15. Angels come protecting us

Angels come protecting us.pdf

As a Christian, have you ever experienced anything that went well beyond expectations?
Something that surprised you, where it felt like you were being adjusted or protected?
A protection that you often think back to?
Or did you receive ‘in a remarkable way’ an answer to a pressing question?
An answer that surprised you?
Many Christians have had similar experiences.
It is quite possible that this was the work of angels. But what will happen during the tribulation when we need the protection most?

Theme: In this article we will discuss the unique protective role of angels.

Angels will do everything possible to protect Christians, but not everything can be avoided. Some things unfortunately have to happen:

Such as the capture of Peter and the other apostles (Acts 5: 17-18):
— But the rescue from prison by an angel (Acts 5: 19-20)
Such as Jesus was aware of the great sacrifice that had to be made (Luke 22:42):
— But the strengthening for this by an angel (Luke 22:43)
Such as the tempting by Satan of Jesus after fasting (Matthew 4: 1-10):
— But the serving by angels after the tempting (Matthew 4:11)
Such as the tempting of Christians in the coming great tribulation (Matt. 24:21):
— But the rescue by Jesus with his angels (Matthew 24: 30-31)

What does it mean to have fear for God (YHWH)?

The word fear in Scripture can mean being scared or can mean fear for God.
But fear of God means reverence and awe for God (YHWH):

NKJV (Hebrews 12:28) 28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear

God asked Israel the following at the time and that is now meant for Christians:

NKJV (Deuteronomy 10:12) 12 “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul,
NKJV (Deuteronomy 13: 4) 4 You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice, and you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him.

He who has awe and reverence for God does have little fear of people:

NKJV (Psalm 118: 5-9) 5 I called on the Lord in distress; The Lord answered me and set me in a broad place. 6 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? 7 The Lord is for me among those who help me; Therefore I shall see my desire on those who hate me. 8 It is better to trust in the Lord Than to put confidence in man. 9 It is better to trust in the Lord Than to put confidence in princes.
NKJV (Hebrews 13: 6) 6 So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?
NKJV (Matthew 10:28) 28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

We have fear of God because our eternal life depends on His judgment:

NKJV (Psalm 90:11) 11 Who knows the power of Your anger? For as the fear of You, so is Your wrath.

The seven Spirits of God bear witness to every person:

NKJV (Zechariah 4: 1,10) 1 Now the angel who talked with me came back and wakened me, as a man who is wakened out of his sleep….. 10 For who has despised the day of small things? For these seven rejoice to see The plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. They are the eyes of the Lord, Which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth.”
NKJV (Revelation 1: 4) 4 John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne,….
NKJV (Revelation 5: 6) 6 And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth.

We can always trust on God and we can find comfort with God:

NKJV (Isaiah 41:13) 13 For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, Saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’
NKJV (Isaiah 44: 8) 8 Do not fear, nor be afraid; Have I not told you from that time, and declared it? You are My witnesses. Is there a God besides Me? Indeed there is no other Rock; I know not one.’ “
NKJV (Isaiah 51:12) 12 “I, even I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you should be afraid Of a man who will die, And of the son of a man who will be made like grass?
NKJV (Proverbs 1:33) 33 But whoever listens to me will dwell safely, And will be secure, without fear of evil.”
NKJV (Psalm 103: 13) 13 As a father pities his children, So the Lord pities those who fear Him.

But not all fear can be taken away by faith, such as the fear of remaining faithful to the almighty God (YHWH) under severe trials:

CSB (Mark 14: 33-36) 33 He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be deeply distressed and horrified. 34 Then He said to them, “My soul is swallowed up in sorrow -to the point of death. Remain here and stay awake.” 35 Then He went a little farther, fell to the ground, and began to pray that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. 36 And He said, ” Abba , Father! All things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me. Nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.”
NKJV (Hebrews 5: 7) 7 who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear,
NKJV (Luke 22:43) 43 Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.

When do people receive God’s protection?

God does not listen to sinners but to those who obey Him:

NKJV (John 9:31) 31 Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him.

