GOD'S MINISTRY
THROUGH HIS SON JESUS CHRIST OF
BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Revs. Mr. and Mrs. H. Dean Daniels
E-mail: gods-ministry@hdd-gods-ministry.com
Web-site: http://www.hdd-gods-ministry.com/
ANGELS - PART IV
SATAN AND WORLD
GOVERNMENTS
In Daniel 10:12-13 we read:
Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words
were heard, and I am come for thy words. But the prince of the
This is the satanic prince ruling the kingdom of Persia for Satan who is recognized in Scripture as being the god of this world, having usurped man’s dominion (Mt. 4:8-9; 12:24-30; Jn. 8:44; 12:31; 2 Cor. 4:4; Eph. 2:2; 6:10-18; 1 Jn. 3:8; Rev. 12:7-12; 16:13-16; 20:1-10).
Satan has trusted angels over all the governments of this world. They are responsible to him for carrying out his will in those governments. He seeks to hinder God’s plan in the fulfillment of prophecy regarding world kingdoms. God also has trusted angels who carry out His will concerning what He has predicted to take place in the kingdoms of this world (vv. 11-21; 11:1; 12:1). Hence, there are wars between these two groups of angels in the heavenlies (vv. 13, 20-21; 11:1; 12:1; Jude 9; Rev. 12:7-12). All wars lost or won on earth are results of wars lost or won by these heavenly armies.
Similar to this conflict over governments, there are good and evil spirit beings seeking carry out the will of their masters in the lives of individuals as well (Mt. 18:10; 2 Cor. 10:4-6; Eph. 2:2; 6:10-18; Heb. 1:14; Jude 9). Satan himself is active in seeking to defeat God’s purpose in the lives of His children (1 Chr. 21:1; Job 1:6; 2:1; Zech. 3:1; Mt. 4:1-11; 2 Cor. 4:4; Eph. 2:2; 6:10-18; 1 Jn. 3:8; Rev. 12:12).
In Daniel 10:20 Gabriel told of the satanic prince over the Grecian Empire that caused Alexander the Great to be so successful as to destroy the Medo-Persian Empire completely in thirteen years. This prince of Grecia is the spirit now confined to the abyss who will come out in the last days and cause the human Antichrist to revive the old Grecian Empire, so they can all oppose Jesus Christ at Armageddon.
In Revelation 17:8 the beast out of the abyss is a satanic angel—not the human
spirit of a dead man. He does not incarnate himself in the human
Antichrist or beast out of the sea, but merely uses him as a tool to revive the
fifth or Grecian kingdom as the eighth and last kingdom in the times of the
Gentiles. This spirit ruled the old Grecian Empire, the fifth of the five
kingdoms that fell before John’s day (
Kingdoms of this world have always been controlled by godly or satanic angels
and wars on earth are lost or won as a result of battles in the heavenlies
between the good and bad angels. God plans the rise and fall of certain
kingdoms and Satan seeks to keep the prophetic Word from coming to pass (Isa.
24:21-23; 25:7; Dan. 10:13-21; 11:1; 12:1; Eph. 6:12; Rev. 12:7-12;
SATAN’S WAR ON THE
SAINTS
The most important work of Satan among men now is to counterfeit the doctrines and experiences of God as revealed in Scripture, in order to deceive saints (2 Cor. 11:14-15; Eph. 6:10-18; 1 Tim. 4:1-7; Rev. 12:9-12). Men are commanded to prove and test all doctrines and experiences in the supernatural realm to see if they are of God or Satan (1 Cor. 2:12-16; Phil. 1:9-10; 1 Th. 5:21-22; 1 Jn. 4:1-6).
It is certain that not every religion, doctrine, and experience among men is of God. We must, therefore, judge them by the plain written Word of God. The knowledge of truth is the first essential in warfare against demons and error. Great is the danger when believers accept anything and everything in the realm of the supernatural as being from the Lord. The fact that the believer is a child of God does not stop the devil from trying in every conceivable way to imitate God to him. Believers are the ones Satan concentrates on and wars against.
There are definite ways outlined in Scripture whereby one can detect what kind of spirit is seeking to control him. But if one neglects to study the Word he may fall prey to one of Satan’s demons through ignorance. Ignorance is one of the chief means by which Satan and his forces try to control men. It accounts for their widespread success in getting men to accept their suggestions, doctrines, ideas, leadings, and guidance. Among the guiding principles useful in detecting good and evil spirits, and their operations and doctrines, the outstanding ones are these:
• Any doctrine that denies or causes
doubt and unbelief concerning anything taught in Scripture is from Satan
and his demons (1 Tim. 4:1-8). Any religion denying the
inspiration of the Bible; the reality of God as a person; the virgin birth and
divinity of Christ; His miraculous power and supernatural ministry; the death,
burial, bodily resurrection, and bodily manifestation of Christ after His
resurrection; the bodily ascension to heaven and coming again of Jesus Christ
to set up a kingdom in the world forever; the necessity of the new birth,
cleansing from sin and living free from sin; and the numerous other
experiences of the Bible—any religion denying these fundamental truths is
yielding to “the spirit of error” and not “the spirit of truth”
(1 Jn. 4:1-6).
• Any power, influence, or doctrine that
causes one to become passive, inactive, submissive, and unresisting to the
workings of supernatural spirits seeking to control his life contrary to the
teachings of Scripture, is not of God. The Bible says, “resist the devil” (Jas. 4:7; 1 Pet. 5:8-9). Any
inclination to approve of sin or ignore the necessity of repentance and holy
living is promoted by Satan. The same is true for any tendency to lessen
the penalty for sin, or doubt that hell is literal and eternal. Just as
God requires truth in the mind for the working of the Holy Spirit in a life, so
the devil requires the believing of lies to hold men in bondage. See 1
Cor. 6:9-11;
• The Holy Spirit can be recognized by His
fruit: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness,
and temperance (Gal.
