GOD’S SPIRIT MESSENGERS
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Part 2
The term archangel occurs
only in Jude and I Thessalonians (4:15) but Paul has furnished us with two
other lists of names of the heavenly archangels. He tells us in Ephesians that Christ
is raised up "above all principality, and power, and virtue, and
dominion"; and, writing to the (Colossians 1:16), he says: "In Him
were all things created in Heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether
thrones or dominations, or principalities or powers."
The archangels are
acknowledged as “chief princes” (see Dan.10:12-14).
Angels in the Old and New Testaments
played very important roles for God’s Kingdom, the saints of God, and for the
entire humanity.
The visits and messages
of angels in the Old Testament have been by no means rare; but when we come to
the New Testament their names appear on every page and the number of
references to them equals those in the Old Testament.
From the use of the word
host (sabaoth) as a synonym for the heavenly army it is hard to
resist the impression that the term "Lord Of Hosts" refers to
God’s Supreme Command of the angelic multitude
Jesus describes the life
of the angels in Heaven (Matthew 22:30; Luke 20:36). He
expressed how they form a bodyguard round Him and at a word from Him would
avenge Him on His enemies (Matthew 26:53);
More than once He speaks
of them as auxiliaries and witnesses at the final judgment (Matthew 16:27);
and lastly, they are the joyous witnesses of His triumphant resurrection.
It is the privilege of
the messenger angels to announce to Zachary and Mary the dawn of
Redemption, and to the shepherds its actual accomplishment.
The seraphim appear only
in the vision of Isaiah 6:6-7
Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in
his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:
And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched
thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.
God’s spirit messengers converse with His prophets;
with David and Elijah, with Daniel, Zachariah, et cetera; they
slay the hosts camped against Israel, they serve as guides to God’s servants.
The prophet of the last book of the Old Testament, Malachi,
bears a name of peculiar significance; "the Angel of Jehovah."
His name recalls the old-time glories of The LORD in Exodus
and Sinai.