
they said, "No, but we will spend the night in the open
square.“ (they came down to see for themselves!)
3 But he insisted strongly; so they turned in to him
and entered his house. Then he made them a feast, and
baked unleavened bread, and they ate.
Note how accommodating the angels were to Lot.
They do respond to our wants and needs.
Genesis 19:15-17
15 When the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot to hurry,
saying, "Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are
here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city."
16 And while he lingered, the men took hold of his hand, his
wife's hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the LORD
being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him
outside the city.
17 So it came to pass, when they had brought them outside,
that he said, "Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor
stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be
destroyed.”
Angels don’t usually force us because they want us to
make the good decisions. There may be times when
they force our hands out of compassion and mercy.
Remember: Lot was righteous!
2 Peter 2:6-9
6 and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into
ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an
example to those who afterward would live ungodly;
7 and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by
the filthy conduct of the wicked
8 (for that righteous man, dwelling among them,
tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing
and hearing their lawless deeds)-9 then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of
temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment
for the day of judgment,
Genesis 19:18-22
18 Then Lot said to them, "Please, no, my lords!
19 "Indeed now, your servant has found favor in your
sight, and you have increased your mercy which you have
shown me by saving my life; but I cannot escape to the
mountains, lest some evil overtake me and I die.
20 "See now, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a
little one; please let me escape there (is it not a little one?)
and my soul shall live."
21 And he said to him, "See, I have favored you
concerning this thing also, in that I will not overthrow this
city for which you have spoken.
22 "Hurry, escape there. For I cannot do anything until
you arrive there." Therefore the name of the city was called
Zoar.
The angel responded to Lot’s request, and had to wait
for Lot to get to Zoar! Patience, kindness & mercy.
Genesis 19:25-26
25 So He overthrew those cities, all the plain,
all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on
the ground.
26 But his wife looked back behind him, and
she became a pillar of salt.
Angels are merciful, but they are also to be feared
for their justice. Imagine the disappointment of
Lot’s wife’s angel when she looked back  Years
of patient work ended in a moment by a bad choice.
Let’s commit today to appreciate all the angels do
for us and try not to let them down by our choices.
Characteristics of Angels revealed in Genesis
18-19
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Can appear as normal men
Want to save us
Can develop a personal relationship with us
Can read our thoughts
Need to be present to know what’s happening
Willing to reason with us
Willing to accommodate us (within reason)
Discuss with each other to make decisions
Are extremely patient & merciful with us
Lessons for Us:
•
We need to learn to be aware of the
presence of angels all the time, even
though they don’t let us see them.
•
The more we feel their presence, the
closer we will come to walking with God.
•
Thank God for the work of His angels!
•
Now is the time to practice living like
angels – to show we really want to live as
members of God’s family forever.