God listens to people with love and righteousness in their hearts:

NKJV (Acts 10:35) 35 But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.  
NKJV (Leviticus 19:32) 32 ‘You shall rise before the gray headed and honor the presence of an old man, and fear your God: I am the Lord.
NKJV (1 Peter 3:14) 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.”

What does it mean to have no fear?

To have no fear means to have complete faith in our Heavenly Father:

NKJV (Psalm 23: 4) 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me;
NKJV (Psalm 27: 1) 1…. The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?
NKJV (Psalm 49: 5-7) 5 Why should I fear in the days of evil, When the iniquity at my heels surrounds me? 6 Those who trust in their wealth And boast in the multitude of their riches, 7 None of them can by any means redeem his brother, Nor give to God a ransom for him.

Jesus showed that He had power over the forces of nature. That is why we do not have to fear the forces of nature, these forces can be controlled.
Both the Father and the Son have power over these:

NKJV (Matthew 8:26) 26 But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.
NKJV (Matthew 14:26) 26 And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear.
NKJV (Luke 21:26) 26 men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of heaven will be shaken.

What are angels for beings?

As for Jesus, Jesus is born and had his beginnings or origins in heaven long ago:

NKJV (Hebrews 1: 5) 5 For to which of the angels did He ever say: “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You”? And again: “I will be to Him a Father, And He shall be to Me a Son”?

According to Hebrews 1: 5, Jesus was begotten, but the angels were created.
The Son of God created the entire creation in consultation with His Father:

NKJV (Ephesians 3: 9) 9 and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ;
NKJV (Colossians 1: 16) 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.

And regarding the number of heavenly angels:

NKJV (Revelation 5:11) 11 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands,

There are several tasks for the army of angels, such as the archangel, the seraphim’s, the cherubim and the other angels:

NKJV (Isaiah 6: 2) 2 Above it stood seraphim’s; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.
NKJV (Isaiah 37:16) 16 “O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, the One who dwells between the cherubim,….

A cherub is an angel with wings, as two are depicted on the Ark of the Covenant.

Satan is also a cherub, an angel with wings:

NKJV (Ezekiel 28: 14-16) 14 “You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. 15 You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, Till iniquity was found in you. 16 “By the abundance of your trading You became filled with violence within, And you sinned;….

Angels are personalities with their own language and are often assigned ministry tasks in Scripture as messengers of God:

NKJV (Hebrews 1: 13-14) 13 But to which of the angels has He ever said: “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool”? 14 Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?
CSB (1 Corinthians 13: 1) 1 If I speak the languages of men and of angels, but do not have love, I am a sounding gong or a clanging cymbal.

People are created a little lower than angels:

NKJV (Psalm 8: 3-5) 3 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, 4 What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him? 5 For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor.

A number of examples in which angels appeared as messengers:

Lot – flee from Sodom                                    Genesis 19: 1, 15
Abraham                                                                Genesis 22:11
Jacob                                                                       Genesis 31:11
Moses – angel as flame in thorn bush     Exodus 3: 2, Acts 7:30
Gideon                                                                    Judges 6: 20-22
Manoach – Samson                                          Judges 13: 2-24
David – pulled out sword                                1 Chronicles 21: 16.30
Elijah                                                                        2 Kings 1: 3
Mary                                                                         Luke 1: 26-38
Zechariah – John the Baptist                       Luke 1: 5-20
Joseph                                                                    Matthew 1: 18-25, 2:13, 19
To the shepherds at Jesus’ birth               Luke 2: 8-14
To the disciples after Jesus died               Matthew 28: 1-3, Luke 24: 1-4
To the disciples during ascension            Acts 1: 9-11
Cornelius                                                               Acts 10: 3- 4

What other duties do the angels have?