Methods of Satan
Satan uses every conceivable means to hold men in subjection to himself and keep them from turning to God. If he fails in this, he tries to kill the believer’s testimony and ruin his influence for God.
Lukewarmness:
Satan tries to get others in a lukewarm condition and, if he succeeds, urges them to stay in that condition so that God will cut them off in the end.
Unholy Passions:
He stirs up unholy passions, causing people to throw away all restraint and live a life of revelry.
Suicide:
If a saint falls, Satan tries to make him stay fallen or commit suicide. He tempts men to end their lives by insisting it is the best way out; but he hides the fact that this will only be the beginning of real torment in eternal hell.
Deception About Sin:
Satan tries to make people think they are missing everything in life if they do not engage in all kinds of sins which, in the end, will damn their souls. He also emphasizes sin and sinful pleasures as innocent enjoyment.
Deception About Serving God:
Satan tries to make people think there is no joy in serving the Lord. This is one of his greatest errors. Serving Christ and winning souls who will be thankful forever pays the greatest dividends and affords the greatest pleasures known.
Deception About Wealth:
The devil preaches to the diligent businessman that he needs to spend all his time getting rich before serving the Lord. The truth is, if one will truly serve the Lord, he can be abundantly prosperous with God’s help.
Compromise in Church Leadership:
Satan urges churches and their leaders to make religion a paying proposition by appealing to the rich through lowering the standards of holy living, making salvation easy for all, and compromising essentials of the faith; and by feeding the sheep messages on current events and book reviews instead of the infallible Word of God.
God’s Purpose in Allowing Satan to Continue
• To develop character and faith in the believer (Jas. 1:12; 1 Pet. 1:7-13; 5:8-9; 2 Pet. 1:4-9; Jude 20-24)
• To keep the believer humble (2 Cor. 12:7)
• To provide a conflict for saints that they
may be rewarded through overcoming (1 Jn.
• To demonstrate the power of God over the
power of Satan (Mk.
• To use him to afflict people to bring them to repentance (1 Cor. 5:1-6; 2 Cor. 2:5-11; Job 33:14-30)
• To purge man of all possibility of falling in the eternal future (Rev. 21)
Duty of Saints Regarding Satan
When one is born again he enters the realm of the supernatural and
spiritual. He must study the Bible to learn how he should walk and
conduct himself in spiritual warfare with Satan and demons. Saints are
to:
• Put on the whole armor of God (Eph.
• Know Satan’s devices (2 Cor.
• Give him no place (Eph.
• Resist him (Jas. 4:7; 1 Pet. 5:8-9)
• Be sober and vigilant lest he devour them (1 Pet. 5:8-9)
• Overcome him by the Word (Mt. 4:1-11; 1 Jn.
• Overcome him by the blood of Christ and testimony (Rev. 12:11)
• Overcome him by Christ and His name (Eph. 1:19-22; 2:6; 2 Cor. 2:15)
• Overcome him by birth of the Spirit and faith
(1 Jn.
• Overcome him by the Holy Spirit (
Evidences of Being Influenced by Satan
• Walking in darkness (1 Jn. 1:5-6;
• Saying one has no sin (1 Jn. 1:8, 10)
• Failing to please God and keep His
commandments (1 Jn. 2:3-4;
• Failing to walk as Christ did (1 Jn. 2:6)
• Hating anyone (1 Jn. 2:9;
• Failing to overcome Satan (1 Jn.
• Loving the world and the things in it (1 Jn.
• Leaving Christian fellowship (1 Jn.
• Ignoring truth (1 Jn.
• Denying God and Jesus (1 Jn.
• Doing unrighteousness (1 Jn.
• Making no effort to purify self (1 Jn. 3:3)
• Committing sin (1 Jn. 3:8-10;
• Murdering (1 Jn.
• Shutting bowels of compassion (1 Jn.
• Lacking faith (1 Jn.
• Being destitute of the indwelling Holy Spirit
(1 Jn.
• Being of the world and having fellowship with it (1 Jn. 4:5)
• Having no personal acquaintance with God or
knowledge of eternal life (1 Jn. 4:7-10;
• Making no confession of Jesus (1 Jn.
• Being overcome by the world (1 Jn. 5:4-5)
THE DOOM OF SATAN
Revelation 12:7-12 reveals the defeat of Satan and his angels in the middle of Daniel’s seventieth week, but his doom was predicted much earlier than this. Right after Adam and Eve sinned, when God pronounced upon them the curse of their fall, He also predicted Satan’s doom, saying, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel” (Gen. 3:15). Isaiah also prophesied of the defeat of Satan, fallen angels and demons at the battle of Armageddon:
And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of
the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the
earth. And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in
the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be
visited. Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the
LORD of hosts shall reign in
Speaking of the blessings of the Millennium, Isaiah also prophesied that God would destroy “the face of the covering cast over all people, and the veil that is spread over all nations” (25:7). The idea here is the removal of all satanic darkness now covering the nations. The prince of the power of the air that works in all sons of sin will be removed from all hearts and minds. Then men will, for the first time since Adam’s influence, be free from all satanic influences. Satan is the ruler of the darkness of this world, and he and all his agents will be confined to the abyss during the thousand years of Revelation 20:1-6.
Genesis
In Mark 13:24-26 we read, “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun
shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars of
heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken. And
then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and
glory.” The words “powers that are in heaven” refer to the satanic hosts
that now rule the air (Eph. 2:1-3;
The word “host” means a mass of persons, an army, a great company, and is so used about 466 times of men and angels. The planets and the hosts of heaven are distinguished in 2 Kings 23:4-5. The hosts of heaven are intelligent beings that have been worshipped by men in past ages (2 Ki. 17:16; 21:3, 5; 2 Chr. 33:3-5; Jer. 8:2; 19:13; Zeph. 1:5; Acts 7:42). That they could not refer to the material heavens is clear from Hebrews 12:26 where God says He will shake heaven only once more. This will be when the heavens and earth are renovated by fire, one thousand years after “the host” and “powers of heaven are shaken” as in the above prophecies (2 Pet. 3:5-13).
The purpose of the thousand-year reign of Christ after the second
advent will be to suppress all rebellion (1 Cor.
Thus we have numerous scriptures predicting with certainty the eternal doom of Satan and all his followers. Every child of God should thus be encouraged to resist the devil “stedfast in the faith” (2 Pet. 5:9), knowing that Christ will be victorious in the end.
ANGELS SERVE GOD
Of course, in the broadest sense all that angels do can be considered service to God. As Psalm 103:20 states, angels are beings which “excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.” But there are specific duties angels have that fall exclusively into the category of serving God.
Angels Sing, Praise and Worship God
Quoted above, Psalm 103:20 is really a commandment to worship, beginning with
the imperative, “Bless the LORD, ye his angels.”
A similar command is found in Psalm 148:2, “Praise ye him, all his angels:
praise ye him, all his hosts.” That they obey this command has been
clearly demonstrated in the previous chapters. We know that angels
shouted for joy at creation (Job 38:4-7) and worshipped at the birth of Christ
(Lk.
Angels Minister Before God
One of the ministries of the living creatures was to care for the “golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints” (Rev. 5:8). These are golden bowls full of incense which represent the prayers of the saints. This ministry is complemented by the activity of the angel in Revelation 8:3-5 which
. . . came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand. And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.
This ministry carried out at the altar involving incense is always a priestly function, yet here we see angels performing it, indicating that they also minister unto the Lord (1 Chr. 23:13; 2 Chr. 29:11). There are also angels associated with ministry in the heavenly temple in Revelation 14:15-19.
Angels Perform Guard Duty
Another way angels serve the Lord is by guarding various things at His command.
The Tree of Life:
The first mention of angels guarding anything is when Adam and Eve were driven out of the garden of Eden and God stationed cherubim and a flaming sword to keep the way to the tree of life hidden (Gen. 3:24).
The Abyss and the
Revelation 9:1-3 describes the ministry of the angel who has the key to the
bottomless pit (otherwise known as the abyss, from the Greek word abussos,
translated “bottomless”). This angel opened the abyss and released a
horde of demonic locusts who had the power to torment
men for five months. Later in this same chapter, the angel with the sixth
trumpet is commanded to “Loose the four angels which are bound in the great
river
In Revelation 20 the angel came not only with the key to the bottomless pit, but also with “a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season” (vv. 1-3). We see here that not only do angels guard things, but this responsibility also involves binding and loosing other spirit beings.
The Gates of the New Jerusalem:
John said he was carried away in the Spirit to “a great and high mountain”
where he saw the “great city, the holy
Paul taught that there were many things in the invisible world like the things
we have in the visible world: “For the invisible things of him from the
creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are
made” (Rom.
Elijah’s Translation:
The second chapter of 2 Kings opens up with the words, “And it came to pass, when
the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with
Elisha from Gilgal.” It was evidently known that Elijah was to be taken
to heaven that day, as is clear from the encounters with the sons of the
prophets at both
Elisha Surrounded by the Syrian Army:
Sometime after the healing of Naaman, the captain of the army of
In the morning, the servant of Elisha saw the Syrians and returned to the prophet, saying fearfully, “Alas, my master! how shall we do?” (v. 15). Elisha answered, “Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them” (v. 16). Elisha then prayed for his servant’s eyes to be opened, and they were: “and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha” (v. 17).
Visions of Zechariah:
Describing his first vision, Zechariah writes,
I saw by night, and behold a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in the bottom; and behind him were there red horses, speckled, and white. Then said I, O my lord, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will shew thee what these be. And the man that stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, These are they whom the LORD hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth. (Zech. 1:8-10)
The riders of the horses are invisible agencies of God—angels—sent forth into the earth to accomplish various purposes. The horses are not symbolic at all, but literal creatures—actual spirit horses created to live on the planet heaven and be used by those going back and forth between heaven and earth.
In his tenth vision Zechariah again saw such spirit beings:
And I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came four chariots out from between two mountains; and the mountains were mountains of brass. In the first chariot were red horses; and in the second chariot black horses; and in the third chariot white horses; and in the fourth chariot grisled and bay horses. Then I answered and said unto the angel that talked with me, What are these, my lord? And the angel answered and said unto me, These are the four spirits of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth. The black horses which are therein go forth into the north country; and the white go forth after them; and the grisled go forth toward the south country. And the bay went forth, and sought to go that they might walk to and fro through the earth: and he said, Get you hence, walk to and fro through the earth. So they walked to and fro through the earth. Then cried he upon me, and spake unto me, saying, Behold, these that go toward the north country have quieted my spirit in the north country. (Zech. 6:1-8)
Again, this must be taken
literally of heavenly spirit creatures. That there are such horses and
other creatures on the planet heaven (and no doubt on other planets) is clear
from the fact that the visible things on earth clearly show the invisible things
in heaven (Rom.
The Second Coming of Christ:
In what had to have been one of the most spectacular visions he had seen, John writes,
And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. (Rev. 19:11-14)
Here we see the armies of heaven
on white horses following Christ, who also rides a white horse, coming from
heaven to seize the governments of this world and to reign forever (Dan. 2:44;
7:13-14). These spirit horses are as real as those we know on
earth. In size, shape, and outward appearance they are alike, being
different only in bodily substance. All visible things are thus like
their invisible counterparts (Rom.
If there are horses in heaven, there may be all kinds of animals, for heaven is called a “better country,” and is sure to be as good as the planet earth (Heb. 11:10-16). We know there are cities, streets, mansions, rivers, trees, and other things in heaven because they are mentioned in Scripture. The more we accept the many plain scriptures on things in the heavenly world, the more real the next life will become to us now.
Angels Do Scout Work for God
As we have seen, it is clear from Scripture that there are spirit horses which
are driven by angels, for a variety of purposes. At least one of those
purposes involves the angelic assignment of doing scout work for God.
This was their purpose in Zechariah’s visions (1:7-11; 6:1-8). When Zechariah asked the man in
his first vision who the various riders were, he was told, “these are
they whom the LORD hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth” (
Such was God’s purpose in sending angels to
ANGELS SERVE MEN
In Hebrews 1:14, Paul describes angels as “ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation.” Angels fulfill this excellent description in many ways.
Angels Lead Sinners to Preachers
A wonderful example of this is seen in the life of Cornelius. One of at least ten centurions mentioned in Scripture, Cornelius and his household were among the first Gentiles to hear the gospel after Pentecost. In Acts 10:2 Luke gives a vivid description of Cornelius’ character: “A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.” In addition, he is revealed in v. 22 to be “a just man” who had a “good report among all the nation of the Jews.” He was even fasting on this particular day, according to his own testimony in v. 30. None of these fine qualities could save him, but God did respond to Cornelius by sending an angel to direct him to the very one who could present the gospel to him.
At about the ninth hour of the day an angel came to him in a vision (v. 3) and said, “Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God” (v. 4). The angel then gave Cornelius specific instructions to “send men to Joppa” and find Simon Peter (v. 5). The angel even told him exactly where Peter was staying.
The next day God prepared Peter’s heart to take the gospel to the Gentiles by showing him a vision three times, telling him not to consider common or unclean what God has cleansed (vv. 9-16). Then, when Cornelius’ men arrived, the Spirit told Peter to go with them (19-20). He obeyed, and while he was still preaching, “the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word” (v. 44). They received the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues, magnifying God (v. 46). Peter thus declared, “Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?” (v. 47).
When Paul says that these ministering spirits are “sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation” he uses the Greek word apostello, meaning to send forth as a messenger with a commission, the sender remaining behind. The noun apostle denotes one thus sent. The angel Cornelius saw was sent to him in this capacity. Cornelius then became an heir of salvation.
Angels Direct Preachers to Sinners
In the case of Cornelius above, the angel directed him to Peter who then preached
the gospel to him. At other times, angels may direct preachers to those
who need their message. Such was the case with Philip. After he had
preached the gospel in the city of
Angels Warn Men of Danger
The angel who appeared to Cornelius helped spare him from the greatest
danger of all—eternity in hell. Angels also warn men of mortal
danger. An example of this was when the angel appeared in a dream
to Joseph, saying, “Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee
into
Angels Protect Saints
Psalm 34:7 declares that “the angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.” Psalm 91:11 further emphasizes this idea: “For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.”
Daniel experienced just such protection when he was thrown into the lions’ den
for breaking Darius’ foolish law by praying to God. When Darius came the
next morning, after fasting all night long, Daniel proclaimed, “My God hath
sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me:
forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me” (Dan.
Peter also knew what it meant to have angelic protection, having been delivered
from prison twice by an angel. The first time was when he and John had
been thrown into prison by the Sadducees (Acts
the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands. And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me. And he went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision. When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which opened to them of his own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and forthwith the angel departed from him. (Acts 12:7-10)
What an experience! The next verse shows the effect it had on Peter. It begins, “And when Peter was come to himself,” indicating he wasn’t fully aware that what was happening was real. But when he was sure of himself once again, he said, “Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews” (v. 11).
Indeed, Matthew 18:10 warns anyone who might think to harm God’s children to consider this ministry of angels: “Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.”
Angels Strengthen Saints
There are times when we must simply endure our various trials. The ministry of angels at that point will not be protection from the trials, but strength in the midst of them. After killing the 450 prophets of Baal, Elijah fled for his life from the wrath of Jezebel. He went a day’s journey into the wilderness and then sat down under a juniper tree and actually prayed for God to kill him (1 Ki. 19:4). Exhausted by his flight from Jezebel, he went to sleep. Then an angel touched him—not to take his life in answer to his prayer, but to feed him in preparation for a long journey. His fare was simple, but mighty under God’s blessing—merely a cake baked on coals and a cruse of water. No doubt food never tasted better to a worn runner. After this meal he slept again under the personal protection of the angel. Awakened by the angel a second time, Elijah was told the journey was too great without more of the angel’s cooking. He went in the strength of such food forty days and forty nights, and came to Horeb, the mount of God (vv. 5-8).
Jesus also knew the strengthening ministry of angels. After
fasting forty days in the wilderness and enduring victoriously the direct
temptations of the devil himself, the Bible says that “angels came and
ministered unto him” (Mt.
Angels Come in Answer to Prayer
We have already seen this in several of the texts we’ve examined. When
Peter was miraculously released from prison by an angel—just before he was to
be executed—Luke is careful to note that it was while “prayer was made without
ceasing of the church unto God for him” (Acts 12:5). It was in the midst
of Jesus’ prayer in the garden that an angel came to His aid (Lk.
Abraham understood the ministry of angels. While commissioning his servant to look for a wife for Isaac, Abraham spoke prophetically concerning angelic assistance, saying, “The LORD, before whom I walk, will send his angel with thee, and prosper thy way; and thou shalt take a wife for my son of my kindred, and of my father’s house” (Gen. 24:40). Perhaps it was confidence in this word that encouraged the servant to pray so specifically that the girl he asked for a drink would also offer to water the camels—let her be the one You have chosen for Isaac’s wife (Gen. 24:12-14). We don’t know exactly how the angel prospered the way of this servant, but it could have been by prompting Rachel to respond exactly as the man had prayed.
Some vivid illustrations of angels coming in direct answer to prayer occurred in the life of Daniel. In chapter 9, after reading in Jeremiah that God would complete the desolations of Jerusalem in seventy years (vv. 1-2), Daniel prayed a powerful prayer of confession for the sins of an entire nation (vv. 3-19). While he was still praying, Gabriel came and said,
O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding. At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision. (vv. 22-23)
Then in chapter 10, Daniel described his vision and another angelic encounter that occurred after he had spent three weeks in prayer and fasting. Gabriel specifically told him that “from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words” (v. 12). In other words, “I am come to answer the prayer that you have prayed.”
Angels Receive Departed Saints
While it is clear that angels minister to saints in a variety of ways while living, there is yet another service they perform after we die. According to Luke 16:22, when the beggar Lazarus died he “was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom.” In contrast, the rich man simply “died, and was buried,” and then found himself being tormented in hell (v. 23).
ANGELS BEAR
MESSAGES
As stated in the first chapter, bearing messages is at the heart of angelic activity. The Hebrew and Greek words translated angel mean simply, messenger. We could probably study every text about angels and find some aspect of bearing a message in whatever they’re doing. But there are specific ways angels have functioned in this capacity, as we shall see.
Angels Were Involved in the Giving of the Law
Though angels aren’t mentioned in Exodus when we read about the giving of the
law on Sinai, Moses nevertheless stated in Deuteronomy 33:2 that “the LORD came
from Sinai . . . with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand went a fiery
law for them.” That these saints were angels is clear from Psalm 68:17
which states that “the chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of
angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place.” In his
sermon prior to becoming the first martyr, Stephen said that the law had been
received “by the disposition of angels” (Acts
Angels Give Prophetic Revelation
At times the type of revelation angels give may be quite simple, as in the case of Elijah when king Ahaziah had already sent two captains of fifty with their fifty to fetch him, all of whom were consumed by the fire of God sent from heaven (2 Ki. 1:1-12). When the third captain with his fifty came humbly, pleading for their lives (vv. 13-14), the angel of the Lord simply told Elijah, “Go down with him: be not afraid of him” (v. 15). That was all the revelation he needed at the moment.
In Paul’s case, the message was more prophetic in content. When he was a prisoner on board a ship that had been relentlessly battered by stormy winds, he was able to stand confidently in the midst of the ship’s crew and say,
I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship. For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee. Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me. (Acts 27:22-25)
Thus, an angel bearing prophetic revelation enabled Paul to face certain doom with the assurance of God’s deliverance.
Prophetic messages from angels don’t always deal with protection and deliverance, however. When Zacharias was in the temple carrying out his priestly duty,
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
In this way, the birth and ministry of John the Baptist were foretold by the angel Gabriel.
Gabriel’s next stop was to announce to Mary that she was the one chosen to carry the Messiah:
And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of
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. (Lk. 1:26-35)
Is it no wonder, when angels were involved in the giving of the law on Sinai, that Gabriel would have a part in delivering the prophecies of the very one who would come to fulfill every jot and tittle of that law?
Joseph, the husband of Mary and the earthly father of Jesus, received prophetic
messages delivered by an angel in a dream. The first was a prophecy of
the birth of Christ, given with the encouragement not to fear to take Mary as
his wife (Mt.
The most significant delivery of prophetic revelation by an angel was that
which was given by Gabriel to the prophet Daniel on several occasions. After
his second vision of the ram, the he-goat, and the little horn which is the
Antichrist (Dan. 8:1-14), Gabriel came to bring Daniel the interpretation of
what he had seen (vv. 15-27). Gabriel came a second time in
Angels Preach and Make Announcements
In addition to giving prophetic revelation, angels are also known to preach and make announcements. In Revelation 8:13 John saw “an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!”
In Revelation 14:6-11 we see three angels preaching. The first flies around in the heavens close enough to be seen and heard of men. He preaches the everlasting gospel to all men on earth during the last three and a half years of the tribulation. This gospel is the same as what we now preach with one exception: he will be able to announce that the hour of God’s judgment is come. We can only announce that it is coming (vv. 6-7).
The second angel will fly in the heavens announcing the fall of
The third angel will fly in the heavens warning all men in the
Surely the best announcement ever made by angels, however, is the famous passage recorded by Luke:
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
SPIRITUAL WARFARE
Angels have been engaged in spiritual warfare since the fall of Satan (Isa. 14:12-14; Lk. 10:18; Ezek. 28:11-17), and will remain involved in this work until the time when every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess the Lordship of Jesus Christ (Phil. 2:9-11; Isa. 45:23-25). The following points outline the basic aspects of this warfare, as revealed in Scripture.
Angels Rule Nations
As in earthly warfare, angelic warfare involves territorial conflicts.
After Daniel prayed and fasted for “three full weeks” (Dan. 10:2-3), Gabriel
appeared and announced that he had been sent on the first day of Daniel’s
prayer, but had been withstood for twenty-one days by the prince of
As we saw in the previous chapter, Satan has trusted angels over all the governments of this world. Yet God also has trusted angels who carry out His will concerning what He has predicted to take place in the kingdoms of this world. Hence, there are wars in the heavenlies between these two groups of angels. This will continue until the final conflict revealed in Revelation 12:7-9.
Angels Are Organized Into Armies
Psalm 68:17 says that “the chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of thousands of angels.” We’ve already seen a demonstration of these angelic armies in 2 Kings 6:8-17 when the angels outnumbered the Syrian army that came up against Elisha. These armies will be present with the Lord Jesus when He will be “revealed from heaven” (2 Th. 1:7). The second chapter of Joel vividly describes them gathering at Armageddon:
Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; a day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations. A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them. The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run. Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array. Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness. They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks: neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk every one in his path: and when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded. They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief. The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining: and the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it? (Joel 2:1-11)
This is a picture of the Lord’s army, and He will be leading them personally (v. 11).
Angels Wage War in Bodily Combat
Angels fight in bodily combat the same way men do, as we have seen in the
conflict between Gabriel and Michael against the prince of
And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. 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. (Rev. 12:7-9)
This war in heaven will be the
last actual struggle between Satan and God over the possession of the
heavenlies where Satan reigns (Eph. 2:2;
JUDGMENT
Seeing the angels’ role in spiritual warfare, it is not difficult to imagine God using them to carry out judgment on earth as well. Their work in this area is also an extension of their function as messengers of God. In the capacity of judgment, they are bearing what is sometimes the final message of God to rebellious people.
David’s Sin in Numbering
The story of David’s sin of numbering
Perhaps there was more back of this desire of David to know the number of
Always a man after God’s own heart, it didn’t take David long to figure out
that God was displeased. In 2 Samuel 24:10 it says that “David’s heart
smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the LORD, I
have sinned greatly in that I have done: and now, I beseech thee, O LORD, take away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done
very foolishly.” Through Gad the prophet, God gave David an answer the
day after his repentance:
So Gad came to David, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Choose thee either three years’ famine; or three months to be destroyed before thy foes, while that the sword of thine enemies overtaketh thee; or else three days the sword of the LORD, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel. Now therefore advise thyself what word I shall bring again to him that sent me. (1 Chr. 21:11-12)
David wisely took the third
option, saying, “let me fall now into the hand of the LORD; for very great are
his mercies: but let me not fall into the hand of man” (1 Chr.
So the LORD sent a pestilence upon
When David saw this angel and the destruction that had already occurred, he repented a second time, more deeply than the first, saying, “Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father’s house” (2 Sam. 24:17). This time David was willing to take all the blame and suffering if God would only spare the innocent people. When men are willing to take the blame for sin and receive punishment for themselves and their families, they are near the point of mercy.
Indeed, in this case what began in judgment ended in mercy.
David followed Gad’s instructions and “built there an altar unto the LORD, and
offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called upon the LORD; and he
answered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt offering. And
the LORD commanded the angel; and he put up his sword again into the sheath
thereof” (1 Chr.
Sennacherib’s
When Hezekiah, son of Ahaz, became king of
he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD,
according to all that David his father did. He removed the high places,
and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and
brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the
children of
This rebellion was against the
tribute that Ahaz had agreed to pay to the king of
In the fourth year of Hezekiah’s reign, the Assyrians besieged
In Hezekiah’s fourteenth year, Sennacherib king of
Perhaps the Assyrian king thought he could do the same to
The officers of Assyria evidently spoke loud enough to be heard on the walls of
Jerusalem—perhaps to make the people become afraid and surrender—for an appeal was
made by the officers of Israel that they speak in the Syrian tongue so that the
people on the walls would not understand (v. 26). But instead of being
quiet, the officers of
Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered at all his land out of the hand
of the king of
After rending his clothes and putting on sackcloth, Hezekiah went into the house of the Lord and sent for the prophet Isaiah, asking him to pray for the remnant of Judah (2 Ki. 19:1-4). Isaiah responded with the prophetic assurance not to be afraid, that Sennacherib would “fall by the sword in his own land” because of his blasphemy of God (vv. 5-7).
Rabshakeh, Sennacherib’s mouthpiece, renewed his insults, this time accusing God Himself of being deceitful, saying, “Let not thy God in whom thou trustest deceive thee, saying, Jerusalem shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria” (v. 10). But Hezekiah again responded in prayer:
O LORD God of
God also responded again, this time sending a lengthy prophetic message of comfort through Isaiah (vv. 20-34). The message ended with God’s declaration, “For I will defend this city, to save it, for mine own sake, and for my servant David’s sake” (v. 34).
Angelic judgment was the means God used to punish the Assyrians. The very night of the prophecy, “the angel of the LORD went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses” (v. 35). The death of 185,000 soldiers caused Sennacherib to return to Ninevah where he was murdered by his own sons while “worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god” (v. 37).
Herod’s Pride
Sennacherib wasn’t the only king who encountered angelic judgment on account of
pride. Acts 12:20 tells us that “Herod was highly displeased with them of
Tyre and Sidon: but they came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus
the king’s chamberlain their friend, desired peace; because their country was
nourished by the king’s country.” We do not know what caused Herod’s
anger with
Herod then made a political response. Dressed in royal robes, he “sat
upon his throne, and made an oration unto them” (Acts
The Great Tribulation
The book of Revelation is full of angelic appearances. We have already studied several of them, including the four living creatures called beasts in the King James. Those we will examine below have to do specifically with the various judgments that occur during the great tribulation, prior to the second advent of Christ.
The Seven Trumpets:
The eighth chapter of Revelation begins, “And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets” (v. 1-2). The seven trumpets are to be blown successively between the seals and the vials. The first will be blown after the seventh seal and the last in the middle of Daniel’s seventieth week, completing the first three and a half years.
• First Trumpet: “The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up” (Rev. 8:7).
• Second Trumpet: “And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; and the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed” (vv. 8-9).
• Third Trumpet: “And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; and the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter” (vv. 10-11).
• Fourth Trumpet: “And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise. And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!” (vv. 12-13).
• Fifth Trumpet: “And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit” (Rev. 9:1). This angel opens the abyss and releases the army of demonic locusts which have authority to torment all men but the 144,000 Jews who bear the seal of God in their foreheads. This they do for five months (vv. 2-10). This army has a king, the angel of the bottomless pit, known in Hebrew as Abaddon (Destruction) and in Greek as Apollyon (Destroyer, v. 11). He is a fallen angel who is now bound in the abyss with these demon creatures. This torment completes the first of the three woes announced in the fourth trumpet (v. 12).
• Sixth Trumpet: “And the sixth
angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar
which is before God, saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the
four angels which are bound in the great river
• Seventh Trumpet: “And the
seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our
Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever” (
The Seven Vials:
Revelation 14 reveals the 144,000 in heaven, the preaching of angels, and the reaping of the earth for the winepress of God’s wrath. This all prepares the way for the seven angels who have the seven last plagues which fill up the wrath of God (15:1).
• First Vial: “And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image” (16:2).
• Second Vial: “And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea” (16:3).
• Third Vial: “And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood” (16:4).
• Fourth Vial: “And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory” (16:8-9).
• Fifth Vial: “And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, and blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds” (16:10-11).
• Sixth Vial: “And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared” (16:12).
• Seventh Vial: “And the seventh
angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the
temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.
And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great
earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an
earthquake, and so great. And the great city was divided into three
parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great
SECOND ADVENT OF
CHRIST
Jesus ended His discussion on the
cost of discipleship by referring to His second coming: “For the Son of man
shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall
reward every man according to his works” (Mt.
The Regathering of
When explaining to His disciples the manner and time of His second coming, Jesus said, “For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” (Mt. 24:27). He then identified the signs that would point directly to His coming in the air:
Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. (vv. 29-30)
At this point the angels are released to carry out their work: “And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other” (v. 31). For proof that the elect in this verse are Jews, see the many notes on this and related passages in the Dake Annotated Reference Bible.
The Wheat and the Tares
In explaining the parable of the wheat and the tares given in Matthew 13:24-30,
Jesus indicated the harvest would take place at the end of the world (v. 39).
The Greek word for world here is aion which means any period of
time; in other words an age. In this passage it refers to the end
of this age, as do all the other places where “the end of the world” is used
(Mt.
The reapers who will separate the tares from the wheat are angels, according to Matthew 13:39. Jesus elaborates in vv. 41-42, saying, “the Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”
The Sheep and the Goats
In the final passage describing the events and judgment that will occur at the second advent of Christ, Jesus said:
When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: and before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. (Mt. 25:31-33)
Jesus will then speak to the sheep on His right hand, “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world,” rewarding them for caring for the least of His brethren (vv. 34-40). But He will cast the goats into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels, for their failure to care for the least of His brethren (vv. 41-46). We know from the many scriptures quoted above that it will be angels who will carry out this judgment.
WHAT THIS MEANS TO
US
It has been our purpose from the beginning of this study to thoroughly examine what the Bible has to say about the subject of angels. Having completed that, we must now ask ourselves, what does all this mean for us? How does this affect our lives?
The first and most obvious step is to simply believe in angels because the Bible is so full of teaching about them. No man has any excuse for misunderstanding this or any other teaching in the Bible, for the Bible is very simple to understand.
Our problem, however, is not with understanding, but with believing.
Even after more than three years of teaching by the greatest of all teachers,
the disciples still had to be rebuked for their unbelief and hardness of
heart. This was not because they could not understand, but because they
did not believe what Christ said. Even after Christ appeared and
manifested Himself to the disciples in various ways, they still refused
to believe until He “upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart”
(Mk.
We too may struggle at first to fully accept and realize that we are dealing
with “an innumerable company of angels” (Heb.
Having done this, we will immediately be encouraged by the presence of these
ministering spirits who are “sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs
of salvation” (Heb.
And as “we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Eph. 6:12), we can stand firm with greater faith, knowing that in the final battle, Michael and his angels will have victory over Satan and his angels, casting them out of these high places (Rev. 12:7-10).
If we find ourselves in dire straits, we can have confidence that we serve
the same God who sent angels to deliver Daniel from the lions’ den and Peter
from prison (Dan.
We may even have the privilege of seeing angels, as did many throughout Scripture. But whether we see them or not, we must still be hospitable to strangers, “for thereby some have entertained angels unawares” (Heb. 13:2).
AT THE PRESENT,
THIS DOCUMENT TEMPORARILY COMPLETES OUR STUDY PERTAINING TO ANGELS!
The above document is one of the most complete and precise
documents pertaining to the study and teachings of Angels that I have found.
Further this document is a collection of statements, (other then that given or
revealed in the Holy Bible (KJSV 1611)) by and of many Holy Bible revelators of
the Holy Word of God in this time!
Also I might add another personal statement at this
point; 2 Peter
2 Peter 1:20 [Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the
scripture is of any private interpretation] This is the first principle of
truth, that no prophecy is self-originated by the speaker or from a mere
impulse of the prophet's own mind. Holy men of God spoke as they
were moved by the Holy Ghost (2 Peter
[private] Greek: idios (GSN-2398), one's own; personal; private. Translated his own 76 times, and private only here.
[interpretation] Greek: epilusis (GSN-1955), a release. Only here. It means no prophecy is of personal release or from the prophet's own mind or from human impulse.
FURTHER
FOR THAT WHICH; Our Heavenly Father has given us, such as
His revealed knowledge, love, wisdom etc. Should
you charge people for what The Heavenly Father hath freely given you?
Knowing most people, that answer would be a disastrous, “ABSOLUTELY YES,”
because it did not cost anything for what you received from Him. Because of
God’s mercy and grace for what you received for free, you sell for profit and
even pay a tax, but fail to give unto God His portion, (tithes).
IN THESE LAST DAYS
God has FREELY blessed people with His
knowledge, wisdom, and even protection. However those same people
would rather charge a fee to others for what Our Heavenly Father has freely
given them for their enlightenment and encouragement, such as His revealed
knowledge and Salvation.
For an example; God, has blessed (so called) ministers of
the gospel, lay-members with audio and video sermon tapes and have even
sold their devices, such as teaching video tapes, books, gadgets and widgets
for millions of dollars and not using the gain from them for the glory
of God but instead for their own personal gain, again robbing God. Further,
they even sell them inside of the churches, which is supposed to be a house of
PRAYER but they have made it a den of thieves.
These same people have left their first state of
preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ for the purpose of winning souls for the
glory of God, to being more concerned about the affairs of this world and how
to make a living and get personal gain or clout, so they can play golf and make
arrangements on the golf course for the next number of meetings to continue the
money flow and forgetting all about Holiness unto God.
These same people, have left the Divine calling of God on
their life to win souls for the Lord and have sought personal gain such as
buying their own personal airplanes, building their own personal gulf or tennis
courts and courses.
Some of these same people have played on the sympathy of
the general public by selling their goods and wares and have made statements
such as “well if it sounds, looks or feels to good to be true then it probably
is” which is a lie of the devil and has nothing to do with truth. For an
example child of God: is Jesus Christ and Salvation too good to be true? NO,
Jesus is TRUE, Salvation is TRUE AND REAL. Is the fact that your name is
written down in the Lambs book of Life too good to be true? False statements
like, if is sounds too good to be true has driven more people from God and
caused more people to lose out with God then most any other statement that
could have been made. Those same people have ridiculed and blasphemed the name
of Almighty God and some have even turned and blasphemed the Holy Ghost because
they no longer believe God and they no longer fear God even though they had
experienced the blessings of God and further had received the infilling of The
Holy Ghost with speaking in other tongues as the Holy Ghost gave
utterance. Those same people that blasphemed the Holy Ghost have now said
that speaking in the unknown tongues of the Holy Ghost are
of the devil. I say, shame on
them!
I can certainly understand why in the last days there
will be a great falling away from God when people are so greedy, selfish,
discontent, haughty, highminded, being more concerned about themselves
instead of being concerned about others.
Jesus Said in;
Matthew 10:8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the
dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
Romans 8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered
him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
WHO HAVE YOU
ENTERTAINED LATELY?
Hebrews 13:2 (KJV)
Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
Appearances of Angels to Men
Scripture records at least 104 appearances of angels to human beings. They have appeared to:
1.
Hagar (2 times, Genesis 16:7-11; Genesis
2.
Abraham (3 times, Genesis 18:2; Genesis
3.
4.
Jacob (3 times, Genesis 28:12; Genesis 31:11; Genesis 32:1)
5.
Moses (Exodus 3:2)
6.
Balaam (Numbers
7.
Joshua (Hebrews
8.
9.
Gideon (Judges
10. Manoah's
wife (Judges 13:3-5)
11. Manoah
and his wife (Judges 13:9-21)
12. David (2
Samuel 24; 1 Chron. 21)
13. Elijah
(4 times, 1 Kings 19:5-7; 2 Kings 1:3,15)
14. Elisha
and servant (2 Kings
15.
Assyrians (2 Kings
16. Hebrew
children (Daniel
17.
Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel
18. Daniel
(5 times, Hebrews
19. Zechariah (7 times, Hebrews 1:8-19; Zechariah 2:3;
Zechariah 3:1-6; Zechariah 4:1-5;
Zechariah 5:5- 10; Zechariah 6:4-5; Zechariah 12:8)
20. Joseph
(3 times, Matthew
21. Mary
(Luke
22.
Zacharias (Luke
23.
Shepherds (Luke 2:9-14)
24. Jesus (2
times, Matthew
25. Some
women (Matthew 28:1-5)
26. The
disciples (Acts
27. Peter
and John (Acts
28. Philip
(Acts
29.
Cornelius (Acts 10:3,30-32)
30. Peter
(Acts 12:7-11)
31. Paul
(Acts 27:23)
32. John (52 angels in Revelation
HAVE YOU ENTERTAINED
ANY ANGELS LATELY?
Revs. Mr. and Mrs. H.
Dean Daniels Sui Juris