Some other duties of the angels:

Exodus from Egypt in cloud / fire column       Exodus 14:19, Numbers 20:16
Watch over the Israelites                                        Exodus 23:20
Speech to the Israelites                                           Judges 2: 4
Transferring the Law of Moses                            Acts 7:53, Galatians 3:19
Rescuing Shadrach, Meshach, Abed-Nego   Daniel 3:28
Daniel in the den of lion’s                                         Daniel 6:23
The strucking down of the Assyrian army      2 Kings 19:35
Angels who protect                                                    Psalm 34: 7, 91: 11-12
Escape from prison                                                    Acts 5: 19-20
The Archangel Michael against Satan              Judas 1: 9
Angels can have functions as princes              Daniel 10: 13,20-21
Angels guide Jesus on his second coming     Matthew 16:27, 25:31, 24:31
Angels wage war                                                         Revelation 12: 7, 19: 11-14

Angels can ‘ascend’ and ‘descend’ from heaven:

NKJV (John 1: 49-51) 49 Nathanael answered and said to Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 50 Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And He said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”
NKJV (Genesis 28:12) 12 Then he (Jacob) dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.

Angels also frequently examine the Scriptures:

NKJV (1 Peter 1:12) 12 To them 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 protect Christians

The angel of the LORD stays around those, who fear God:

NKJV (Psalm 34: 4-8) 4 I sought the Lord, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears. 5 They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces were not ashamed. 6 This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles. 7 The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them. 8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!

Whoever wants to do evil to Christians has to deal with the angel of the Lord:

NKJV (Psalm 35: 4-5) 4 Let those be put to shame and brought to dishonor Who seek after my life; Let those be turned back and brought to confusion Who plot my hurt. 5 Let them be like chaff before the wind, And let the angel of the Lord chase them.

Christians who have yet to grow are also protected:

NKJV (Matthew 18:10) 10 “Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.

Be always hospitable, just as Abraham and Sarah were (Gen. 18: 2-8):

CSB (Hebrews 13: 2) 2 Don’t neglect to show hospitality, for by doing this some have welcomed angels as guests without knowing it.

Be happy for every person who believes in the Christ, just as the angels are happy for every repentant sinner:

NKJV (Luke 15:10) 10 Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

The large number of fallen angels

There is written something remarkable in the book of Revelation:

NKJV (Revelation 12: 3-4, 7-8) 3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. 4 His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth….. 7 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought,….

A fiery red dragon (Satan) was thrown out of heaven by Michael and his angels, but the dragon drew a third of the stars to the earth.
In Scripture, angels are referred to as God’s sons (Gen. 6: 2) and as morning stars (Job 38: 7), just as Jesus called Himself a Morning Star:

NKJV (Revelation 22:16) 16 …. I (Jesus) am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.”

So here it seems to be written, that Satan may have a third of the angels as allies.
Numerous angels have not remained faithful and many of them speak lies:

NKJV (1 John 4: 1-3) 1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.

Angels who had relations with the daughters of men (Gen. 6: 2) are separated:

NKJV (2 Peter 2: 4) 4 For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment;
NKJV (Judas 1: 6) 6 And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day;

Examples of unclean angels (spirits) in Jesus ministry

Jesus often healed people who were possessed by an unclean spirit:

NKJV (Luke 8:29) 29 For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness.
NKJV (Luke 9: 39,42) 39 And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out; it convulses him so that he foams at the mouth, and it departs from him with great difficulty, bruising him…. 42 And as he was still coming, the demon threw him down and convulsed him. Then Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the child, and gave him back to his father.
NKJV (Luke 11: 24,26) 24 “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ …. 26 Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first.”
HerzSt (Luke 13: 11-13) 11 And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. 12 But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” 13 And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.

Finally:

Although angels protect Christians, they may never be worshiped:

NKJV (Revelation 22: 8-9) 8 Now I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things. 9 Then he said to me, “See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.” (see also Rev. 19:10)

Christians will be saved by Jesus during the tribulation, along with the holy angels:

NKJV (Matthew 25:31) 31 “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.

The 144,000 chosen ones, the saints, have the privilege of reigning with Jesus as kings and priests and even judging the angels:

NKJV (Revelation 5:10) 10 And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.”
NKJV (1 Corinthians 6: 3) 3 Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life?

We never have to doubt the help of angels that we will receive when we are oppressed. Our eyes don’t have to be opened for this anymore.
Christians can be assured of a great angel army that will help us, just as the prophet Elisha and his (doubting) servant were protected at the time:

NKJV (2 Kings 6: 15,17) 15 And when the servant of the man of God 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?”…. 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.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *